Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Hanson steps down from state Supreme Court
  Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Sam Hanson says he's leaving the bench in January to return to his former law firm Briggs and Morgan.5:19 p.m.
• Teacher awarded for 'furthering excellence' in English language learning program
  A teacher in north Minneapolis got a surprise honor Thursday, when she was given a 2007 Milken National Educator Award. Sharon Ornelas teaches English as a Second Language at Patrick Henry High School.5:22 p.m.
• Ethanol industry braces for tough times
  After several years of unprecedented profits, the ethanol industry has taken a downturn. The main problem are low prices for the raw product.5:49 p.m.
• Two sides of the debate over Norwegian consulate
  The Norwegian government said this week is may close down the Norwegian Consulate in Minneapolis, and many people in the area are upset about the plan. MPR's Tom Crann gets both sides of the debate.5:53 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Judge Halts Construction of Border Fence
  A federal judge Wednesday temporarily halted construction of the fence on the border in the federally protected San Pedro National Riparian Conservation Area, saying the government rushed into construction without the necessary environmental and public-comment reviews.
• Manufacturers Pull Infant Cold Medicines
  Leading manufacturers of over-the-counter cough and cold medicines have announced that they are voluntarily pulling infant formulations off the market. The makers of Tylenol and Pediacare say the products should not be given to children younger than 2.
• Teacher Asks for Right to Be Armed in Classroom
  High school English teacher Shirley Katz is suing her school district for the right to carry a concealed weapon to her Medford, Ore., school. Katz says she needs a gun because she fears her ex-husband might try to harm her. She also questions the school's emergency response capabilities.
• Justice Dept. Accused of Partisan Voter-Roll Purge
  Voting-rights advocates see partisan motives behind the Justice Department's aggressive campaign to get states to purge ineligible voters from voter-registration lists. Justice officials counter by pointing to recent efforts to register eligible voters.
• Clinton's Vote on Iranian Army Unit Draws Fire
  The nonbinding resolution that the Senate passed, denouncing the Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization, has become a hot issue on the presidential campaign trail. Hillary Clinton was the only Democratic contender who voted for it, and her opponents are using it to question her judgment.
• Designers Jockey for Spot in 'Architectural Digest'
  For two days in New York, more than 500 home-design devotees, some professionals and some not, line up to show their designs to editors in hopes of being featured in the magazine. Readers will vote for their favorite among the finalists.
• Leading Democrats May Forgo Early Michigan Vote
  When Michigan moved up its primary to Jan. 15, the move ruffled feathers in Iowa and New Hampshire, and as those states push votes in their states even earlier, several leading Democrats are trying to pull their names off the Michigan ballot.
• Baseball Hall of Famer Gets Hispanic Heritage Award
  Tony Perez, a Baseball Hall of Fame inductee, is a recipient of this year's Hispanic Heritage Award. The Cuban-born Perez was sent to the All-Star Game seven times during his years as first baseman for the Cincinnati Reds. He is currently a coach with the Florida Marlins. Perez talks with Robert Siegel about his career in the major leagues.
• Letters: SCHIP, Elizabeth Edwards, Laptops
  Michele Norris and Robert Siegel read from listeners' letters and e-mails. This round features the vetoed children's health — or SCHIP — legislation, an Elizabeth Edwards interview, the annoying click-click of a computer keyboard, Sputnik and the melodious keys of Thelonius Monk.
• Turkey Calls Its Envoy Home After 'Genocide' Vote
  In the wake of a House committee vote to label as genocide the deaths of more than 1 million Armenians at the hands of Ottoman Turks a century ago, Turkey's ambassador to the U.S. was recalled for consultations. He will be gone for a week or 10 days, a foreign ministry official says.
• Two Mosques, Two Different Reactions in Germany
  Simmering conflicts about immigration, integration and Islam in Europe have flared into a debate about whether a big, new mosque should be built in Cologne, Germany. But another large, new mosque an hour's drive away faces little opposition.
• UAW Turns Focus to New Ford Contract
  The United Auto Workers union reached an agreement with Chrysler on a new labor contract after a brief walkout by assembly-line workers Wednesday. The union will now try to reach a new agreement with Ford.
• Strikes Were Once a Powerful Tool for Labor
  At one time, strikes were a powerful tool for organized labor. At the end of the 19th and early 20th century, strikes helped chip away at the all-powerful control business had over workers. Big strikes led to shortages that affected consumers. Coal, steel and other types of strikes enabled labor to get bosses to the bargaining table.
• Today's Impression of the Picket Lines
  People in their 20s and 30s in Seattle, Rome, Ga., and Washington, D.C., talk about their attitudes toward striking workers.
• Rice, Gates Head to Russia to Plug Missile Defense
  U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates go to Russia on Friday to discuss U.S. plans to build part of its missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic. Russia has taken strong exception to the plan, and its military says it will regard the sites as potential targets for Russian missiles. Rice and Gates are expected to repeat earlier assurances by the U.S. that the missile system is not intended to threaten Russia, but as protection from attack by countries such as Iran. Moscow and Washington, however, also have deep divisions about how to deal with Iran's nuclear ambitions. The talks are expected to cover that issue as well.

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