Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Local band makes music with Game Boys
  The music of Unicorn Dream Attack sounds like a Game Boy orchestra, but is deceptively human.4:49 p.m.
• Two Twin Cities teachers get $25K awards
  The two are among about 80 teachers nationwide to get no-strings-attached cash awards from the Milken Family Foundation. The awards are often called the "Oscars of teaching."5:24 p.m.
• Coldwell Banker holding sale on 1,500 Minnesota properties
  Coldwell Banker is holding a sale, on houses. The the big national realtor has marked down prices on about 1,500 in the Twin Cities, Saint Cloud and Rochester this week. It's part of the company's nationwide effort to get potential buyers off the sidelines and into new homes.5:56 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Commanders Look For New Strategy In Afghanistan
  As the war in Afghanistan continues, military commanders are exploring new options and strategies as they struggle to contain a strengthening enemy. Efforts are under way to train more Afghan forces as U.S. military equipment is moved into the country from Iraq.
• William Jennings Bryan: An Electrifying Orator
  At the 1896 Democratic Nationl Convention in Chicago, William Jennings Bryan gave a speech that electrified his party. He was an unlikely presidential candidate, but his "Cross of Gold" speech won him the nomination. It is known today as one of the most important oratorical performances in American history.
• Chiwoniso Plays Zimbabwean 'Rebel' Music
  On her new album, Rebel Woman, Chiwoniso shows off an assertive style that no other female singer in Zimbabwe can match. In her songs, she stands up for her country's children and poor. One of the most compelling voices in African music today, she confidently borrows from other genres — especially American ones.
• U.S. To Spend $250B On Stake In Banks
  The government's latest response to the financial crisis involves taking ownership stakes in financial institutions in order to get credit flowing through the economy again. Treasury Secretary Paulson said he didn't like government ownership of banks, but the alternatives, he said, were "totally unacceptable."
• Expert: Expanded Bailout Is Not Nationalization
  President Bush's new plan will allow the U.S. government to spend about $250 billion to buy equity stakes in banks. "We're not at nationalization yet, but this is a profound movement," says Ken Rogoff, professor of economics at Harvard University and former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund.
• Bailout Plan Has Little Effect On Credit Markets
  The government's plan to inject capital into nine big financial institutions has had little effect on the credit markets. The reluctance of banks to make loans — even to one another — is at the core of the financial crisis.
• Republicans, ACORN Spar Over Voter Registration
  Charges of voter fraud have been growing in recent weeks, most notably with Republican attacks against ACORN, an anti-poverty group. But the intensity of the attacks has also raised questions about Republican motives.
• As Obama Leads Polls, Bradley Effect Examined
  What voters tell pollsters and what they do in the privacy of the voting booth may differ. Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, an African-American, lost the 1982 California gubernatorial race even though he had a double-digit lead in the polls. Some wonder if history will repeat itself in the case of Obama.
• Amid Affair Claims, Democrat Denies Breaking Law
  Rep. Tim Mahoney (D-FL) has admitted to causing "embarrassment and heartache" in his marriage but denied paying hush money to a former aide to be quiet about an affair. Mahoney won his seat because of sex allegations surrounding Republican Rep. Mark Foley.
• Iceland Reels From Global Financial Meltdown
  The global financial meltdown has hit Iceland hard. Its major banks have been nationalized, its currency is in free fall and its stock market has plummeted. "Every single person has a personal tale about how the financial crisis has impacted them," says Chad Thomas, Bloomberg News' bureau chief in Helsinki, Finland.

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