Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Green car bills face rough road at the Capitol
  Minnesota has made some progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but reducing greenhouse gases from vehicles faces some tough opposition.6:20 a.m.
• Homeowners in Minn. expect to benefit from Obama foreclosure plan
  A Minnesota foreclosure expert says there's no question President Obama's foreclosure solution plan will help people in Minnesota. The question is, how many people will hang onto their homes.7:20 a.m.
• Art Hounds: Week of Feb. 19
  Each week Minnesota Public Radio News asks three people from the Minnesota arts scene to be "Art Hounds." Their job is to step outside our own work and hunt down something exciting that's going on this weekend.8:45 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• An Emergency Room Built Specially For Seniors
  Only infants go to hospital emergency rooms more than elderly patients. For years, hospitals have set up ERs just for kids. But now, a Maryland hospital has an ER specifically for patients 65 and older.
• A Child Gets Lost In The Health Care Shuffle
  Neglected and abused children can get lost in the maze of our health care and social systems. Commentator Janette Kurie tells the story of a boy who suffered severe and long-term health problems as a consequence of parental neglect — and getting lost in the system.
• Calif. Senate Breaks Budget Stalemate
  California's state Senate approved a budget package early Thursday. The measure is intended to wipe out a deficit of more than $40 billion. The state Assembly now takes up the measure. The drawn-out budget process has threatened thousands of state jobs, frozen transportation projects and severely hurt the state's credit rating.
• Private Afghan TV Channel Unveils Model Contest
  "Afghan Model" is the name of a new television modeling competition in Afghanistan. Shows such as "America's Next Top Model" are popular all over the world. But in a country where many women are still covered in burqas, this competition is unusual. Since the show was announced a week ago, 2,000 men and women have applied.
• Swiss Bank Agrees To Settle Charges
  Switzerland's largest bank has struck a deal in U.S. federal court after admitting to helping defraud the IRS. UBS has agreed to pay $780 million in fines and penalties to settle allegations it conspired to cheat the government out of taxes owed by big clients. The bank also agreed to immediately turn over information on the Swiss accounts of its U.S. customers.
• Obama Unveils $75 Billion Fix To Help Homeowners
  President Barack Obama's home mortgage relief program is even bigger than the administration had been suggesting. The cost is $75 billion. The plan aims to prevent as many as 9 million homeowners from being evicted and to stabilize housing markets.
• Jane Austen Plus Zombies Equals: Horror Flick
  Author Jane Austen might be rolling over in her grave. A book called Pride and Prejudice and Zombies promises "all-new scenes of bone-crunching zombie action." And there's the film: Pride and Predator. The New York Times says it will "Juxtapose brooding aristocrats with a brutal alien that lands in 1800s-era Britain, attacking residents and leaving them with neither sense nor sensibility."
• House Democrat Explains His 'No' Vote
  Seven Democratic lawmakers in the House of Representatives voted against President Obama's stimulus package. One of them was Walter Minnick, who's newly elected from a rural and conservative part of Idaho. He tells Steve Inskeep that he voted against the plan because it cost too much in taxpayer money.
• Wrangling Continues On California Budget
  Lawmakers in California appear to be on the verge of reaching an agreement on the state's spending plan. They have been working on closing a projected $42 million deficit.
• White House Counsel Vets Nominees For Top Jobs
  White House Counsel Greg Craig's job is to be the guy who makes things run so smoothly, you never hear about him. Craig's office checks the legality of whatever the White House is planning, including national security policies. President Obama recently asked Craig to take charge of vetting administration nominees for top jobs, because of some stumbles in the process.
• Florida's GOP Governor Backs Obama Stimulus Plan
  One of President Obama's few Republican supporters on the stimulus package is Florida Gov. Charlie Crist. Florida is expected to receive some $12 billion in federal aid from the package. But supporting the plan has earned Crist the scorn of some GOP faithful.
• U.S. Concerned About Pakistan's Swat Valley Deal
  Pakistan's government says it is implementing Islamic law in the Swat Valley in exchange for a truce with Taliban militants. The deal has raised concern in the West. The cease-fire has been criticized as giving in to militants, and it's feared the deal could embolden other militant groups in Pakistan.
• Federal Reserve Releases Bleak Economic Forecast
  The Federal Reserve has issued a worse-than-expected economic forecast. Fed officials predict the economy will deteriorate throughout 2009, with rising unemployment and no stability in the housing market.
• After Years Of U.S. Pressure, Egypt Frees Dissident
  Egyptian dissident Ayman Nour has been released from prison after years of U.S. pressure. Nour was officially released for health reasons. However, the underlying causes may have been an effort on the part of Egypt's president to improve relations with the U.S. in advance of his trip to Washington. Nour challenged Mubarak in the 2005 presidential election. That same year, he was convicted of forging signatures on petitions to register his party for the election.
• Obama Proposes $75 Billion To Fix Housing Crisis
  President Obama says his plan to help stem the tide of foreclosures will help up to 9 million homeowners. As he unveiled the plan in Phoenix Wednesday, the president said the collapse of the housing market is reverberating across the financial markets, and threatening the entire U.S. economy. David Wessel, of The Wall Street Journal talks with Steve Inskeep about the president's plan that is estimated to cost $75 billion.

Resources

• Future Tense®
• Marketplace Morning Report®
• Mark Seeley's WeatherTalk

Services

• Hourly Newscast
• HD Radio
• iPhone App / Mobile
• E-mail newsletters
• RSS feeds
• Podcasts
• Submit your photos
• Videos
• Weather
• Most e-mailed stories

Become a Sponsor