Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Housing slump affects all segments, even retirees
  The housing slump can mean big problems for older folks hoping to fund their retirement by selling their house.6:50 a.m.
• Farm bill will influence food shelf future
  The slow-down in passing a new Farm Bill has left increasingly needy food shelves and food stamp recipients in the lurch.7:20 a.m.
• Biomass power plant planned for Minneapolis
  It is unusual to build a power plant right in the middle of a city. This one would be fueled by wood chips.7:24 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Home from India, a Reporter Still Moves to Its Beat
  Laura Sydell's driver during her trip to Mumbai had a favorite tune: "Ganpat," from the Hindi film Shootout at Lokhandwala. Sydell confesses that she can't get the bouncy, mildly naughty song out of her head.
• GOP Presidential Debate Somber
  The Republican presidential candidates faced off for the final time in Iowa before the state's influential caucuses next month. The candidates were subdued and positive during the debate, despite the highly contentious race.
• Women Have Backbone for Pregnancy
  Scientists confirm that men don't have the backbone to handle pregnancy. Women do because of the unusual construction of their lower lumbar vertebrae. As the fetus gets bigger, women are actively extending their spine, moving their upper body backward, and increasing the curve of the lower spine.
• Merck Recalls Children's Vaccine
  Merck issues a recall on the common children's vaccine Hib, which guards against meningitis, pneumonia, and other serious infections. It's routinely administered to babies beginning around two months of age. The recall covers about 1.2 million doses of the vaccine distributed since April.
• Fed Puts Up Billions for Auction
  The Federal Reserve's move to infuse money into the banking system is getting mixed reviews. The plan aims to ease anxiety among banks afraid to lend to each other because so many have taken hits from the U.S. mortgage meltdown.
• ABA Lauds Albert Gonzales
  Maybe on the theory that any publicity is good publicity, the Journal of the American Bar Association has chosen Albert Gonzales as its "Lawyer of the Year." The journal emphasized the former attorney general was not the best lawyer. But Gonzales did make the most news in 2007.
• Man Drinks Pints of Liquor Ahead of Flight
  A man in Germany was ordered to get rid of his liquids before boarding a plane. So he chugged his two pints of vodka, and nearly died of alcohol poisoning. Then, a woman in Santa Barbara, Calif., drove into a city Christmas tree that's 50-feet tall.
• San Francisco Ties Building Codes to Climate Change
  San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom proposes some of the most ambitious new building codes based on the highest standards of "green" design. It's the latest move in a trend among local politicians are looking for ways to fight climate change with local regulations.
• China Softens Stance on Emissions at Bali Meeting
  China appears to be more positive about supporting a framework that will require it to cooperate in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. China is one of the world's biggest polluters and is under pressure to agree to changes at the U.N. Conference on Climate Change in Bali, Indonesia.
• Report: Head of Goldman Sachs to Earn $70M
  The head of investment bank Goldman Sachs is expected to make $70 million this year, according to the Financial Times. The bank did manage to escape this year's mortgage crisis virtually unscathed. And Goldman's 29,000 other employees will earn on average: $360,000.
• Film, TV Writers Strike Talks at Impasse
  The contract talks between the striking screenwriters and the production studios are ground to a halt. The latest round of contract negotiations collapsed Friday, and the prospect of the two sides coming to an agreement in the near future seems increasingly dim. The strike began Nov. 5.
• Iowans Not Overwhelmed by Presidential Candidates
  Iowa is taking a long, late look at prospective presidents in debates intended for candidates to elaborate on issues Iowans care most about. The Republicans led the debates with a serious discussion of debt and taxes. Many Iowans still haven't settled on a candidate to support.
• Baseball Report to Reveal Steroid Use
  Some of Major League Baseball's prominent active and former players will be linked to the use of banned performance-enhancing drugs. They will be named in a 300-page report based on former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell's investigation on doping in baseball.
• FDA Weighs Statin Drug Sales
  Statin drugs that lower cholesterol have become popular. Merck, which manufactures the statin drug, Mevacor, thinks its product is safe enough to be sold without a prescription. An advisory committee for the Food and Drug Administration will meet to discuss whether that is a good idea.
• British Military to Relinquish Basra to Iraqi Troops
  British military forces are set to formally hand control of Basra to the Iraqi. It will be mostly ceremonial, since Iraqi soldiers and police effectively took control of the province months ago. British and American officials are hoping to replace their military aid with economic and political assistance.

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