Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Jesca Hoop performs in the Current studio
  It wasn't all that long ago that Jesca Hoop left her Mormon family behind and set off on her own to pursue her musical career.3:50 p.m.
• Tutu says he'll visit St. Thomas if professor is reinstated
  Nobel peace laureate Desmond Tutu has notified the University of St. Thomas that he'll accept an invitation to speak on campus next spring, but only if the university reinstates Cris Toffolo as director of the Justice and Peace Studies Program.5:20 p.m.
• 'Black Radical' remembers his days as a Minnesota Communist
  Nelson Peery grew up in the only black family in Wabasha, Minnsota. It was as an Army soldier during World World II that he learned what racial discrimination meant. When he returned to Minnnesota, he joined the Comunist Party, which he says was the only racially integrated organization a person could join.5:50 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Castro's 'Reflections' Printed by State-Run Press
  Since abdominal surgery forced Fidel Castro to retire from public life, he has emerged as editorial writer-in-chief in Cuba's state-run news media. The long-winded speaker is now a prolific writer, using the state-run press — the only press permitted on the island — to publish a series of so-called "reflections."
• Peg Bracken, Cookbook Revolutionary, Dies at 89
  Author Peg Bracken, who wrote the I Hate to Cook Book in 1960, died Saturday at age 89. She told NPR in 1999 that the popular book came from her own ambitious feelings about food. She wanted women to have time to smoke cigarettes and drink cocktails.
• Great Harvest Encourages Franchise Originality
  Great Harvest Bakery encourages its franchisees across 40 states to do their own thing. The hours are very long, but people who've acquired franchises of the upscale bakery chain tend to make a decent living and enjoy their work.
• Hackers Stall Ticket Sales for Rockies Game
  The World Series-bound Colorado Rockies are recovering from Monday's "tech attack." A hacker zapped the Rockies' Web site, temporarily preventing some 54,000 tickets for this Saturday's game from going on sale.
• Computer Program Is a Virtual Music Teacher
  A new computer program promises to make music lessons more fun for kids. Students say real-time feedback on the screen makes practice much less boring — and more like playing a computer game. But some people are skeptical that a virtual teacher can do for kids what a real teacher can.
• Justice Accused of Targeting Democrats to Aid GOP
  The Justice Department is under congressional scrutiny again. Two House Judiciary subcommittees are exploring allegations that U.S. attorneys targeted Democratic office holders for "selective" prosecution as part of a strategy to help Republicans get elected.
• California Conditions Are 'Worst-Case Scenario'
  The devastating wildfires threatening much of Southern California this week are being driven by a punishing combination of weather conditions: the worst drought in decades, and stronger than usual, hurricane-force Santa Ana winds. Even wildfire veterans are calling it a worst-case scenario.
• Box Office Doesn't Favor Post-Sept. 11 Themes
  At least 10 films this season involve post-Sept. 11 themes, and none of them has done well at the box office.
• 'Redacted' Producer Blocks Real, Horrifying Images
  Director Brian DePalma's Redacted, a fictional version of a real event in Iraq, is embroiled in controversy. The film ends with a horrifying montage of real photos of dead and wounded Iraqis, and the movie studios insisted that the subjects' eyes and identifying features be blacked out.
• GOP's Hunter on America's 'Arsenal of Democracy'
  As the presidential candidates strap on their boots and begin to blaze their campaign trails, we'll highlight stump speeches they give along the way – including this excerpt from U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) at the Values Voter Summit on Oct. 19 in Washington, D.C.
• Clinton-Obama Battle for Black Voters Heats Up
  Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama hope to win the African-American vote in the Democratic presidential primaries. One key is winning high-profile endorsements. Clinton got one of those earlier this month when the civil rights icon John Lewis chose her over Obama.
• Evacuee Recalls Harrowing Escape from Flames
  Jaime Holecek, an evacuee from Encinitas, Calif., is now at a shelter after a harrowing experience evacuating her neighborhood.
• Fire Evacuees Crowd Makeshift Shelters
  Hundreds of thousands of Californians have evacuated their homes because of wildfires raging from north of Los Angeles all the way to the Mexican border. Two evacuees who took up shelter at Qualcomm Stadium and the Del Mar Fairgrounds detail their experiences.
• Rice Orders New Oversight for Contractors
  Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has ordered improved government oversight of independent contractors. The new measures would affect companies, such as Blackwater USA, that protect U.S. diplomats in Iraq.
• Turkish Troops Bolster Mountainous Iraq Border
  Iraqi leaders are vowing to crack down on the Kurdish separatist group known as the PKK as Turkish troops gather at Iraq's mountainous northern border. Diplomatic talks between Turkey and Iraq on Tuesday brought promises, but it's unclear what Baghdad can do to rein in the Kurdish rebels.

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