Five at 8 – 11/11/09: Embracing winter

Being the “half full” kind of person I am, let’s start the annual News Cut “Embrace Winter!” theme early this year. The best part about the season? Pretty sunrises — like this morning — happen at a reasonable hour.

On the not-so-much side of things, now that I’ve marked the edges of the driveway for the snow plow, and bagged up the leaves, gassed up the snowblower, and dragged out the winter coats, there was only one thing left to do. Prepare Lucie the Blog Dog for her inaugural winter by trying out doggie snow boots.

This isn’t going to work.

1) Leon Williams of Baudette couldn’t find his way into World War II because he was too old, he told the Grand Forks Herald. Now, he’s the oldest hunter in Minnesota. He’s 100. He won’t be hunting today, however. Wednesday is pinochle day at the senior center in Williams.

2) Has the FBI finally found the connection between some Minneapolis teens and an apparent recruiting operation for insurgents in Somalia? Dutch authorities have arrested a man who may be responsible, MPR’s Laura Yuen reports. The U.S. has asked the Netherlands to extradite the man but a Dutch newspaper says that may come with strings attached, if it comes at all.

How does Al-Shabaab recruit? According to Radio Netherlands, a radio station holds a quiz show with weapons as a prize. “The show’s contestants had to recite passages from the Qur’an and answer general knowledge questions. The winner received prizes including a Kalashnikov, two hand grenades and an anti-tank mine. A lottery with a machine gun and ammunition as the prize was held for the runners up.”

3) We finally know who Carly Simon was singing about in “You’re So Vain.” But … who is it?

4) A new TED video. The science of climate change in four minutes.

As long as we’re into condensation, here’s the decade in 7 minutes:

OK, but just one more. Here’s Colbert in 60 seconds:

5) It had to happen sooner or later. A popular Twitter account ends up as a TV show. We’re waiting on a name, however. The current one isn’t going to work.

Bonus: How news smart are you? This Pew quiz reveals that most people can’t handle relatively easy questions about the news (they’re not as hard as the occasional News Cut Quiz). Yeah, I got all 12. Bottom line: The more schooling you got, the more you know about current events. The older you are, the more you know about current events. And most people with less than a high school education don’t know who Glenn Beck is. (h/t: Dave Gamble)

TODAY’S QUESTION

Today is Veterans Day, when the United States pauses to recognize the contributions of those who have served in the military. What’s the best way to honor veterans for their service?

WHAT WE’RE DOING

Midmorning (9-11 a.m.) – First hour: U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander proposes that a 3-year undergraduate track would save money for students, universities, and the U.S. government alike. Some critics are concerned that shortening college will limit exploration, and leave no room for error.

Second hour: Mary Karr has described the writing her first memoir, “The Liar’s Club” as a scalding experience. Her third and latest memoir talks about her burning need for sobriety and belief in God.

Midday (11 a.m. – 1 p.m.) – First hour: Studio guest is Minnesota native Richard Moe, retiring president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Second hour: MPR documentary, “The Vietnam Tapes.”

Talk of the Nation (1-3 p.m.) – First hour: Political Junkie Ken Rudin looks ahead to the most interesting races in 2010, and the president of NARAL Pro-Choice America talks about her fight to remove the “anti-choice” provision from the final version of a health care bill. Hmmm. Only one side of that story, NPR?

Second hour: NPR’s Washington editor and health policy correspondent each

explain what is actually in the bill and its political prospects in the Senate.

All Things Considered (3-6:30 p.m.) – Jonathan Hamilton of NPR reports from Afghanistan on a unit that’s lost 11 soldiers already, just three months into a year-long deployment.

Jason Beaubien looks at why illegal immigration in the U.S. is dropping.