Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• MnDOT fires manager accused of improper travel
  Sonia Morphew Pitt has been on administrative leave and under investigation over travel expenses, including an out-of-state trip she declined to cut short in the days following the Aug. 1 bridge collapse.4:50 p.m.
• 125 years of great music
  During its 125 year history, the Schubert Club has drawn an impressive list of the world's greatest classical artists to St. Paul. As the organization marks its birthday this week, musicians and friends are celebrating the club's contributions to cultural life in the Twin Cities.4:54 p.m.
• MnDOT falls far short on goals for hiring women and minority contractors
  Women and minority-owned businesses in Minnesota have missed out on tens of millions of dollars worth of state highway and transit contracts, in possible violation of federal law. The federal government has launched an investigation, and a MnDOT employee filed a whistleblower lawsuit, saying she was threatened with firing because she brought the issue to her supervisor's attention.5:16 p.m.
• Water bill includes money for Lake Superior project
  A massive water resources bill passed by Congress authorizes a second large lock at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.5:26 p.m.
• Sheriff: inmate who died got inadequate treatment
  Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher says a man who died in the county jail last month received inadequate medical attention.5:41 p.m.
• A pollster's perspective on Election 2008
  Nearly a year before a single vote is cast, candidates and the media have been closely following the polling data. According to Bill Morris, president of the polling firm Decision Resources, there's a lot more to come.5:46 p.m.
• For political news, America turns to comedians
  There's a long tradition of political satire in the U.S. Late-night TV comedians have been making fun of all the presidential candidates for months.5:52 p.m.
• Youth Symphony gets chance to perform with a latin flair
  The musicians of the Minnesota Youth Symphonies have been getting a lesson in latin this week. On Nov. 11, Manny Laureano leads the young players in a program with a special guest, the Cuban Jazz Pianist Ignacio "Nachito" Herrer. Conductor Laureano has been working with Herrer and the students to get the them to play the Latin music as naturally as possible.6:20 p.m.
• In The Loop: People "Moo" at me
  More than a third of Americans say they have been bullied at work. This week, Minnesota Public Radio's "In The Loop" takes a look at where people encounter adult bullies -- from the military to their own families. Minneapolis writer Amy Salloway shares her experience of being bullied.6:24 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• House OKs Bill Curbing Alternative Minimum Tax
  The House of Representatives has passed a bill intended to keep millions of middle-class taxpayers from having to pay the Alternative Minimum Tax. That tax is intended for the very wealthy. The bill pays for the change by raising tax rates on private-equity and hedge-fund managers.
• Crime Wave Pits Italians, Romanian Immigrants
  The Italian government has introduced emergency legislation to allow the deportation of immigrants, saying the measure is needed to deal with a crime wave among immigrants in Italy. In particular, many Italians point fingers at the half-million Romanian immigrants.
• Expectations Drop for Annapolis Peace Summit
  President Bush has been promising to encourage Israelis and Palestinians toward a permanent peace settlement. A meeting to set guidelines was scheduled this month in Annapolis, Md., but analysts are lowering expectations about what the meeting can accomplish.
• NFL Records Challenged, Broken and Barely Missed
  Former Miami coach Don Shula says New England should have an asterisk by its undefeated record, Minnesota rookie Adrian Peterson runs his way into the record books, and Oakland kicker Sebastian Janikowski misses his shot at a record by inches.
• S. Africa Troubled by Problems with AIDS Vaccine
  Earlier this week, Merck announced data showing that its experimental AIDS vaccine may have made people more susceptible to HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. That news is having an impact in the country hardest hit by AIDS — South Africa.
• Plaintiffs Must Drop Cases in $4.85B Merck Deal
  The pharmaceutical company Merck announced Friday that it will pay nearly $5 billion dollars to settle claims involving the painkiller Vioxx. The settlement only goes into effect if a large number of plaintiffs agree to drop their cases, but that looks likely.
• Rare Spanish Coin Found in Nashville Cemetery
  "Mortuary archaeologist" Pat Cummins found a rare Spanish coin — "8 Reales," or pieces of eight — in a Nashville cemetery. The coins circulated widely in the United States in the first half of the 19th Century.
• Sen. Joe Biden on Health Care
  In continuing our series of presidential candidates' stump speeches, we hear from Democratic candidate Sen. Joseph Biden. The tape comes from a speech in late October, when the senator from Delaware unveiled his health care plan.
• States with Late Primaries Find Ways to Count
  Voters in Iowa and New Hampshire may be getting their fill of the 2008 candidates for president. But what about states with primaries after Feb. 5? In Washington state, a few major candidates are swooping through to collect cash, and a few minor candidates have die-hard fans.
• Janet Huckabee's 4 Fs: Faith, Family, Friends, Fight
  Janet Huckabee is wife of GOP candidate Mike Huckabee and the former first lady of Arkansas. Fighting to get her husband the attention she thinks he deserves, Huckabee says she's learned her husband is quite the fighter, too.
• Comet Flares Unexpectedly in Northeast Sky
  A strange glow in the sky is surprising amateur and professional astronomers alike. It's Holmes Comet, a periodic visitor near Earth. During this visit, it has blazed brightly and grown larger — a fuzzy point in the Northeast sky that's visible to the naked eye.
• Could Pakistan's Nuclear Stockpile Be Vulnerable?
  Political turmoil in Pakistan is stoking fears about its nuclear weapons stockpile. Analysts say the concern isn't so much that al-Qaida will breach facilities, but that disgruntled scientists may gain access. There's also concern about what India may do if Pervez Musharraf is toppled.
• Bhutto's Brief Detention Prompts Concerns
  Friday morning in Pakistan, a detention order was imposed on former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. By the end of the day, it was lifted. The United States expressed concern about her detention and urged Pakistani authorities "to quickly return to constitutional order and democratic norms."
• 'Country' Star Brolin: Offbeat Is Familiar Territory
  Josh Brolin, who plays laconic Llewelyn Moss in the much-praised new Coen Brothers thriller No Country for Old Men, talks about his appetite for surprising characters and working with the filmmaking brothers.
• Plan to Map L.A.'s Muslims Sparks Outrage
  The Los Angeles Police Department is defending a plan to map Muslim communities in the city. The department says it needs the maps to figure out why some communities are more susceptible to "violent, ideologically based extremism." Some critics are calling it racial profiling.

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