Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Edwards ends bid for White House
  Democrat John Edwards bowed out of the race for the White House on Wednesday, saying it was time to step aside "so that history can blaze its path" in a campaign now left to Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.5:10 p.m.
• Brainerd plans to close two schools
  Nearly three dozen Minnesota school districts are in the midst of making budget cuts after local voters rejected their efforts to raise property taxes last fall. In the Brainerd district, school cuts mean big changes for students and parents.5:20 p.m.
• Schools find new ways to communicate during crisis
  Three of the state's 20 largest school districts have recently brought on line new mass notification systems. They're meant to keep parents in touch with their kids, in good times and bad.5:24 p.m.
• Hog producers losing money
  These are difficult days for hog producers. They're not getting much for their pigs and it's costing a lot more to feed the animals.5:50 p.m.
• Congressional delegation calls for cooperation in Justice probe
  Members of Minnesota's Congressional delegation are calling for cooperation from the Justice Department as the investigation of the Minnesota U.S. Attorney's office continues.5:54 p.m.
• House of Mercy Band offers it's own view of redemption
  One of the few purveyors of original country gospel music in Minnesota has released a critically praised cd.6:24 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Housing Crisis, Economy Top Issues for Candidates
  Presidential candidates are weighing in on how to address the subprime mortgage crisis. Hillary Clinton is calling for a freeze on adjustable mortgage rates. Barack Obama wants to eliminate predatory lending. And Mitt Romney wants the FHA to help more homeowners. But that's just one of the economic issues addressed by the candidates.
• Republicans Debate in California
  Republican presidential candidates debated Wednesday at the Ronald Reagan library in California, one of more than 20 states that hold nominating contests Feb. 5. And there's one less Republican on the stage than there was in the last debate.
• Fed Cuts Interest Rates by a Half-Point
  With economic growth grinding to a halt, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates again Wednesday, this time by half a percentage point. Just before it did, the Commerce Department reported some dismal growth figures for the end of last year. The Fed hopes its aggressive moves will help avoid a full blown recession.
• Mukasey Dodges Senate Panel's Torture Questions
  Attorney General Michael Mukasey has tried to ward off questions about whether waterboarding is torture by announcing that he won't make that determination. But at a Senate oversight hearing Wednesday, members of the Judiciary committee engaged him in discussion on when something is torture and when it is not.
• Pakistan Rebuffs Plans to Team with U.S. Forces
  As the Bush administration presses Pakistan's government to increase U.S. military presence in the country, anti-Americanism remains strong. That has apparently led to a recent decision by President Pervez Musharraf to rebuff plans for joint operations with Pakistani security forces in the northwest Tribal Areas.
• Winograd Report on Lebanon War Criticizes Israel
  Israel's Winograd Commission — which investigated the Israeli government's conduct during the war in Lebanon in 2006 — has issued its final report. It is critical of both the Israeli government and the Israeli army. Especially controversial are the final 36 hours of the war.
• Genetic Testing: Do You Really Want to Know?
  Commentator Dr. Doug Kamerow says there is precious little research that tells us what to do with the results of genetic tests. If you're not an expert in genetic testing, talk with someone who is before getting tested — and before acting on any test results.
• Michael Chabon: Charmed by a Dashing Brigadier
  In between gleefully killing off Sherlock Holmes and somewhat reluctantly reviving him, Arthur Conan Doyle created another great fictional character, one who easily rivals Holmes if not for intelligence, then for heroism, bravery and dash.
• Sports Fans' Stress Can Be Heart Hazard
  A new study shows that heart attacks and other cardiac events went up in Germany during the 2006 World Cup soccer championships. Doctors say the stress fans experience can be risky, especially if they have pre-existing heart problems.
• Giuliani Failed to Heed His Own Leadership Advice
  Throughout Republican Rudolph Giuliani's campaign for the presidency, the former New York City mayor ignored advice that he himself offered in a 2004 book on leadership.
• Getting to Know Edwards' Supporters
  Now that John Edwards has dropped out of the presidential race, Andy Kohut, president of the Pew Research Center, examines the make-up of Edwards voters. Who were these people? What were their demographics? And what do they think about Edwards dropping out?
• McCain Up, Giuliani Out as Republicans Debate
  John McCain now stands atop the Republican field, having won Tuesday's crucial Florida primary. And on Wednesday he won the endorsement of one of his former rivals — Rudolph Giuliani, who withdrew from the race in the wake of a disappointing third-place finish in Florida.
• Can McCain Bridge Immigration Divide in Arizona?
  Sen. John McCain's iconoclastic views on immigration policy have made him an unpopular member of his own party in his home state of Arizona. But his stand comes out of long experience in the state most affected by illegal immigration, and he has managed to champion immigration reform despite Arizona GOP opposition.
• Which Way Will Edwards Voters Drift Now?
  With John Edwards out of the race, the question now is where his supporters will go. Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama will try hard to woo former Edwards supporters. Democratic strategist Dan Payne says that may be tough — especially with white male voters.
• Edwards Ends Second Run for White House
  John Edwards, who never stopped running for president after the 2004 election, but whose hopes for 2008 were never realized, withdrew from the presidential race Wednesday. Edwards' failure to win Iowa was the beginning of the end, and a third-place finish in his native South Carolina may have been the final straw. He has not announced plans to endorse a rival.

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