Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Sizing up the competition in the 6th Congressional District
  Three Democrats are already running to challenge first-term Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann next year in Minnesota's 6th District. DFLers say Bachmann is vulnerable, but political analysts suggest she's in a good position for re-election.7:20 a.m.
• Hospital turns into a school in Starbuck
  A new charter school opened in the western Minnesota town of Starbuck. Some say the new school represents a rebirth of their community after a tough couple of years.7:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• U.S. Tough Talk on Myanmar Found Hollow
  The Bush administration has imposed new sanctions on Myanmar, penalizing the military government. But the tough talk appears to have little influence. Real change may come only with the help of Myanmar's neighbors.
• Justices to Review Cases on Sentencing Limits
  The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in two cases testing the limits of judicial discretion in federal sentencing. The basic question: should sentencing guidelines be considered advisory or mandatory?
• GM's New Hires Will Earn Fewer Benefits
  A combination of an aging workforce and a new tentative union contract has given General Motors the opportunity to accelerate its buyout offers to longtime workers and create a second tier of workers with far fewer benefits. GM is expected to hire thousands of workers.
• Senate Panel to Hear from Ex-DOJ Official
  Former Justice Department official Jack Goldsmith — a Bush critic — is due to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the subject of civil liberties and the war on terror. A bid to discuss classified legal opinions at a separate closed-door hearing was denied.
• Judge Blocks Program to ID Illegal Immigrants
  A federal judge in San Francisco blocks the start of a controversial program to find illegal immigrants in the nation's workforce. Under the plan businesses face penalties if they keep workers whose Social Security numbers don't match their names.
• Suicide Bomber Hits Kabul Bus Filled with Police
  For the second time in four days, a suicide bombing blamed on the Taliban targets a rush-hour bus in Kabul. The latest target was a police bus that had stopped to pick up officers on their way to work.
• Ukraine's Tymoshenko Likely Prime Minister
  The reunited parties of Ukraine's Orange Revolution hold a strong combined lead in the vote count from parliamentary elections. Hopes for co-majority by President Viktor Yushchenko and the charismatic opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko were still tenuous. She is set to become prime minister.
• Bank Robber Uses Drive-Through Window
  You know you've got a lazy bank robber when he goes to the drive-through window. A man wearing camouflage clothing and a black helmet pulled up to the window of Stone Lake Bank in Wisconsin and demanded money. He said he had a bomb.
• U.N. Envoy Meets with Myanmar Leaders
  Ibrahim Gambari, the U.N.'s special envoy to Myanmar, sees pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi hours after meeting with Myanmar's military leader, Gen. Than Shwe. Gambari hopes to end the junta's crackdown on democracy advocates.
• A Twist in Displaying Affection at School
  The principal of Chicago's Percy Julian Middle School banned what she called "extreme hugging." You can still hug your friend, but only a short one. The extreme version means late students and hallway traffic jams.
• Colorful, Long-Serving La. Sheriff Lee Dies at 75
  Harry Lee, the flamboyant sheriff of Jefferson Parish, La., died after a battle with leukemia. He was in his 27th year in office. He claimed to be the only Chinese-American sheriff in America. He was 75.
• Citigroup Profits Crunched by Credit Woes
  Citigroup, the largest U.S. bank, says profit fell 60 percent in the third quarter stemming from credit and trading losses. The crisis in credit markets is taking an especially big toll on Citigroup, leading critics to call for CEO Charles Prince to resign.
• Virtual Border Security Behind Schedule
  The government says it is making progress securing the southern border, with fewer illegal crossings in the last year. But a high-tech "virtual" fence that is supposed to curb more traffic is well behind schedule.
• Blackwater Founder to Testify on Hill
  Erik Prince, the founder and chairman of private security firm Blackwater USA, is due to testify before Congress. He will respond to a report describing the company as irresponsible and trigger-happy.
• Military to Devise Self-Driving Combat Vehicles
  Self-driving vehicles is a theme of a U.S. military contest. There won't be soldiers in the driver's seat of these vehicles. The cars will be "autonomously driven" by robots. Congress has told the Pentagon it wants a third of America's ground combat vehicles controlled autonomously by 2015.

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