Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• E. coli outbreak puts spotlight on handling of produce
  According to the Minnesota Department of Health 30 cases of E.Coli infection have been reported in the southeastern part of the state.5:19 p.m.
• Benefits of eating fresh fruits and vegetables outweigh dangers from E.coli
  Although E.coli in lettuce is the culprit in the recent food-born illnesses in Minnesota, it's more commonly associated with animals than with produce.5:23 p.m.
• Central corridor rail line moves ahead with key federal approval
  There's still plenty that could derail the project, but the prospects for a line rail line between St. Paul and Minneapolis moved a major step forward on Thursday.5:50 p.m.
• Latino newspapers toning down immigration raid coverage
  The largest Latino newspaper in Minnesota is treading carefully around the story of the immigration and identity theft arrests at Swift meatpacking plants in Worthington and elsewhere.5:54 p.m.
• Kwanzaa celebration helps kids shine
  Hundreds of children from eight Twin Cities public schools will mark Kwanzaa with a pageant at the Pantages Theater Thursday night.6:20 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• A Monday Christmas Tests Blue Laws in South
  Some South Carolina counties are being asked to suspend their "blue laws" that restrict shopping hours on Sundays. Merchants want to open early on the day before Christmas. Christmas Eve falls on Sunday this year, and that can be bad news if you happen to be a merchant in South Carolina.
• Ahmet Ertegun, Atlantic Records Legend, Dies
  Ahmet Ertegun, the pioneering founder of Atlantic Records died in New York. The 83-year-old native of Turkey had a music career that spanned four decades and crossed several genres. The roster of artists who worked with Ertegun at Atlantic Records ranged from Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and Wilson Pickett to Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones.
• Iranian Analysts Urge U.S. to Look Past Rhetoric
  U.S.-Iranian contacts seem increasingly possible. Officially, Tehran says it will only talk with Washington once the United States has set a date for withdrawing its troops from Iraq. But behind the scenes, Iranian officials seem eager for dialogue. Iranian political leaders and analysts follow developments in the United States with rapt concentration.
• Abbas Said to Favor New Election to Break Impasse
  Tensions between rival Palestinian factions are on the rise again in the Gaza Strip. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas is hinting that he might take action to break the long impasse between his Fatah movement and the militant group Hamas. A ceasefire with Israel hasn't resulted in productive talks.
• Note from the Vanguard of Blacks Moving South
  Recently, the U.S. Census reported a growing trend among African-Americans. They are moving from urban areas in the North to suburbs in the South. This makes commentator Mary Curtis feel like a trendsetter: Two years ago, she moved from New Jersey to Charlotte, N.C. And, she says, Northerners and Southerners alike have shown bias.
• Senator Responsive After Emergency Surgery
  Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD) remains in critical condition in a Washington, D.C., hospital after overnight surgery on his brain. Around mid-morning, the Capitol's top physician, Dr. John Eisold, said Johnson had been found to have bleeding on his brain caused by a congenital condition.
• Border Fence Firm Snared for Hiring Illegal Workers
  A fence-building company in Southern California agrees to pay nearly $5 million in fines for hiring illegal immigrants. Two executives from the company may also serve jail time. The Golden State Fence Company's work includes some of the border fence between San Diego and Mexico.
• Teens Lead Charge Against AlcoPop-Style Drinks
  In California, high school students are pushing for changes in how flavored malt beverages are classified, in an effort to make the drinks harder for minors to purchase. The California Board of Equalization has approved a petition brought by the students; it will hold public hearings on the drinks next month.
• A Call for More Troops and Security in Iraq
  It would be a mistake to take U.S. troops away from combat in order to train the Iraqi military, says Frederick Kagan, a former West Point historian. Kagan argues that before any other measures are considered, American troop strength must be increased, particularly in Baghdad, to establish security for the population.
• Wal-Mart Heir's Bid for Art Riles Philadelphians
  A bid by Wal-Mart heiress Alice Walton to purchase the 1875 Thomas Eakins painting "The Gross Clinic" is causing an outcry in Philadelphia, where many consider it part of the city's cultural landscape. Walton, ranked by Forbes as the world's ninth-richest person, is building a museum of American art in Bentonville, Ark.
• Deception and Race in Brazil, and On Stage
  A music-filled play that has performed to sold-out audiences in Rio de Janeiro provides a searing look at race and inequality in Brazil, home to the hemisphere's largest black population. The theme of subterfuge is at the heart of the work.
• The Human Art of Translation
  Commentator Andrei Codrescu ponders why the craft of language translation is hard for computers to do -- and why as a profession it remains an important job for humans to do.
• Family Affair, and Dvorak's Invited
  The Weilerstein Trio is a family of musicians. Violinist Donald Weilerstein and pianist Vivian Hornik Weilerstein are joined by their daughter Alisa Weilerstein, the cellist. Alisa has been performing with her parents since she was six years old. Now in her early twenties, she joins her parents to record works by Czech composer Antonin Dvorak. Music critic Tom Manoff reviews.
• Brain Condition Afflicted Sen. Johnson Suddenly
  To find out more about arteriovenous malformation, or AVM, Robert Siegel talks with Dr. Jay Mohr of Columbia University Medical Center in New York City. Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD) underwent surgery for the condition Wednesday night.
• Protecting Against an Old Killer: Malaria
  Commentator Melinda Moree, director of the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative, describes a recent visit to Ghana in which she found out first-hand what it was like to be vulnerable to the disease she is trying to combat. Thursday, the White House held a summit on President Bush's efforts to fight malaria.

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