Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Walker looks forward to crowds for British TV commercials
  Of all the many ways you can celebrate the holiday season, one of the stranger traditions in the Twin Cities is to watch British television commercials. This year the Walker Art Center has scheduled 62 screenings of award-winning commercials from across the pond.4:44 p.m.
• Preparing the plows
  The winter storm forecast to hit Minnesota on Saturday is poised to drop more than six inches of snow. Keeping the roads open is a big job. MnDOT officer Kent Barnard explains how the department prepares for all the snow.4:51 p.m.
• Biodiesel industry sputtering
  These are tough times for farm-based renewable fuels. Biodiesel producers are being squeezed by high soybean prices. Some plants have closed.4:55 p.m.
• Budget shortfall at $373 million
  State Finance officials say a struggling economy is forcing Minnesota's budget into a deficit again. Forecasters say the state will see a $373 million deficit by mid-2009. Gov. Pawlenty and state lawmakers are now faced with raising taxes, cutting spending or spending a part of the budget reserve to balance the state's budget.5:18 p.m.
• Black leaders allege Minneapolis officers demoted because of race
  Some Minneapolis African American community leaders say that disciplinary action against a black homicide detective is the result of a pattern of bias against black police officers.5:22 p.m.
• New science from an old oil spill
  An oil spill northwest of Bemidji in 1979 has taught geologists about the environmental effects of oil contamination.5:25 p.m.
• Food shelves hungry for donations
  There was news this week about food shelves on Minnesota's Iron Range running short of food. It turns out that food shelves across Minnesota are short of supplies.5:50 p.m.
• Soldier: 'If I was to die, it would've been an honor'
  Another Minnesota soldier died this week in Baghdad. Sgt. 1st Class John Tobiason of Hayfield was 42. Little is known about how Tobiason died. It's reported that he stepped out of a tent and shots were fired.5:55 p.m.
• Is 'Learning Life' the MySpace for baby boomers?
  The University of Minnesota is about to launch an online social networking project called "Learning Life" which targets baby boomers. The project will try to combine Facebook or MySpace-like social networking with university level education.6:20 p.m.
• Tim Penny describes getting flip-flopped
  This week's edition of In The Loop explores the political phenomenon called "flip-flipping". Former Minnesota Congressman Tim Penny was followed around by a character known as Waffleman during his run for Governor in 2002. For the full program, selece "In The Loop" from the Programs menu.6:25 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Worries Linger as Volunteers Patrol Philadelphia
  Hundreds of volunteer peacekeepers began patrolling some of the toughest streets in Philadelphia this week. But questions remain about how the unarmed volunteers will interact with neighbors and police, and whether they'll be safe.
• Palestinian Activist's Son Held Without Charges
  The son of a prominent Palestinian human rights activist is being held without charges in an Israeli prison after he was seized at his home in the West Bank town of Nablus earlier this month. He has not been allowed to see a lawyer. His case is one of thousands of Palestinians who are detained without charges.
• Robbers Raid L.A. Pet Stores for Pricey Little Dogs
  Police say Los Angeles is on the leading edge of a growing national crime trend: Robbers know they can make big bucks selling stolen pooches. Tiny purebreds are a top item on holiday wish lists this year. The challenge might be buying a dog that's legally cleared for sale — and holding onto it.
• Illegal Border Crosser Aids Boy Stranded in Desert
  On Thanksgiving, a Mexican bricklayer who had crossed the border illegally found a 9-year-old boy, distraught and looking for help. His mother had driven off a cliff in their van and was trapped inside. The man, Jesus Cordova, built a campfire and waited with the boy until help came the next day.
• Mom Frets Over Her Son's Attachment to Baby Doll
  Commentator Emily Wylie is the mom of a son who loves a doll that his grandmother bought for him. No big deal, right? Well, even though Emily teaches at an all-girl school and considers herself a feminist, she is wrestling with gender issues related to her little boy and his love for a doll.
• Doctor Outlines West's Role in India's 'Brain Drain'
  Fitzhugh Mullan, a professor of health policy and pediatrics at George Washington University, says the West undertrains doctors and nurses, creating a vacuum — "an irresistibly appealing vacuum to ambitious, well-trained people in the developing world," including India.
• FEMA Moves Trailer Residents to Apartments
  FEMA has begun its final clear-out of its trailer camps in Louisiana. Thousands of residents are being moved to unfurnished apartments, leaving people scrambling to figure out how they'll pay their part of the new housing.
• Lenders Consider Freezing Rates on Subprime Loans
  Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is leading talks with major mortgage lenders. About 2 million subprime loans are scheduled to "reset" to higher interest rates during the next two years. Lenders are talking about freezing rates to hold down rising defaults and foreclosures.
• America's Daredevil Evel Knievel Dies at 69
  Evel Knievel, the greatest daredevil in American memory, has died, not from the trauma of a missed landing, but suffering from diabetes and pulmonary fibrosis. He was 69. In the 1960s and '70s, no man made America — and the world — gawk and cringe and wonder the way Evel Knievel did.
• Bid for More Cable Regulation Divides FCC
  FCC Chairman Kevin Martin tried to push for more regulation of cable this week, and ended up opening a split in the commission. On one side is the moral conservative push for "a la carte" cable, free from offensive programming. On the other side, a pro-business objection to more regulation.
• Mix of Factors Weakened Hurricanes This Season
  The Atlantic hurricane season has come to an end, and it was a quiet year in the United States. But in Mexico and Nicaragua, two Category 5 storms did a lot of damage. Scientists argue about whether global warming is affecting hurricanes, and this year won't help settle the question.
• Former GM Chief, Subject of 'Roger and Me,' Dies
  Former General Motors chief executive Roger Smith has died. He was 82. Smith led the automaker during the 1980s, when the company created the Saturn brand. He was the subject of Michael Moore's documentary Roger and Me.
• Wrapping Up the Week in Presidential Politics
  Robert Siegel talks with political commentators E.J. Dionne and Rich Lowry about the Republican CNN/YouTube debate, the rise of Mike Huckabee, and the GOP's growing unpopularity. They'll also assess what it means that Barack Obama is picking up momentum on the Democratic side.
• Retired Officers Urge Leniency on Gays in Military
  On the 14th anniversary of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" legislation, a group of retired military officers release a letter opposing the policy and urging leniency on gays and lesbians in the military. On the National Mall on Friday, gay and lesbian groups protested the legislation.
• Chavez Opposition Swells Ahead of Referendum
  Venezuelans go to the polls Sunday to vote on a hefty set of constitutional reforms that would give President Hugo Chavez greater power and also lift presidential term limits. But in the run-up to the vote, several key Chavez supporters have turned against him. Plus, a number of polls suggest that Chavez's proposed reforms may be defeated at the ballot box.

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