Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• NTSB bridge probe attracts congressional attention
  The NTSB's handling of the 35W bridge collapse investigation will be a large part of a congressional hearing today. Morning Edition's Cathy Wurzer speaks with MPR reporter Sea Stachura in Washington about the hearing.7:20 a.m.
• Search for PFC contamination in Mississippi River expands
  Five states including Minnesota will test for perfluorinated chemicals in the Mississippi River.7:25 a.m.
• DWIs highest in Midwest; Minnesota is third
  The upper Midwest has the worst drunken driving rates in the country, according to a government report, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The worst five are Wisconsin, North Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota.7:50 a.m.
• Online learning is growing by the gigabyte
  With new standards and growing popularity, online schools may be headed for a breakout year.7:55 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Regulators: Lenders Must Expand Subprime Help
  Home mortgage lenders acknowledge that lowering borrower's interest rates can prevent foreclosures, but new numbers released Tuesday tell a different story. Despite efforts to motivate lenders to renegotiate subprime loans, only a small proportion of borrowers have actually been able to renegotiate their mortgages.
• Discovery Launches Eco-Lifestyle TV Network
  Starting this June, the Discovery Channel will offer environmentally friendly programming 24 hours a day on Green Planet, its new eco-lifestyle TV network. The $50 million project aims to cash in on growing interest in environmental issues — and the growing marketplace of green products.
• Macau Limits New Casino Construction
  Las Vegas Sands, Wynn Resorts and MGM Mirage all enjoyed a spike in stock prices after the world's largest gambling hub — the southern Chinese enclave of Macau — limited new casino construction. So many companies are building casinos, Macau's chief is worried about social stability.
• Defense Secretary Announces New Post for Petraeus
  Co-host Steve Inskeep reports on Defense Secretary Robert Gates' plan to recommend Gen. David Petraeus, the U.S. commander in Iraq, for a new position.
• Undersea Microphone Helps Measure Hurricanes
  In order for scientists to measure the strength of a hurricane, they typically must rely on the tricky maneuver of flying an airplane through the storm. But a discovery from the field of underwater acoustics means it's possible to measure a hurricane's strength just by listening to the sounds it makes — under the sea.
• Vermont Brewer Trades Cows Food for Energy
  Long-Trail Brewing Co. in Vermont has signed up for something the dairy state has plenty of: cow power. A utility in Vermont is offering — for just a few cents more — power derived from the methane gas given off by the manure on dairy farms. The brewery, in turn, will contribute mash, a byproduct of brewing, to feed the cows.
• Bush Meets Resistance on Medicaid Spending Plan
  Members of Congress and President Bush are heading for another showdown over health care. This time it involves a series of regulations the administration says will save the Medicaid program billions of dollars. But the nation's governors and health care providers say it will unfairly pass costs to states and hurt patients.
• Belgian Students Retrace Teen Shooter's Steps
  When a high school student in Finland shot and killed eight people and himself late last year, European Union leaders rushed to tighten gun laws. Justice ministers of the 27 member states approved the measures last week. But one Belgian city that suffered a teen shooting is taking surprising steps of its own to keep kids safe.
• Crime, Corruption Persist in Vladivostok
  Russia's Far East port city of Vladivostok is notorious for rampant crime and corruption. Residents say the violent killings of the 1990s have subsided. Political analysts say criminals used to influence politicians — now, they are being elected to office.
• Ex-Army Engineer, 84, Faces Espionage Charges
  A former U.S. Army mechanical engineer has been charged with spying. Ben-ami Kadish, 84, is accused of slipping classified documents about nuclear weapons to an employee of the Israeli consulate.
• Will Yahoo Earnings Report Boost Microsoft's Bid?
  Yahoo reported quarterly earnings Tuesday that were higher than expected. The Internet company is trying to fend off a takeover from Microsoft, using its new revenue as proof that Microsoft's initial offer is too low. But Microsoft appears uninterested in increasing its bid.
• Burial Set for Soldier Found Dead After 4 Years MIA
  For four years, the parents of a soldier from Southwest Ohio regarded their son as captured and missing. Friends and family kept up hope that Matt Maupin would return home alive. But a recent Iraqi tip led the U.S. Army to his remains, and now the community is preparing for a funeral.
• Sunni Bloc to Re-Join Iraq's Shiite-Led Government
  Iraq's prime minister, long criticized as weak, overly sectarian and indecisive, has used the crackdown on Muqtada al-Sadr's militia to strengthen and improve his political position. A key Sunni bloc has declared it will soon re-join Nouri al-Maliki's Shiite-led government.
• Rising Food Prices Strain Aid Groups Around U.S.
  Among lower-paid working families, food prices are making trips to the grocery store more difficult — leading many to seek staples from local food banks. Rising demand for food is squeezing aid groups in many areas.
• U.N. Declares Rising Food Costs a 'Silent Tsunami'
  The United Nations World Food Program announced Tuesday that increases in food prices could leave more than 100 million people hungry. The head of the program calls the international crisis a "silent tsunami." A summit Tuesday was aimed at addressing the issue.

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