Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Initial impact of the Swift raid
  MPR's Cathy Wurzer spoke with Worthington Mayor Alan Oberloh about how the raid is affecting the town.7:25 a.m.
• The big picture on bacteria
  Dr. Michael Osterholm explains what's behind the most recent outbreak of E. coli and how we can avoid becoming infected.7:50 a.m.
• DM&E waits to hear on federal loan
  The Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad could find out as early as next month if it will receive a $2.3 billion loan from the Federal Railroad Administration. The loan would help upgrade existing tracks and lay new line. Is the government loan a sound business decision?7:56 a.m.
• Pawlenty sets Minn. energy goal: 25 percent renewables by 2025
  Pawlenty's plan has already won praise from both environmentalists and business interests.8:55 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Letters to Monet, from Arists and Fans, Go on Sale
  More than 1,000 letters written to Claude Monet are up for auction in Paris. The senders include fellow artists like Renoir, Manet, Cezanne, Degas, and admirers who reached out to "cher Monet." The Artcurial auction house says it expects the letters, many of them previously unpublished, to sell for more than $600,000.
• Evictions Reflect Dark Side of Shanghai Growth
  As Shanghai undergoes a radical facelift, tens of thousands of residents are forcibly displaced from their homes each year. Many say real-estate developers are conspiring with officials to seize property for little or no compensation.
• The Two Faces of the Sports Reporter
  Several years ago, when I found myself the editor of America's daily sports newspaper, The National, I was shocked to learn that I had been chosen as an elector for the Heisman Trophy. As sports writers, we are not only the chroniclers but the gatekeepers, too.
• Communal Housing Cuts Rent Costs in Washington
  With Washington, D.C.'s, rents rising more than twice as fast as the national average, young people are having to get more creative to make ends meet. Communal arrangements are one solution.
• Could Poisoning Be a Regular Russian Political Tool?
  The death of Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian spy, is only one of several suspicious deaths involving Russian government critics. Litvinenko's case is leading some to take a second look at other unusual cases.
• Bush Administration Fights U.S. Dollar Redesign
  The Bush administration asked an appeals court on Tuesday to overturn a judge's ruling that all U.S. dollar bills must be changed to accommodate the visually impaired.
• Managers Fear Employees Working Sick
  During flu season, especially, employers are worried about "presenteeism," according to a survey by CCH, Inc, an employment information provider. The company says a majority of employers fear the impact of workers who insist on coming into work when they're sick.
• Study: Raise Teacher Pay to Improve Education
  A new study by education researchers concludes that the best way to improve the quality of teaching is to pay teachers more. And to pay good teachers even more.
• Speculation Points to United-Continental Merger
  United Airlines is not commenting on published reports that it is considering merger discussions with Continental. Combined, the carriers would become the nation's biggest airline. Speculation about a possible merger drove stock in both companies up, and down, on Tuesday.
• Minneapolis Tries Charging for Faster Road Lanes
  The U.S. government wants the nation's cities to do more to end traffic gridlock. The Department of Transportation points to a successful experiment in Minneapolis, where some commuters can now pay a fee to drive in a free-moving lane.
• Government Raids Net Illegal Immigrants
  Federal law enforcement agents raid meat-processing plants in six states, arresting busloads of employees. They were charged with violations of immigration law and with identity theft.
• Fog Raises Air Pollution Levels in Chinese Cities
  Thick fog has rolled into the north and northeast of China in the last couple of days, raising air pollution levels to near "hazardous" conditions in Shanghai, Beijing and other population centers.
• Iraq's Neighbors Pursue Their Own Regional Policies
  Joost Hiltermann, Middle East project director of the International Crisis Group, talks about the interests that Iraq's neighbors, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Syria, have in the country.
• Truckers Tripped Up by Workplace Smoking Rules
  Ohio voters approved a statewide smoking ban in November that included a ban on lighting up in the workplace. It's now being interpreted as applying to the "workplaces" of Ohio truckers.
• President Looks for Answers to Crisis in Iraq
  President Bush has postponed a speech on his new approach to Iraq until after Christmas. The White House says the President wants more time to seek council from advisors. Meanwhile, new polls show the public's discontent over the war is deepening.

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