Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• State predicts $2 billion budget surplus over next three years
  The surplus means lawmakers are likely to face a parade of proposals for spending the money in the 2007 session. Gov. Pawlenty also has proposed a plan that would give some of the money back to taxpayers.7:20 a.m.
• Tribal summit
  Some 400 people are gathering in Mahnomen this morning for an economic summit between the White Earth, Red Lake and Leech Lake Indian tribes. Tribal leaders have also invited economic experts from across the country. They're hoping the event will lead to new partnerships and opportunities that will create much needed jobs.7:25 a.m.
• Not all $4 generic meds cost just $4
  Target and Wal-Mart, the nation's biggest discount retailers, have been trumpeting the nationwide rollout of their new prescription drug programs. But in Minnesota, some of those drugs will cost more than $4.7:50 a.m.
• Blockbuster "Body Worlds" leaves town
  Arts commentator Dominic Papatola discusses the impact of large, blockbuster exhibitions on cultural institutions.8:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Moms and Pros Tackle Lice
  Head lice are one of the top reasons that kids miss school, yet there's no single, foolproof remedy. Many parents, and now professional salons, find themselves searching for louse eggs and removing them by hand. These nits are a nuisance, but no reason for kids to stay home, say leading medical experts.
• Shrinkwrap, Zap or Blow Lice Out of Your Hair
  As resistance to traditional insecticides grows in head lice, some researchers are abandoning poison shampoos and taking a different approach, from electrocution and suffocation to a lotion that acts as a shrinkwrap.
• U.S. Nuclear Weapons More Stable than Expected
  The National Nuclear Security Administration says the rate at which nuclear weapons materials degrade is slower than they once believed. That means the the nation's nuclear arsenal may not need updating as soon as was thought. But the debate in Congress about the long-term reliability of the nuclear weapons stockpile continues.
• Litvinenko Investigation Turns Up Radiation Trail
  Britain's Home Secretary John Reid says traces of radiation have been found in a dozen U.K. sites during the ongoing investigation into the London death of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko.
• Consigning the 'N' Word to Personal History
  As some African-American leaders call for a boycott of the racial epithet known as the 'N' word, Pendarvis Harshaw of Youth Radio starts a campaign of his own.
• Springfield Calls in the 'Bird Whisperer'
  Pesky bird populations have been an ongoing frustration to downtown Springfield, Ill. So much so that last week the city agreed to a big contract with a man known in Illinois as the "bird whisperer."
• Term Life Insurance Prices Drop by Half
  With economic inflation, most prices tend to go up, not down. But there are always exceptions, including term life insurance. It now costs 50 percent less than it did 10 years ago.
• Skiers Worry Global Warming Could Crimp Careers
  A lack of snow in Europe has forced the cancellation of three World Cup ski races. Some ski lovers wonder what the future holds for the sport as the snowy season seems to shrink. Some are worried that global warming will eventually consign them to a life off of the slopes.
• Pope Takes Part in Services with Orthodox Patriarch
  Pope Benedict XVI turns his attention to healing relations between the Vatican and the Orthodox Church, said to be one of the main goals of his visit to Turkey.
• Fed Report Shows Tightening Labor Market
  The Federal Reserve says that the U.S. economy is growing at a moderate pace, and that's putting pressure on the labor market. The Fed's report also said the housing market remains weak.
• Hurricane Season Ends Without a Single U.S. Strike
  The 2006 Atlantic hurricane season -- the likeliest time for a violent tropical storm to strike the U.S. -- ends Thursday without a strike on American soil. The past two seasons brought 11 hurricanes, including Katrina.
• Rice Visits Israeli and Palestinian Leaders
  Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visits the West Bank city of Jericho for talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. That meeting is to be followed by another with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem, as the Bush administration seeks to revive the long-stalled Middle East peace process.
• Report: Iraq Study Group Supports Withdrawal
  Details of the Iraq Study Group's final report have been leaked to The New York Times. The report does not advocate a firm timetable for withdrawal, but does call for phased pullback of American troops now in Iraq.
• Assessing Iraq's Options for Building Stability
  Joost Hiltermann, the Middle East project director for the International Crisis Group, talks with John Ydstie about what Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki can realistically do to lessen the violence in Iraq.
• Bush Pushes Transfer of Security Duties to Iraqis
  President Bush returns to Washington after meeting in Amman, Jordan, with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. The president says the United States will step up the pace of handing over security duties to Iraqi forces. But he also insisted that U.S. troops will stay until the job is done.

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