All Things Considered for September 2, 2009 | Minnesota Public Radio News

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Minnesota Public Radio Stories

How is the state handling the increase in MinnesotaCare applications?
As employers lay off workers, more and more people are looking to the state for their health care coverage, Tom Crann talked with Cal Ludeman, the Comissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Services, about the situation.4:45 p.m.
Most federal weatherization funding in Minn. remains unspent
Six months after Congress allocated billions of federal stimulus dollars to weatherize low-income homes and create jobs, much of the money remains unspent in Minnesota and the rest of the U.S.5:20 p.m.
Dispute over tomato garden divides town
A spat over city zoning ordinances involving a man's vegetable garden has grown into a feud that has driven deep divisions through the tiny town of Watson.5:50 p.m.
State Fair mystery sounds: Day 5
Each weekday during the Minnesota State Fair, All Things Considered will indulge your ears and bring you some mystery sounds from the Great Minnesota Get-Together.5:57 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

Obama Afghan Policy Criticized By Backers, Critics
As a candidate for president, Barack Obama said the war in Afghanistan deserved more attention and more troops. As president, he has made good on that promise. But with U.S. casualties mounting, Obama faces critics of his war policy on his left and his right.
ABC's Gibson Retires, Making Way For Sawyer
Charles Gibson, the chief anchor of ABC's flagship newscast World News, has announced he will step down at the end of the year. Gibson, now 66, will be replaced by a familiar figure — Diane Sawyer, his 63-year-old former co-host on Good Morning America. Gibson stabilized World News and for a while brought it to a ratings lead.
Colleges Ramp Up Efforts To Hold On To Students
As many as half of all students who attend college might never complete their degrees — and many schools view that as a crisis. At Millersville University outside Lancaster, Pa., retention is a priority — from bonding with students at orientation to spotting depression and risk factors.
A Hitch For Rail Riders: Getting To Final Destination
Congress has approved $8 billion to create high-speed-rail lines across the nation, but a fundamental problem persists: Lack of coordination between train service and local public transportation means passengers face obstacles getting from the station to their final destination.
Fixing Health Care By Altering Patient Behavior
Economists have long said health care, as a market, is a strange animal. One reason is that patients don't act like regular consumers.
Boeing's 'Dreamliner' Is Causing Some Headaches
To build the 787, Boeing took two giant leaps. First, it created the structure not from metal, but from lightweight composite material. And second, it outsourced more than ever before. From the outset, those changes have created a lot of problems.
Google's Book Scanning Has Authors On Edge
Google Book Search features an online repository that includes scans of more than 10 million books. But Google executives didn't ask the authors for permission, and now the company is in the midst of negotiations with authors and publishers over rights.
Afghan Intel Deputy Killed In Suicide Attack
Afghanistan's deputy chief of intelligence was among at least 23 people killed Wednesday in a suicide bombing east of Kabul. The killing highlights the Taliban's increasing ability to carry off complex and targeted attacks.
U.N. Says Afghan Opium Production Down
The 2009 Afghan Opium Survey by the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime reports that opium production is down by 10 percent and prices are at a 10-year low. Vanda Felbab-Brown, a fellow at the Brookings Institution about, says the figures can be attributed more to market adjustment and less to counternarcotic efforts.
Texas May Have Executed Innocent Man
Texas put Cameron Todd Willingham to death by lethal injection on Feb. 17, 2004, for the murder of his three children by arson in 1991. David Grann, a staff writer at The New Yorker, has presented evidence of Willingham's innocence. He says experts later said the original arson investigators based their conclusions on "folklore" and discredited forensic evidence.