NewsCut

Why do some children survive the very worst life can throw at them and some don't? Quite often, it's one person who gives a damn.
Here are the stories, topics, and guests you'll hear today on MPR News.
In Reggie Deal's family, when someone turns 40, they get to do something big. The Texas native's wife toured the Amazon last year and although the Wyoming resident doesn't turn 40 until next year, they decided if he's ever going to reach his goal of visiting all 30 major league cities in 30 days, this was the year to do it.
We're running out of helium and it's a big deal if you're in the balloon business. What good is a balloon without helium?
Somehow, the nation has made it through a workweek without the old NPR Morning Edition theme. Americans are nothing if not resilient in the face of unimaginable adversity.
You'll want to check the calendar -- spoiler alert: it's 2019 -- while reading the St. Paul Pioneer Press story about a teacher in the city school system who thought it acceptable -- if only for a moment -- to use the 'N word' in polite conversation.
Here are the stories, topics, and guests you'll hear on MPR News on Friday.
The politics of school shootings crowds the memory of kids who die
If Wednesday evening's vigil for a student killed during this week's school shooting in Colorado is any indication, it's no longer possible to mourn gun victims without politicians and activists crowding out the kids.