Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Funding for new 35W bridge still unresolved
  A group of lawmakers will meet again this week to discuss whether to authorize state money for rebuilding the I-35W bridge. The issue is complicated by politics and slow action on the state and federal levels.7:20 a.m.
• Artists explore images of war
  Images of the war in Iraq surround us - on television, in newspapers, in magazines. But how do these images compare with the reality of war? And how are our opinions of the war influenced by the images we see?7:54 a.m.
• Monday Markets with Chris Farrell
  MPR's Cathy Wurzer talks with chief economics correspondent Chris Farrell about the unemployment report, rallying markets and the earning season.8:24 a.m.
• Despite court ruling, music fans say they won't stop sharing songs
  Music lovers say it's time for the record industry to change its business model and let fans share music online.8:40 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Italian: The Language That Sings
  Even when it isn't sung, the Italian language sounds like music, which is part of why Italian words are used to tell musicians how to play—presto, lento, adagio, forte. Commentator Miles Hoffman explains why Italian is the lingua franca of classical music.
• Mottainai Grandma Reminds Japan, 'Don't Waste'
  Balancing a Western lifestyle of high-tech needs with an ancient conservationist attitude is becoming increasingly difficult for Japan. But as the country struggles to meet its Kyoto Protocol commitments, a children's book is urging the Japanese to recall their penny-wise roots.
• Gas Drilling Plan Near Nuclear Site Raises Worries
  A natural gas boom in the Rocky Mountain West has drilling rigs popping up in unlikely places. In Colorado, gas companies want to drill close to where a nuclear bomb was detonated underground in 1969. Residents are worried about potential health risks.
• Costa Rica Approves U.S. Free Trade Deal
  In a close vote Sunday, the Central American nation of Costa Rica approved a free trade agreement with the United States. The vote split the country, with supporters arguing it would bring economic development, and critics warning that it would hurt farmers and small businesses. Steve Inskeep speaks with Lourdes Garcia Navarro about the deal.
• Nablus Police Try to Assert Authority
  In an effort to strengthen Mahmoud Abbas's Palestinian presidency, the United States and the European Union have backed a plan to deploy hundreds of police officers to the streets of the Nablus. But the police will have to reckon with armed militants and the Israeli army -– both major powers in the city.
• Dodd's First Race Was Call to Service, Legacy
  A life in politics was the last thing Christopher Dodd wanted when he graduated from law school in the early '70s. But a Peace Corps stint, and the legacy of his father, a senator, prompted him to pursue what became a three-decade career in Congress.
• Scramble On to Deliver Record Corn Harvest
  The ethanol boom that pushed up corn prices a few months ago may be leveling off. But in the nation's Corn Belt, farmers are just beginning to reap a record harvest. But some are worried the corn may spoil before all of it can delivered. Sarah McCammon of NET Radio in Nebraska reports.
• Security Officials Seek to Block Some Online Maps
  With Google Earth and GPS, people have grown accustomed to online maps of whatever they're searching for. But the boom in digital mapping has run into an obstacle. Some government officials are refusing to release electronic maps of what they call "critical infrastructure," such as water mains and fire hydrants.
• Heat Mars Weekend Marathons, Two Die
  Record-breaking hot weather forced a halt to the Chicago Marathon Sunday; one runner collapsed and died at the race, while dozens of others went to the hospital. A runner also died at a marathon outside Washington, D.C., where temperatures reached 90 degrees Sunday.
• Chrysler's Autoworkers Reportedly Set Strike Deadline
  Contract talks between Chrysler and the United Auto Workers began this weekend, with UAW reportedly setting a strike deadline for as early as Tuesday. Chrysler, the smallest of the domestic automakers, hasn't said if it will follow the lead of General Motors, which reached a tentative agreement with the UAW last month.

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