Weather with Mark Seeley University of Minnesota climatologist Mark Seeley discusses Minnesota weather history and looks ahead to the weekend forecast.6:55 a.m.
McCain and Palin events bring in the faithful GOP presidential candidate John McCain and his running mate Gov. Sarah Palin are scheduled to campaign in Minnesota later today.7:20 a.m.
Minnesota women ponder Palin and politics As John McCain and his running mate return to Minnesota a group of women to discuss what Sarah Palin's candidacy means to them.7:25 a.m.
Sharon Isbin reveals the Spanish soul The Minnesota Orchestra is opening its 2008-2009 season with a performance by guitar virtusos Sharon Isbin.7:55 a.m.
Death Of An Allegory
Maybe there is some symbolism for Wall Street in this business story. Police in New York say a young bull escaped and was running free on the streets of Queens. Sadly, the bull died Wednesday. With all the bear market headlines this week, Wall Street traders could surely use every bull that's out there.
Did Short Selling Contribute To The Financial Mess?
The Securities and Exchange Commission early Friday temporarily banned the routine practice of betting against financial company stocks. The day before, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo launched an investigation into short-selling practices on Wall Street. The SEC ban only applies to financial stocks, which have been hit hard this week.
A Check On Europe After U.S. Financial Meltdown
European reaction to Wall Street's financial crisis has been mixed. In Britain, many analysts expect the credit crunch to get worse. There are also fears that British companies unable to raise credit might be forced to close. French and German experts say that because of stricter financial regulations in their countries, they will be able to weather the financial storm.
A Cook's Bitter Tale Of Death In Iraq
The cook at NPR's Baghdad bureau usually appears on a television cooking show every Ramadan. The cast and crew go to a needy family's house, prepare dinner and give gifts and money. He was supposed to travel to the northern city of Mosul last weekend to record an episode. But he decided to stay in Baghdad, and that decision saved his life. His colleagues were kidnapped and murdered.
Palin's Husband Refuses To Testify In Probe
Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin is campaigning on her record as a champion of transparency in government. Many Alaskans believe she's brought more openness to state government. But now the McCain campaign says that Palin's husband, Todd, will not testify before the state legislature, which is investigating whether Governor Palin tried to get her former brother-in-law fired as a state trooper.
McCain Dogged By His Economic Comments
Republican presidential nominee John McCain is facing tough questions about how he would deal with the current financial crisis. Earlier in the campaign he admitted that he was not an expert on Wall Street. On Thursday, he proposed creating a trust to review mortgage and financial institutions, identify weaker ones and strengthen them before insolvency.
Obama To Unveil Financial Meltdown Fix
Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama is promising new ideas to calm the crisis in the financial industry. He's expected to unveil a new economic proposal Friday in Florida. Obama reached out to Hispanic voters in New Mexico Thursday telling them this is not the time to panic, instead, it's a time for leadership.
3-D Movies May Be The Answer To Filling Theaters
The movie business is betting on 3-D to keep people coming to theaters. It's going to be expensive to get the necessary digital equipment into the thousands of movie theaters across the country. So, Dreamworks Animation head Jeffrey Katzenberg is leading the charge to get studios to help pay the price.
Listeners' Money Questions Answered
Congress is promising quick action on a plan to buy up soured assets, such as bad mortgages, held by troubled banks and other institutions. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke are crafting a proposal, which they plan to soon deliver to lawmakers. David Wessel of The Wall Street Journal and NPR's Adam Davidson answer some questions from Steve Inskeep and listeners about the financial crisis.
Independent Political Groups Return With 527 Ads
As the November presidential election draws nearer, ads by independent political groups are already on the air. John McCain and Barack Obama have said that these groups should stay out of the election process. But there seems to be no way to stop them.
Financial Sectors' New Buzzword Is Deleverage
Leverage is a word heard frequently during the current financial crisis. It means borrowing heavily to maximize investment returns. The problem is that leverage was used to invest in mortgages that went bad. The new buzzword in the financial world is deleverage.
Economy Factors Into New Poll Numbers
A few weeks ago, Republican John McCain was riding high in the polls. His campaign was on the upsurge after he named Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. But as Wall Street's fortunes took a turn for the worse, the economy has taken center stage. Democrat Barack Obama has seen his poll numbers rise again. NPR Political Editor Ken Rudin and Senior Washington Editor Ron Elving talk with Steve Inskeep about the latest polls.
U.S. Hopes To End Europe's Ryder Cup Domination
The three-day international golf event tees off Friday at Valhalla Country Club in Louisville, Ky. Commentator John Feinstein says it will be tough for the U.S. to break a long losing streak against the European team.
Rice: Russia On A Path To Isolation
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says the West must stand up to Moscow. In a major speech Thursday, Rice said Russia's policies have put it on a path to isolation and irrelevance. But while the U.S. is angry with Russia's actions in Georgia, it needs Moscow for other foreign policy challenges from North Korea to Iran. Citics say the Bush admin. is leaving the next president with little leverage when dealing with Russia.
Remembering Henry Steinway
Henry Z. Steinway, the great-grandson of the founder of the legendary piano-making company, died Thursday in New York. He was 93. He was the last of his family to run the company that was started in 1853. The company was sold to CBS Corp. in 1977. Steve Inskeep has this remembrance.
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