Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Did Medtronic act quickly enough on recall?
  Medical device maker Medtronic said Monday its second quarter profits dipped 2 percent after it recalled defibrillator leads. Leads are wires that connect an implantable defibrillator to a patient's heart. Some say the company waited too long to take action.6:50 a.m.
• Paulose leaving Minnesota for D.C.
  Politicians from both political parties say a change is welcome at the Minnesota U.S. Attorney's Office. U.S. Attorney Rachel Paulose announced Monday that she has resigned and will move to a post within the Justice Department in Washington, D.C. The move comes less than two weeks after Michael Mukasey was sworn in as Attorney General.7:20 a.m.
• Do we buy ethanol (in Minnesota) because we have to?
  Imagine you are driving through the Midwest and you need gasoline. Chances are that gas will have some level of ethanol in it. Many states have required ethanol without asking if consumers want it, or if it's environmentally sound.7:24 a.m.
• Local theater enlivens history of the Hormel Girls
  A new musical opens at the History Theatre this weekend, called "Hormel Girls." The show is about how Jay C. Hormel formed an all-girl swing band for G.I. Janes home from World War II.7:50 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Stocks Plunge on Dismal Banking, Housing News
  Gloomy news from the banking sector and a bleak outlook about the housing industry sent stocks reeling. The major stock market indexes each fell more than 1.5 percent, with the Dow Jones industrial average sinking more than 200 points.
• Weak Dollar Can Bode Well for Manufacturers
  The weaker dollar may not be good for Americans traveling overseas, but it is good for U.S. manufacturers. It makes their exports cheaper overseas and so they sell more products.
• Smuggled Chinese Travel Circuitously to the U.S.
  Paying upwards of $60,000 to a snakehead, a Chinese from the Fujian Province can find an illegal way to get to the America. That path may meander through many countries.
• Chinese Cheer as Spiderman Scales Mountain
  Crowds in China cheered as Spiderman scaled — with his bare hands — a mountain in Hunan Province on Sunday. The French daredevil Alain Robert has earned the nickname by scaling the world's tallest buildings, without ropes, pulleys or even gloves.
• Harsh Words Become Cell Phone Ring Tone
  The King of Spain and the President of Venezuela exchanged harsh words during a recent political summit. Now those words have inspired a hit ring tone. About half a million people have downloaded a cell phone ring tone featuring the phrase: "Why don't you shut up."
• A Nigerian-American Reflects on Thanksgiving
  A Nigerian-American woman recalls how Thanksgiving has changed in her family over the years, and how her male and female relatives have gradually changed with it.
• Calif. Tree Farmer Concerned about Immigration
  California tree grower Robert Wooley sells peach, cherry and almond trees to commercial growers but lately demand has been slackening. The commercial growers he sells to rely on immigrant labor. and the crackdown on immigration raises concerns that buyers will face a work shortage.
• Khmer Rouge Tribunal Convenes 1st Hearing
  Kaing Guek Eav, the former Khmer Rouge interrogator known as Duch, was brought to court in Cambodia for a pretrial hearing. It is the first public session of the U.N.-backed tribunal probing the regime's reign of terror in the 1970s. Duch, 66, is charged with crimes against humanity.
• Maxwell House to Pay Thanksgiving Tolls
  "Brew Some Good" is a campaign by coffee giant Maxwell House for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Maxwell House will pay tolls for Thanksgiving travelers. Morning rush-hour drivers in nine major cities Wednesday will be able to cruise right through the toll booths.
• Expert: Russia Not Prepared to Clean Oil Spill
  A conservationist and oil-spill expert says Russia isn't equipped to clean up after a massive oil spill. The disaster occurred last week after a violent storm broke up an oil tanker, sending thousands of gallons of oil into the Black Sea.
• Relief Underway in Cyclone-Ravaged Bangladesh
  A huge relief operation is underway in Bangladesh for the victims of a massive cyclone that killed more than 3,000 people. At least 1,000 are still missing while a million more are homeless. Rescue workers have yet to reach an area along the Bay of Bengal where the storm struck.
• Gap Pledges Better Work Conditions in India
  Apparel retailer Gap is canceling half of its orders with a vendor in India and promises to donate $200,000 to improve working conditions there. The move comes after revelations that some of its clothes were made by children as young as 10. Gap says it didn't know that children were hired.
• Scientists Create Embryonic Stem Cells from Skin
  Two teams independently discover a way to turn ordinary human skins cells into stem cells with the same characteristics as those derived from human embryos, a breakthrough that could open the door for advanced medical therapies.
• California Boy Preps for World Duck Calling Contest
  Greg Hubbell Jr., 12, has won animal-calling contests for ducks, pigs, elk, and more. He won his first world title at age 7. Now he's preparing for the World Championship in Duck Calling in Arkansas. He says the pressure and the crowd give him the energy to do better.
• Minnesota's Embattled U.S. Attorney Steps Down
  Rachel Paulose, the beleaguered U.S. attorney for Minnesota, is leaving her post to take a position at the Justice Department in Washington, ending a tenure marked by complaints about her management style. She will become counselor to the assistant attorney general in the office of legal policy.

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