Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Undecided voters react to the final presidential debate
  For all four of the presidential and vice presidential debates, MPR News invited some undecided voters to our headquarters in downtown St. Paul to watch the candidates face off.7:20 a.m.
• RNC host committee meets goal of raising $58 million
  Planners of last month's Republican National Convention in St. Paul met their goal of raising $58 million in cash and in-kind contributions to stage the four-day affair.7:40 a.m.
• 6th District race a referendum on Bachmann
  Incumbent Republican Michele Bachmann faces two challengers as she seeks a second term in Congress.7:45 a.m.
• New movie 'Fritz' tells the Mondale story
  A new documentary about the life and career of Walter Mondale will get its world premiere at the Minnesota History Center tonight.7:50 a.m.
• Future Tense with Jon Gordon
  The consumer electronics industry braces for a bleak holiday season.8:40 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Thanksgiving How-To: Your Questions
  Are you cooking for Thanksgiving this year? It doesn't have to be stressful. Chris Kimball, founder of Cooks' Illustrated magazine, will help answer your questions.
• Matched By Mom: Arranged Marriage In America
  Sana and Shad Imam, a young Muslim-American couple, let their parents choose their partner. Shad says he thinks people just looking for love are missing out. Compatibility is much more important. The rest is just hard work.
• Crime, Politics Causing Many To Leave South Africa
  Young South Africans are leaving the country for safer, less tumultuous places. Some are worried about the nation's new political leadership, but most say they are scared away by crime. The exodus is creating fears of a brain drain.
• Bad Economy Casts Pall On Markets
  Stock prices were down again Thursday following another big plunge Wednesday. The market is falling at a time of big warning signs for the economy. The government said Thursday that output by the nation's factories, mines and utilities was down sharply in September. And sales at the nation's retail stores are way down as the holiday shopping season approaches.
• Stomach-Churning Drop On Global Markets
  There was a moment of hope earlier this week when U.S. officials rolled out details of their plan to rescue the banking system. But that has already given way to fears about a slowing global economy. Japan's leading stock index plunged more than 11 percent. That follows Wednesday's sharp tumble in U.S. stock prices. Japan's prime minister called the American bailout "insufficient." In other Asian stock markets, prices plummeted. And in Europe, stock prices began the day trading lower as well.
• Double-Checking Candidates' Claims In Last Debate
  Presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and John McCain debated Wednesday night at Hofstra University in New York. Renee Montagne talks with NPR reporters Chris Arnold, David Welna, Julie Rovner, David Schaper and Peter Overby to find out whether the candidates had their facts straight in their final debate before the election.
• Is Cable TV Recession-Proof?
  In the past, the entertainment industry was thought to be recession-proof. Even when people are tightening their belts, they still want to watch TV. But some analysts say maybe not this time. People who watched free broadcast TV during the last economic downturn might drop their pricey cable packages this time around.
• God Wins In Nebraska Court
  Nebraska state Sen. Ernie Chambers sought an injunction against God last year for widespread death and destruction. Judge Marlon Polk threw out the suit, saying there's no way to properly notify the defendant. Chambers says he may appeal. He says God is aware of the charges because he is all-knowing.
• Super Cheap Gas, 35 Cents, A Big Mistake
  The price of oil has fallen to $72 a barrel, and gas prices have been coming down as well. But at a gas station in Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., prices seemed to overshoot the mark. For more than an hour Monday, drivers jammed into the station to fill up for 35 cents a gallon. It wasn't a special deal. It was a technical problem with the pump. The actual price was $3.43 cents a gallon.
• Monkey Studies Could Help Paralyzed Humans
  Scientists at the University of Washington are reporting progress in the effort to restore movement in paralyzed limbs. Researchers working with monkeys used electrodes to connect individual brain cells to muscles in the animals' arms. The monkeys were able to use those brain cells to move their hands.
• Sen. Stevens To Testify At His Corruption Trial
  In the federal trial of Alaska Republican Sen. Ted Stevens, Stevens and his wife, Catherine, are expected to testify Thursday. Stevens is accused of illegally trying to hide gifts from an oil industry executive.
• U.S. Mint Needs Midas Touch
  With the stock market in decline, the demand for gold has been huge. However, the U.S. Mint has run out of some of its popular gold bullion coins, and it won't make any more of them this year. That has left buyers and sellers on their own kind of roller-coaster.
• Dow Wipes Out Most Of Monday's Record Gain
  It was a down day on Wall Street Wednesday. Investors agonizing over a faltering economy sent the stock market plunging again. The Dow wiped out all but about 127 points from Monday's record gain. The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 9 percent — wiping away nearly all of the gains it made earlier this week.
• Europe Unified To Fight Global Financial Crisis
  European Union leaders, meeting in Brussels, have endorsed the emergency bailout plan for the banking sector that was put into action last weekend. They also are in favor of revamping the world's financial system to try to avoid a repeat of the money market crisis. The 27 leaders also discussed climate change and relations with Russia, which has pulled back troops from much of Georgia.
• Military Spouses Make Their Own Sacrifices
  Being married to someone in the military can be tough. There is the stress of repeated deployments, meaning managing the household alone. And it's hard to put down roots or build a career because the military usually requires people to move every few years.

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