Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Researchers link E. coli, ethanol by-product
  U.S. Agriculture Department scientists and university researchers are studying whether a feed made from an ethanol by-product increases the prevalence of E. coli in cattle. Some research suggests distillers grain promotes growth of the bacteria, which can be deadly to humans.6:50 a.m.
• Hopeful college graduates launch into shaky economy
  This year's college graduates step into a working world of fewer jobs, bigger debt.7:20 a.m.
• High gas prices have little impact on telecommuting
  Some organizations are showing more enthusiasm for telecommuting. But most employers aren't sold on the value of letting employees work from home.7:25 a.m.
• Fumes from dairy cause neighbors to evacuate
  A few families in rural Marshall County, in northwestern Minnesota, left their homes over the weekend because of fumes from a nearby dairy operation.7:50 a.m.
• Hummingbirds make their spring return
  Every year, people marvel as the swallows come back to San Juan Capistrano in California. But each spring commentator Peter Smith looks forward to the arrival of a different winged species in Minnesota. For him, it's a chance to observe the natural order of things.7:55 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Same-Sex Ruling Drives Wedding Business in Calif.
  As soon as the state's Supreme Court announced it would legally recognize gay marriage, wedding companies started getting calls. Same-sex weddings could swell the industry's coffers by $684 million, according to a UCLA study.
• Agriculture Official: Energy Costs Drive Food Crisis
  The rise in food prices is a global concern, and the U.S. — which gives half of the world's food aid, more than any other country — is being pressured to act. Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer agrees that the U.S. needs to help poor nations boost their food productivity. He says energy and transportation costs are eating into food funds.
• Afghanistan's Hidden Treasures on Display in D.C.
  Centuries ago, Afghanistan was a vital stop along the ancient Silk Road where cultures of the East and West converged. Artifacts from that rich cultural crossroads are currently on display at the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. — after being hidden away for more than two decades in Kabul.
• Report: Zimbabwe's Ruling Party Torturing Voters
  A new Human Rights Watch report blasts the government of Zimbabwe for inciting brutal attacks against opposition supporters. The report says President Robert Mugabe's violent campaign virtually rules out any chance of a fair runoff election. It also says the ruling party has set up torture camps to force voters to support Mugabe.
• Pakistani Lawyers Rally for Musharraf's Resignation
  Pakistan's President, Pervez Musharraf, faces a new challenge to his authority. Thousands of lawyers and other activists are headed to the capital Islamabad for a rally this week. They will demand that Musharraf resign and bring back the judges he fired last year.
• Pakistani Envoy: New Government Building Strength
  Protests calling for the reinstatement of judges fired by President Pervez Musharraf are the first major challenge to Pakistan's new coalition government. Pakistan's new ambassador to the United States, Husain Haqqani, says there is consensus that the judiciary should be restored, but disagreement on how to do it.
• Bush Meets with 'Friendly Faces' in Last Europe Trip
  President Bush is meeting with European leaders Tuesday in Slovenia for the annual U.S.-European summit. It's the first stop on the last scheduled European trip of his presidency. The weeklong tour will take him to Britain, Germany, Italy and France. NPR White House correspondent Don Gonyea says he's meeting mostly with his longtime allies.
• SomethingStore Sends $10 Surprise to Your Door
  You know that feeling you get when someone hands you a gift box and you don't know what's inside? Now there's a company that will sell you that feeling any time you want. For $10, the SomethingStore will sell you something. And you won't know what it is until it arrives at your door and you open the box.
• Health Officials Track Salmonella, Suspect Tomatoes
  Health officials are trying to identify the source of the salmonella contamination that has made more than 100 people ill. Tomatoes are thought to be the culprit. The Food and Drug Administration is urging consumers to avoid certain types of tomatoes.
• Salmonella Leads Restaurants to Hold the Tomatoes
  An outbreak of salmonella is forcing McDonald's and other chain restaurants to stop serving tomatoes. It's not certain that tomatoes are the source of the problem, which left more than 100 people sick in more than a dozen states — but a process of elimination has focused scrutiny on raw tomatoes.
• Immigration Issue Doesn't Divide McCain, Obama
  Immigration is getting little play on the presidential campaign trail, in part because the two candidates' stances aren't very different. Both supported a Senate bill that would have legalized millions of immigrants and created a guest-worker program.
• Soaring Diesel Prices in Europe Fuel Protests
  While Europeans are used to paying a lot for unleaded gasoline, the sudden rise in the more popular and usually cheaper diesel fuel has come as a shock. In Spain this week, truckers blocked roads and stopped making deliveries to protest the soaring fuel costs. Spanish fishermen are also striking, and the French Navy has canceled three summer missions.
• Study: Number of Under-Insured Adults Soaring
  The number of Americans who are considered under-insured is growing. According to a new study, the number of under-insured, working-age adults ballooned by 60 percent in the past four years.
• High Oil Prices Expected to Curb Consumption
  Host Renee Montagne has this morning's business news.
• Europe Weighs Legislation to Cut Bullfighting Funds
  Bull breeders in Spain receive a subsidy of about $400 for each bull they raise to fight and die in the ring. Legislation before the European Parliament would end the funding. That has two sides — animal rights activist and bullfighting culture lovers — at odds.

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