Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• The diva and the ghost writer
  Minneapolis author George Rabasa's new novel, "The Wonder Singer," explores love, opera and the agony of writing.4:50 p.m.
• David Wellstone talks about Wellstone Act
  President Bush signed the $700 billion dollar financial rescue package into law today. But, the Wall Street bailout bill also carried the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act into law. To talk more about the bill we talked to David Wellstone, son of Minnnesota's late U.S. Senator, Paul Wellstone.5:20 p.m.
• Petters arrested in fraud investigation
  Twin Cities businessman Tom Petters was arrested and jailed today on charges he defrauded investors of more than a billion dollars.5:24 p.m.
• Are Minneapolis crime statistics evident on the street?
  Minneapolis city officials say efforts to reduce violent crime by young people are paying off. Friday, members of a youth violence prevention task force released numbers that show that, except for homicide, violent crime involving teens has dipped sharply over the last two years. But those decreases are not being felt everywhere in Minneapolis.5:50 p.m.
• Welcoming the fall colors of Minnesota
  It should be a good weekend for enjoying the fall colors -- and by many accounts this year's display is one of the best in a long time. Tom Crann talked to Northwest Region DNR Parks Resource Specialist Chris Weir-Koetter about what's making this season's leaves so stunning.5:54 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Wells Fargo Buys Wachovia
  Wells Fargo has stunned financial markets by announcing a merger with Wachovia. Wachovia was involved in a government-brokered deal with Citigroup earlier in the week. The Wells Fargo deal puts the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in an awkward position.
• Bush's Quick Signature Not Unprecedented
  The House of Representatives passed the big bailout and almost immediately President Bush signed the measure. There have been other occasions when the wheels of government have moved this quickly: President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's declaration of war on Dec. 8, 1941, and President Johnson's signing of the Civil Rights Bill on July 2, 1964.
• In Wisconsin Town, Seniors React To Debate
  Voters on both sides of the border from the battleground states of Wisconsin and Minnesota have watched and reacted to Thursday night's vice presidential debate. AARP members — a key swing voting block — in the border town of Superior, Wis., offer their views.
• Quiet Day For Biden, Palin After Debate
  A day after their debate, the two vice presidential candidates have kept relatively quiet. Sen. Joe Biden spoke at a deployment ceremony for his son's National Guard unit, which is headed to Iraq and Gov. Sarah Palin attended several private fundraisers in Dallas and San Antonio.
• Economists Discuss Post-Bailout Economy
  Ken Rogoff, a professor of economics at Harvard University, says the bailout will provide some confidence for a while, but won't go all the way to solve the problem. Adam Posen, deputy director and senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, says the plan's efficacy will be measured by how it is implemented.
• Bailout Vote Switcher Explains Her Reasons
  Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) was one of the lawmakers who switched her vote on the financial bailout package to ensure its passage. The freshman congresswoman says the new version of the bill was better and with a financial crisis looming, it would have been irresponsible to vote against it.
• NHL Season Opens In Europe
  The National Hockey League opens its season this weekend in Europe with games in Stockholm, Sweden, and Prague, Czech Republic. Sportswriter Stefan Fatsis says it makes some sense for the NHL to look to expand its audience beyond U.S. borders.
• Week In Politics Reviewed
  David Brooks of The New York Times says the financial bailout shows a fundamental shift toward corporate progressivism. E.J. Dionne of the Washington Post and the Brookings Institution says it will lead to a neo-New Dealism. On the vice presidential debates, Brooks says both candidates had a good night. Dionne says nothing in the debate changed the momentum toward Barack Obama.
• In Texas, A Search For Hurricane Ike's Victims
  More than 400 people have been reported missing in the wake of Hurricane Ike. Search teams are combing a wildlife refuge in Chambers County, Texas, where tons of debris was blown. This weekend, they'll bring in cadaver dogs and conduct a thorough exploration.
• September Job Losses Underscore Depth Of Crisis
  Job losses mounted in the September unemployment report. The Labor Department says businesses cut 159,000 jobs from their payrolls. That's a lot worse than in July and August, a trend that has many economists concerned.
• House Passes Financial Bailout Bill
  The House has passed the Treasury's financial rescue plan and President Bush has signed it. The measure's passage marks a turnaround just four days after the House rejected the measure. Many lawmakers switched their votes from no to yes.
• 'Nick And Norah,' Setting A New York Night To Music
  A geek and a smart girl cruise a nighttime New York as romantically supercharged as in any Woody Allen movie — falling for each other, while audiences fall madly for them. (Recommended).
• On Second Go-Around, House Passes Bailout Bill
  The U.S. House has reversed itself and given final approval to a giant economic bailout bill. The measure — revised, re-framed and expanded — passed comfortably by a vote of 263 to 171. It attracted 26 more Republicans and 32 more Democrats than last Monday night.
• Washington Mutual Executive Predicted Collapse
  William Longbrake served as chief financial officer for the failed savings and loan from 1982 until 2002. Longbrake says he started warning management about a housing bubble in 2003. Now, he says the government needs to act to stop irrational panic from making the situation worse.
• Ted Stevens Runs For Re-Election From A Distance
  Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens is facing federal corruption charges in Washington, D.C., while running for another term. Stevens has held on to his Senate seat for four decades with overwhelming support. But this year, he has a significant challenger in the mayor of Anchorage.

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