Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Popular PSEO program is free for students, pricey for school districts
  College tuition for high school students costs nothing, unless you count what it takes away from high schools.5:20 p.m.
• Study: Multi-tasking behind the wheel is a bad idea
  A new study shows that people drive slower when they're using their cell phones, because they are not as attentive as other drivers. This is the latest evidence that multi-tasking behind the wheel can adversely affect how you drive.5:24 p.m.
• Travelers generally sanguine about merger
  Northwest Airlines' 1986 merger with Republic Airlines was fraught with labor unrest and service snafus. But travelers do not seem too upset about the prospect of the Eagan-based carrier merging again.5:50 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Lost Son Is Home, but Health Care Is a Struggle
  Last month, an NPR story led to a reunion between a homeless man in New Orleans and his family, who hadn't seen him for years. They feared he had died during Hurricane Katrina. Now Chris Turnbow is back home in Arkansas. He's adjusting fine, but he's having trouble getting a vital operation.
• Many Sderot Residents Suffer Trauma from Rockets
  Sderot is less than a mile from the Gaza border, and it's the most frequent target of rocket attacks by Palestinian militant groups. Thousands of residents have fled the town and many businesses have closed. Israeli psychologists say many Sderot residents are suffering from trauma.
• John Jorgenson: Preserving Django Reinhardt
  Jorgenson's fingers are nothing but a blur when he's notes-deep into a song on his unique guitar. The veteran gypsy-jazz guitarist has performed with Elton John, Bob Dylan and Sting, and was a member of the hit-making Desert Rose Band.
• Stock Markets' Volatility Reflects Fears of Slowdown
  After losing ground for five consecutive days, U.S. stocks gained some ground Wednesday. In Europe, the story was quite different. The approach taken by central bankers in the United States and elsewhere has diverged — in ways that could have a big effect on the U.S. economy.
• Ex-Treasury Secretary Assesses Recession Risk
  Former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin says he favors a stimulus package to address recent turmoil in the U.S. economy, and describes measures he thinks would minimize the risks. But he warns that people should be cautious about using the word "recession."
• Vistas, Science and Staying Warm at the South Pole
  NPR's Danny Zwerdling is at the South Pole, reporting for the Climate Connections series. Michele Norris talks to Zwerdling about what the pole looks like, why scientists flock to the bottom of the Earth — and just what it takes to stay warm in wind-chill temperatures nearing 50 degrees below zero.
• Examining Obama's 'Present' Votes in Illinois
  Illinois Sen. Barack Obama has been criticized by his Democratic rivals for voting "present," rather than a more definitive "yes" or "no," when he was a state legislator. But Obama says these accusations do not take into account the nature of Illinois politics.
• Bill Clinton's Campaigning for Wife May Boomerang
  NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr says former President Bill Clinton has an increasingly visible role in his wife's presidential campaign.
• Fresh Violence Erupts in Kenya as Annan Mediates
  In Kenya, a funeral for opposition members killed in the violent political crisis dissolved in fumes of tear gas as police battled stone-throwing youths. The latest violence came as former U.N. Chief Kofi Annan began talks to try to resolve the post-election stalemate that threatens what had been East Africa's most stable nation.
• Idle Bridge a Symbol of Baghdad's Sectarian Divide
  Despite security improvements in Baghdad, wounds are hard to heal, and fears of more sectarian bloodshed remain. Two years ago, as thousands of Shiite pilgrims crossed the bridge over the Tigris River, gunfire sparked panic and a stampede that killed more than 900 people. The bridge has been closed since then.

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