Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Dog kennel debate goes to court
  The fate of a proposed 600-dog kennel in central Minnesota is being playing out in court.6:50 a.m.
• Twin Cities author tries young adult fantasy
  Twin Cities author Anne Ursu is making her debut in a hot genre of the book industry. Her book is called "The Shadow Thieves," and it's aimed squarely at the young adult fantasy genre in which the Harry Potter series has seen so much success.6:55 a.m.
• Legislative session enters second month
  The second month of the 2006 legislative session begins today, and one of the first items to be heard in the state Senate is a Twins stadium bill. Minnesota Public Radio's Capitol Bureau Chief Laura McCallum provides a look at the week ahead.7:20 a.m.
• Mesabi schools ask for new building
  Five years after LTV Steel's plant closed, is the Iron Range ready to invest in schools?7:25 a.m.
• Study finds Minnesota hospitals have lowest rate of hospital errors
  A new study by the health care ratings organization Health Grades finds that hospitals in Minnesota have the lowest rate of medical errors in the country. The study finds that medical mistakes are on the rise nationwide, but not in Minnesota.7:55 a.m.
• Red River still rising
  People will be sandbagging and shoring up dikes today in the Fargo-Moorhead area. Gov. Pawlenty has called on 135 National Guard troops to help bolster flood preparations in that area as the Red River keeps rising.8:25 a.m.
• Monday Markets
  Minnesota Public Radio's Chief Economics Correspondent Chris Farrell discusses the latest economic news.8:55 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Districts Give Congressional Incumbents Advantage
  Polls show voters want Democrats to take over Congress. But with districts drawn to keep incumbents in place, that probably won't happen. One example of why change is unlikely to happen is in Indiana.
• A Jobs Program with a Spiritual Twist
  In Orlando, Fla., single moms, recovering drug addicts and others who need help finding jobs are turning to a worker-training program with a spiritual twist. It teaches resume writing and job-interview tips. But, with the help of a local pastor, participants also get lessons in attitude and character.
• Growth Threatens Future of N.H. School
  Only three one-room schools are left in New Hampshire -- all in very small towns. The oldest of these schools, built in 1780, is in Croydon, where residents worry that a growing population will spell the end of the school.
• General Motors Selling Stake in Profitable GMAC
  General Motors announces it will sell a 51 percent stake in its financing business. The General Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC) handles mortgage lending and real-estate services. It's selling the stake to a consortium of investors that includes a large private investment group.
• Louisiana Parishes Fight over LNG Plant Profits
  In Southwest Louisiana, Hurricane Rita destroyed a lot of towns. Officials say money earned from a liquefied natural gas plant that's being built will go a long way toward rebuilding some communities. The facility will contribute millions of dollars a year to local coffers. But there's a battle over who will get that money.
• Florida Takes on UCLA for Men's Basketball Title
  The NCAA men's basketball championship will be decided Monday night in Indianapolis. Steve Inskeep talks to John Feinstein about the two finalists, UCLA and Florida. The Bruins are seeking a 12th national title. Florida is in the final for the second time since 2000.
• Election Fails to Resolve Thailand's Political Deadlock
  The Thai prime minister's party sweeps a general election that was boycotted by the opposition. The prime minister called elections three years early to try to quell growing street protests demanding his resignation. Official results are not in yet. Renee Montagne talks with Michael Sullivan.
• Wet Weather Socks Hawaii with Landslides, Tornados
  If you think Hawaii in spring means blue skies and warm beaches, think again. This year a patch of bad weather is bringing landslides, dam breaks and tornados. Experts say it hasn't been this wet in March in Hawaii since 1951.
• Spread of Iraqi Insurgency Feared in Arab World
  As the insurgency in Iraq evolves into a sectarian conflict, there are growing fears in the Arab world that it could spread to other parts of the region. Iraqi insurgents are now battling both U.S. troops and the Shiite-dominated government in Baghdad.
• Rice, Straw Visit Iraq, Prod Leaders on Government
  U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw make a surprise visit to Iraq and urge political leaders there to form a government as soon as possible. Steve Inskeep talks to Jamie Tarabay.
• Venezuela Prepares Military for the Possibility of a U.S. Invasion
  Venezuela has begun to train military reservists based on lessons from the war in Iraq. President Hugo Chavez has been warning Venezuelans that there is a possibility the United States will invade their country. U.S. officials have repeatedly tried to dismiss these fears.
• French Telecom Company Alcatel Merging with Lucent
  Paris-based Alcatel and U.S. telecommunications equipment maker Lucent have agreed to merge. The deal would create a new telecom equipment maker with sales of $25 billion. Renee Montagne talks to Jim Zarroli.
• Bus Company Tries to Lure Customers with $1 Fare on Midwest Routes
  A new bus line in Chicago is hoping $1 seats can pull in passengers tired of expensive gas and plane tickets. Students and seniors, in particular, are being targeted by the company. Megabus.com is offering some seats for just a dollar between Chicago and eight Midwestern cities.
• Samsung Shows Off Flash-Based Laptop 'Disk Drive'
  Samsung has a new laptop prototype that doesn't use a hard-disk drive; it runs on 32 gigabytes of flash memory. Steve Inskeep talks with David Pogue, technology columnist for The New York Times about the device. The flash drive reads data three times faster, and writes data 1.5 times faster, then a regular hard drive. The technology also requires less electricity and takes up less space than the standard disk storage system.
• Books Make the Legislator
  Here's a political spending scandal for the books: The Philadelphia Inquirer reports a Pennsylvania state representative billed taxpayers for his $28,000 library. That's more than the middle and high schools in his district spent on their library books. Philadelphia Democrat Mark Cohen says all that reading makes him a better lawmaker.

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