Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• U of M strike hinges on 'step increases'
  Step increases are automatic raises for union workers, and are common in the public sector. The university wants to negotiate them, while the union doesn't.5:19 p.m.
• Prevention can save 100,000 lives per year
  An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. You've heard it before. The adage is old, but the words are still true. A new study proves that ounce of prevention can save some 100,000 lives each year.5:50 p.m.
• Bela Tarr films human dignity
  Bela Tarr makes the kind of art films that some people love to hate. In some ways it's the stuff of art film stereotype, but in Bela Tarr's case, the critics say he does it right. He is hailed as one of Europe's major directors, and this weekend he is in the Twin Cities to talk about his work.6:20 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• A Celebration of Sausage, the Poor Man's Steak
  A symposium in Chicago is focusing on cased meats: hot dogs, kielbasa and all varieties of wurst. Chefs, academics and food enthusiasts will gather at "Stuffed: A Journey of Midwestern Sausage Traditions" to discuss and eat the poor man's steak.
• Gonzales Bids Justice Department Farewell
  Outgoing Attorney General Alberto Gonzales gives a farewell speech to Justice Department personnel. Melissa Block discusses the speech with NPR's Ari Shapiro.
• Sulick Named as CIA's New Clandestine Chief
  The CIA has named a new head of its clandestine service. Mike Sulick was one of two senior officials who resigned in protest over the actions of former CIA Director Porter Goss.
• Former Premier Bhutto to Return to Pakistan
  Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto says she will end her self-imposed exile and return to Pakistan on Oct. 18 in a bid to regain power.
• Murdered Sheik Was Fearless Fighter, Colonel Says
  Michele Norris talks with Army Col. Sean MacFarland, who worked with Sheik Abdul-Sattar Abu Risha, the Sunni tribal leader and U.S. ally assassinated Thursday. MacFarland remembers the sheik as a charismatic figure who was fearless in his fight against al-Qaida in Iraq.
• Bride Wed at 14 Testifies at Polygamist's Trial
  A former teenage bride testified Friday at the trial of Warren Jeffs, leader of a polygamist sect in Utah and Arizona. She recalled the day in 2001 when she says Jeffs ordered her to marry her cousin. Jeffs is accused of coercing the then-14-year-old into a union she says she did not want.
• Patriots Punished in Video-Spying Scandal
  The NFL will fine the New England Patriots $250,000 and their coach, Bill Belichick, $500,000 for videotaping the New York Jets' signals last Sunday. The Patriots will also lose a first-draft pick. Michele Norris talks with Wall Street Journal sportswriter Stefan Fatsis.
• Fact-Checking the President's Speech on Iraq
  In his speech last night on Iraq, President Bush used a lot of numbers to provide his view of the war in Iraq and to propose a troop withdrawal. NPR checks the facts cited by the president.
• Indian Tribe Denounces Whale Killing
  Last Saturday, five members of the Makah Nation illegally killed a gray whale in waters off Washington state. Members of the Makah tribal council this week condemned the killing. They worry that the illegal hunt will harm their prospects for legally renewing the Makah's whaling tradition.
• Finding Nice Words About the Presidential Hopefuls
  Comedian Mo Rocca took an interesting political experiment to the streets: He challenged potential voters in New York City to say nice things about various political candidates that they don't like.
• A Turning Point in the Iraq War?
  This week, Congress heard two days of testimony on progress in the Iraq war, and President Bush gave an address endorsing a gradual reduction in U.S. troops there. What effect will the week's events have on the future U.S. presence in Iraq?
• Tripping 'Across the Universe,' Just a Little Clumsily
  With 30-odd Beatles songs, Frida director Julie Taymor tells a story about a guy named Jude, a girl named Lucy, and the helter-skelter '60s. Magical mystery tour, anyone?
• Ghosts of Lynching on a College Campus
  Commentator Sherrilyn Ifill has fought racism her entire life, as a civil rights lawyer and as a mother. When a noose was found on a tree at the University of Maryland — where she teaches and her daughter is a freshman — she had to ask, "Will this ever end?"
• Rooting Out New Orleans Corruption with Few Tools
  Robert Cerasoli is New Orleans' first inspector general; his job is to be a watchdog over local government and root out corruption and waste. But as of now, the newly hired Cerasoli doesn't have an office or car, and he makes calls from his personal cell phone.
• Who Is Norman Hsu?
  Norman Hsu raised millions for Democratic candidates, writing big checks and bundling even more. All that has changed, as news of Hsu's bankruptcies and questionable business practices have made headlines.

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