Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Prescription writing goes high tech
  Despite the move to electronic record-keeping at your doctor's office, and an array of high tech diagnostic tools, chances are they're still using 19th century technology for a very important function -- writing prescriptions. But more and more doctors are starting to write prescriptions electronically.4:48 p.m.
• Experiment to close education achievement gap coming to Minnesota
  The Twin Cities have been selected by KIPP, the Knowledge is Power Program, as one of two expansion sites for 2008.5:19 p.m.
• Environmental groups challenge certification of state forests
  Two environmental organizations are challenging the DNR's recent certification as a top-quality manager of state forest land. At issue is control of ATVs.5:23 p.m.
• Fire chief deal rejected
  The Minneapolis City Council's executive committee has rejected the terms of a settlement agreement with fire chief Bonnie Bleskachek. Mayor R.T. Rybak had recommended approval of the settlement, which would have meant her demotion to captain.5:48 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• In Baghdad, 'Civil War' Is Only the Beginning
  While experts debate whether Iraq is now embroiled in a full-scale civil war, on the streets of Baghdad, the question seems moot. Baghdad residents say last week's surge of sectarian violence crossed a new threshold, and most feel there is worse to come.
• Hearing a Smooth Skate on the Ice
  Listener and figure skater Felicia Reynolds tells us how the sounds of her skates tell her how she is performing.
• New CD Celebrates Masters of Old-Time Autoharp
  In the 1950s, Mike Seeger sought out and recorded the traditional Southern music of the autoharp, a 36-string instrument small enough to hold in your lap. An expanded version of that collection is now out on CD.
• Christian Coalition's New Leader Steps Down
  Rev. Joel Hunter, president-elect of the Christian Coalition of America, is declining the job, saying the organization wouldn't let him expand its agenda beyond opposing abortion and gay marriage. A statement issued by the group said Hunter left because of "differences in philosophy and vision."
• Lawyer's Apprentice: Reading the Law in Vermont
  Vermont is one of the few remaining states in which residents can become lawyers without attending law school. The practice, called "reading the law," leads people to spend hundreds of hours reading and working alongside a member of the state bar. If they pass the bar exam, they can practice law in the state.
• U.N. Plans Air Drop to Help Somali Flood Victims
  The United Nations is organizing an air drop of food and supplies into southern Somalia, where flooding has cut off entire communities from the world. But for all the damage, the rain has done one positive thing: It has delayed a military clash on the Horn of Africa.
• Narc Squad Suspended in Death of Woman, 88
  The entire narcotics division of the Atlanta police department is under suspension as a federal investigation continues into the fatal police shooting of an 88-year-old woman in the city. The woman was killed when three officers entered her home in a drug raid without warning. Police say they entered the house based on the word of a confidential informant.
• Secularism is Point of Debate for Pope, Islamic Leaders
  Islamists in Turkey and Pope Benedict have been grappling with the role of secularism in the modern state. Secularism is a founding principle of modern Turkey, but Islamists have been railing against the concept. Similarly, the pope has been a vocal critic of secularism in Europe.
• Pope Discusses Brotherhood with Muslims in Turkey
  Pope Benedict meets with Turkish leaders in Ankara, on his first visit to a majority-Muslim country. The pontiff urged all religious leaders to refuse to support any violence in the name of faith, but he also expressed concern that the risks of more conflicts and terrorism are growing in the Middle East.
• Thousands of Liberians in U.S. Face Deportation
  More than 3,000 Liberians in the United States face possible deportation because they are here under what is called "Temporary Protective Status" -- a designation that is due to expire in less than a year. Many are hoping to stay. The uncertainty is troubling for the sizeable Liberian population in Providence, R.I.
• Pelosi Shuts Hastings Out of Intel Chairmanship
  House Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi has decided not to choose Rep. Alcee Hastings to be chair of the House Intelligence Committee when the new Congress convenes in January. The Congressional Black Caucus had lobbied for Hastings to get the job.
• Using the Wiki Method to Write a Business Book
  A first-of-its-kind effort, We Are Smarter Than Me is a business book in progress being written with the wiki-based collaboration of online contributors. The idea's backers, which include heavyweights at Wharton and MIT, say the collective experience and wisdom of a community can be far more incisive and useful than that of a sole expert.
• Motives Behind a Mantra: Revise, Revise, Revise
  Commentator Alain De Botton, who is a philosopher and author, analyzes why artists and writers keep revising their work over time.
• Writing a Profile of Muqtada al-Sadr
  Michele Norris talks with Michael Hirsh, senior editor at Newsweek. Hirsh was one of the reporters on the magazine's cover story this week on the influence of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
• German Plaintiff Appeals Court Ruling in Torture Case
  A German man who is suing the United States says he was detained in Afghanistan and tortured by the CIA, which mistakenly identified him as a terrorist. But the U.S. government says there is no way for a court to hear Khaled El-Masri's case without compromising national security. A federal district court has dismissed the case, but El-Masri is asking the appeals court in Richmond to overturn the ruling.

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