Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Bemidji clinic hopes to ease dental access crisis
  Finding dental care is tough in rural Minnesota, especially if you're on medical assistance. But there's a new facility in Bemidji that will help.6:20 a.m.
• Painting the beauty and ambiguity of the Iraq war
  Soldiers who've experienced the war in Iraq say no matter how many images people see of the conflict, they can never truly understand what it's like. Knowing this, one Minnesota painter is still seeking to get closer to the truth.6:50 a.m.
• Lessons taught through Thanksgiving side dishes
  Thanksgiving is just a couple days away, and that means cooks are busy planning and preparing the food that will be served. When commentator Peter Smith sits down for his feast on Thursday, he will think of his mother and the lessons she taught him through her selection of side dishes.6:55 a.m.
• Both campaigns claim frivolous challenges in recount
  Minnesota's U.S. Senate race recount enters its sixth day Tuesday, with Republican incumbent Norm Coleman still holding a narrow lead over Democratic challenger Al Franken.7:20 a.m.
• Faking foreclosure a dangerous gamble, say advocates
  With bailouts in the news these days, some homeowners who aren't facing foreclosure are asking: "What about me?" Pretending you're in distress when you don't really need help could land you in trouble.7:40 a.m.
• Fire-safe cigarettes to be mandated in Minnesota
  A new state law takes effect Dec. 1 that advocates say could substantially reduce the number of home fires in Minnesota. Cigarettes are the leading cause of those fires and starting Monday, cigarettes sold in Minnesota must be "fire-safe."7:45 a.m.
• Future Tense with Jon Gordon
  Bad economy means cheap computers8:20 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Jhumpa Lahiri's Struggle To Feel American
  Nationality, tradition and belonging: The themes of Jhumpa Lahiri's fiction spring from the complexities of the author's own life. Born to Indian parents in London and raised in Rhode Island, Lahiri says she's struggled for four decades to feel like she belongs in America.
• Economic Crisis Dampens Gulf Building Boom
  The international economic turmoil is beginning to be felt in the oil-rich Persian Gulf states, where a massive building boom is being supported by migrant workers from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Some wonder how the countries might handle large numbers of unemployed expatriate workers.
• Devastated Georgia Begins To Rebuild After War
  Three months after the armies of Russia and Georgia clashed in the breakaway region of South Ossetia, Georgians are beginning to come to terms with their disastrous military defeat. Reconstruction projects are under way, but Georgians remain uneasy.
• Sex Booms, But Traditional Views Prevail In Russia
  Despite wild swings in stereotypes about sex — from the supposedly puritanical days of the Soviet era to today's designer-clad mistresses and wild parties — Russians' opinions about sex and marriage remain surprisingly traditional.
• Fed Readies $800 Billion To Boost Lending
  The Federal Reserve says it will buy up to $600 billion in mortgage-backed assets in another attempt to deal with the financial crisis. The news comes as the Fed also said it will lend up to $200 billion to the holders of securities backed by various types of consumer loans.
• Fed Unveils Two Programs To Get Credit Moving
  The Federal Reserve and Treasury Department introduced two programs Tuesday designed to get credit moving again. The government is buying up to $600 billion in mortgage-backed assets. Also, there is a $200 billion consumer loan program to help unfreeze the market that backs consumer debt like credit cards and auto loans.
• Obama Campaign Supports Senate Candidate In Ga.
  The U.S. Senate race in Georgia will be decided next month in a runoff election. Democratic challenger Jim Martin is running against Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss. Neither candidate got the necessary 50 percent of the vote on Nov. 4. Voters — especially African Americans — turned out in huge numbers on Election Day. Martin tells Steve Inkseep that he's doing his best to keep the momentum from Barack Obama's victory going.
• Breaking Into An ATM Harder Than It Sounds
  Police say a man in Leavenworth, Kan., wanted to steal an entire ATM. It weighed 3,000 pounds, so he drove it away in a skid loader. To try to crack open the machine, he dropped it over a 50-foot embankment — and the skid loader also fell. Police arrested the injured man at the bottom.
• Shoppers, Sellers Rediscover Consignment Shops
  For some shoppers, an alternative to buying new is buying second-hand. Consignment shops also offer an opportunity for clothes horses to sell some of their wardrobes. Shoppers who normally might walk by a consignment shop are now stepping inside.
• Detroit's Big 3 May Car Pool On Next D.C. Trip
  It was not good public relations when U.S. auto executives took corporate jets to Washington to beg Congress for federal bailout money. Over the weekend, NBC's Saturday Night Live poked fun at them in a car pooling skit. The skit may not be that far from the truth. There apparently is some discussion in Detroit of the auto executives taking a caravan to Washington the next time they ask for money.
• Treasury Program To Make More Credit Available
  Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is expected to unveil another plan to boost financial markets. According to reports, Paulson will announce Tuesday that he's setting up a program to boost consumer lending — like auto loans and credit cards.
• Beijing Not A Fan Of 'Chinese Democracy'
  The Chinese government has spoken out against the new album by Guns N' Roses. The rock group calls it Chinese Democracy. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman says, "As far as I know, many people don't like this kind of music."
• Holy Land Convicted Of Funneling Money To Hamas
  A Muslim charity and five of its former leaders have been convicted in Dallas of giving more than $12 million to support the Palestinian militant group Hamas. The Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development was found guilty of all 108 charges.
• Osama Bin Laden's Ex-Driver To Return To Yemen
  The Bush administration is expected to send Osama bin Laden's driver home to Yemen. In August, Salim Hamdan was convicted of helping al-Qaida. He will complete his sentence next month with credit for time served. Hamdan is held at the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and there was speculation that the U.S. would try to keep him there indefinitely.
• Obama Economic Team Rolls Up Its Sleeves
  President-elect Barack Obama says bold action is needed to "jolt" the economy and save millions of jobs. He's urging Congress to pass a major job-creating stimulus bill. He also named key leaders of his economic team Monday.

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