Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• State moving too quickly on bridge replacement, some pols say
  The Minnesota Department of Transportation will release the preliminary design of the new I-35W bridge on Tuesday, but those who were expecting the bridge to include a light rail line, a pedestrian walkway or a bike path may be disappointed.7:20 a.m.
• Demand for youth programs outstrips availability
  From the Great Depression to today, the debate over youth programs continues, and so does the demand.7:25 a.m.
• The bands get the lyrics
  Our project looks at the creative process of writing music, through the eyes of a lyricist and three different bands. We hear from the three bands -- The Roe Family Singers, The Owls, and Matt Wilson -- as they get the lyrics from writer Stephen Burt, and begin shaping his words into songs.7:50 a.m.
• Xcel Energy assessing power outages after storm
  Thousands of Xcel Energy customers lost power because of overnight thunderstorms. MPR's Cathy Wurzer spoke with Xcel Energy spokeswoman Mary Sandok.8:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Memo Notes Utah Mine Had Previous Cave-In
  The mine cave-in last week in Utah was the second collapse at the Crandall Canyon. One last spring was in a section near where the six miners are now trapped. According to a consultant's memo, the earlier cave-in caused the company to abandon that section of the mine.
• Lethal Heat Waves Threaten Urban Residents
  In recent years, many big cities have suffered epidemics of fatal heat stroke, and scientists predict more-frequent heat waves. But global warming isn't the only factor. Big cities also create their own heat.
• Mattel Recalls 9 Million Toys Made in China
  Mattel issues a recall affecting more than 9 million toys made in China, citing magnets that could be swallowed and possible problems with lead paint. The company's Fisher-Price division recalled 1.5 million preschool toys from a different Chinese supplier earlier this month.
• Gasoline Prices Ease, as Average Nears $2.75
  It is getting cheaper to fill the gas tank. The Energy Department says gas prices tumbled nearly 7 cents a gallon in the last week to a national average of about $2.77. The average price of gasoline has fallen nearly 45 cents a gallon in the last 12 weeks.
• Toothpaste Made in China Recalled
  A company that distributes toothpaste to hotels says it will recall the product — made in China — because it contains a chemical used to make antifreeze. Also, toymaker Mattel is due to announce a second recall of its Chinese-made toys because they contained lead paint.
• Sea Ice to Hit a Record Low in Arctic
  Measurements taken this month by the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center show that sea ice is about 30 percent below average. The level of sea ice is an important factor in climate change.
• Comic-Book Store Owner on Trial for Nude Images
  The trial of Gordon Lee, owner of Legends Comic Book Store in Rome, Ga., centers on whether he willfully gave a comic depicting nudity to a child. For Halloween, he handed out free comics instead of candy. One of them had two drawings of painter Pablo Picasso in the nude, his genitals exposed.
• Home Mortgage Problems Could Spread
  A Federal Reserve survey found that nine of the nation's 16 largest banks, which accounted for more than half of all home loans, upped their lending criteria for things such as adjustable rate mortgages, often offered to borrowers with weak credit.
• Baltimore Weighs Gun-Offender Registry
  In Baltimore, 196 people have died violently, mostly by gunfire. So the mayor wants to create a gun-offender registry. Those convicted of gun crimes would register with police every six months to let them know where they are living — similar to sex-offender registries many states use.
• Fats Domino Given Replicas of Gold Records
  Fats Domino was presented with reproductions of his gold record collection swept away along with his New Orleans home in the lower 9th Ward by Hurricane Katrina. Historians spent months tracking down original 78s of hits, dipping them in gold and replicating even the labels.
• Disney Offers Fairies to Older Girls
  Walt Disney Co. hopes that the little girls who were mesmerized by its Disney princesses will graduate to believe in fairies too: They are a very big business. There's a Web site, Disneyfairies.com, and a fairy DVD, titled Tinker Bell, is set for November 2008.
• New York Fixture Brooke Astor Dies at 105
  Philanthropist, socialite and consummate New Yorker Brooke Astor died at the age of 105. Over her lifetime, she gave away nearly $200 million, most of it to charities and cultural organizations in New York City. In 1998, she received the nation's highest civilian honor, a Presidential Medal of Freedom. Her life's motto summed up her generosity in nine words: "Money is like manure, it should be spread around."
• Jordan Faces Major Water Shortage
  Jordan's second-largest city, Irbid, is without any piped water. And in the capital Amman, water flows through city pipes only a few hours per week. Jordan is blaming the problem on neighboring Syria, which controls the flow of the Yarmouk River, Jordan's main source for water.
• Hezbollah Calls for National Unity Government
  Amal Saad-Ghorayeb, author of Hizbu'llah: Politics and Religion, says that after the war with Israel last year, there is a sentiment that the Lebanese government was complacent about the Israeli invasion and could no longer be trusted. Ghorayeb discusses the status of Hezbollah with John Ydstie.
• Electric Roadster Trendy with the Famous
  Even without big-name makers of electric cars, there are some big names driving them: Calif. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and George Clooney both bought the all-electric Roadster sports car. It goes from zero to 60 miles per hour in four seconds, and charges from a household plug.

Resources

• Future Tense®
• Marketplace Morning Report®
• Mark Seeley's WeatherTalk

Services

• Hourly Newscast
• HD Radio
• iPhone App / Mobile
• E-mail newsletters
• RSS feeds
• Podcasts
• Submit your photos
• Videos
• Weather
• Most e-mailed stories

Become a Sponsor