Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• High turnout for a mid-term, experts say
  Despite reports of a few problems at some polling places today, it appeared Election Day is running smoothly, with estimates indicating high turnout for a mid-term election.5:19 p.m.
• The painkilling lollipop
  A story in last Friday's Wall Street Journal caught our attention because it was about a prescription pain-killing lollipop. And according to one user who suffered from migranes during pregnancy, it gave her a rush of euphoria that washed her headache away. The problem is, her child was born addicted to the pain-killer. The potent narcotic lillipop is called "actiq" and it's been a big seller for drug maker Cephalon. It was originally meant to treat cancer pain, but it's been prescribed for thousands of Americans for a wider variety of ailments. Tom Crann talks with medical commentator Dr. Jon Hallberg. --What was your5:52 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Santorum Out; Menendez, Byrd to Keep Seats
  In Senate races, Democrat Bob Casey Jr. has defeated Sen. Rick Santorum in the hotly contested Pennsylvania race. And in New Jersey, where Republican Thomas Kean Jr. waged a fierce battle to unseat Democrat Robert Menendez, the incumbent is projected to keep his Senate seat.
• Close, Hard-Fought Races in Tennessee, Missouri
  At this hour, the polls were scheduled to close in some 25 states -- including many with crucial contests that will help determine who controls the next Congress.
• Election-Day Analysis of the Midterm Vote
  Polls across the country continue to close, and patterns are emerging. E.J. Dionne, columnist for The Washington Post, and Matthew Continetti, a staff writer at The Weekly Standard weigh in on today's election results.
• Ohio Sees Mix of Smooth Votes, Machine Problems
  Midterm-election voting in Ohio has been mostly smooth today, but there have been reports of problems with electronic-voting machines at some polling locations. Michele Norris talks with Dave Pignanelli of member station WKSU about voting in Cuyahoga County, Ohio -- which includes Cleveland.
• Heavy Rain Puts Crimp in Washington State Voting
  Heavy rain and severe flooding in Washington state have caused mud and rock slides, and blocked a number of highways. Voters in several counties are expected to have trouble reaching polling places.
• 75 Indiana Precincts Have Electronic-Voting Issues
  Voting at 75 Indiana precincts was delayed Tuesday, leading to an extension of voting hours. The cards that activate the machines were programmed incorrectly. Michele Norris talks with Karen Wenger the county clerk in Delaware County, Ind.
• Poll: African-Americans Concerned with Voting
  Recent polling at the Pew Center paints a mixed picture of American voters' confidence in the way their votes are counted, with Democrats and African Americans expressing heightened concern. Melissa Block talks with Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.
• Israeli Troops Leave Gaza Town in Ruins
  Israeli forces pulled out of the town of Beit Hanoun in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, after a weeklong offensive aimed at curbing Palestinian rocket fire into southern Israel. About 50 Palestinians -- civilians as well as gunmen -- were killed in the operation, and much of the town was left in ruins.
• In Vietnam, Stress over 'Stress'
  Commentator Andrew Lam says that when he talks to friends and relatives in Vietnam, there's a new word that keeps coming up: stress. Vietnamese people are getting stressed out, he says, but there is no word in their language for "stress" so they just use the English word. It's a point of pride in the new Vietnam, he says, to have stress.
• Short of 'All,' String Theorists Accused of Nothing
  A provocative branch of physics called string theory might explain everything in the universe, such as how matter came into being and why space and time exist. But others say string theorists have zero proof to back their ideas.

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