All Things Considered for November 25, 2008 | Minnesota Public Radio News

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Minnesota Public Radio Stories

Willmar entrepreneur is part of growing Somali population
The west-central community of Willmar is becoming increasingly diverse. Census data from 2000 shows Willmar had the third largest Latino population in Minnesota. Now, it also has a rapidly-growing Somali population.4:49 p.m.
Symphonic alley intended to frustrate and challenge residents
North Dakota State University students are turning a Fargo, N.D. alley into a soundscape designed to challenge perceptions about those places we avoid.4:54 p.m.
Franken has list of 6,400 rejected ballots
Democrat Al Franken's campaign says it has lists of more than 6,400 rejected absentee ballots in the Minnesota Senate race. It will press the state canvassing board to consider the rejected absentee ballots when the board meets tomorrow.5:17 p.m.
New Minneapolis clinic uses unique design
Minnesota Public Radio's medical analyst, Dr. Jon Hallberg, recently opened the Mill City Clinic in Minneapolis. The clinic uses unique design elements in order to create a more comfortable environment. Hallberg joined Tom Crann to talk about what is new and unique about his facility, both inside and out.5:24 p.m.
MnDOT questioned about Wakota bridge delays
MnDOT officials acknowledged Tuesday the Wakota bridge in the southeastern metro is the most delayed and over-budget road project in Minnesota history. The end may finally be in sight.5:51 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

Ford Exec: 'We Are Sensitive To Public Opinion'
Executive Chairman William Ford tells NPR that the automaker went to Congress last week to ask for a line of credit, but had hoped to "never need to use it." He also said the company is taking a look at the CEO's compensation and the company's plane operation.
In Ancient Dramas, Vital Words For Today's Warriors
Were the tragedies of Sophocles written for soldiers dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder? The artists behind The Philoctetes Project think so — and they argue that the millennia-old plays can help today's veterans cope.
Photographing The Masters Of Country Music
With a Kodak Instamatic sent by his mother, Marty Stuart went out to "terrorize everybody in country music" at the age of 13. His new book, Country Music: The Masters, collects Stuart's photos of Johnny Cash, Bill Monroe and more in an effort to preserve country music's roots.
GM Collapse Would Devastate Ohio Village
If GM were to fail, one of the hardest-hit places would be Lordstown, Ohio. Over the summer, the village learned it would be the site for the Chevy Cruze in 2010, but the concern now is whether GM will be around to make the Cruze without a bailout.
With Sharper Image's Demise, A Way Of Life Gone
With the company's end went something more than a tenant for the retail space next to the Lane Bryant down the mall. With it went a certain, purely American idea: That no matter what happened, we'd always have enough extra money to spend on useless nonsense, as long as it had an LCD display.
Judge Uses Barney As Punishment For Noise
A judge in Fort Lupton, Colo., has found a novel way to punish young noise offenders. Judge Paul Sacco is making them pay the requisite fine and making them face his own list of songs they're guaranteed to hate, including Barry Manilow and Barney the purple dinosaur.
Obama Names Pick For OMB
President-elect Obama has held his second news conference in as many days, naming Peter Orzag as his nominee for director of the Office of Management and Budget. Obama pledged that his team would scrutinize the budget for excesses even as they added programs to stimulate the economy.
Holder May Have Had Bigger Role In Rich Pardon
Eric Holder, president-elect Barack Obama's reported pick for attorney general, had a bigger role than previously disclosed in the pardon for Marc Rich by President Clinton. George Lardner, the author of an op-ed piece in Saturday's New York Times about Holder's role in the pardon, offers his insight.
Rate Of New Cancers Down, Annual Report Says
Experts say the trend should continue if the nation can push some of the cancer-prevention strategies that are already working. In part, the decrease comes from a decline in new cases of lung and breast cancers in women.
Baseball's Pirates Turn To India For New Farmhands
It took an enterprising promoter and a contest to find a "Million Dollar Arm" to produce Dinesh Patel and Rinku Singh, the newest farmhands for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Jeff Bernstein, the promoter responsible for all this, talks about the players.