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

• 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.
• Preserving Memory of Afghanistan's Giant Buddhas
  When the Taliban were driven from power in 2001, they left behind a broken country and an infamous act of destruction: reducing to rubble two monumental Buddhas that had stood for 1,500 years. Now some people are proposing to rebuild at least one of the giant statues.
• 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 The Artcurial auction house says it expects the letters, many of them previously unpublished, to sell for more than $600,000.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Indiana Governor Aims to Privatize Social Services
  Indiana's governor thinks farming out government services is a way to reduce costs and increase efficiency. He's already privatized a state highway. Now he's looking to privatize a large portion of the state's welfare, food stamp and Medicaid services.
• 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.

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