Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• All sides agree on go-slow approach to HPV vaccine
  Some advocates of mandating the new cervical cancer vaccine for girls won't push the legislation this year, after the state's Health Department released a report suggesting more screenings and education instead.4:49 p.m.
• Candidates sweeping through state before Tuesday caucus
  Four presidential candidates have now planned stops in Minnesota over the next few days, ahead of Tuesday's political caucuses. The latest to announce her plans is Democrat Hillary Clinton, who will be here Sunday.4:53 p.m.
• Poll: Molnau gets low marks as MnDOT chief
  A new Minnesota Public Radio News/Humphrey Institute poll shows that those Minnesotans who know of Carol Molnau disapprove of the job she's doing as transportation commissioner by a nearly 2-1 margin.5:16 p.m.
• Bridge investigation: Six months of digging but few answers
  The NTSB has examined the collapsed 35W bridge for six months. The answers to what caused the collapse are still another six months away.5:21 p.m.
• Pawlenty proposes lifting moratorium on new nuke plants
  The governor released part of his preliminary action plan on climate change on Friday.5:49 p.m.
• Food prices rise and families try to cope
  The price of dairy products has risen more than 13 percent over the last year. The price of meat is up more than 5 percent. If you've been to a grocery store or restaurant lately you've seen the jump in food prices -- the steepest rise since 1990.5:54 p.m.
• Mr. Sulu boldly goes to join the Minnesota Orchestra
  George Takei says as he travels the world, people always recognize him and smile. Better known as Star Trek's Mr. Sulu, he's in the Twin Cities to host a Minnesota Orchestra concert of science fiction music.6:24 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Employers Review Hiring Plans as Economy Slumps
  A sharp slowdown in the economy has many employers reconsidering their hiring plans for the coming year. Many are caught in a quandary, not knowing whether the slowdown is temporary or just the start of an extended slump that would make hiring unwise.
• Poor Payroll, GDP Reports Add to Recession Fears
  January jobless numbers did nothing to improve the nation's economic outlook. Business payrolls fell by 17,000 last month. Recession fears were already mounting because of another report this week that came in weaker than expected: The nation's gross domestic product expanded at an annual rate of only 0.6 percent.
• Suicide Bombers Kill Dozens in Baghdad Markets
  A pair of female suicide bombers struck at crowded pet markets in Baghdad on Friday, killing at least 64 people and wounding about 80 others. It was the deadliest day in the Iraqi capital in months.
• Millions of Muslims Rest in Najaf's Valley of Peace
  The cemetery in the Iraqi holy city of Najaf, called the Valley of Peace, holds the remains of millions. It's the coveted final resting place for Shiite Muslims from around the globe. The site is considered auspicious because it is next to the tomb of Imam Ali, the Prophet Muhammad's son-in-law and the man Shiites believe to be his true heir.
• Colleges Fight Calls to Dip Further Into Endowments
  Congress wants universities to spend more of their endowments to reduce tuition costs, but colleges say their costs vary a great deal from year to year, and they can't hand out money. Analysts say universities are caught up in a spending binge and feel no incentive to reduce costs.
• Police Bust Kidney Scam Targeting India's Poor
  Police in India have uncovered an illegal kidney transplant racket in which hundreds of poor laborers were duped or forced into giving up their organs for wealthy Indians and foreigners. Several such operations have been discovered in India, but the scale of this one is described as unprecedented.
• Microsoft Bids for Yahoo in Effort to Gain on Google
  Microsoft has made a $44.6 billion bid for Yahoo, an aggressive move by the software giant to gain market share on the Internet and compete with Google. Microsoft and Yahoo have talked about merging for years. This time, a hostile but very rich offer could seal the deal.
• Microsoft Eager for Share of Online Ad Revenue
  Microsoft has plenty of reasons to want to acquire online giant Yahoo — 80 billion reasons, in fact. Online ad revenues are expected to double by 2010, reaching $80 billion, and Microsoft is eager to get into the game — if for no other reason than to slow rival Google's historic growth.
• Minnesota Among States Outside Election Spotlight
  On the verge of Super Tuesday, the presidential hopefuls are turning their attention to the states with big delegate counts, such as California and New York. But what about the other states? Will the candidates spend time in Kansas or Idaho or Arizona — or Minnesota?
• Where the Candidates Stand on Illegal Immigration
  As part of our series on issues leading up to what has become a national primary on Super Tuesday, Robert Siegel talks with Carrie Kahn about the presidential candidates' positions on immigration.
• The Woolworth Sit-In That Launched a Movement
  Franklin McCain, one of the college students who sat at a whites-only Woolworth lunch counter to protest segregation in 1960, talks with Michele Norris. The sit-in sparked more economic boycotts during the civil rights movement.
• Defense, Manning Boost Giants' Super Bowl Odds
  New England is looking to be the second NFL team to finish an undefeated season with a Super Bowl win, and New York entered the playoffs as a wild card entry, so the game is statistically unbalanced. But the strength of the Giants defense and quarterback Eli Manning could be something to watch Sunday.
• Vegas Counts On Big Numbers for the Big Game
  Super Bowl weekend will draw upwards of 300,000 people to Las Vegas, perhaps more than the number of attendees in Phoenix for the actual game. Casinos are hoping bettors will place $1 million on their tables on Super Bowl-related parlays alone, not to mention money spent on the usual games available in Las Vegas.
• Curbing Computer Viruses: A Lesson from Sex Ed
  Commentator Aharon Rabinowitz says we create human viruses when we forward to all of our friends every virus warning that comes our way — and that does nearly as much damage as the potential virus itself. Often these are false alarms, anyway.
• Top San Diego School Accused of Grade-Fixing
  One of the highest ranked charter schools in the nation is trying to salvage its reputation. An audit found evidence of grade inflation, allegedly encouraged by the school's founding principal.

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