Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• National parties appear to be rethinking Minnesota Senate race
  Republican and Democratic strategists who monitor senate races nationwide appear to be rethinking the competitiveness of Minnesota's U.S. Senate race and sending vital campaign money to other states.7:19 a.m.
• Minneapolis ponders instant runoff voting
  Voters in Minneapolis will face a ballot question this November that could change the way they vote in future citywide elections.7:24 a.m.
• Candidates for governor spar over jobs
  Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty says the state's job market is "on fire," while his opponents say Minnesota's economic picture is not so hot.7:49 a.m.
• Will they, will they, rock you?
  With a classic arena song now banned, sports teams look for the next generation of jock jams.8:24 a.m.
• Early winter shock in the forecast
  Arctic air and snow will bring an early taste of winter this week. A winter storm watch is in effect for parts of Minnesota through Thursday.8:54 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Russian Journalist Critical of Government Murdered
  Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya was gunned down Saturday. She was an investigative reporter working on a story about abductions and torture in the volatile region of Chechnya. She was also a critic of the Russian government.
• U.N. Enlists 'Lonelygirl15' for Poverty Campaign
  Lonelygirl15 is not all that lonely, on the YouTube Web site. Her popular video blog is being used by the United Nations as part of an anti-poverty ad campaign. A teenager who calls herself "Bree," the actor who plays Lonelygirl usually talks about boys, and herself. The U.N.'s Millennium Campaign is banking on her popularity to get people involved in fighting poverty.
• Google YouTube Purchase a Shift in Strategy
  Google moved from purchasing small, emerging companies to swallowing an established giant when it announced Monday that it is buying YouTube for $1.65 billion in stock. The deal marries the Internet's most prominent search engine with its most prominent video-sharing Web site.
• School Violence Drops, Despite Shocking Crimes
  President Bush's education summit on violence in schools begins Tuesday, following a rash of school shootings. Despite high-profile cases such as the Oct. 2 shooting at an Amish school in Pennsylvania, school violence is down nationwide since the Columbine attack seven years ago.
• Debate Punctuates Surprising Virginia Senate Race
  With less than a month left until election night, Republicans and Democrats are focusing on tossup races. Among them is the Virginia race between Sen. George Allen (R-VA) and Jim Webb, a Navy secretary under President Reagan now running as a Democrat. The two held their last debate Monday.
• China Open to Considering North Korea Sanctions
  China says it supports "appropriate action" by the United Nations against neighboring North Korea in the wake of that country's apparent testing of a nuclear bomb. China also says it is encouraging North Korea to return to talks over its nuclear activities.
• S. Koreans Divided on Response to Newest Threat
  Sentiment on the streets of Seoul is divided about how to respond to the latest threat to South Korean security. Some leading newspapers are calling for an end to South Korea's "sunshine" policy of openness to the North.
• Dutch Marry Less, Older
  Maybe it's that tulip time doesn't last long enough. Maybe it's because wooden shoes are increasingly more difficult to boogey in. But in the Netherlands, weddings are down. Dutch officials say the marriage rate has dropped to its lowest level since the end of World War II. And, not only are they marrying less -- they're marrying older. The average age for a new Dutch bride used to be 23. Now it's a creaky 30!
• Current TV Gets Help in British Drive
  Current TV, started by Al Gore, features programs generated by users. The former vice president is about to expand his service to British viewers. He will have help from Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, the same company that brought you Fox News. Rupert's son James Murdoch says he agrees with Al Gore's effort to democratize television.
• Champion Eater Swallows 247 Hot Peppers
  Only in America do we dream that anybody could grow up to be President or, if that doesn't work out, at least win the world championship for eating Jalapeno peppers. Christopher Huang entered the contest in Texas, though he normally doesn't eat spicy food. He swallowed 53 brutally hot peppers before surrendering. He couldn't feel his face afterward. Victory went to a retired accountant who swallowed 247 peppers in eight minutes.
• North Korea is Latest Foreign Policy Test for Bush
  North Korea's apparent atomic weapon test is only the latest foreign policy challenge for President Bush. He is also trying to manage Iran and Iraq, against the backdrop of upcoming midterm elections. Has the president's hard line on North Korea failed, or does the latest incident give him a chance to improve his image as a statesman?
• High Spending Marks Congressional Elections
  In the weeks leading up to congressional midterm elections across the nation, a lot of money is being spent. Candidates and parties have raised large amounts of cash to spend on last-minute television advertisements and campaign events.
• North Korea Seeks Prestige Through Nukes
  Michael Green, of Georgetown University, talks about how North Korea's announced test of an atomic weapon will play out in the region. He tells Steve Inskeep that North Korea has long sought to make itself a nuclear power in an effort to increase its international importance.
• Violence Forces Iraqis to Seek New Homes
  With the sectarian cleansing of many Baghdad neighborhoods, Iraqi real estate agents have a whole new job. They are trying to find housing that is as safe as conditions allow, for both Sunnis and Shiites. In neighborhoods where the two groups once lived peacefully, side-by-side, violence is forcing people to move.
• U.N. Considers Sanctions Against North Korea
  Attention is focused on the United Nations one day after North Korea announced it had conducted an underground nuclear test. The Security Council met Monday to consider imposing sanctions against Pyongyang. These could include the inspection of cargo entering and leaving North Korea, a total arms embargo and a freeze on financial assets.

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