Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Sun Country now controlled by Petters Group
  Mendota Heights-based Petters Group Worldwide now owns more than 80 percent of Sun Country Airlines. Petters bought out co-owners Whitebox Advisors, a Minneapolis-based hedge fund, on Friday and is now solely responsible for Sun Country's operations.4:45 p.m.
• Pawlenty announces foreclosure aid
  Saying the subprime mortgage crisis is a major problem in Minnesota, Gov. Tim Pawlenty has announced more state money to help people who are facing foreclosure.5:19 p.m.
• Hundreds of students skip class to protest Iraq war
  The protesters called for the immediate return of the troops, a diversion of funds from the war effort to education and an end to military recruiting in high schools.5:49 p.m.
• U of M students present child abduction case to president of South Sudan
  A group of University of Minnesota students campaigning for the release of two kidnapped children in Sudan scored a major victory recently, when they were able to meet with the president of Southern Sudan.5:53 p.m.
• Stunned by turnout, organizers cancel e-waste effort
  Thousands of cars jammed the streets around the Mall of America, extending to the I-494 ramps, as consumers rushed to rid their homes of stockpiled electronics.5:56 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Afghan 'Kite Runner' Actors Say They Were Misled
  Concern is growing about the safety of four Afghan child stars of a movie called Kite Runner, due for release next month. The boys and their families are increasingly frustrated with the filmmakers and say if they had it to do over again, they would not have been in the film.
• Senate Gridlock Snares War Funding, Farm Bill
  Before leaving town for two weeks, the Senate failed to move forward on an Iraq war funding measure including a timeline for troop withdrawal. Gridlock also prevailed on the farm bill and other measures.
• Holiday Sweets: On the Road (and in the Mail)
  The travel season — for people and for sweets — is approaching. Dorie Greenspan, author of the cookbook Baking, shares with Michele Norris her advice on how to pack your baked goods so they arrive tasty and intact.
• Court Rejects SUV Fuel-Efficiency Loophole
  A federal appeals court has rejected the Bush administration's fuel economy standard for light pickups, vans and SUVs and ordered the government to come up with a new, tougher one. Automakers say any change now would be disruptive.
• Britons Bank on Scents to Boost Junk Mail's Appeal
  Britain's Royal Mail teams with an advertising agency to revive old-fashioned junk mail with a new twist: aromas as a branding tool. New envelope technology paired with the idea that just the right scent can speak louder than words is being used starting this month.
• Doomed Nuclear Worker Steals Weapons in 'PU239'
  PU239, which premieres Nov. 17 on HBO, is a film about a nuclear plant worker in post-Soviet Russia who gets a lethal dose of radiation. With days to live, he decides to steal some weapons-grade plutonium to sell, to provide financial security for his wife and son.
• U.S. Hopes for Power Sharing in Pakistan Fade
  Pakistan's President Gen. Pervez Musharraf swore in a caretaker government Friday to run the country until elections take place in January. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte is visiting to try to convince Musharraf to end the state of emergency, free political prisoners and resign as army chief of staff.
• FCC Chief Aims to Relax Cross-Ownership Rules
  This week, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin formally announced plans to relax media ownership rules by allowing newspapers in the top 20 markets to also own a TV or radio station in the same market. That's something that has been barred for more than 30 years.
• Herb Alpert Donates $30 Million for School of Music
  The University of California in Los Angeles announced the formation of the Herb Alpert School of Music on Friday. Alpert, the Latin crossover giant who headed up the Tijuana Brass and co-founded the A&M label, donated some $30 million to the school.
• Guy de Maupassant, a Jeweler of Language
  Author Mirta Ojito returned last summer to the stories that enthralled her in her adolescence, wondering if their magic would hold. Her verdict: The poetry of life pulses through every single one.

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