Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Dentists drop opposition to new practitioner position
  Supporters of a bill creating a new mid-level dental practitioner position to work in under-served areas of the state have reached a compromise with opponents.7:20 a.m.
• Recession forces couples to split for work
  The recession is forcing some families to split up temporarily. Work isn't easy to come by, and in some families, moms and dads have to strike out far from home to find it.7:50 a.m.
• Art-a-Whirl an opportunity for artists
  Northeast Minneapolis' annual Art-a-Whirl extravaganza gets underway this weekend. It is an opportunity for artists to show off, and sell, their work while in their studios.8:45 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Parties Face Off Over CIA Interrogation Briefings
  Republicans have used a CIA memo to point out that top Democrats who were briefed on interrogation techniques used under the Bush administration did not act to stop them. But Democrats say that's not fair, arguing that they had few options for taking action on what was classified information.
• A Fictional Take On Iran's Nuclear Program
  David Ignatius' new novel, The Increment, tells the story of an Iranian scientist who decides to send classified information to the CIA's Web site.
• Pope Calls For Palestinian State While In West Bank
  Pope Benedict visited the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Wednesday. While in Bethlehem, he called for a sovereign Palestinian homeland. The pope also met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
• Cheney Defends Enhanced Interrogation Techniques
  One vocal participant in the debate over enhanced interrogation techniques is former Vice President Dick Cheney. Recently he has stepped into the breach to defend the policies of the Bush administration.
• Norway's Drunken Driving Fines Based On Income
  When police stopped a 49-year-old businessman, they discovered his blood alcohol level to be well over Norway's legal limit. Citing the man's personal wealth of more than $30 million, a court ordered him to pay $109,000 as a drunken-driving penalty — almost his entire annual income. In Norway, fines are based on income and personal wealth.
• Colorado Farmers Forced To Find New Lender
  Farmers in northern Colorado are reeling from the collapse of a regional bank. Federal regulators last month shut down the New Frontier Bank in Greeley. The bank made thousands of loans to farmers.
• Rural America Facing More Foreclosures
  Many families refinanced into risky subprime loans. As miners and factory workers lose their jobs, their adjustable mortgage rates are going up, and they can no longer afford the payment.
• GM Cuts Worry Minority-Owned Dealers
  General Motors is sending out notices this week to more than 2,000 dealers that it wants to shut down as the company struggles to stay afloat. Minority dealers are especially worried that GM's restructuring efforts could wipe out years of progress toward building their ranks.
• Crude Oil Moves Gas Prices Higher
  Traders in the oil pits of New York and other energy trading centers have been bidding up the price of crude oil. It is hovering around $60 a barrel, almost double what it was in December. Analysts say investors are buying because they expect an economic recovery in the U.S. will spur demand.
• Hazmat Team Responds To Office Fridge Cleaning
  An office worker cleaning a fridge full of rotten food created a smell so noxious that it sent seven co-workers to the hospital and made many others ill. A hazmat team was called to the AT&T building in San Jose, Calif.
• Judge Orders Deadbeat Dads To Watch 'Maury'
  Judge Wade McCree of Wayne County, Mich., ordered several dozen men to watch Maury Povich's TV show. His show often features women confronting the men who fathered their children. The judge makes men watch Maury as part of their probation for overdue child support.
• Obama Hosts White House Poetry Night
  President Obama tried to inject some poetry into the White House on Tuesday night. He and First Lady Michelle Obama hosted an evening of music, poetry and spoken word in the East Room.
• Trustees: Medicare Funds Will Be Depleted By 2017
  The Obama administration announced Tuesday that the Medicare program is running out of money faster than projected. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said that news should make lawmakers redouble their efforts on a full health system overhaul. On Capitol Hill, senators are struggling to come up with ways to pay for that overhaul.
• Recession Hurting Social Security, Medicare
  The 2009 Social Security and Medicare Trustees report released Tuesday showed the funds will be exhausted a couple of years sooner than expected. That's largely because high unemployment rates mean a lower level of payroll tax receipts being paid in to both programs. David Wessel of The Wall Street Journal talks with Steve Inskeep about the financial future of the programs.
• Realtors Upbeat About Housing Industry
  The National Association of Realtors is meeting this week in Washington, D.C. Surprisingly, members are striking an upbeat tone. They say a change in the first-time-buyer tax credit will bring more buyers to the table.

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