Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• How to solve a family crisis the democratic way
  The child welfare system traditionally diagnoses a family crisis and then tells the family how to fix it. But another model called Family Group Decision Making gives the family in crisis a voice in the decision making process. One family in St. Paul experienced this kind of democracy first hand.6:46 a.m.
• Jerry Wayne produces a bleak view of Los Angeles
  Jerry Wayne knows all about the good and the bad of Los Angeles. As a kid from central Minnesota, he headed west to try to make it in the music business. He saw how some people succeed, but many don't.6:52 a.m.
• Boston Scientific will cut 2,300 jobs
  Medical device maker Boston Scientific plans to cut 2,300 jobs, about 13 percent of its global workforce. It currently employs about 7,000 people in Minnesota. Analysts say sagging sales of the stents and defibrillators the company makes are forcing the cutbacks.7:20 a.m.
• Pesticides touch more than crops
  Environmental groups say pesticide drift needs more regulation.7:23 a.m.
• Duluth meterologist calls storm a Superior Slammer
  Mike Stewart, chief meterologist at the National Weather Service in Duluth, talks about the tradtional gale-force storm.7:48 a.m.
• Dan Wilson enjoys his 'Free Life' in Minnesota
  Minneapolis music veteran Dan Wilson, of Trip Shakespeare and Semisonic, has just released his first solo album. MPR's Cathy Wurzer talked with him about the new album and the song-writing process with collaborators like The Dixie Chicks and Sheryl Crow.7:50 a.m.
• Arts commentator Dominic Papatola on exposure and disclosure
  Some patrons saw a little more of Ian McKellen than they bargained for when the Royal Shakespeare Company visited the Guthrie Theater earlier this month. McKellen's brief nude scene in "King Lear" set some tongues wagging, even though the theater warned audiences in advance. This situation got Morning Edition arts commentator and St. Paul Pioneer Press theater critic Dominic Papatola thinking about how and when theaters should warn audiences about content that some might find objectionable.8:24 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Many Pharmacists Now Administer Vaccinations
  Flu season is approaching, but you may not have to visit your doctor to get a flu shot. Most states now allow pharmacists to provide many vaccines, including flu shots.
• The Birth of the Frito
  The Kitchen Sisters explore the saga of a Texas corn chip and C.E. Doolin, the can-do visionary behind it. Doolin, who envisioned Fritos as a side dish, never imagined anyone would consume an entire king size bag. The story of the Frito is the latest in the "Hidden Kitchens" series.
• U.S. Accused of Poor Help for Iraqi Refugees
  The flow of refugees from the war in Iraq is becoming a humanitarian crisis. Thousands have applied for refugee status in the U.S., but only a trickle has arrived. Critics weigh the moral obligations the United States may have toward displaced Iraqis, especially those who worked with the invading force.
• Who Ate the First Oyster? Cave May Hold an Answer
  The first people to eat shellfish may have been found. Scientists digging in a cave in South Africa uncover evidence of shellfish dinners that date back 164,000 years. Anthropologists say it's evidence of some of the earliest known modern behavior.
• 'Hannah Montana' Star Kicks off Concert Tour
  Miley Cyrus, the 14-year-old who plays Hannah Montana on the Emmy award-nominated show of the same name, stars as the daughter of a country singer who moonlights as a kid rocker. Her 54-date national tour, which sold out four minutes after it went on sale, kicks off in St. Louis.
• Sarkozy's Woes: Workers Strike, Marriage in Crisis
  French President Nicolas Sarkozy confirms he and wife Cecilia will separate, leaving him devoid of an important adviser. Also, public transportation has come to a halt as part of a 24-hour strike by the public sector unions. The strike is in response to Sarkozy's proposed pension reform.
• Democrats' SCHIP Veto Override Not Likely
  House members are set to vote on overriding President Bush's veto of a $35 billion spending increase for children's health insurance, or SCHIP. But Democrats appear about 15 votes short. President Bush has asked three top advisers to negotiate a new deal with Congress.
• Fed Survey Shows Economy Slowing
  New Federal Reserve data shows a slowdown in job growth and manufacturing, as well as signs that the housing slump is still deepening. In the Fed's "Beige Book" survey, businesses say they are worried about their profits. But one thing has held steady: inflation.
• Immigrant Workers Send Billions Home
  The large migration of workers from poor countries to rich, industrialized nations has produced an equally large flow of money in the opposite direction. A United Nations agency says immigrant workers sent home more than $300 billion last year, a number that far outpaces official government aid.
• Oil Refinery Problems Play Role in Prices
  U.S. oil refineries are operating at close to full capacity and are aging, vulnerable, overburdened and very difficult to replace. That means problems at a single plant can have an outsize effect, causing pump prices to fluctuate wildly.

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