All Things Considered for June 9, 2009 | Minnesota Public Radio News

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Minnesota Public Radio Stories

Detroit Lakes residents slow to embrace reverse 911
Detroit Lakes is among a growing number of cities using reverse 911 systems to communicate with the public during emergencies. But only about 10 percent of the city's residents have signed up.5:20 p.m.
Man on a mission to encourage platelet donations
Al Whitney can check another state off his list. The 71-year-old Ohio man has made it his personal mission to donate blood platelets in all 50 states. This week he visited Minnesota.5:24 p.m.
Updraft blog forecast game: Father's Day heat wave?
Meteorologist Paul Huttner lays out the weather models and asks YOU to predict the temperature for this upcoming Father's Day (June 21).5:50 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

Homeowners Find Mortgage Program Not So Easy
Since President Obama launched Making Home Affordable, the program has helped just under 17,000 mortgage holders — far fewer than the millions the administration hoped for. One Salt Lake City couple says their bank ignored them until the media stepped in.
As Fences Cut Off Migration, Hoofed Species Decline
Mass migrations of large, hoofed animals are endangered across the globe, says a new study. Many of animals lthat used to migrate hundreds of miles don't travel these distances anymore; roads, towns and fences have interrupted their routes. Some formerly migrating species survive only in parks.
Homeless Advocate Goes High Tech
Eric Sheptock is a homeless advocate in Washington, D.C. Though he's homeless himself, he keeps a blog, a Facebook page and a Twitter account — platforms to help educate the public about what he and many others like him are up against.
U.S. Lets Some Banks Repay TARP Dollars
Ten big lenders have won approval from the U.S. Treasury Department to pay back $68 billion in rescue money. The banks are now allowed to buy back shares the government bought in their companies at the height of the financial crisis.
Stanley Cup Winner To Hoist Typo-Riddled Trophy
If the Detroit Red Wings beat the Pittsburgh Penguins at Pittsburgh's Mellon Arena in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals Tuesday, the team will have the chance to hoist the trophy for the second year in a row. The trophy itself is hand-engraved with the names of the winning team's players, but it's also rife with spelling mistakes. The Wall Street Journal's Reed Albergotti offers his insight.
Rape Case Highlights Arbitration Debate
After she was raped in Iraq, allegedly by her co-workers, Jamie Lee Jones sought justice from her employer, Halliburton. But a mandatory arbitration policy prevents her from seeking recourse through courts. Without knowing it, many consumers and workers have signed away similar rights.
Chrysler Dealer Laments Dealership's Closing
Automaker Chrysler announced last month it wanted to close 789 dealerships around the country. One dealer on that list was E.H. Green Motors, a 73-year-old dealership in Odem, Texas, that closes its doors Tuesday. Ed Green, the president of the dealership, says his dealership had been profitable.
In China, A Roaring Debate Over Hummer
A day after it declared bankruptcy, GM announced a tentative agreement to sell the Hummer line to a little-known Chinese company. Hummer fans in China are ecstatic. But Chinese media are deriding the deal, and some industry analysts predict it will fall apart.
Colombia's FARC Rebels Maintain Effective Unit
Colombia's FARC rebels operate a potent guerrilla unit that operates a drug-trafficking enterprise out of Ecuador. The unit, the 48th Front, has forged direct ties to Mexican traffickers while controlling the cocaine process.
Lowbrow Comedy Meets Higher Education
Picturesque Agnes Scott College has long been a favored site for film shoots. But when production for a bad-boy comedy arrived at this women's college, it spawned student and alumnae backlash.