Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Art Hounds
  Each week Minnesota Public Radio News asks three people from the Minnesota arts scene to be "Art Hounds." Their job is to step outside their own work and hunt down something exciting that's going on in local arts.4:44 p.m.
• In Hennepin Co., survey of homeless zeroes in on youth
  All over Minnesota on Thursday, communities were counting the number of people who are homeless. The annual one-day count is required by the federal government.4:50 p.m.
• 'Somalis in Minnesota' a story of war, violence and refuge
  A new book called "Somalis in Minnesota" takes a look at how some of our newest neighbors are settling, and the ways they're contributing to their new home.4:54 p.m.
• Business fights back on Dayton's sales tax plan
  Some Minnesota business leaders say the governor's sales tax proposal is a terrible idea that would hurt the state's economy.5:20 p.m.
• State says Minn. flu outbreak slowing
  Some signs indicate Minnesota's influenza outbreak is slowing, but the state Department of Health isn't yet ready to say that it has peaked. "We still have a lot of influenza activity out there," said the agency's Kris Ehresmann.5:24 p.m.
• World premiere of 'Doubt' opera in St. Paul this weekend
  After life as a Pulitzer Prize-winning play and then an Oscar-nominated film, "Doubt" by John Patrick Shanley will have its world premiere as an opera this weekend in St. Paul. Shanley, who wrote the libretto for the Minnesota Opera production, said it is the most complete telling of his story about a priest accused of impropriety.5:54 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Will Obama Administration Clear Keystone XL Pipeline?
  Now that Nebraska's governor has approved a new route for the Keystone XL oil pipeline, it'll be up to President Obama to decide whether the controversial project will move forward. The State Department is expected to complete an environmental review in coming months.
• Sierra Club: 'Civil Disobedience Is Part Of A Great American Tradition'
  Melissa Block speaks with Michael Brune, executive director of the Sierra Club, about the approved one-time use of peaceful civil disobedience for the first time in the group's history. They will be participating in a climate rally in February in Washington, D.C.
• At Winter Gathering, GOP Asks: Where Do We Go From Here?
  But Republican leaders say there won't be a sudden about-face in policy, despite recent disappointments at the polls. The party is focusing on message, technology and grass-roots organizing at its meetings in Charlotte, N.C.
• Filmmaker Holds Up A Mirror In Interviews With Israel's 'Gatekeepers'
  Dror Moreh's Oscar-nominated documentary, The Gatekeepers, is built around the confessions and ruminations of the six surviving heads of the Shin Bet — Israel's domestic security service.
• John Kerry Lauded At Senate Confirmation Hearing
  Sen. John Kerry appeared before fellow members of his Senate Foreign Relations Committee for his confirmation hearing as the next secretary of state on Thursday.
• Congress Could Limit Senators' Ability To Filibuster
  Senate leaders have reached an agreement to limit filibusters in the new Congress, especially as they relate to presidential nominations. But they stopped short of requiring senators to hold the floor in person and in real time, as the classic filibuster required.
• New York Murder Rate Plummets, But Who Should Get The Credit?
  While Chicago and Detroit are struggling to control rising murder rates, New York City hit a record low number of homicides in 2012. The police commissioner has often pointed to several controversial policing tactics for falling crime, but some analysts say there are many potential explanations.
• Paris' 'Little Bamako' Keeps Keen Eye On Fighting In Mali
  One Paris neighborhood is known as "Little Bamako," named after the capital of Mali. It's a place where Malian immigrants welcome and closely follow the French military campaign against Islamist extremists in their home country. Some express disappointment that President Obama did not send U.S. troops alongside the French soldiers. They reject the harsh Sharia law of the extremists, saying Mali is in fact a very tolerant nation.
• Two Decades On, Vusi Mahlasela Still Sings 'To The People'
  The South African icon's latest release is a live concert recording of his most powerful songs, which capture the spirit of his country's rise from apartheid to democracy.
• SEC Nominee Could Be First Former Prosecutor To Lead Commission
  President Obama has nominated former prosecutor Mary Jo White to head the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). White made her mark in high profile cases against terrorists and the mobster John Gotti. She would be the first prosecutor to head the SEC, and that could blunt criticisms that the administration hasn't been tough enough on Wall Street. But White also advised securities firms as a corporate lawyer after her stint as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

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