Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• In the Loop: Super Tuesday fever
  "In The Loop" and host Jeff Horwich gathered an audience in the UBS Forum this week to explore what's resonating with younger voters as Super Tuesday approaches. Why is Barack Obama experiencing such appeal with voters under 30? Is there a generational effect on the Republican side?4:35 p.m.
• What areas of our economy are hurting?
  Minnesota is seeing big job losses in some of its key industrial sectors. Several of the industries getting hit the hardest have ties to the housing market, and layoffs are on the rise.5:19 p.m.
• Dr. Jon Hallberg: Cholesterol medications may not work as makers claim
  MPR's Tom Crann talks to Dr. Jon Hallberg about the efficacy of Lipitor and other cholesterol-reducing drugs.5:23 p.m.
• IRS challenges low-income artist lofts
  Starting this year, artists may have a harder time finding places to live and work for cheap. A new IRS ruling says low-income artist lofts are not in compliance with federal tax regulations.6:24 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Britney's 'Meltdown' Inspires New Ballet
  Pop icon Britney Spears' story is now the subject of a new modern ballet. Meltdown premieres Friday night in London and traces the rise and fall of the singer and tabloid favorite. According to the show's choreographer, he was inspired by every detail of Spears' life and how her story had become a "modern tragedy."
• Afghanistan Mission Faces Crisis, U.S. Officials Say
  Several alarming reports about Afghanistan describe it as a failing state on the verge of a humanitarian crisis. Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill have seized on the reports to call for a new U.S. strategy. State Department officials insist they are making progress and show no sign of doing anything differently.
• Saudi Arabia's New Hospital Nears Completion
  Construction is under way on the first phase of the International Medical Center in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It could become the biggest medical facility in the Middle East. Founded as part of a partnership with the Cleveland Clinic, the facility will focus on urgent regional health care needs, such as diabetes.
• Accidental Discovery Could Treat Memory Disorders
  A professor's attempt to reduce a man's appetite by implanting electrodes in his brain didn't curb his appetite — but it did cause the man to experience vivid memories instead. Now that professor — Andres Lozano at the Toronto Western Research Institute — is testing the procedure on people suffering from Alzheimer's.
• House Stimulus Plan Hits Partisan Wall in Senate
  The bipartisan economic stimulus plan has run into a partisan wall in the Senate. Democratic leaders say they'll force votes next week on a number of amendments. They deal with food stamps and unemployment benefits — and whether to extend a tax rebate program to low-income seniors.
• Weekend Traffic Poses Test at U.S.-Canada Border
  It was relatively quiet at the Washington state Peace Arch, the Northern border's third busiest crossing, on Thursday as new border rules took effect. But the real test will come over the weekend, when the number of border crossers generally is much higher.
• Tracing the Roots of Ethnic Violence in Kenya
  The month of ethnic bloodletting in Kenya has historic roots. Grievances over land and privilege date back decades. And the dispute over last month's presidential election has aggravated those tensions in deadly ways.
• Parsing GOP, Democratic Health Care Proposals
  NPR's Julie Rovner says the Democrats' health care plans would likely cover more of the nation's 47 million uninsured, but the Republicans' plans might bring bigger changes to the system.
• Huckabee on the Offensive Ahead of Super Tuesday
  Sen. John McCain may be the current Republican front-runner in the presidential race, but former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee insists that the contest is far from over. Huckabee discusses his campaign, his fellow candidates and his high hopes for Super Tuesday.
• Airline Executives' Rich Bonuses Rile Pilots Union
  American Airlines is in the middle of difficult contract negotiations with its pilots union. Four years ago, the airline's unions took large salary cuts to keep it from going bankrupt. Now executives are receiving hundreds of millions of dollars in bonuses, and that has infuriated the company's rank-and-file employees.
• New Border Rules Start Smoothly in San Diego
  People traveling by land into the U.S. have to show border guards their proof of citizenship starting Thursday. The Department of Homeland Security was prepared for confusion, and most likely issued warnings at the start. But U.S. customs officials said delays were minimal at the busiest U.S. gateway on the southern border.
• The Road to Super Tuesday: Mo., Colo., Ga., Ill.
  In advance of Super Tuesday, we've sent four reporters to four of the key states voting Feb. 5 to offer a snapshot at what's on voters' minds. Jason Beaubien reports from Missouri, Jeff Brady is in Colorado, Kathy Lohr checks in from Georgia, and David Schaper joins us from Illinois.
• Age, Not Race, Splits Latinos' Democratic Vote
  Commentator Daniel Hernandez, a twenty-something Latino, is very wary of the "conventional wisdom" that Latinos might not support Sen. Barack Obama because he's black. He says another kind of symbolism bubbles beneath the surface. It's not race — it's age. And Latino folks in his generation are gunning for Obama.
• Letters: Edwards, Floating Homes, Negro League
  Michele Norris reads listeners' e-mails, including responses to our analysis of John Edwards' withdrawal from the presidential race, floating houses in Holland, and a kid's book on Negro League Baseball.
• With Edwards Out, Clinton and Obama Face Off
  Democrats Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama debate Thursday for the first time since their bitter contest in South Carolina — and for the first time without John Edwards. Edwards withdrew from the presidential race Wednesday, but he has yet to endorse another candidate.

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