Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Author Julia Alvarez thrives in two worlds
  Author Julia Alvarez balances two very different worlds -- in her life and in her new novel, "Saving the World." Alvarez grew up in a large family in the Dominican Republic, but moved to the U.S. at the age of 10. She spends most of the year in Vermont now, although she still owns a farm in the Dominican Republic.6:55 a.m.
• Big borrowing bill sails through Minnesota House
  With only a few members flinching at the cost, the Republican-led House voted 114-16 Wednesday for nearly $1 billion in public-works construction projects.7:20 a.m.
• St. Paul City Council rejects airport flood plan
  The St. Paul City Council has rejected a plan by the Metropolitan Airports Commission to build a floodwall at St. Paul's downtown airport.7:25 a.m.
• Department of Health closely watching mumps outbreak
  Minnesota Department of Health officials are tracking several suspected cases of the mumps. Eight people are being watched closely after they flew in the same airplane as someone who had the disease. Officials are awaiting test results from 17 others who may have contracted the disease. MPR's Cathy Wurzer spoke with Dave Schultz, a spokesman with the Department of Health.7:50 a.m.
• Audit: Errors rife when immigrants apply for health care
  County human services workers make many errors when they process applications from immigrants for public health care, allowing some to get benefits they may not be entitled to, according to an audit released Wednesday.7:55 a.m.
• Arts organizations looking for bonding money
  Several arts organizations are lobbying the state legislature for bonding money. The Schubert Theater, the Ordway theater, and the McPhail Center for Music are among those with requests to improve their facilities. MPR's Cathy Wurzer spoke with Minnesota Public Radio Arts Commentator Dominic Papatola.8:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• John McCain Works to Win Bush Republicans in 2008
  Nobody has helped sell the Bush Administration's war in Iraq better than John McCain. But the Arizona senator has had an up and down relationship with the president ever since their bitter 2000 Republican primary battle. If McCain runs for president in 2008, he will have to win over Bush supporters to win.
• Flaming Lips Stay True and Reach Out with 'Mystics'
  Commentator and music journalist Ashley Kahn talks to members of The Flaming Lips about their music and their latest album, At War with the Mystics. For more than 20 years the band has been a cult favorite. Kahn explains how their new effort maintains a spirit of experimentation, while earning them a shot at mainstream popularity.
• Saving a Life
  Hemant Vankawala, a young emergency room doctor in Dallas, describes what it's like to save someone from death.
• For Seniors, Little Questions Can Lead to Big Changes
  Older patients typically suffer from a collection of diseases. And they are treated by an array of specialists for each disease. Doctors who specialize in geriatrics are a key care component, keeping an eye on an individual's overall health.
• Government Recommends Building Up in New Orleans
  Federal recommendations say that new buildings in New Orleans and surrounding parishes need to be built at least three feet off the ground. The recommendation also covers buildings being rebuilt after substantial damage from Hurricane Katrina.
• Radio Operator Honored for Katrina Service
  One community radio operator managed to stay on the air during Hurricane Katrina. He is in Washington, D.C., to be honored with a federal award. He's also applied for an extension of his temporary permit to broadcast at higher power.
• Louisiana Levee Critics Now Less Critical
  The Army Corps of Engineers is rebuilding the main flood defense for Saint Bernard Parish, near New Orleans. But earlier this year, some critics accused the Corps of using sub-standard materials. The government disputed this claim. Critics recently visited the levees again and were happy with what they saw this time.
• Maryland and Baltimore at Odds Over City Schools
  The Maryland legislature has blocked a proposed state takeover of 11 Baltimore schools. The schools have limped along for years with low student achievement. The school district says it's fixing the problems. But state officials are skeptical.
• Actor's Death Prompts Rioting in India
  The death of an Indian movie star leads to riots in Bangalore. Distraught fans smashed cars, burned buses and battled with police in the southern Indian city after they were prevented from seeing the body of 77-year-old film star Rajkumar.
• Peace Activist William Sloane Coffin Dies at 81
  The Rev. William Sloane Coffin, a former Yale University chaplain known for his anti-war and peace activism, dies at the age of 81. Coffin questioned authority throughout his career, using civil disobedience to fight for civil rights and against war.
• Moussaoui Lawyers Begin Arguing for Life Sentence
  Court-appointed defense lawyers begin presenting arguments to spare Zacarias Moussaoui's life. The prosecution rested its case for the death penalty in the sentencing phase of the confessed terrorist's court saga after presenting a series of emotional accounts from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
• Campaign Targets Quality of Iowa Newspaper
  Iowa's largest newspaper, The Des Moines Register, used to be nationally recognized for its excellence. A lot has changed at the paper since it was bought by Gannett, a national media company, 20 years ago. A disgruntled reader has begun a campaign aimed at forcing the Register to raise its standards.
• Show Me the Babies
  It seemed like a perfect news story. A Missouri paper called The Examiner reported that Sarah and Kris Everson were the parents of sextuplets. The paper ran a photo of the mother with six baby outfits. That's baby outfits, not babies. She explained their absence by saying they were still in intensive care. Now police say it was all a scam to collect donations from the public.
• Sept. 11 Events Dramatized on Big Screen
  A spate of movies recreating some of the events from Sept. 11 begin appearing this month, starting with the film United 93. Portraying Sept. 11 events on the big screen is an emotional proposition.
• Snakes in a Bank
  Snakes on a Plane, this summer's popcorn thriller, has nothing on the real life "snakes in a bank." In Johannesburg, a judge has banned a disgruntled bank customer from entering his former bank. The order came after the man spent two years in prison for releasing highly poisonous Puff adder snakes at the bank's headquarters. The snakes bit one person.

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