Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Outdoors, arts amendment heads to ballot
  Minnesota voters will decide this fall whether to raise the state sales tax to benefit the outdoors and arts.5:19 p.m.
• Bernanke's pessimism
  Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said that the economy would grow at a "sluggish" pace.5:24 p.m.
• U of M hopes to fund another stadium-sized building project
  University of Minnesota officials unveiled details of a $290-million financing plan for a major biomedical research facility today at the state capitol.5:50 p.m.
• Revisioning the suburbs
  The American suburb has been revered as a middle class utopia. It's also been ridiculed as a vast expanse of architectural monotony and social conformity. The truth is more complex.5:53 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Gunman Opens Fire on Northern Illinois Campus
  A gunman dressed in black opened fire in a large lecture hall Thursday afternoon on the campus of Northern Illinois University in Dekalb, killing five people and wounding sixteen others — and fatally shooting himself. The gunman has not been identified.
• House Votes to Hold Bush Aides in Contempt
  The House votes to hold White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten and former White House counsel Harriet Miers in contempt of Congress, setting up a constitutional showdown with the White House. They were cited for contempt in July after they refused to testify about whether eight U.S. attorneys were fired for political reasons.
• Medill Student Tracks Dean's Anonymous Sources
  Last year, the dean of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University used anonymous quotes in two articles in the alumni magazine. Medill senior David Spett found the anonymous quotes odd and went searching for the students who wrote them. He was not able to find them.
• Bush, House Democrats Face Off on Wiretapping Bill
  President Bush says the House needs to finish a bill governing U.S. eavesdropping on the phone calls and e-mails of suspected terrorists. The current law, the Protect America Act, expires this weekend, and the president says he won't approve another extension of it.
• What Happens If Protect America Act Expires?
  In August, Congress passed the Protect America Act, which granted the Bush administration legal authority to spy on Americans' communications overseas without individual warrants. That law expires Saturday, and Congress is deadlocked on a bill to replace it. President Bush says to delay is dangerous, but many intelligence experts disagree.
• Wisconsin Voters Will Ignore Party Lines for Primary
  With so few candidates left in the presidential race, the Wisconsin primary Feb. 19 feels more like an actual election. In the town of Bloomer, many voters are not sure which candidate they'll support — or even in which party's primary they will vote. The gathering spot, the Main Street Cafe, is rife with political debates.
• Pentagon Plans to Shoot Down Broken Spy Satellite
  The White House has ordered the military to shoot down a malfunctioning U.S. spy satellite that is expected to crash to Earth in the next three weeks. The decision was made after the Pentagon determined that the satellite could pose a health risk if it hits a populated area. But the chances of it hitting a person are miniscule, so why destroy it?
• Police: Gunman Kills Students, Self at Ill. University
  A man armed with a shotgun opened fire in a lecture hall on the campus of Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. Police say the gunman is dead from a self-inflicted gunshot. At least four others are dead and a dozen wounded.
• Putin Repeats Threats in Final Presidential Address
  Russian bombers have been buzzing U.S. aircraft carriers in the past few days, and Moscow is threatening to point missiles at European countries. On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin repeated his threats in his final annual news conference as president.
• Democrats' Economic Plans: So Close, So Far Away
  Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama both outlined their economic proposals this week. The Democratic presidential hopefuls have different tunes, but they're singing from the same hymnal.
• Romney Backs McCain for GOP Nominee
  Despite an impressive resume and the millions of dollars he spent out of his own pocket, Mitt Romney failed to win the Republican nomination for president. Now the former Massachusetts governor is endorsing Sen. John McCain and having his delegates swing behind him as well.
• Homework Survey Shows Teacher-Parent Divide
  A new survey found a big disconnect between teachers and parents when it comes to homework. One in four teachers rated the quality of their homework as "excellent." But one-third of parents rated the quality of homework "fair to poor." Parents also complained that homework takes up too much time and deprives their children of sleep.
• Letters: Politics, Melancholy, Vets, Joan Rivers
  Melissa Block and Michele Norris read from listeners' responses to our coverage of New Mexico's Democratic contest, our remembrance of one of the last American veterans of World War I, and the book Against Happiness: In Praise of Melancholy. We also hear mixed reaction to the comedy of the one and only Joan Rivers.
• A Valentine's Day Salute to Suburban Dads
  Amid all the claims for romantic prowess being peddled by film stars, rock stars and flat-bellied bachelors, the real superheroes of the bedroom go largely unacknowledged. Essayist Pat Dunnigan sends a Valentine to hardworking suburban dads.
• Alternative 'Commie' High Mellows with Time
  Community High School has been an alternative to traditional high schools in Ann Arbor, Mich., since 1972. Early on, the school attracted a lot of slackers. Now, rebelliousness is carefully channeled into work. And the school is more popular than ever.

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