All Things Considered for November 3, 2011 | Minnesota Public Radio News

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Minnesota Public Radio Stories

Dining with Dara: Lake Superior herring
Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl, the food writer for Minnesota Monthly, has been eating a lot of herring lately. She loves the fish we call lake herring, which is not "real" herring.3:54 p.m.
Art Hounds
Each week Minnesota Public Radio News asks three people from the Minnesota arts scene to be "Art Hounds." Their job is to step outside their own work and hunt down something exciting that's going on in local arts.4:44 p.m.
A few days late, farm cut proposal nears roll out
Many reports indicate that direct payments to farmers will be axed but a new revenue support program will replace it.4:50 p.m.
U of M to accept fewer transfer students
If you're a college student thinking about transferring to the University of Minnesota, pay attention: it's about to get tougher to make the cut.4:54 p.m.
Stalled Vikings stadium bill gets new lease on life
Lawmakers who support a taxpayer subsidized stadium met with Gov. Dayton Thursday and emerged saying they will work to revive the issue and present a bill that they hope will pass in a special session this year.5:20 p.m.
State revenues from proposed electronic pull tabs a gamble
Tax revenue from electronic pull tab gambling appears to have the broadest political support as a public funding source for a new Minnesota Vikings stadium. But there's no guarantee the new devices would bring in the cash state officials expect.5:24 p.m.
Lawmakers chafed at parole for man who murdered police officer
Some state legislators adamantly oppose the pending parole of a man who was convicted of killing a police officer nearly 30 years ago, but officials are obligated by the laws written at the time of sentencing.5:54 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

Papandreou Nixes Referendum On Bailout
The Greek government is teetering on the brink of collapse Thursday, following the decision of Prime Minister George Papandreou to call off a referendum on the Europe bailout package for his country. The finance minister and other party colleagues have turned against Papandreou, amid talk of a national coalition government to prepare for new elections. Guy Raz talks to Joanna Kakissis, who has the latest from Athens.
Why Put The Bailout To A Referendum In Greece?
Robert Siegel speaks to Mark Mazower, a professor of history at Columbia University and an expert on contemporary Greece, about the tensions between democracy and the need for decisive action in dealing with the euro crisis. Mazower says that the speed of financial markets, and the slowness of the democratic process, has increased this tension during the crisis.
Texas Senate Investigates 'Pay-To-Play' Allegations
A Senate committee is looking into a contract awarded to an engineering company that contributes prominently to Republican Gov. Rick Perry's campaigns. The $69 million contact, to manage hurricane disaster aid, was allegedly mismanaged — and the company had no oversight.
Poor Increasingly Cluster In Impoverished Areas
The U.S. poverty rate was 15 percent last year — the highest in almost two decades. New numbers out Thursday from the Brookings Institution show that the nation's poor are increasingly concentrated in extremely poor neighborhoods. This creates additional problems for those trying to work their way out of poverty.
A Marine's Death, And The Family He Left Behind
When Marine Cpl. Derek Wyatt left for Afghanistan, his wife, Kait, was pregnant with their first child. Three months later, Derek was dead. A day after his death, Kait was induced, so she could give birth and attend his funeral.
Ongoing Arab-Israeli Conflict Leaves U.S. Isolated
The Obama administration's flagging efforts to revive Arab-Israeli peace talks took another turn in the wrong direction this week. The Palestinians overcame U.S. opposition and won diplomatic recognition by UNESCO, becoming a new member state of the U.N.'s cultural and scientific agency. They've vowed to keep seeking such recognition elsewhere in the U.N system. Israel responded by speeding up settlement construction. U.S. officials say those moves are pushing the parties further away from a peace process, but both sides seem determined to move in opposition directions, leaving the U.S. looking weak and isolated on this issue.
China, Russia Top List Of U.S. Economic Cyberspies
For the first time, the U.S. government has officially named China as the world's leading source of economic espionage, largely using cybertools — followed by Russia. Intelligence officials say the new candor reflects their heightened level of concern over the growing espionage threat.
Airports Try New Screening To Focus On Threats
Under a program called "pre-check," officials are letting frequent travelers at four airports use special security lines where they can keep their shoes on and their laptops in their bags. And in Detroit, they're giving "chat downs" to check passengers for behavioral ticks. The idea is to focus on people more likely to pose threats.
A Trip To The World's Largest 'Art Museum' In Print
At 18 pounds, The Art Museum spans thousands of years and shows more than 2,700 works from more than 650 galleries. The ambitious project bringing together the best of museums worldwide is 10 years in the making. If this one museum were real, there would hardly be any need for another.
Kimya Dawson: A Songwriter Tackles Motherhood Head-On
Thunder Thighs is really two records trapped in one: half children's songs, half self-reflection.