Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Big screen TVs are getting to be big business
  Have you thought about buying a big-screen TV? Their picture quality is almost always sharper than standard televisions. And some boast screens that top 100 inches. But many of the sets cost $1,000 or more. Still, big retailers, including Twin Cities-based Best Buy, are betting more and more of us are going to buy these TVs.6:24 a.m.
• Pawlenty's meth registry: Good policy or a gimmick?
  Gov. Tim Pawlenty has signed an executive order creating a new online registry for meth offenders. When it's up and running, Minnesotans will be able to search the registry for people convicted of making or selling methamphetamine. Pawlenty's political rivals mocked the idea as a gimmick that won't do anything to deter meth use.6:50 a.m.
• Minnesota Weather with Mark Seeley
  Cathy Wurzer spoke with University of Minnesota climatologist Mark Seeley about heat waves, drought and the urban heat island effect.6:53 a.m.
• Research suggests link between pesticides and brain disease
  Researchers at the University of North Dakota say preliminary research shows a link between pesticide exposure and neurological diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. Researchers say they've also identified a surprisingly efficient way pesticides may get into the human body.7:20 a.m.
• The cost of covering Minnesota's uninsured people
  What would it cost to cover Minnesota's approximately 383,000 uninsured people? On the low end, about $663 million a year, state officials say. On the high end, the bill could jump to more than $850 million. The estimates come from a new background paper issued by the Minnesota Department of Health.7:24 a.m.
• The quietest place on earth
  Minnesota has received a lot of attention lately for nationally acclaimed buildings like the new Guthrie Theater, the new Minneapolis Public Library, and the Walker Art Center. One building in Minneapolis has even made the Guinness Book of World Records -- twice.7:50 a.m.
• DNR imposes water restrictions on 12 Minnesota rivers during extreme drought
  Areas stretching from northwestern to east-central Minnesota are facing extreme drought conditions and water levels in many lakes and rivers have dipped well-below normal. In the state's worst drought in 18 years, the Department of Natural Resources has suspended some permits for water use on a dozen rivers in Minnesota. Cathy Wurzer spoke with Kent Lokkesmoe, Director of the Minnesota DNR's Division of Waters.8:54 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Questions Arise About Congo's Readiness to Vote
  As it prepares to hold its first direct elections in 46 years, the Democratic Republic of Congo faces steep hurdles, including how to get election material to 50,000 polling stations. Some observers say Congo isn't ready for Sunday's balloting.
• Congo Elections Could Be a Date with History
  Jason Stearns, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group, talks with Renee Montagne about why elections in the Congo matter so much to African democracy.
• A Girl's Gift of Life, Recalled by Her Doctor
  In his 24-year career as a pediatrician, Dr. John Bancroft has treated thousands of children. But the story of a young girl with a liver condition, whom he treated more than 10 years ago, has stayed with him.
• Darfur Rebel Leader Looks for Help in Washington
  The only rebel leader to have signed a peace deal on Darfur is in Washington. Minni Minnawi wants to see the U.S. persuade Sudan -- which Washington accuses of genocide -- to allow U.N. peacekeepers into Darfur. Some analysts say that the peace deal has only led to more fighting -- this time among rebel factions.
• 'The Librettist of Venice:' Mozart's Poet
  Lorenzo Da Ponte wrote the librettos for Don Giovanni and other Mozart operas. The Venice-born writer helped bring the Mozart's works to life, seeming to know exactly what the composer wanted to say, the author of a new Da Ponte biography says.
• Defining Syria's Role in Mideast Peace
  As fighting between Israel and Hezbollah rages on in Lebanon, Don Gonyea talks with former U.S. ambassador to Syria Theodore Kattouf. They discuss the role Syria might still play in brokering a deal.
• Public Challenges Arab Leaders on Lebanon Conflict
  Demonstrations against the Israeli military campaign in Lebanon have been growing on the streets of Arab capitals. Pro-American Arab leaders are recalibrating their positions. U.S. hopes of keeping them on board for a wider Middle East initiative may be eroding.
• Rockets Drive Israelis into Bomb Shelters
  Many people living along the northern Israeli border have fled to shelters. In one shelter, a group of older Russian émigrés live underground as Hezbollah rockets pepper their region.
• Mideast Interests Bring Blair to U.S. for Talks
  British Prime Minister Tony Blair visits the U.S. for talks with President Bush. The U.S.-U.K. relationship is once again under the microscope in the midst of the Israel-Lebanon crisis. Don Gonyea talks to John Prideaux, of the Economist, about criticism in the U.K. that Blair is too close to Bush.
• Analyst: Hezbollah Must be Disarmed
  Robert Satloff, executive director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, talks with Renee Montagne about the diplomatic choices in the current Mideast conflict. Satloff says the conflict in southern Lebanon will be resolved only when Hezbollah is disarmed.
• 'Miami Vice' Looks Pretty, Acts Tough
  Michael Mann's movie re-make of his classic 80s TV show Miami Vice is visually stunning. But its poor plot leaves the viewer wanting more. Morning Edition and Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan says its a "B" picture with an "A" picture budget.
• Court Holds Russia Responsible for Chechen's Death
  The European Court of Human Rights has found Russia responsible for the presumed death of a young Chechen man who disappeared six years ago. Thursday, the court leveled a $44,000 fine on Moscow. The landmark case may give hope to families of thousands of people abducted during Moscow's brutal war in Chechnya.
• Landis Doping Allegations Give Cycling Black Eye
  The sport of cycling is reeling after the announcement that Tour de France winner Floyd Landis may have tested positive for high levels of testosterone during the race. A second urine sample from Landis will be tested next week before any conclusions are drawn by cycling officials. Landis says he did nothing wrong.
• Israeli Warplanes Pound Targets in Lebanon
  U.N. observers in south Lebanon say there's a lull in the fierce ground battles between Israeli soldiers and Hezbollah guerillas near the villages of Bint Jbail and Maroun al-Ras. But Israeli warplanes continue to pound suspected Hezbollah targets throughout Lebanon. Hezbollah fired more than 100 rockets into northern Israel on Thursday, wounding at least 20.
• San Francisco Works to Keep Families in Town
  San Francisco has seen an exodus of families with children as the price of housing has skyrocketed. Enrollment has fallen and schools have been closed. But now the city is making efforts to encourage developers to build more affordable housing, and to make the city more family friendly.

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