Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Woman killed in Mounds View crash involving squad car
  A wrong-way driver struck a Ramsey County sheriff's patrol car head-on early Tuesday, injuring a deputy and killing his wife, who was riding along with him, officials said.4:20 p.m.
• Coupons for digital TV converters now available
  In a little more than a year, television stations will switch from analog to digital broadcasting. Beginning Jan. 1, 2008, consumers can apply for government coupons to reduce the cost of the switch.4:23 p.m.
• Dr. Jon Hallberg: Top medical stories of 2007
  MPR's Tom Crann talks to Dr. Jon Hallberg about some of 2007's most interesting medical stories.5:50 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Finding the Unexpected in Tour of Australia
  Independent producer Jake Warga travels to Australia, where he expects the life of luxury. However, he winds up being the butt of jokes by hearty Aussies and suffering the discomforts of the outback.
• Looking Back at 1968
  History professor Bruce Schulman talks about the importance and impact of 1968, a year he says forever changed the American landscape. And he says 1968 was actually the first year of the 1970s.
• Challenges for Bush's Final Year
  Peter Beinart of The New Republic and Michael Gerson of The Washington Post discuss challenges and opportunities likely to arise during President Bush's final year in office. They say Pakistan and Afghanistan will remain as central challenges and predict Bush will make a concerted effort to reauthorize his "No Child Left Behind" program.
• The Secret to Long Life
  Former assistant surgeon general Dr. Douglas Kamerow tells us what is the most significant factor for longevity. Hint: It's not what you eat or how much you exercise.
• Assessing Iran's Nuclear Goals
  While tensions between Iran and the United States have risen to unprecedented levels, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad faces more criticism internally than at any time since he took office more than two years ago. Mike Shuster looks at the ongoing controversy and diplomacy surrounding Iran's nuclear program.
• A Glimpse of Things to Come
  What if you could look into a crystal ball and see the future? Well, futurist Syd Mead has no crystal ball, but he does make a living trying to predict what the future could mean for everything from your toaster to the family car. Michele Norris talks with Mead, who helped design the 2019 world of Blade Runner, about what our lives may look like as we head into 2008 and the years beyond.
• Movie Attendance Flat in 2007 Despite Blockbusters
  For the first time in history, four different films topped the $300 million mark at the box office domestically — Spider-Man 3, Shrek The Third, Transformers, and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. But movie attendance was flat compared to 2006.
• Presidential Candidates' Spouses: Jill Biden
  Michele Norris talks with Jill Biden, wife of Democratic Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware. She says if her husband doesn't do well in the early races, there would be no point in continuing with the campaign. That said, she expects him to finish strong in Iowa.
• On the Stump with Romney
  This campaign season, we've been playing stump speeches by some of the presidential candidates. We hear from Republican Mitt Romney, who two days before the Iowa caucuses, is in a tight race with Mike Huckabee. The speech was delivered Tuesday morning in Ankeny, Iowa.
• Arizona Targets Employers of Illegal Immigrants
  Arizona puts into effect the nation's toughest workplace enforcement law. It is aimed at punishing employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. Ted Robbins talks about the law, the politics behind it, and the likely impact on Arizona business and culture.
• Democrats Reach Out to Nevada's Latinos
  For the first time, Nevada is holding its presidential caucuses in January. Democrats are expending enormous effort to reach out to the state's large Latino population, in hopes it will make difference not only in the caucuses but on Election Day.
• Poll Shows Shifts in Iowa
  A new Des Moines Register poll shows Barack Obama moving ahead of Hillary Clinton and John Edwards among Democrats, and Mike Huckabee regaining a lead over Mitt Romney on the Republican side. Iowa's caucuses are now just two days away. Michele Norris talks with David Greene about the campaign.
• Post-Election Kenya Violence Claims More Lives
  Amid continued post-election violence in Kenya, at least 50 people are killed when a mob sets fire to a church west of the capital, Nairobi. Opponents to re-elected President Mwai Kibaki, who was sworn in Sunday, say the vote was rigged.
• Father Goose: 'It's A Bam Bam Diddly'
  Father Goose, also known as Rankin' Don, also known as Wayne Rhoden, began his music career in reggae dancehalls. But his latest incarnation finds him playing for kids. Michele Norris speaks with Father Goose about his new album It's A Bam Bam Diddly. The CD draws heavily from the music he heard growing up in Jamaica.
• The Ones That Got Away: Patrick Tam
  Patrick Tam stopped making movies 17 years ago, after a career that established him as perhaps Hong Kong's leading director. His name is legend in world cinema. Now he has a new film, After This Our Exile. But he does not have a U.S. distributor. Neda Ulaby introduces us to Tam as part of our series on "the ones that got away."

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