Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• How Minnesota distributes H1N1 vaccine
  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to provide an update today on the H1N1 flu in the U.S., as well as the distribution of the vaccine for the disease.6:20 a.m.
• Weather with Mark Seeley
  University of Minnesota climatologist Mark Seeley discusses Minnesota weather history and looks ahead to the weekend forecast.6:55 a.m.
• Petters treasurer testifies in fraud trial
  Robert White, who was the treasurer for Petters Company Incorporated, continues his testimony today in the federal fraud trial of Tom Petters. White testified yesterday about his role in the $3.5 billion Ponzi scheme that Petters is accused of running. Investors thought their money was used to buy and sell consumer electronics at a fat profit. But the government says the goods never existed.7:20 a.m.
• Report urges increasing Minnesota's broadband access
  In a report out Friday, a broadband task force appointed by Gov. Pawlenty urges moving Minnesota into the top tier of states when it comes to speed and accessibility.7:25 a.m.
• Unemployment rate hits double digits
  The Labor Department reported today that the U.S. unemployment rate went up to 10.2 percent in October.8:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• 'Men Who Stare At Goats': GIs Use Their Third Eyes
  A quirky comedy based on the true story of "psychic warriors" in the '70s and '80s, Goats stars George Clooney and Kevin Spacey as offbeat officers turned fearsome foes when their hippie leader (Jeff Bridges) goes missing. Critic Kenneth Turan says watching these practiced farceurs at work can't help but provide some laughs.
• Babies May Pick Up Language Cues In Womb
  A new study reveals that the melody of a newborn's cries seems to be influenced by the sound of the parents' native tongue. The findings suggest that crying infants may be imitating the patterns of the language they heard before they were born.
• October Unemployment Rate Tops 10 Percent
  The unemployment rate rose to 10.2 percent in October, the first time it's been over 10 percent since 1983. The economy shed jobs for the 22nd straight month, losing a net total of 190,000.
• Monthly Unemployment Rate Tops 10 Percent
  The Labor Department says the jobless rate hit 10.2 percent in October. That's the first time it's gone over 10 percent since the recession of the early 1980's. The economy shed a net total of 190,000 jobs in October.
• Officials Begin Putting Shooting Pieces Together
  As doctors attend to the wounded and funeral plans are made for the deceased, military officials at Fort Hood, Texas, are piecing together why the alleged gunman shot and killed 13 people and wounded 30 others. Among the things they are looking into: Whether Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan was disturbed by his deployment orders to go to Iraq.
• Karzai Must Kick Out 'Cronies' To Succeed, Kerry Says
  When the main challenger to Afghan President Hamid Karzai dropped out of a planned runoff, it did more than end two months of election disputes. According to Sen. John Kerry, it also gives Karzai a chance to prove his legitimacy — and to become a stronger ally to America.
• Yankees Manager Helps Car Crash Victim
  It was very early Thursday morning when police say a woman crashed into a wall along the Westchester County parkway in New York. A man appeared beside the car to help. It was New York Yankees Manager Joe Girardi. He was on the road that late because the Yankees had just won the World Series.
• Aspiring Driver Passes Written Exam On 950th Time
  Cha Sa-soon needs a driver's license for her business in South Korea. The 68-year-old woman has been trying to pass the written test almost every day since 2005. She has spent more than $4,000 in application fees. Her persistence finally paid off. This week, on her 950th try, she passed. She won't be on the road just yet — she still has to pass the driving test.
• Muslims Worry About Backlash From Post Shooting
  Muslims say what the alleged shooter did at Fort Hood was a brutal, personal act that could not have been committed in the name of Islam.
• Army Post Shooting Leaves 13 Dead, 30 Wounded
  An Army psychiatrist is hospitalized and under military guard, accused in the shooting rampage that left 13 people dead and wounded 30 more at the Fort Hood Army post in Texas.
• 'Big Oil' Returns To Redevelop Iraq's Oil Fields
  In the six years since the U.S. invasion, Iraq's oil production has hardly matched the level under Saddam Hussein. Iraq's oil minister had been harshly criticized, but this week the world's largest oil companies signed multi-billion dollar deals to redevelop Iraq's oil fields. What's most impressive is that the oil minister got the companies to accept Iraq's conditions and terms.
• Why Do Countries Rich In Oil Still Have Poverty?
  This week's Planet Money report deals with what economists call the "paradox of oil." We'll meet two men who work in the African nation of Angola. One is an American, who makes big money in the oil business. The other is an Angolan who sells chewing gum on the street.
• U.S. Insider Trading Probe Widens
  Federal authorities accused the founder of the Galleon hedge fund and five others of making millions of dollars illegally by using insider information to make trades. The six have denied wrongdoing. Authorities have charged 14 more people with insider trading. The suspects are not only from hedge funds but also from large corporations like Intel and IBM.
• Tower Of London Warders Suspended For Bullying
  Two Tower of London Beefeaters have been suspended for allegedly harassing a female colleague. She is the first woman appointed to the post in more than 500 years. The warders, who patrol the fortress on the banks of the Thames, are popularly known as "Beefeaters" because of the rations of meat they were given during medieval times.
• Soldiers Scramble To Aid Fort Hood Shooting Victims
  A gunman, identified as Army psychiatrist Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, allegedly opened fire at the Soldier Readiness Center at Fort Hood, Texas, on Thursday. Thirteen people were killed and 30 wounded. The center is where soldiers get final medical and dental checks before they ship out overseas. Soldiers hurried to rescue the fallen.

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