Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Campaign urges college students to 'Stop at Buzzed'
  To fight binge drinking, a central Minnesota college is asking students to stop drinking when they're "buzzed."7:20 a.m.
• Minneapolis nightclub takes city to court
  Gabby's Saloon, in northeast Minneapolis, is taking the city to court claiming restrictions on its liquor license are unfair.7:25 a.m.
• New book tells story of a "company town"
  A new book takes a look at the history and the legacy of a "company town" in northeastern Minnesota. Morgan Park was a community planned and built by U.S. Steel, the largest single employer in Duluth for much of the 20th century. Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer spoke with Arnold Alanen, author of the book.7:50 a.m.
• Church Ladies musical running at Plymouth Playhouse
  "Church Basement Ladies 2" is now onstage at the Plymouth Playhouse. The locally-created musical is one of the best examples of made-in-Minnesota shows that have gone on to long lucrative runs here and in other parts of the country. Morning Edition arts commentator and St. Paul Pioneer Press theater critic Dominic Papatola talks about the little show and its big expectations.8:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Have Fed's Efforts Helped Calm Investors' Worries?
  The Federal Reserve and others have been trying to restore confidence on Wall Street. The Bear Stearns collapse is only the latest blow. All of the recent interest rate cuts and other moves were designed in part to bring calm. Bethany McClean of Fortune magazine explains why fear persists despite all those efforts.
• Doctors' 'Treat the Numbers' Approach Challenged
  It can take scientists a decade or more to determine whether a drug actually works. In the meantime, doctors rely on other measures, like testing blood pressure and cholesterol levels, to determine whether a drug is having positive effects. But recent studies challenge the practice of prescribing medicine based on certain test results.
• Bear Stearns' Collapse Ripples to Neighbors, Beyond
  The collapse of Bear Stearns, the country's fifth largest investment bank, is big news on Wall Street, but is it also affecting everyday people — the people who work right in Bear Stearns' neighborhood?
• China Dials Up Rhetoric on Dalai Lama
  Chinese officials are ignoring calls for a dialog with protesters in Tibet. Instead, they have labeled the Dalai Lama a "wolf in monk's clothes" and a "monster with a human face and an animal's heart." Such rhetoric is part of the Chinese government's attempt to spin the violent unrest in the capital Lhasa for a domestic audience.
• 'Girls Gone Wild' Pulls $1M Offer to Spitzer's Call Girl
  Ashley Alexandra Dupre, the call girl who was hired by New York's former Gov. Eliot Spitzer, got a $1 million offer from the adult DVD distributor Girls Gone Wild. But before the publisher could finish the deal, he discovered that Dupre had posed for him years earlier.
• 1970s Nostalgia Thrives in Katmandu
  Nepal is a tiny country, tucked between the two most populous countries of the world, China and India. It's a country in a sort of time warp, with music that was popular in the 1970s. This audio postcard comes from Nepal's capital, Katmandu.
• Iraq's Prisons Strained as Security Improves
  The prison system in Iraq is overstretched. The U.S. troop surge and more aggressive roles for Iraqi security forces have put pressure on the country's prisons and detention facilities. There are reports of even more serious problems within the system — including allegations of abuse.
• Starbucks Plans New Drinks, New Discounts
  Starbucks isn't selling as many cups of coffee as it once was. Former CEO Howard Schultz is back at the helm, trying to turn around sagging sales. He is making dramatic changes, including new machines, new prices and even new coffee.
• Fidelity Resists Pressure to Break Sudan Ties
  Shareholder activists continue to target the government of Sudan for its actions in Darfur, and a number of states have responded by passing Sudan divestment laws. But the attempt at financial pressure isn't gaining much traction in the mutual fund industry.
• Letters: Obama, Political Wives, Jack Bauer, Turnips
  Renee Montagne and Steve Inskeep read listeners' comments.
• Obama's Speech on Race Tops YouTube
  The most popular video on YouTube has no lip-synching Chinese teenagers, no babies falling over, no drunk cats: It's Barack Obama's speech on race. So far, the Obama speech has been clicked on 1.6 million times and has drawn more than 4,000 comments, ranging from "awesome" to "no, we can't" to "Barrack to the Future!!"
• D.C. Clips Bar's Tuesday Night 'Buzz Cuts'
  People have been gathering at a bar in the nation's capital to take advantage of a Tuesday night promotion: get a haircut, along with a shot of whiskey, for $12. Then the promotion ended — not because the haircuts were bad, but because city officials cracked down. They say the bar didn't have a permit — for haircuts.
• Jailed Milwaukee Alderman Runs for Re-Election
  A one-term Milwaukee alderman has been sitting in jail since his arrest last Memorial Day. But that hasn't stopped him from running a re-election campaign — or drawing widespread support.
• Wall Street's Woes Shake Silicon Valley Ventures
  Wall Street's worries following the Bear Stearns meltdown are having a chilling effect on some Silicon Valley startup ventures as they search for capital to get off the ground. Experts say investor money hasn't completely dried up, but there's a definite drought.
• Ob/Gyn Group: New Ethics Standards Misinterpreted
  Ob/Gyns who don't want to perform or refer for abortions are not at risk of losing their board certification after all. The Department of Health and Human Services had objected to new guidelines for groups that oversee the nation's obstetricians and gynecologists. But the director of one of those groups says HHS got it all wrong.

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