Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Beatty and Guinee on "Sweet Land"
  The new movie "Sweet Land," opening this weekend, tells the story of immigrant farmers struggling for survival in southwestern Minnesota just after World War One. Two of the film's stars, Ned Beatty and Tim Guinee who plays Olaf, came into the MPR studios to talk about the launch.4:50 p.m.
• Diesel begins the journey toward becoming a cleaner fuel
  This weekend, diesel's image as a smelly, dirty fuel undergoes an official makeover.5:20 p.m.
• Study shows scant coverage of campaigns on TV
  If you're trying to become an informed voter, you're not going to get much help from watching television news. A new report from the University of Wisconsin-Madison finds television stations in nine Midwest markets devoted an average of 36 seconds to election coverage during the typical 30-minute local news broadcast. Commentator David Brauer looks at the study.5:23 p.m.
• Muslims learning politics in 5th district race
  In Minnesota's 5th Congressional District, Muslims are speaking with a newly found political voice.5:50 p.m.
• Minnesotan brings "micro-lending" concept home
  The 2006 Nobel Peace Prize went to a Bangladeshi economist who pioneered the idea of "micro-credit". Most such programs take place in developing countries, but Minnesotan Joe Selvaggio is giving out micro-grants here in the Twin Cities.5:53 p.m.
• A tale of two sisters
  Pulitzer Prize-winning Newsweek columnist Anna Quindlen has written a new novel. "Rise and Shine" is the story of two sisters in New York City.6:20 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Buffalo Area Reels from Snow, Power Outages
  More than 200,000 people lost power overnight as a lake-effect snowstorm dropped more than 21 inches of snow on Buffalo, N.Y. Never before has so much snow hit the city this early in the year. The previous record for this date is seven inches.
• Gay Republicans Feel Heat from the Foley Scandal
  It's an open secret in Washington that gay men play an active role in Republican Party politics at every level. In the wake of the recent Congressional sex scandal, gay Republican politicians and their staffers are finding themselves attacked from the right and from the left.
• New Film Probes Complicity in Priest's Abuse
  Deliver Us from Evil is a documentary that explores the years of abuse perpetrated by Father Oliver O'Grady on dozens of victims. It also turns a harsh spotlight on Cardinal Roger Mahony, who supervised O'Grady as he was transferred from one parish to the next.
• Despite Critics, Pakistan May Expand Tribal Deal
  More than a month has elapsed since Pakistan made a controversial peace deal with tribal leaders in North Waziristan, along the border with Afghanistan. The agreement has been criticized for allegedly allowing al-Qaida and the Taliban to regroup in the border mountains -- and attack U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
• At Congress, Group Urges U.S. to Act on Ugandan Violence
  Activists spent a day on Capitol Hill this week, lobbying the United States to take a stronger position to support a fragile peace process in Uganda. Northern Uganda has been wracked by civil war for 20 years.
• Coup Rumors in Iraq Downplayed
  Robert Siegel talks with Washington Post columnist David Ignatius about rumors of a coup in Iraq that would impose martial law throughout the country. Ignatius says that despite a coup being unlikely, the rumors speak to the desperation Iraqis feel as a result of sectarian violence.
• British General Refines Remarks on Iraq Pullout
  Britain's most senior soldier has backed away from his remarks that the British Army's presence in Iraq "exacerbates the security problems." Gen. Richard Dannatt was quoted by The Daily Mail as saying that troops should be withdrawn "soon."
• Scandals in the Capital Flow in Election Year
  Ethics was the watchword in Washington this week. This morning, Rep. Bob Ney pleaded guilty to felony charges stemming from the Jack Abramoff investigation. Meanwhile, back at the Capitol, the investigation into the Mark Foley page scandal continues.
• First Lady Bush Steps Up for GOP Campaigns
  Identification with President Bush may be a drag on Republicans this fall, but it's a different story with his wife. Laura Bush remains a strong draw for Republican crowds, and one who doesn't rile up the opposition.
• Truman in the Movies: Truth and Fiction
  The movie Infamous, which opens today, is the second film based on the part of Truman Capote's life when he researched and wrote his nonfiction novel In Cold Blood. Commentator Lennard Davis says this is evidence that truth and fiction are moving closer together.
• American Farmers Report on Harvests
  Fall is the time when many farmers bring in the last of the year's crops. Robert Siegel and Michele Norris talk with a potato farmer in Maine, a cotton farmer in Texas and a paw-paw farmer in California about this year's bounty.
• Loan, Bank Work Bring Nobel Prize to Bangladeshi
  Michele Norris talks to Dr. Muhammad Yunus, winner of this year's Nobel Peace Prize. Yunus shares the prize with the Grameen Bank, which he founded during more than 30 years of work in granting microcredit to poor people in Bangladesh. The idea has spread around the world, affecting millions of lives.
• Tigers Are Winning, and Detroit Feels the Magic
  It's been 19 Octobers since the Detroit Tigers have played in the postseason. But the surprise success of the ball club this year has given long-suffering Tiger fans, and their city, something to celebrate. Ticket sales are setting records, there are big crowds downtown, and there is talk that the team's success could spur new retail development near the stadium. Sarah Hulett of Detroit Public Radio reports.
• Iraqi Force May Take Hold in Tikrit in Next Year
  Robert Siegel talks with Lt. Col. Mark Edmonds, Army Deputy Brigade Commander of the 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne, about ongoing operations in the Iraqi city of Tikrit. Edmonds says that despite the fact that improvised explosive devices are still found daily, the city is much safer now than it had been. He added that he expects the Iraqi army to operate independently within the province within the next year.
• NBA Season Looms, with Changes in Rules and Balls
  As the NBA pre-season begins, the league is instituting some rule changes. The changes are aimed at stemming player complaints about referees' calls. Michele Norris talks with Wall Street Journal sportswriter Stefan Fatsis about the changes, and about the league's decision to switch from a leather ball to a synthetic ball. Speaking of complaints, some players are upset about the ball as well.

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