Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• University MRI lab remains shuttered by bridge collapse
  The MRI lab was not damaged, even though the building sits within 50 feet of the collapsed bridge. But concerns over safety and liability forced the lab to close.7:20 a.m.
• Experts look to timber as next generation energy source
  Ethanol production in the U.S. relies mostly on corn. But timber industry experts say emerging technologies will soon make Minnesota's vast northern forests a new source for ethanol.7:50 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Australian Lawmaker Eats Earwax on Camera
  If nothing else, technology can inspire us all to improve our personal hygiene. An Australian lawmaker was sitting absentmindedly in the chamber. He picked his earwax, and apparently ate it. We know this because the 6-year-old footage recently surfaced on YouTube.com.
• Bush Says Cheney Touts Dark Side for Halloween
  President Bush says he asked the vice president what Halloween costume he planned to wear. He said Cheney replied he was already wearing it, then "mumbled something about the dark side of the Force."
• World Series Win Yields Red Sox Benefits and Costs
  The Boston Red Sox' World Series win — twice in the last four seasons — garners benefits such as the brand Red Sox Nation along the way. But the big win also has its costs.
• Bhutto Travels Outside Pakistan
  Pakistan's former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto heads for Dubai. She had previously cancelled the trip to see her family, afraid that President Gen. Pervez Musharraf could impose a state of emergency if the Supreme Court rules that he no longer can serve as both president and head of the army.
• Wikipedia Tracks Changes to Encyclopedia
  Wikipedia Vision is a new online map which spins across the globe, tracking the changes people make to the encyclopedia. You can see what was edited, when and where. So this morning we know that someone in Hong Kong changed the definition of a Rolls Royce Phantom.
• FTC to Study Online Information
  The Federal Trade Commission is set to open hearings on online advertising and information privacy. Web tracking technology is growing more sophisticated. Now advertisers can beam specific ads your way based on the Web sites you have visited.
• Senate Considers SCHIP for Third Time
  The Senate is working on its third version of a bill to expand the state children's health insurance program, known as SCHIP, which President Bush says will prompt his second veto if it isn't squarely targeted at poor children.
• Citizens Take Control of Radar Patrol
  Speeding cars have become so perilous one Naperville, Illinois neighborhood that the police are loaning radar guns to citizens in a bid to try to make neighborhood roads safer. Drive over the speed limit and a neighbor clocking the speed can report you.
• Fed Rate Cut Jolts Gold, Oil, Stocks
  The price of gold hit a 28-year high, topping $800 an ounce, after the Federal Reserve decided to cut interest rates by a quarter point. It was the second cut by the Fed this year. The move to spark the economy comes as the price of a barrel of oil broaches $100.
• Accuracy of Radar Guns to Play Out in Court
  A Windsor, Calif., man installs a GPS device in his stepson's car to monitor speed and location. The teen hated it until he got a speeding ticket for 62 miles per hour in a 45 mph zone. But the GPS shows he was not speeding, pitting the GPS against the patrol officer's radar in an upcoming court battle.
• Turkey Threatens Economic Sanctions on Kurds
  Turkey is preparing other steps in a battle against Kurdish militant groups. The Kurds live on both sides of the border and depend on trade that crosses that line. So it's significant that Turkey is threatening economic sanctions, accusing Iraq's Kurdish leadership of being a terrorist organization.
• Divided Congress Paralyzes Government
  Politicians in Washington are at loggerheads over reducing troop levels in Iraq, spending bills are in limbo, and children's health insurance has gone nowhere.
• FBI Investigates Blackwater Shooting in Iraq
  FBI agents return from Iraq where they were gathering evidence in a shooting incident involving contractors Blackwater USA. The FBI purchased bullet-riddled and burned out vehicles to perform high-tech tests. Blackwater's agents are accused of killing 17 Iraqi civilians.
• Hurricane Katrina Victims' Mental Health Worsens
  A new report on the mental health of Hurricane Katrina victims shows patterns in the Gulf Coast that are contrary to post traumatic stress disorder usually seen after major disasters. The mental health of Hurricane Katrina victims is worsening with the drawn out recovery time.
• Letters: Shiite Militia
  Listeners respond to a report about a Shiite militia's relationship with Iran. Many listeners raise concerns about whether Morning Edition passed on information apparently obtained through torture.

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