Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Artists seek help with health care
  Artists, who are often self-employed and have small incomes, have a hard time meeting their medical costs. Does a life in the arts mean a life without adequate health care?6:25 a.m.
• Minneapolis police apologize, say student's death a homicide
  Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan has publicly apologized to the parents of a University of Minnesota student whose 2002 death was first determined to be either an accident or suicide but is now considered a homicide.7:20 a.m.
• Fed approval a major step for St. Croix River bridge
  A plan to build a new bridge across the St. Croix River between Minnesota and Wisconsin cleared another major hurdle Monday, as the federal government signed off on the project's environmental impact study.7:25 a.m.
• Six imams removed from flight at Twin Cities airport, questioned
  The Council on American-Islamic Relations called Tuesday for an investigation into the behavior of airline staff and airport security in the removal of six Muslim scholars from a US Airways flight a day earlier.8:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Tapes Provide First Glimpse of Secret Gitmo Panels
  Audio recordings obtained by NPR provide a view into the secret world of military tribunals for terrorism suspects at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The evidence is slim at the unclassified sessions attended by detainees, and few, if any, witnesses are called.
• Increased IRS Enforcement Actions Net Billions
  The IRS says it's collecting more money from tax cheats. Last tax year, it collected a record $48.7 billion from enforcement actions. The agency says it has also increased the number of audits it conducts, including audits of wealthy taxpayers.
• U.S. Denounces Murder of Lebanese Minister
  The U.S. denounced the assassination of Lebanese Christian leader Pierre Gemayel as an act of terrorism. The U.S. did not assign guilt for the killing, but suggested it was intended to destabilize the government of Prime Minister Faud Saniora.
• How the Understanding of U.S. History Changes
  Historian Kyle Ward speaks with Steve Inskeep about his book, History in the Making. It chronicles the ways that U.S. history textbooks change over time in their portrayal of events like the Mexican-American War. This is the first in a series of conversations about history.
• Jay-Z's Return with 'Kingdom Come' Spotty
  Jay-Z's new album, Kingdom Come, is his first since he announced his "retirement" two years ago to concentrate his alternate career as a music executive with Def Jam Records. The album is full of ups and downs that may signal the rapper's next retirement may be involuntary.
• Five Marines Expected to Face Charges in Killings
  A Marine investigation into the killing of 24 Iraqis in the town of Haditha is almost done. Charges are expected against five Marines. Prosecutors are still considering whether the shootings amount to negligent homicide or murder.
• Iraq and Syria Resume Diplomatic Relations
  Iraq and Syria say they are re-establishing full diplomatic ties, nearly a quarter century after breaking them. The announcement came amid a visit to Baghdad by Syria's foreign minister, his first since the U.S.-led invasion. The neighboring countries broke off relations in the early 1980s when Syria sided with Iran during the Iran-Iraq war.
• Witness to Testify Against Polygamist Leader
  Polygamist prophet Warren Jeffs appears at a preliminary hearing in Utah today. Jeffs is the biggest target yet in a two-state crackdown on the persistent practice of polygamy. The leader of the nation's largest polygamous group faces two counts of being an accomplice to rape.
• Jury Convicts Elderly California Driver of Manslaughter
  Three years ago, 89-year-old George Weller drove his car through the Santa Monica Farmers Market, killing 10 people and injuring more than 60. Weller's attorneys argued that it was an accident. But the jury still convicted him on 10 counts of manslaughter.
• Mexico's Obrador Vows to Continue Fighting for the Presidency
  Over four months ago, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador lost the presidential election in Mexico. But Obrador stood before a crowd of tens of thousands on Monday to declare himself the legitimate president of Mexico. He vowed to continue his fight against the official winner, Felipe Calderon.
• Charmin Treats New Yorkers to Clean Public Toilets
  New public bathrooms have opened in Times Square, to the relief of New Yorkers and holiday tourists. They're free, they have waiting rooms with a TV and a fireplace and they have 30 workers on clean-up detail. The rest rooms are sponsored by the toilet-paper company Charmin and will stay open until New Year's Eve.
• Oneida Indian Nation Works to Recover its Language
  In upstate New York, the Oneida Indian Nation is investing profits from its thriving casino into preserving their traditional language. The tribe paid the commercial language school Berlitz to develop a course in its traditional language. Now the Tribe pays its Members to take the class.
• Student Brings 95 Years of History to College Classes
  Kansas college student Nola Ochs, like many of her classmates, will likely do some studying over Thanksgiving break. But unlike them, Ochs can remember the events taught in her history class. She turns 95 tomorrow. Ochs remembers World War I, the formation of the Soviet Union and the fall of the Berlin Wall. Ochs has one semester to go before she graduates. That would make her the world's oldest college graduate.
• Optimism Survives Difficult Conditions at West Bank Stock Market
  There is a stock market in the West Bank town of Nablus. And even though stocks have been down since Hamas took control of the government earlier this year, investors are optimistic.
• Ohio Christmas Display Goes Too Far
  Charlie Palmer has a holiday tradition in Oberlin, Ohio. He lets an artist put demented displays in his store window. Last year the artist built a snowman who was bashing Christmas carolers. Nearby, an excited little boy used his new Christmas chemistry set to make crystal meth. However, Mr. Palmer says this year's display went too far. And though the artist says it was just an effort to provoke thought, the Nazi gingerbread men are coming down.

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