Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• U of M math video is a Web hit
  About 40 YouTube clips will get featured in Wednesday's CNN debate. However, it's almost guaranteed that none of them will get as many views as a math video produced at the University of Minnesota.5:24 p.m.
• New anti-meth ads sell hope
  Billboard campaigns featuring haggard-looking meth addicts have been good at scaring people about the harmful effects of the drug. But the ads haven't given the public much hope about recovery. Now a new anti-meth campaign showcases the success stories of addicts who have kicked their habit.5:44 p.m.
• Audit questions $26,000 in charges tied to ex-MnDOT manager
  An investigation by Minnesota Legislative Auditor finds that the fired emergency manager for the Minnesota Department of Transportation cost the state at least $26,000 in unauthorized charges and pay.5:48 p.m.
• It's "All over but the shouting" - The Replacements get a book
  Jim Walsh has written an oral history of one Minnesota's most beloved rock bands, the Replacements.5:52 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Security Situation Uneven Across Baghdad
  Security is improving in the Iraqi capital, but the situation varies from neighborhood to neighborhood, and even from block to block. American and Iraqi forces face a murky, complex struggle: a mix of combat, reconstruction and local politics.
• Thriving Honduran Sock Industry May Disappear
  In the last five years, the sock industry has exploded in Honduras, thanks to duty-free sock exports to the U.S. That duty-free status may end soon, dashing the dreams of one young Honduran to be her country's first female sock-knitting machine technician.
• Laura Linney Explores the Art, Artifice of Acting
  In her new dark comedy, The Savages, Laura Linney tackles the role of a woman coping with her ailing father. Linney talks about good and bad scripts, and her philosophy that actors shouldn't use personal feelings to portray a character's emotions.
• Pakistani Politics Long Dominated By Same 3 Faces
  Benazir Bhutto served twice as prime minister, beginning in 1988. Nawaz Sharif served twice as prime minister, beginning in 1990. And Pervez Musharraf has led the country since 1999. Why do these three leaders continue to dominate the political scene after all these years?
• Bush's Top Economic Adviser to Step Down
  President Bush's top economic adviser, Al Hubbard, will step down at the end of the year. Hubbard spearheaded several key administration efforts, including a plan to overhaul Social Security. His resignation comes as increased mortgage defaults fuel recession fears.
• Huckabee Joins Race for Darlington's GOP Voters
  The latest state polls in Darlington County, S.C. — home of NASCAR's Darlington Raceway — show a dead heat among Mitt Romney, Rudolph Giuliani and John McCain as the January primary draws near. But religious, conservative voters are paying more attention these days to Mike Huckabee.
• Feeling Left Out of 'Key Demographics'
  Every political season, it seems that there's another key group to be courted by candidates — soccer moms, NASCAR dads and so on. Commentator Laura Lorson feels frustrated that she's never in the demographic that candidates seem to be vying for.
• 'The Savages' Captures Realities of a Family Crisis
  The Savages, with its depiction of family members dealing with their ailing father, hit close to home for NPR film critic Bob Mondello. Movies are emotionally effective, Mondello says, because they come so close to the truth.
• Iraqis Say U.S. Guards Used Drugs, Defied Orders
  Some Iraqi civilians have filed a civil lawsuit against the Blackwater guards involved in a September shooting in a Baghdad traffic circle. The suit claims that Blackwater personnel were in the traffic circle against the instructions of their dispatcher, and that they had improperly taken steroids.
• Maine's Tobacco-Delivery Law Faces Test
  The Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday on Maine's law aimed at further restricting children's access to tobacco. The law bans deliveries of tobacco products to dealers known to operate without a license, and to anyone under age 27 who doesn't show identification.

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