Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Dental therapists to bridge gaps in oral care
  Megan Meyer, above, is among Minnesota's first dental therapists - a new class of dental professionals who hope to expand care to those who can't afford to see a dentist.5:20 p.m.
• St. Cloud hosts a T. Rex named Sue
  An exact replica of what's billed as the largest, most complete, and best-preserved Tyrannosaurus rex is on display at the Stearns History Museum in St. Cloud.5:24 p.m.
• Califano: Parents are big influence on kids' alcohol, drug choices
  It's a pretty good likelihood that every child will be offered alcohol or drugs by the time they graduate high school. But author Joseph Califano maintains that parents have a high degree of power and influence when it comes to the choices their children make about drugs.5:52 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Facing Aging Without Health Insurance
  Fernando Arriola, a 58-year-old home builder, owns his own contracting business in New Orleans. For a while Arriola couldn't afford coverage, and when he and his wife tried to reinstate it, they were denied even the most expensive catastrophic plan.
• U.S.-Mexico Border Crossing Grows More Dangerous
  Over the past decade, easier places to cross into the U.S. have been closed, so people are being pushed into isolated areas. Now, even though the number of illegal crossings has dropped substantially, the number of deaths remains a constant 200 a year.
• New Coolants Make For Hotter Planet
  Refrigerant chemicals such as CFCs have been banned for years because of the destructive effect they have on the ozone. But their replacements are causing another problem: global warming.
• Forest Whitaker, Getting Behind A 'Brick City' Hero
  NPR's Madeleine Brand speaks to Academy Award-winning actor-director Forest Whitaker about the Sundance Channel's Brick City. Whitaker was executive producer on the documentary series about Newark, N.J., Mayor Cory Booker and his crusade to take back the summer in his city.
• Adidas, Puma Break From Rivalry For A Day
  More than 60 years after a feud between brothers Adolf and Rudolf Dassler resulted in the creation of the sportswear companies Adidas and Puma, the two rivals are making peace — for a day. Employees from the companies played on mixed teams to mark International Peace Day.
• Deaths Prompt Italy To Rethink Troops In Afghanistan
  Italy marked a national day of mourning Monday as a state funeral was held for six soldiers killed in a suicide bombing in Afghanistan last week. The deaths were Italy's biggest single loss in an increasingly unpopular war and have stoked a debate on the future of Italy's participation in the NATO force in Afghanistan.
• Andrei Codrescu: Growing Up The IPod Way
  When commentator Andrei Codrescu's iPod died, he borrowed his wife's. But each of the songs on his iPod came with a memory. When he put his wife's music in his ears, he experienced a strange sensation: He started to remember her life.
• Top General Says Time Running Out In Afghanistan
  An official assessment by Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, concludes that after eight years, the U.S. and its allies have failed to focus on and win over the Afghan people. He also calls for more troops to ensure victory over the Taliban and al-Qaida.
• Sen. Levin: McChrystal's Report Tackles Strategy
  The top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan warns in a report that the U.S. could lose in Afghanistan without more troops. Democratic Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, says the report also says that focusing on force requirements misses the point entirely.
• Levin Comments Examined
  Sen. Carl Levin, chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, says Gen. Stanley McChrystal's report on Afghanistan focuses more on strategy than it does on troop numbers. The Michigan Democrat has previously opposed sending more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, saying that the focus should, instead, be on training Afghan security forces.

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