Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• New Islamic mortgages now available in Minnesota
  Advocates say Islamic mortgages will help expand home ownership among Muslims.6:50 a.m.
• MnDOT to shore up road over abandoned mine shafts
  The federal stimulus package provides funding for shovel-ready infrastructure projects, and in Minnesota one of those projects involves protecting the public from hazards left over from shoveling long ago.6:55 a.m.
• New state budget forecast out this week
  It's a big week at the State Capitol. A new economic forecast comes out Tuesday, and all signs are pointing to an even bigger state budget deficit. The budget is just one of the many issues coming up this week for state lawmakers.7:20 a.m.
• State colleges prepare for budget cuts
  St. Cloud State University already lost $1.6 million when Gov. Pawlenty used his budget-cutting authority late last year.7:25 a.m.
• Markets with Chris Farrell
  Minnesota Public Radio's chief economics correspondent Chris Farrell discusses the latest in the financial markets.8:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• QWERTY Love: Typewriters Endure In A Digital Age
  Before the advent of cell phones and texting, typing was done with all 10 fingers — not just two thumbs. Those were the days of clackety machines of communication called typewriters. Those days aren't totally gone. In the heart of California's Silicon Valley, business is still clacking.
• Economy Brings Plane Manufacturing Down To Earth
  The industry that makes business jets is in a tailspin. Small airplane manufacturing is dominated by American firms — many located in Wichita, Kan., which has lost thousands of jobs amid the recession and negative publicity over corporate jets.
• Job Seekers Find Long Lines, Little Payoff At Fairs
  Thousands of people have been lining up at job fairs from New York to North Carolina. With unemployment at a 25-year high, they have become major events in many cities — even if there aren't many jobs to be had there.
• Journalists Tour Pakistan Military's Accomplishments
  Defense Secretary Robert Gates believes the "most worrisome" part of the U.S. war in Afghanistan is actually in Pakistan. After a six-month offensive, Pakistan's military says it has driven the Taliban out of one region in the tribal belt bordering Afghanistan. It's an area where the foreign media are banned. But over the weekend, Pakistan's military flew some journalists there.
• Training, Benefits Aim To Save Sinking Communities
  In Wilmington, Ohio, a DHL facility has closed, leaving thousands without work. In communities across America, programs are sprouting up to help those who have lost their jobs learn computer skills and obtain benefits such as health care, food stamps and energy assistance.
• French Farms Get A Makeover
  In France, nearly every industry is laying off workers except one: Farming. Yet French farmers say they are unable to fill thousands of positions each year. In an effort to attract new recruits, the French government has launched a campaign to jazz up farming's image.
• Clinton Pledges Aid To Palestinians
  Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is pledging about $900 million to Palestinians, a third of which will help rebuild war-ravaged Gaza. Clinton is in Egypt attending a conference seeking money for Gaza and the Palestinian economy. All the money must be approved by Congress.
• Expert: Chances Slim For Mideast Peace Agreement
  The success of President Obama's Middle East initiatives will depend partly on Israel. After last month's parliamentary elections failed to produce a clear winner, right-wing leader Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to put together a coalition government. Aaron David Miller, an adviser to six U.S. secretaries of state, discusses Netanyahu's approach to negotiations with the Palestinians.
• U.S. Government Revises AIG's Bailout Package
  The Treasury and the Federal Reserve announced a new bailout for the troubled insurance company on Monday. It's the fourth time the government's stepped in to save AIG. The new agreement restructures AIG's existing $150 billion bailout. It involves another $30 billion of taxpayer money. AIG also announced its latest quarterly financial report. It lost nearly $62 billion dollars — the biggest quarterly loss in corporate history.
• Irish Airline Nixes Pay Toilets For Now
  The head of Ryanair has suggested the idea of pay toilets. Michael O'Leary said future passengers on his European no-frills airline might be obliged to insert a British pound coin before using the restroom. The airline's staff wasn't sure if he was joking. O'Leary pioneered charging airline customers to check bags, to use a check-in desk and to use a credit or debit card to make an on-line booking.

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