Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Flu season in Minn. has peaked; more deaths reported
  With the number of hospitalizations and outbreaks down for the third week in a row, the illness has peaked, said Kris Ehresmann, director of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at the Health Department.3:50 p.m.
• Meet Mel Dickie, a 92-year-old substitute teacher and fishing rod master
  Rochester resident Mel Dickie, 92, has taught hundreds of kids how to make custom fishing rods in community education classes. And two years ago, at age 90, he became a substitute teacher.3:54 p.m.
• Art Hounds
  Each week Minnesota Public Radio News asks three people from the Minnesota arts scene to be "Art Hounds." Their job is to step outside their own work and hunt down something exciting that's going on in local arts.4:45 p.m.
• Journalist documents 'black gold' oil boom in N.D.
  The oil boom in North Dakota can be seen from space. Recent satellite images have captured the light at night from the oil fields. It's the gold rush of our times.4:50 p.m.
• Competitive challenges face Mayo Clinic, says health finance expert
  Mayo Clinic unveiled a proposal yesterday to invest $3.5 billion to expand its Rochester campus over the next 20 years.5:19 p.m.
• Webcams connect pharmacists to immobile Minn. seniors
  Virtual visits with pharmacists may become more common under the federal health care overhaul.5:24 p.m.
• Flu season in Minn. has peaked; more deaths reported
  With the number of hospitalizations and outbreaks down for the third week in a row, the illness has peaked, said Kris Ehresmann, director of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at the Health Department.5:50 p.m.
• Meet Mel Dickie, a 92-year-old substitute teacher and fishing rod master
  Rochester resident Mel Dickie, 92, has taught hundreds of kids how to make custom fishing rods in community education classes. And two years ago, at age 90, he became a substitute teacher.5:54 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Children Among Syria's Most Vulnerable Refugees
  Thousands of Syrian refugees continue to flee into Jordan seeking safety and shelter. Melissa Block speaks with Andrew Harper, the head of the UN Refugee Agency in Jordan, who is coordinating efforts in the Al Zaatari Syrian refugee camp, for the latest.
• Egyptians Grown Weary Of Ongoing Political Clashes
  Thousands of people have flooded the streets to protest Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi's government. But millions more are at home, trying to get through each day. Some blame protesters for stalling the transition, the nation and making Egypt an even less attractive place to invest.
• Senator Menendez Under Fire As He Takes Up Senate Foreign Relations Gavel
  New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez this month personally repaid nearly $59,000 for two trips to the Dominican Republic aboard a private jet. The jet is owned by a Florida eye doctor who is under investigation by the FBI.
• Dear Lawyers: Order In The &*%# Court!
  Some attorneys have gotten nasty and others want it to stop. In New York, a group has decided to tackle the decrease in civility through song.
• Three Thrilling Books Will Help Heat Up Your Winter
  Book critic Alan Cheuse reviews three books to help heat up your winter — all thrillers — The Rage by Gene Kerrigan, Ratlines by Stuart Neville, and The Third Bullet by Stephen Hunter.
• 'New York Times' The Target Of Chinese Cyber Attack
  The New York Times says hackers in China infiltrated the newspaper's computer systems. The Chinese government closely watches and censors Chinese media reports about policy and officials but it is less able to do so with the foreign press. The attack on the Times may signal a tactic that can be used against foreign news organizations.
• As U.S. Consumes Less Cocaine, Brazil Uses More
  The cocaine market in the Americas is changing among both producers and consumers. The old model was Colombian cocaine going to the U.S. Now, it's increasingly common for Bolivian cocaine to be headed to Brazil.
• Andrews Sisters Had Their First Big Hit With A Yiddish Song
  On the occasion of the death of Patty Andrews, the last surviving Andrew sister, we hear from researcher Sheryl Kaskowitz about the group's first major hit which earned them a gold record. "Bay Mir Bistu Sheyn" was composed by Jacob Jacobs and Sholom Secunda for a 1932 Yiddish comedy musical, I Would If I Could, which closed after one season.
• Cyclo-Cross Championship Takes U.S. By Storm, Mud And Sand
  The bicycle sport is grueling, with riders traversing off-road courses dotted with obstacles. It's still little-known in the U.S., but is growing fast. Louisville, Ky., hosts the world championship competition this weekend — the first such event held outside of Europe.
• Painted Gnomes Allowed To Roam On Oakland Utility Poles
  Over the past year, small, elfin creatures started springing up all around Oakland, Calif., on the base of utility poles. The local utility had vowed to remove them but now says the paintings can stay.

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