Regional news from the KBIA newsroom, including:

• Ballot initiative would increase renewable energy in Missouri
• Language studies more than doubles enrollment in Missouri public schools

Cheri Ghan hosts: Dr. Nancy Cheak-Zamora, assistant professor, School of Health Professions Department of Health Sciences, will discuss transition services for youth with autism.

The number of Missouri students taking foreign languages is on the rise – with enrollment in foreign language classes doubling over the past 20 years. But the increase isn’t being driven by education policy, finds KBIA’s Chris McDaniel in this report.

New polls — both in Iowa and nationwide — show front-running GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich losing his edge. Over at the New York Times' blog FiveThirtyEight, Nate Silver's latest forecast shows Ron Paul taking the lead in Iowa.

Hospitals across the country are trying to clamp down on frequent readmissions in anticipation of new penalties Medicare is readying. But it's a bigger problem at hospitals that treat lots of low-income patients.

Good morning.

Our early headlines:

-- Blizzard Pounds Great Plains, Northeast May See White Christmas.

-- Kim Jong Un's Ascension Is 'Being Cemented For Him'.

There was a 9.3 percent rise in "housing starts" last month vs. October, the Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development just reported.

"Single-family housing starts in November were at a rate of 447,000," the agencies say. "This is 2.3 percent above the revised October figure of 437,000." The really big increase was in construction of buildings with five or more living units. Starts in that category were up 32.2 percent.