Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• High-tech camera will take crop photos from space
  When the Space Shuttle Endeavour blasts off just before 7 p.m. Friday night, it will be carrying a powerful camera that's designed to help farmers in the upper midwest.4:45 p.m.
• Minn. board may act on voided absentee ballots
  The head of a key board in Minnesota's unsettled Senate election says the panel might hear a dispute over whether to reconsider some rejected absentee ballots.5:15 p.m.
• Safety board faults design flaws in bridge
  The National Transportation Safety Board has closed its investigation into the I-35W bridge collapse. The board ruled that the gusset plates on the bridge were not designed properly and also found that MnDOT had not adequately overseen the bridge's design.5:20 p.m.
• Sheriff Fletcher stands by actions during RNC
  Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher was a controversial figure during the Republican National Convention in St. Paul. Fletcher's critics call him a cowboy who seeks the limelight, but he says he's just concerned about public safety.5:50 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Letters: Naked Cyclist
  Many listeners criticized the interview with naked cyclist Bobby Hammond of Portland, Ore.
• Wildfire Prompts Evacuations In Calif.
  Thousands of people are evacuated and more than 100 homes are destroyed by a raging wildfire in the wealthy California coastal community of Montecito near Santa Barbara. It's a celebrity enclave filled with multimillion dollars estates and ranches belonging to the likes of Oprah Winfrey.
• In Fla., Election Decided By Toss Of A Coin
  Elections don't get any closer than the race for Riverwood Community Development District Group Four Supervisor in Charlotte County, Fla. After a manual recount found the two candidates tied, the race was decided by a coin toss. The loser of the coin toss, Walt Powers, talks about the election.
• Retail Sales Record Sharp Fall
  Retail sales fell sharply in October. It was the fourth straight month in which overall retail activity declined. The October decline of 2.8 percent looks worse than it actually is, however. Take out gas prices, which are declining, and retail sales decline 1.5 percent.
• G-20 Nations Seek Global Economic Fix
  Twenty nations responsible for 90 percent of the world economy meet this weekend to grapple with the global financial crisis. The leaders will begin the process of coming up with a new approach to international financial regulation.
• Week In Sports Reviewed
  Sportswriter Stefan Fatsis talks about the college football season. Alabama and Texas Tech are strong candidates for the championship game, and president-elect Barack Obama has weighed in about the faults of the Bowl Championship Series rankings.
• FSU Defensive Back Rolle Balances Sports, Books
  Pre-med student Myron Rolle had the unusual choice of either playing in a big game next Saturday or attending the final interviews for a Rhodes scholarship. He talks about balancing sports and academics.
• Persian Gulf States Feel Effects Of Downturn
  The booming Emirates of Dubai and Abu Dhabi are still filled with the sound of construction, but there are signs the vaunted Gulf economy isn't as financially bulletproof as some had predicted. Analysts say oil-producing Gulf states will not be able to ignore the global downturn.
• Ex-Envoy: Keep U.S. Troops In Iraq Until 2011
  Rend Al-Rahim, executive director of the Iraq Foundation, says Iraqi politicians are more comfortable with a longer timeframe for U.S. troop withdrawals than the plan proposed by President-elect Barack Obama. She says a timeline that has troops leaving in 2011 is more feasible.
• Investor Sees Riches While Others See Toxicity
  Barry Silbert sees the potential for profit in toxic assets. He wants to use his company, SecondMarket, as a place where would-be buyers and sellers can get together to settle on a price for collateralized debt obligations and all those other hard-to-value asset-backed securities.
• On Craigslist, Inauguration Fever Spikes D.C. Rents
  With hotels sold out across Washington for the inaugural festivities, many Washingtonians are offering up their homes for rent on Craigslist. The Web site might be the place to find a cheap futon, but not Jan. 20 rentals.
• As Economy Slows, Green Business Frets
  Capital-intensive green-energy projects are scrambling to adapt to a harsh new reality of tight credit, cash-poor investors and falling oil prices. Entrepreneurs are worried their industry may repeat the boom-bust cycle that followed the Carter administration.
• Iraq's Drama: An Easier Sell On The Stage?
  Iraq-war movies always seem to flop: Stop Loss, Redacted, Rendition, In the Valley of Elah — all were box-office disappointments. But several plays about Iraq have been hits. Why does Iraq work on stage but not on screen?
• Iran Poses Early Challenge For Obama Presidency
  The Obama administration faces a Rubik's Cube of policy problems in Iran, including Tehran's nuclear activities, its hostility to Israel, its role in Iraq and Afghanistan, its support for Hamas and Hezbollah and the nature of the Islamic Republic itself.
• FDIC, Treasury At Odds Over Use Of Bailout Money
  The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has laid out the details of its $25 billion plan to fight foreclosures. The Treasury Department is still opposed, however, to using the bailout funds for the plan. It's not clear that Congress is ready to force Treasury's hand.

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