Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Twins sign Mauer through 2010
  The Minnesota Twins have signed allstar catcher Joe Mauer to a $33 million contract that will keep him playing in his hometown through 2010.6:42 a.m.
• Minnesota considers plan to keep Great Lakes water in the Great Lakes
  Minnesota could be the first state to adopt a new agreement to keep Great Lakes water in the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes Compact is intended to head off attempts to remove water for use elsewhere.6:45 a.m.
• Mind exercises offer hope to seniors worried about dementia
  Some Minnesota House lawmakers are pushing a bill that would give tax credits to seniors and their families who purchase independent-living technologies. These are products that are designed to help seniors live on their own for a longer period of time. One mental fitness tool, called cognitive training, is just beginning to catch on in the senior market.7:20 a.m.
• Smoking at the Capitol
  One Senate committee will meet to talk about a statewide smoking ban, another will meet to discuss the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes.7:50 a.m.
• Thinking about Fatimah in America
  An Arab artist examines her religion in an exhibit at Gustavus Adolphus College.8:45 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• The Origins of the Shia-Sunni Split
  The division in Islam between the Shia minority and the Sunni majority seems to be deepening, not just in Iran and Iraq, but across the Middle East. The split occurred soon after the death of the Prophet Muhammad, nearly 1,400 years ago.
• Books for Armchair Travel and Adventure
  It's winter, which may make you feel like you want to go on a journey. Maybe you're actually planning one, or perhaps just wishing for an adventure. Librarian Nancy Pearl suggests a stack of travel books that will send you on journeys across distance and time.
• Iraq Vote Looms over Clinton New Hampshire Visit
  Sen. Hillary Clinton made a campaign trip to New Hampshire over the weekend, her first as a presidential candidate. The New York Democrat heard a lot about her vote to authorize the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
• Obama Pays a Campaign Visit to Iowa
  Fresh from his Saturday announcement that he will be a candidate for president, Sen. Barack Obama headed to Iowa. The Illinois Democrat was campaigning in the state that hosts vital early caucuses.
• Work a No-Go in Nine Feet of Snow
  Bad weather had not kept Chris Ulanowski from work for more than 25 years. Then Oswego, N.Y., was hit by more than nine feet of snow last week. Ulanowski is news director at public radio station WRVO.
• Katrina Compensation Case Goes to Court
  A federal court in New Orleans is hearing the first of thousands of lawsuits filed by homeowners against their insurance companies after Hurricane Katrina. Most who are suing say they didn't get enough money to cover the damage to their houses.
• MasterCard's Plan: Phone Home, Send Cash
  MasterCard and a group of wireless companies are developing a way to allow migrant workers to send money back home, using mobile phones. By one estimate, U.S. workers sent $45 billion to their native countries in Latin America in 2006.
• Nintendo Tennis, Anyone? Wii, Wii
  As a new style of video-game console, the Nintendo Wii is exceeding sales expectations. The device is controlled with body movements, not just thumb work, making games such as video tennis more active.
• Mom's a Wii Bit Apprehensive
  Children who spend too much time playing virtual sports on their new Nintendo Wii are getting a false sense of what it's like to compete in the world. That's the view of one mother who is watching her children "excel" at video sports.
• Dollar Coin to Make Debut
  A new dollar coin goes into circulation this week. The U.S. government says coins are cheaper to make than bills, and they last longer. But the Associated Press says half of Americans surveyed don't want a dollar coin AND a dollar bill.

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