Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Halloween blackout of '57 spurs creation of portable pacemaker
  Fifty years ago a massive Halloween blackout disrupted power across a highly populated section of Minnesota and western Wisconsin. For most, the outage was simply inconvenient. But for a few young patients it was life-threatening.7:20 a.m.
• Top researchers wanted in Sioux Falls
  Sanford Health plans to hire 900 medical researchers in the next decade. The new research facility is just another example of what you can buy with $400 million.7:51 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Economy Demonstrates Vigor Despite Credit Woes
  The nation's gross domestic product — the broadest measure of economic activity — grew at an annual rate of 3.9 percent during the summer. The indicator's strength signals economic resilience in spite of ailing housing and credit markets.
• Buddhist Monks Renew Protest in Myanmar
  More than 100 Buddhist monks march in northern Myanmar, the first public demonstration since the government's deadly crackdown last month on pro-democracy protesters.
• 'Thriller' Sparks Global Dance Fest
  Michael Jackson's Thriller has inspired dancing zombies ever since its release 25 years ago. One dancer pays homage by hosting a Thriller dance fest. Zombies from Ireland to China took part setting a record for the largest simultaneous Thriller dance.
• Woman Released from Jail Packs Inmate
  We do not know if the luggage of a prison inmate included a bag on wheels. We do know that when a 17-year-old woman was released, her luggage contained some extra cargo. Investigators in Germany believe she left the youth prison with a fellow inmate inside her luggage.
• Spanish Court Delivers Verdicts in Madrid Bombings
  A Spanish delivers verdicts for 27 men and one woman charged in connection with the Madrid train bombings in 2004. Charges range from masterminding the attack to stealing dynamite to building the bombs. They detonated on four commuter trains, killing 191 people.
• Dems Vying for President Wary of Attacking Clinton
  Democratic presidential hopefuls shy away from throwing hard punches at Sen. Hillary Clinton, who holds the lead, but are cautious of making her weak before Republican rivals.
• Halloween Goods to Yield $5B Holiday
  The National Retail Federation says Americans will spend a scary $5 billion on Halloween this year on costumes and candy.
• Firms Use Carrot, Stick to Encourage Healthy Habits
  Firms are cracking down on the health of employees. Clarian Health recently revised plans to penalize workers for smoking, high blood pressure, or a body mass index over a certain limit. Monitoring workers' health is a growing trend; it costs more to insure smokers and overweight people.
• Google to Write Social Networking Programs
  Google plans to gang up with a dozen tech companies in a bid to beat out the new site on the block. It has created a group called OpenSocial to write programs that can run on any social-networking site. They want to create an alternative to Facebook, which has become the gold standard.
• New 'Tales from the Crypt'
  After more than 50 years, EC Comics' legendary flagship title returns with an all-new Tales from the Crypt, narrated by the original Crypt Keeper, Old Witch and Vault Keeper. The first complete volume, featuring four, 20-page tales in the EC Comics tradition, is out for Halloween.
• Enemy Combatant Gets Day in Court
  The case of Ali al-Marri addresses some of the biggest legal issues in the war on terrorism. A federal appeals court in Virginia is set to hear arguments on whether he should be charged or released from military custody. Al-Marri is a legal resident being held as a suspected enemy combatant.
• Democratic Presidential Debate Targets Clinton
  A recurring theme in the Democratic debate at Drexel University in Philadelphia was whether anyone can knock New York Sen. Hillary Clinton off her stride as the presumptive nominee.
• Giuliani, Romney Blasting Through Granite State
  Republican presidential candidates Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney are campaigning this week in New Hampshire, one of the first states to cast ballots. Giuliani is leading in national polls while Romney is doing well in straw polls.
• Bill Banning Prejudice Against Gays at Work Stalls
  Democrats want to pass a bill banning discrimination against gays and lesbians in the workplace. But the legislation is bogged down in the House, where party members are split over whether to include protection for transgender people. Gay rights activists are calling for an all-inclusive bill or none.
• Lawmakers May Change Mining Contract Rates
  The House votes on the first major overhaul of an arcane law about mining for gold, silver and other hard-rock minerals. For every ounce of gold pulled out of federal lands, the United States does not receive a penny under the current mining law, which has been on the books since 1872.

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