Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Another hearing on a Pawlenty request for more bridge funds
  State lawmakers say they intend to hold another hearing on a request by the Pawlenty Administration for spending authority for the new 35-W bridge. A special panel of eight lawmakers met yesterday and criticized the Minnesota Department of Transportation for signing a contract to build the bridge before the federal government has sent the money for the project. Several lawmakers also object to the size of the request and worry that they'll end up giving a disfunctional department too much money.7:20 a.m.
• Futuristic? Drab? Views of the I-35W bridge design put safety foremost
  The people who will use the new bridge weigh in on the design.7:24 a.m.
• St. Cloud talks about race
  Some minority residents in St. Cloud say they're being unfairly targeted by local police.7:54 a.m.
• Minnesota Guard's overseas duty not over
  While Minnesota welcomed home some 2,600 National Guard members from Iraq during the summer, many more of them are still deployed overseas. We caught up with one of them in Iraq.8:40 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Air Force Plays Smaller Role in Iraq
  The nature of the Iraq war does not lend itself to the use of heavy airpower, so airmen rarely find themselves flying airplanes. When airplanes are required, they're usually unmanned and controlled by pilots via satellite from the Nevada desert.
• Chrysler Workers Walk Out as Deadline Looms
  Workers at Chrysler auto plants were walking off the job after a late-morning strike deadline passed. The United Auto Workers union has not officially announced a strike, but workers were starting to take strike assignments and picket signs.
• Housing Woes Hamper Florida Landowner
  The slump in the housing market is affecting the largest private landowner in Florida. The St. Joe Company plans to cut or transfer hundreds of jobs, and will push to sell more than 100,000 acres.
• Clinton Boosts Campaign Time in Iowa
  Sen. Hillary Clinton has been the frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination, but only recently has she taken the lead in Iowa. That state holds the first vote in January. But a new poll by the Des Moines Register put her in the top spot for Democratic contenders for the first time.
• Pakistan, Islamists in Deadly Clashes
  Pakistan's army has moved into the tribal region of North Waziristan, where it has been fighting Islamist militants. The fighting is the deadliest violence for several years in an area which the United States says is a haven for al Qaeda and the Taliban. Pakistan claims it has killed 200 militants; 45 troops are also dead.
• Egypt's Opposition May Be Losing Steam
  Amr Hamzawy, who works at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, says a movement opposing Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak has lost much of what the U.S. government thought was momentum.
• Kentucky Town Grapples with Oxycontin Addiction
  Kentucky is suing the pharmaceutical company Purdue Pharma for medical costs incurred as a result of addictions to the painkiller Oxycontin. Commentator Natasha Watts, who grew up in Blackey, Ky., tells how the town has been changed by prescription painkillers.
• High Court Hears Case of Mexican on Death Row
  Jose Medellin, a Mexican man on death row in Texas, has an unlikely ally in a case before the U.S. Supreme Court. President Bush is asking the court to order the state to abide by an international court ruling that required it to notify Mexican authorities when the man was arrested.
• Michigan Seeks to Overcome Ailing Economy
  Michigan, considered the manufacturing heartland, is struggling along with its besieged industries. It has shed a third of auto industry jobs — though automakers continue to be the biggest employer in the state. Overall unemployment is 7 percent.
• Top Firms Often Have Plenty of Family Perks
  Working Mother magazine gives some detail about top-tier companies. At giant Swiss bank UBS, new parents get $150 worth of meals. The silicone supplier Dow Corning gives pregnant women the best parking spots. And American Electric Power health and dental policy covers pets.
• Expert: Women's Perks Can Bring New Problems
  A new study by Working Mother magazine finds professional women are redefining the workplace to be more flexible and family friendly. Alice Eagly, co-author of Through the Labyrinth, cautions that flexible benefits may mean segregation.
• Radiohead Sells Album on the Web, at Any Price
  Radiohead shook up the music industry last week, when it announced that its new album would not be released as a CD, or as a download through iTunes. Instead, it is offering In Rainbows through its own Web site for whatever price each customer decides to pay — even nothing.
• GOP Presidential Hopefuls Debate Spending, Taxes
  Republican presidential hopefuls Mitt Romney and Rudolph Giuliani quarreled over tax and spending cuts in a debate in Dearborn, Mich. Fred Thompson, making his debut on a debate stage after a late entry into the race, says he does not believe a recession is imminent.
• U.S. Auto Industry Battles Rivals, Image
  Detroit automakers are trying to negotiate labor contracts to become more competitive with their overseas rivals. They are also fighting the perception that their products are not as good as foreign-made vehicles.
• Broadway Labor Negotiations at Impasse
  Broadway is on the verge of going dark, as labor negotiations between the League of American Theaters and Producers and the International Association of Theatrical Stage Employees — the union that represents the stagehands — have come to an impasse.

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