Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Sara Paretsky revisits 'Bleeding Kansas'
  After writing a string of hard-boiled detective novels featuring private eye V.I. Warshawski, author Sara Paretsky is returning to her roots. Her new novel, "Bleeding Kansas," is set in a small town on the prairie.4:45 p.m.
• Schubert Club hires new director
  The St. Paul-based Schubert Club has named a new executive director, who will fill the position left vacant by the death last year of long-time director Bruce Carlson.4:55 p.m.
• Presidential campaigns gear up in Minnesota
  Now that the Iowa caucuses are over, the presidential campaigns are ramping up their campaign efforts in Minnesota.5:20 p.m.
• Alternative energy plans a boost to wildlife habitat
  Minnesota's natural resource managers say the growing demand for biofuels from the state's forests and prairies will have implications for wildlife habitat, water quality, and other ecological issues.5:24 p.m.
• Not all Minnesota evangelicals back Huckabee
  Not all Minnesota evangelical Christians are sold on GOP candidate Mike Huckabee, but a number of them say they like what they see.5:50 p.m.
• Agency investigating improper use of driver's license data
  The Minnesota Department of Public Safety is disciplining two employees for improperly viewing information in the state driver's license database. The department is mailing letters of apology to those affected.5:55 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Revenge of the Houseplants
  Painter and naturalist Julie Zickefoose tells the story of a couple of houseplants that took over her friend's living room.
• Dismal Jobs Report Puts Pressure on Fed
  The unemployment rate jumped to an even 5 percent in December, and the Labor Department said business payrolls expanded by a weaker-than-expected 18,000. Analysts say the report increases the odds of another interest-rate cut, but the stock market was took a dive.
• Sahara Race Canceled After Tourists' Slaying
  One day before the start flag was to wave, sending teams of race cars heading across the Sahara in the annual Lisbon-to-Dakar race, organizers canceled the event for security reasons after four French tourists were killed in Mauritania, the arid West African nation the race must cross.
• Envoys Work to Quell Kenya's Post-Election Crisis
  Diplomatic efforts to break the impasse between Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and challenger Raila Odinga are in full swing. European ambassadors have been meeting with all interested parties. U.S. envoy Jendayi Frazier is in Nairobi, and even South Africa's Archbishop Desmond Tutu made the rounds.
• Reporters' Roundup from New Hampshire
  NPR reporters traveling with various candidates report from New Hampshire on the first day of campaigning after the Iowa caucuses. We'll hear from Don Gonyea about the Obama campaign, from David Greene about the Clinton campaign, from Audie Cornish covering John McCain, and from Scott Horsley, who is covering Mitt Romney.
• Controversial Salt Lake City Mayor to Leave Office
  One of the most liberal mayors in the country from one of the most conservative states in the nation has left office after eight years. People describe Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson as passionate, fiercely progressive and tenacious. But to others, he's overbearing, combative, even outrageous.
• Subzero Life Goes On in Saranac Lake, N.Y.
  Think you've had a chilly week? While much of the nation has dealt with a real taste of winter, residents of Saranac Lake, N.Y., have been in the deep freeze. Below-zero temperatures are the norm there in winter. But the 33 below zero morning this week had even longtime residents donning their extra-thick long johns.
• Candidates Channel a Prized Thoroughbred
  The presidential election process is sometimes compared to a horse race. John Edwards and Mike Huckabee take the analogy a step further, comparing themselves to a certain celebrity thoroughbred: Seabiscuit.
• Walruses Move Ashore as Arctic Ice Retreats
  Scientists are painting a grim picture of how Pacific walruses were affected by the record ice loss in the Arctic last year. Wildlife managers are calling it a dramatic ecosystem change and trying to figure out what they can do to help the species adapt.
• Can Obama, Huckabee Sustain Momentum?
  Sen. Barack Obama and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee stunned the political establishment Thursday night by placing first in the hotly contested Iowa caucuses. But can these political neophytes sustain their momentum through the next grueling month of primaries?
• Iowa's Caucus Results Get N.H. Voters' Attention
  Now that the presidential candidates are talking to New Hampshire voters, don't expect many references back to corn and Hawkeyes. Voters in the Granite State often insist that they don't care about what happened 1,200 miles to the west. But Thursday night's stunning caucus results have gotten New Hampshire's attention.
• Huckabee: Same Message, New Focus for N.H.
  Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee won Thursday night's Iowa caucuses, the first presidential contest of 2008. Huckabee is the former governor of Arkansas and an ordained Baptist Minister, and it's thought that a strong evangelical turnout at the GOP caucuses helped him.
• Politicians Build Roster for Possible Third-Party Run
  Some big names in politics — Republicans, Democrats and Independents — are getting together to talk about the possible need for a third-party candidate in the presidential election this year. The Bipartisan Conference is set for Jan. 7 at the University of Oklahoma.
• Against the Odds, An Egyptian Alternative
  The band Black Theama combines traditional Nubian rhythms with R&B, hip-hop, reggae and other African-influenced sounds. And with nearly no budget — and no CDs — the band has risen to fame in Egypt.
• Obama, Huckabee Have Media Mastery in Common
  Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee succeeded in large measure because they mastered the media game. Each in his own way charmed the public through the news and entertainment media. That has implications for the rest of their campaign and their political fates.

Services

• Hourly Newscast
• HD Radio
• iPhone App / Mobile
• E-mail newsletters
• RSS feeds
• Podcasts
• Submit your photos
• Videos
• Weather
• Most e-mailed stories

Become a Sponsor