Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Robin Swicord convenes 'The Jane Austen Book Club'
  When a producer approached filmmaker Robin Swicord with the idea of a film adaptation of the best-selling novel "The Jane Austen Book Club," she leapt at the chance.4:45 p.m.
• Implications of the Nobel Prize
  The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences next week will award gifted and prominent scientists a Nobel Prize. What do these awards mean 106 years after their creation? And what do they say about the direction of science and society?4:51 p.m.
• Senate DFL candidates mix it up at debate
  Three Democrats who hope to take on Republican U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman next year came together Friday to talk about the issues. Mike Ciresi, Jim Cohen and Al Franken talked about the war in Iraq, health care, taxes and other issues.5:16 p.m.
• U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison on observing Ramadan
  The U.S. House unanimously passed a resolution this week recognizing the month of Ramadan and the important role that Muslim-Americans play in the nation's culture. U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison is the first Muslim in Congress and the first to observe these religious rituals as a member of Congress.5:22 p.m.
• Russian singers plumb the depths of the human vocal range
  Russia's top choir, the State Symphony Capella, concludes its first U.S. tour in Minneapolis on Sunday.5:50 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• New Oversight for Blackwater: Too Little, Too Late?
  The U.S. has ordered new measures to improve the oversight of Blackwater USA, the security contractor working in Iraq, but some say the measures are too little too late. Blackwater security guards are accused of opening fire on Iraqi civilians in a deadly incident last month.
• Kid-Friendly Dance Parties Cater to Hip Parents
  A life of diapers, Barney and play groups can be a hard pill to swallow for hip, image-conscious parents. Enter "Baby Loves Disco" — a kid-friendly dance party at nightclubs across the country. Once you get in, you'll find strobe lights, the hottest local DJ and a lot of toddlers.
• Marion Jones Pleads Guilty in Drug Case, Retires
  Olympic track and field star Marion Jones has pleaded guilty to lying to federal investigators about using steroids. The three-time Olympic gold medalist also announced her retirement from the sport on Friday. Michele Norris has an update.
• Pakistan Court Rules to Withhold Election Results
  There's no end in sight to the political upheavals in Pakistan. On Friday, the supreme court ruled that Saturday's presidential election in parliament and the provincial assemblies can go ahead, but the results will be withheld until the court rules later this month on Pervez Musharraf's eligibility.
• U.N. Envoy to Myanmar Briefs Council After Visits
  Ibrahim Gambari, the U.N. special envoy to Myanmar, briefed the U.N. Security Council Friday on his visits with Myanmar leader Senior General Than Shwe, and with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
• Iraqi Official Urges U.S. Talks with Iran
  Iraq National Security Adviser Dr. Mowaffak al-Rubaie says Iran is meddling in Iraq's affairs and setting up a proxy war in his country. But Rubaie, in Washington, D.C., this week, is warning U.S. officials about the danger of attacking Iran directly.
• Family, Friends Honor Fallen Guardswoman
  Amid the questions and calls for more investigation into the death of Massachusetts National Guard Spc. Ciara Durkin, friends and family are trying to remember the Ireland native who was already making plans to resume an active life with her large family after her stint in Afghanistan.
• Guardswoman's Death in Afghanistan a Mystery
  The military's first report was that Massachusetts National Guard Spc. Ciara Durkin was killed in action in Afghanistan. In fact, she died with a bullet in her head inside Bagram Air Base. It was a ragged start to the investigation into Durkin's death.
• Michigan Economy Among Nation's Worst
  Whether it's measured by job creation, home foreclosures or people on food stamps, Michigan's economy is one of the worst in the United States. A strike against General Motors threatened to make that even worse. The two-day walkout is over, but the state's economic troubles aren't.
• September Report Brings Good News in Job Growth
  The Labor Department announced that 110,000 new jobs were created in September, and stocks rallied after the report. After a scary summer of financial turmoil, even decent job growth is reassuring and might be an indication that the U.S. economy has avoided the worst. The Labor Department also revised its figure for August jobs.
• Venezuelans Bolster Playoffs-Bound Cleveland
  As the Cleveland Indians head to the playoffs for the first time in six years, one remarkable statistic stands out. More than 20 percent of its players are Venezuelan — the highest percentage in the majors.
• Condo Auction a Symptom of Ailing Housing Market
  An auction of parts of two condo developments in San Diego tests the severity of the housing downturn. The condos weren't moving in the city's sluggish housing market. So the developer put them up for auction — at a seriously discounted initial bidding price.
• Marion Jones' Fall from Grace
  Essayist John Hoberman, the author of Testosterone Dreams, comments on track star Marion Jones' admission that she used steroids before the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, where she won five medals. Until now, Jones had strongly denied doping allegations against her.
• Behind Comedy Central is One Laughing Woman
  Comedy Central is the irreverent, raunchy network that focuses on the humor preferences of young men and boys. But the network's executive vice president for original programming and development is a woman — Lauren Corrao – who has a degree in semiotics, no less.
• SCHIP Ad Campaign Has an Uphill Battle
  Democrats and advocacy groups are launching a multimillion-dollar effort to win enough votes in the House of Representatives to override President Bush's veto of a bill to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program. But demographics and politics make it a nearly impossible task.

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