Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Hydrologist keeping close eye on flooding
  So far, the 2010 flood season has been unusually busy in the Upper Midwest. No one knows that better then Steve Buan, the head hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Chanhassen.7:20 a.m.
• Fargo-Moorhead puts final touches on flood prep
  People in Fargo-Moorhead will spend Thursday putting the finishing touches on sandbag dikes and preparing for the Red River to crest this weekend.7:25 a.m.
• Minn. Senate to vote today on health plan for poor adults
  The Senate is expected to vote Thursday on a compromise plan to preserve state-run health care for more than 30,000 poor Minnesotans each month.7:45 a.m.
• Census data helps genealogists trace family histories
  But those interested in tracing back their family roots look to census data to find out where their ancestors lived, when they were born and in some cases, how they made their living.8:35 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Ad Wars Ramp Up As Health Bill Vote Draws Near
  As health care overhaul legislation winds its way toward the finish line, both sides are working to get their opinions heard. As usual, some use fear and exaggeration to make their claims. How accurate are these 30-second attempts to boil down a year's worth of debate? We decided to put a few to the test.
• Did Blue Cross' Mission Stray When Plans Became For-Profit?
  Anthem Blue Cross of California has become central to the political debate over controlling and regulating health insurance companies. Critics say the company is an example of what happens when federal or state regulators don't or can't control them. California regulators have tangled with Blue Cross for decades but the company has had many reincarnations. From member station KQED, Sarah Varney reports.
• Global Reality Challenges IMF's Free Market Gospel
  In a notable turnaround, the International Monetary Fund recently acknowledged that some developing countries might benefit from controls on capital inflows. IMF research found that countries with such regulations were better equipped to weather recent global economic crises.
• Scholar Says 'Lost' Shakespeare Play Is No Hoax
  Performed in 1727, Double Falsehood was purported to be a "lost" play by Shakespeare. Critics dismissed it as a fake, and it was quickly forgotten. But professor Brean Hammond says the "rattling good yarn" has Shakespearean roots.
• Deaths Revive Cornell's Reputation As 'Suicide School'
  Cornell University is reeling after news of two likely suicides by students in the past week, and four others this academic year. The gorges that run through its scenic campus have too often provided an opportunity for troubled students to end their lives. The university has battled a reputation as a "suicide school." A big effort to address mental health issues in recent years had brought the numbers down substantially.
• Education Secretary: Struggling Schools Can Be Saved
  Education Secretary Arne Duncan appeared before Congress to discuss the administration's proposed changes to the "No Child Left Behind" law Wednesday. Part of the overhaul envisions requirements that school districts assign their most effective teachers to these struggling schools. Duncan seemed confident that these schools can be saved, and that teachers will work in them.
• Dogs Likely Descended From Middle Eastern Wolf
  Scientists have known that modern dogs are descended from wolves, but the specific ancestry hasn't been clear. Now, after analyzing DNA from 85 dog breeds, researchers say that Middle Eastern gray wolves are the likely predecessor of today's pooch.
• U.S. Urges China To Ease Currency Controls
  U.S. officials continue to pressure China over its currency policy. In Beijing Thursday, the U.S. ambassador to China repeated Washington's frustration over Beijing's policy of keeping its currency artificially low in order to boost exports.
• Google Still Threatening To Leave China
  Google has been threatening to pull out of China. Since it was attacked by hackers two months ago, Google said it would no longer cooperate with Beijing's Internet censorship. Loretta Chao of The Wall Street Journal talks to Renee Montagne about whether Google's position is a moral stance or a business calculation.
• Wachovia Settles Money Laundering Case
  Banking giant Wachovia has agreed to pay $160 million to settle a federal investigation into laundering of South American drug money. The deal, announced by the U.S. attorney in Miami, said the bank had laundered the money since at least 2003 using Mexican exchange houses.

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