Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Southwest Airlines coming to Twin Cities airport in '09
  Southwest Airlines Co. plans to begin service next March to the Twin Cities airport, its first new market in more than a year. The service will initially be limited to flights to and from Chicago.6:50 a.m.
• RNC inquiry to focus on police encounters with public
  St. Paul's formal review of security actions during the Republican National Convention will focus on interactions between police officers and the community.6:55 a.m.
• Minnesota senators help pass bailout bill
  Minnesota's two U.S. senators voted last night in favor of the $700 billion financial rescue package. A number of changes were made which could convince Minnesota's House members, who voted against the bill the first time, to vote for it when it's reintroduced on Friday.7:20 a.m.
• 6th District candidates disagree on bailout, Iraq
  The three candidates for congress in Minnesota's 6th District met for their first debate last night in Stillwater. The proposed federal bailout of the financial industry dominated the event.7:25 a.m.
• Congressmen unswayed by changes to bailout bill
  The U.S. House is expected to take up the $700 billion financial rescue plan Friday. Morning Edition's Cathy Wurzer spoke with 7th District Rep. Collin Peterson and 1st District Rep. Tim Walz, both of whom voted against the bill earlier this week.7:40 a.m.
• Future Tense with Jon Gordon
  Chinese sensors capture Skype text conversations.8:20 a.m.
• Theater productions use big stars to draw audience
  The new production of Peter Shaffer's "Equus" has received a good deal of attention on Broadway. It might have just been another revival, but the marquee boasts the name of Daniel Radcliffe, star of the "Harry Potter" movies. Morning Edition arts commentator and St. Paul Pioneer Press theater critic Dominic Papatola weighs in on celebrity casting.8:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• White House Looks For New Strategy In Afghanistan
  The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan has called for an immediate influx of 15,000 troops to help stabilize the region, but analysts say that isn't all that is needed. The White House also has been seeking advice from Afghanistan experts outside the administration.
• Think You're Multitasking? Think Again
  Don't believe the multitasking hype, scientists say. New research shows that we humans aren't as good as we think we are at doing several things at once — but it also found a skill that gives us an evolutionary edge. Researchers say humans are merely very good at switching their attention from task to task.
• Sporting Goods Manufactures Woo Female Hunters
  The image of Sarah Palin, the hunter, has inspired a sporting goods manufacturer to release a custom designed hunting bow called the "Sarah-Cuda," it's pink camouflage and lightweight. While the name may be timely, the concept is not new. The outdoor equipment industry has been trying to reach out to female hunters for several years. They've made guns smaller and crossbows lighter and painted them. The marketers motto: "Pink it and shrink it."
• Fall TV Season Off To A Poor Start
  The new broadcast TV season is not having a stellar start. Every season premiere last Thursday night drew a lower rating than last fall. Even returning favorites like ABC's "Grey's Anatomy," CBS' "Survivor" and NBC's "The Office" lost audience compared to last year. Some are blaming the lower numbers on last year's writers strike. Others are looking to larger forces in the entertainment industry.
• McCain Urges Senate To Follow Truman's Example
  Senator John McCain was back in Washington Wednesday to vote on the financial rescue package. Before that, he was in Missouri invoking the spirit of former President Harry Truman, a native of the Show Me State. McCain urged lawmakers, like Truman, to put the nation ahead of their party politics and vote for the Wall Street rescue plan.
• New Genetic Test Detects Flu Faster
  The government this week approved a new genetic test for the flu virus. It will allow labs across the country to identify flu strains within four hours instead of four days. Renee Montagne reports.
• Letters: Sounding Off On The Financial Crisis
  Listeners wrote in on the financial crisis, including a Michigan man who says leaders of financial firms and the government should be jailed for economic terrorism. Also, many listeners thought Iran's president was interrupted too many times during last week's interview.
• Unemployed Women Wait For Phone To Ring
  With the economy heading down, unemployment is heading up. Three unemployed women from Nashville, Tenn., talk with Renee Montagne about the challenges finding a new job. The group includes a former bank employee looking for a job for almost a year, an assembly line worker at a car parts plant that moved to Mexico and a former manager of a bank in Japan who has had trouble finding a job since returning to America.
• Businesses Operate In Tightened Credit Market
  In recent days, businesses, large and small, have been scrambling to convince lawmakers that the troubles on Wall Street are hitting Main Street. Companies need more cash but it is getting harder to borrow. Family businesses and CEO's of the nation's largest companies say the credit crisis is spreading.
• Not So Fast, Would-Be Retirees
  The financial crisis on Wall Street is leading to lots of anxiety among investors, especially retirees. Many financial experts are calling on investors to be patient and wait for the stock markets to rebound, but retirees don't have the luxury of taking that advice. Now those experts are cautioning would-be retirees in their 60s to keep on working.
• Post Gandhi: Less Strenuous Political Protesting
  Political protests in South Asia aren't what they used to be. Mahatma Gandhi really did walk hundreds of miles when he defied British colonial taxes on salt by trekking to the sea. And when he went on hunger strike, he really did starve himself. When Pakistani lawyers recently protested in a "long march," they drove, in comfy air conditioned SUVS.
• Fossett's Plane Found A Year After Crashing
  Searchers have turned up the wreckage of adventurer Steve Fossett's airplane in California's Inyo National Forest. Fossett vanished more than a year ago while flying a single-engine plane from Nevada. A hiker said he'd found ID cards and a pilot's license with Fossett's name, leading to the latest search. Fossett's remains have not been found.
• Original Mr. Clean Dies At 92
  House Peters Jr. was the muscular guy with the bald head and hoop earring that starred in Proctor & Gamble's TV commercials for household cleaners in the late 1950s and into the early 1960s. Peters was never a leading man. He played supporting roles and worked with Roy Rogers and Gene Autry. In 2000, he won a Golden Boot Award for his contributions to the western film genre.
• Auto Sales Plunge As Credit Crisis Worsens
  Consumers worries over the U.S. economy have taken a big toll on auto sales. Ford, Chrysler and Toyota all reported sales off by more than 30 percent last month. General Motors posted a 16 percent decline. Dustin Dwyer reports for Michigan Radio.
• Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Brings GE To Life
  Warren Buffett's company is investing three billion dollars in General Electric. The stock has fallen 42 percent in the past year. Buffett says he is confident that GE will continue to be successful. Berkshire Hathaway last week invested $5 billion in Goldman Sachs after the investment bank's shares dropped.

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