Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Devastation of 1918 flu revealed through letters
  Letters chronicling a failed attempt to stage patriotic singalongs late in World War I provide a window into the devastation of the 1918 Spanish Influenza outbreak in Minnesota.3:52 p.m.
• Ralph Nader to give reading in Minneapolis tonight
  Attorney, political activist, and former presidential candidate Ralph Nader will be in Minnesota for an appearance tonight.4:24 p.m.
• Minnesota says stimulus supported 11,800 jobs
  Minnesota has received and spent about one-third of the stimulus money it's expecting from the federal government for state-administered programs, resulting in 11,800 jobs that have been created or saved, the state's budget office said Monday.5:20 p.m.
• Penumbra Theater stages final Wilson work 'Radio Golf'
  St. Paul's Penumbra Theater is regarded as one of the country's foremost interpreters of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson's work, making Penumbra's first staging of Wilson's last play, "Radio Golf," an event in the local theater scene.5:24 p.m.
• Devastation of 1918 flu revealed through letters
  Letters chronicling a failed attempt to stage patriotic singalongs late in World War I provide a window into the devastation of the 1918 Spanish Influenza outbreak in Minnesota.5:52 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Hispanic Farmers Fight To Sue USDA
  Hispanic and black farmers say for years the Agriculture Department failed to investigate their claims of discrimination. But while black farmers successfully sued the department and walked away with $1 billion, Hispanic farmers say they have been denied their chance at a similar class-action suit.
• From Bullfighting To Rodeos: Culture Shock In Spain
  For years, animal rights groups have tried to get bullfighting banned in Spain, and now American promoters are offering an alternative. The spectacle of cowboys roping steer and riding broncos is completely new for many in the crowd. But part of the rodeo's appeal is its sheer un-Spanishness.
• Woman Reads Dan Brown Novel, Discovers Herself
  Marilyn Schlitz, the president of the Institute of Noetic Sciences in California, woke up one morning and realized she was the heroine in Dan Brown's new novel, The Lost Symbol. Since Brown's book was released, traffic to her institute's Web site increased twelvefold, and new members continue to sign up.
• 'Ten Years Later,' The Matthew Shepard Story Retold
  The 1999 play The Laramie Project explores the true story surrounding the death of Matthew Shepard, a young gay man who was beaten and left to die in Laramie, Wyo., in 1998. The case, which became a landmark symbol for hate crimes, still elicits varied reactions — which is why on Oct. 12, hundreds of other theaters around the world will perform The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later, an Epilogue.
• Some Tenants Pay The Price For Mortgage Excesses
  When the real estate market crashed, many developers found themselves saddled with apartments that bring in far less money than they need to pay the loans on the properties. Now, more than 70,000 New York City apartment units are in foreclosure or at risk of it.
• In Nobel First, Economics Prize Goes To Woman
  Elinor Ostrom, the first woman to win a Nobel Prize in Economics, speaks to host Michele Norris. Ostrom, a 76-year-old professor of political science at Indiana University, shares the $1.4 million prize with another American — Oliver Williamson of the University of California, Berkeley — for their work on economic governance. Ostrum was cited by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for her research into how natural resources or "common property can be successfully managed by user associations."
• Schools Go For Gold At Solar Decathlon
  Recycled blue jeans, solar panels and smart phones all helped make homes more energy efficient in this year's Solar Decathlon. Twenty teams are in the nation's capital, vying for the top prize in architecture, engineering and other fields. Winners will be announced later this week.
• All Tech: Considering T-Mobile And Miley Cyrus
  For this week's installment of All Tech Considered, host Michele Norris talks with Omar Gallaga, technology culture reporter for the Austin American-Statesman, about computer software that will measure your home's energy efficiency, a recent setback for T-Mobile and users of its Sidekick phone, and why Miley Cyrus is using YouTube to tell fans she's quit Twitter.
• India Prepares Offensive Against Maoist Rebels
  India's government is preparing to launch a big offensive to drive Maoist insurgents out of their jungle strongholds. The world has heard much about India's reputation as a thriving democracy and its rising economic power; less attention has been paid to the thousands of armed leftist rebels, who are active in about one-third of the country. This year alone, they have killed more than 250 security officials. The insurgency has now hit the headlines, after the rebels beheaded a police inspector.
• Facade Of Perfection Slips Occasionally In N. Korea
  Visiting North Korea is like stepping back in time. After a rare, five-day trip, NPR's Louisa Lim reports it's also a land where breathtaking control and indoctrination are exercised in the name of the nation. But beyond a picture-perfect facade lies a world that is less than perfect.

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