Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Mary Mack's riffs on the Midwest resonate nationally
  Few comedians embody rural, upper Midwest values and idiosyncrasies more on stage than Mary Mack. She has developed a national following telling stories and singing songs about what it really means to be a Midwesterner.4:43 p.m.
• Economic concerns weigh heavily in the battle for the 6th District
  In the battle for Minnesota's 6th Congressional District, an area that has suffered big job losses and high foreclosure rates, the two leading candidates for the seat say their campaigns' focus is on the economy.4:45 p.m.
• In raids, FBI seeks terrorist links; activists cry foul
  When FBI agents raided the homes last week of six anti-war activists in Minneapolis, they weren't looking for information about demonstrations. They were looking for evidence that the activists support three groups designated by the United States government as terrorist organizations.5:20 p.m.
• Major flood stage should not create major problems in St Paul
  Today, The St Paul city council approved extending the city's state of emergency declaration in anticipation of Mississippi River flooding. The Mississippi is forecast to crest Saturday afternoon in the major flood stage category. While the term "major flood stage" sounds threatening, St Paul is expected to be well prepared to deal with an overflowing Mississippi. MPR's Tom Crann spoke with the Director of Emergency Management for St Paul, Rick Larkin about the limited flood impact on the city's roads and buildings. Tom Crann also spoke with Pat Mosites, the Airside Project Manager with the Metropolitan Airports Commission about preparations at Holman Field that should minimize airport closures.5:24 p.m.
• After film flap, U faculty on edge over academic freedom
  The situation over the "Troubled Waters" documentary has raised broader concerns about academic freedom and pressures from outside the University of Minnesota.5:51 p.m.
• Video: U of M President Bruininks on 'Troubled Waters' film
  University of Minnesota President Robert Bruininks talks about the controversy over the "Troubled Waters" film.5:54 p.m.
• MPR-Humphrey poll: Dayton has significant lead over Emmer
  A new Minnesota Public Radio News-Humphrey Institute poll shows Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mark Dayton with a significant and growing lead over Republican Tom Emmer.5:55 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• 'Goldilocks' Planet's Temperature Just Right For Life
  Astronomers found a planet orbiting a star just 20 light-years away whose temperature is neither too cold nor too hot to harbor life. Scientists have not directly observed water there, but the planet’s mass is enough to hold onto an atmosphere and to protect liquid water on its surface.
• Reports: European Officials Disrupt Terrorist Plot
  Western intelligence agencies say they’ve disrupted a plot by Islamist terrorists to target cities in Britain, France and Germany. The plan was said to be modeled on the 2008 commando-style attack in Mumbai, India in which heavily armed Islamists stormed a hotel and other sites, killing more than 160 people. Security officials in Germany and Britain today said they believe the plot was serious but not imminent and neither country raised its terror alert status.
• U.S. Voters Abroad Test Efforts To Expedite Balloting
  Hundreds of thousands of ballots from military and other overseas voters were never returned or counted in the 2008 U.S. election. But a new law requires states to send absentee ballots overseas at least 45 days in advance, and some states are now accepting votes via e-mail and fax.
• Conn. Senate Race Pits AG Against Ex-Wrestling CEO
  NPR's Robert Siegel talks to Mark Pazniokas of The Connecticut Mirror about the Senate race in Connecticut between Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and Linda McMahon -- former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment.
• Highly Touted 'Lone Star' The Latest Network Casualty
  While the first kill for most TV seasons past imposes a Darwinian sense of order to the universe, the Fox drama Lone Star was being toasted by critics as a real find. And in the wake of its death, anxiety is blooming that this is broadcast TV sending a signal that anything outside the usual formulaic pap will struggle to survive. Lone Star had the makings of a well-written character study of a true anti-hero -- a con man juggling two wives. The search for meaning has sent many groping for other answers, from misleading marketing as a Dallas-style soap, to the casting of an unknown in the lead role. Ultimately, why do bad things happen to good shows? Maybe it just does.
• Ex-Sitcom Star Tony Danza Turns To Teaching
  One of the most striking reality shows this fall features Tony Danza -- the actor from Taxi and Who's the Boss -- teaching 10th grade English in a Philadelphia public school.
• House Passes Bill Aimed At Chinese Currency
  The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill Wednesday aimed at putting pressure on China to let the value of its currency rise more quickly. NPR's Robert Siegel talks to Nicholas Lardy, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, about what effect such legislation would have on U.S. consumers, and how much support it has.
• Burgeoning Brazil Seeks Profits Beyond Its Borders
  The South American giant wants to be a world player, and its economy is growing fast -- and so is its stake abroad, in places as different from each other as Texas, Angola and all over Latin America.
• Mexican Landslide Less Deadly Than Feared
  Reports of a catastrophic rain-soaked landslide in Mexico turned out to be a bit overblown. Instead of hundreds of houses buried and as many as 1,000 people dead, authorities found fewer than a dozen people missing and possibly none dead.
• 'Geometry Of Pasta': Full Of All Shapes And Sauces
  In their new cookbook, The Geometry of Pasta, designer Caz Hildebrand and chef Jacob Kenedy set out to explain how certain sauces complement certain pasta shapes. From eliche to fusilli to strozzapreti, Kenedy says people simply have to tap into what he calls an enjoyable "mouth feel."

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