Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Lawmakers turn up heat on MnDOT's financial problems
  DFL lawmakers continue their scrutiny of the Minnesota Department of Transportation. MnDOT's finances and decisionmaking were the focus of two more legislative hearings Thursday.4:44 p.m.
• Craig vows to stay in office even after judge denies his motion to withdraw guilty plea
  A Hennepin County judge has denied Sen. Larry Craig's bid to withdraw a guilty plea, in a Minneapolis-St. Paul airport sting operation to catch men soliciting sex in public bathrooms.5:20 p.m.
• Brave New Worlds of art
  The Walker Art Center's latest exhibition celebrates a world filled with unique points of view.5:50 p.m.
• Ian McKellen portrays King Lear, the crowning of a stage career
  Ian McKellen, one of the most acclaimed Shakespearean actors, says for most of his career, the role of King Lear was almost unapproachable. But now McKellen earns raves for his portrayal of the tormented king. He performed the role at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis in October.5:54 p.m.
• Sputnik and the beginning of the space age
  On the 50th anniversary of the Soviet launch of the Sputnik satellite, Midday examines its historical and political role in starting the global space race.6:23 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Oversight in Iraq Projects Has Proven Difficult
  Provincial reconstruction teams across Iraq were supposed to answer concerns over ill-conceived projects, bureaucratic confusion, and lack of oversight. But it has been difficult just getting to the job site.
• Clarence Thomas Takes a Chance on Memoir
  Essayist John McWhorter reviews Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' new book, My Grandfather's Son: A Memoir.
• Track Olympian Reportedly Admits to Steroid Use
  Track superstar Marion Jones has admitted to using steroids, according to a letter obtained by The Washington Post. In the letter, Jones says she took a steroid nicknamed "the clear" before the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, where she won five medals.
• 'Kite Runner' Delayed Out of Fear for Actors
  Paramount has decided to delay the opening of the movie Kite Runner. The studio is working to get the kids who were featured in the movie and their families out of Afghanistan because of fears that they will be harmed.
• Pressure Mounts for Karzai and Reconciliation
  Afghan President Hamid Karzai told world leaders at the ongoing U.N. conference in New York that he is doing everything he can to end the Taliban insurgency, including setting up a commission to deal with reconciliation. His critics say he hasn't done enough.
• Hefty Vacations Limit Iraqi Soldiers' Training Time
  Iraqi soldiers get one week off for every two they work, while Americans get two weeks off a year. A U.S. general admits it's difficult to persuade Iraqi officers to postpone Iraqi army vacation so their troops can take part in U.S. military operations.
• Sputnik Left its Mark on the Silver Screen
  All Things Considered film critic Bob Mondello examines Sputnik's impact on the silver screen.
• Myanmar Monks Retreat Amid Crackdown
  As the crackdown against pro-democracy demonstrators continues in Myanmar, the monks who led last month's protests are now keeping a low profile. Many are fleeing to Myanmar's border with Thailand.
• White House Reacts to Interrogation Claims
  The Bush Administration is trying to damp down Congressional reaction to Thursday's New York Times report that the Justice Department approved violent torture techniques for detainees held by the United States.
• Memos Reportedly Authorized Harsh Interrogation
  The New York Times reported Thursday on two secret memos in which the Justice Department approved of "harsh" interrogation tactics for terrorism suspects — authorization that came as the Bush Administration was publicly denouncing torture.
• New Report Fuels Confusion About Women, Fish
  A new report out Thursday further confuses the advice to women about how much fish they should consume, particularly during pregnancy. The group's advice to eat more fish puts it at odds with current government recommendations.
• 1957 Was the Year of the Icons
  Robert Siegel revisits 1957, a year that somehow managed to generate many musical, cultural and scientific icons: West Side Story, The Music Man , Waiting for Godot, Bridge on the River Kwai, Sputnik and more.
• Craig Vows to Keep Seat after Judge Rejects Bid
  Idaho Republican Sen. Larry Craig said Thursday that he intends to keep his seat until his term ends 15 months from now. A Minnesota judge on Thursday rejected Craig's bid to withdraw his guilty plea to misdemeanor disorderly conduct stemming from his arrest in a Minneapolis airport bathroom.
• Latest Incident Turns Attention to Blackwater's Past
  Last month's shooting incident in Baghdad involving employees of Blackwater USA has spurred interest in other incidents involving the private security contractor. Employee Andrew Moonen was accused of killing a bodyguard assigned to an Iraqi vice president. He was fired but has not been prosecuted for the killing.
• Reported Cases of Sexual Assault in Military Rise
  Since 2002, a nonprofit group has received 976 reports of sexual assault from military women serving in the area that includes Iraq and Afghanistan. That number is growing. Meanwhile, little punitive action has been taken against assailants.

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