All Things Considered for September 18, 2007 | Minnesota Public Radio News

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Minnesota Public Radio Stories

Judge critical of Par Ridder's conduct in ruling
Ramsey County District Judge David Higgs ruled Star Tribune publisher Par Ridder violated Minnesota law by taking confidential information from his former employer, the St. Paul Pioneer Press.5:20 p.m.
Minneapolis bridge closed for safety inspection
The span, connecting North and Northeast Minneapolis, will be closed during the day, most of this week while officials inspect it.5:24 p.m.
Despite subprime woes, Minnesota banks in good shape
There's a lot of talk now about lenders getting hurt by bad mortgage loans and the slowdown in housing sales, not to mention the subprime crisis. But Minnesota's three largest banks --TCF, US Bank and Wells Fargo -- seem to be in pretty good shape.5:54 p.m.
Traffic congestion keeps getting worse
Drivers on average spend nearly 38 hours a year crawling through traffic on their way to work, according to a new traffic study. The cost of all that traffic congestion is estimated at $78 billion per year.6:20 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

Clinton Sees Better Chances for Health Overhaul
Sen. Hillary Clinton, who unveiled her health-care plan on Monday, says the country seems more willing to overhaul the system than when she last spearheaded such an attempt in the early 1990s.
Poll: Views on Iraq Largely Unswayed by Petraeus
Americans' attitudes toward the Iraq war are mostly unchanged in the wake of last week's testimony by Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker, according to a new poll.
Fed Makes Bold Cut in Key Rate
The Federal Reserve cuts the federal funds rate by half a point. It's the first reduction in more than four years and it's twice as large a cut as many economists were predicting.
Artist Works Quickly to Put HUD Chiefs on Canvas
Artist Daniel Mark Duffy is hard at work on five portraits of Department of Housing and Urban Development secretaries. He has eight weeks to complete all five. It usually takes him two months to complete an individual portrait.
Farmers Worry About Immigration Crackdown
The government wants to hold employers accountable if they can't show that their workers have valid Social Security numbers. Farmers say doing so could put them out of business — an estimated 70 percent of agricultural workers in the U.S. are undocumented.
Staying in School Despite an Uncertain Future
It's a paradox: Youths in the United States illegally can earn high-school and college degrees, but after graduation are likely to find themselves confined to the underground economy. Christian, 15, tells his story.
New Papers Defy Egypt's Harsh Media Climate
Egypt's government is in the midst of another crackdown on independent media. But a new independent paper has been launched, and another is in the works.
Steamy Southern Soul on 'Motel Lovers'
The CD Motel Lovers is a collection of Southern soul music from the Chitlin circuit. It's a compilation of American music put together by a German record company. The music is honest... and full of sex.
Time for Renovation at the FHA?
Addressing rising defaults on home loans, President Bush recently noted several proposals of ways the federal government might be able to help. One key proposal: modernize the Federal Housing Administration.
House Panel Questions Eavesdropping Program
The House Judiciary Committee questions the Director of National Intelligence and other witnesses about whether civil liberties are protected when federal agents eavesdrop on terrorism suspects.