Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Curt Ellis meets King Corn
  When Curt Ellis and Ian Cheney left college they both felt they weren't ready for desk jobs. Since they like to eat, they wanted to learn more about where our food comes from. They planted an acre of corn in Iowa and filmed what they learned. The resulting documentary is called "King Corn."4:50 p.m.
• Health report gives details on cancer of Iron Range miners
  Newly released information from the Minnesota Department of Health gives a better picture of the Iron Range miners afflicted with a rare lung cancer.5:20 p.m.
• Mayo Clinic doctors examine sick pork handlers
  Doctors at the Mayo Clinic say they suspect direct contact with pig brains may have caused to the neurological illnesses of workers at Quality Pork Processing in Austin, Minn. Last week the Minnesota Department of Health revealed 11 workers are exhibiting symptoms.5:24 p.m.
• Conference to push for investment in early childhood development
  Some of the best researchers in early childhood development are in Minneapolis this weekend for a conference at the Federal Reserve Bank.5:50 p.m.
• Helene Turnbull writes herself a new job
  A 70-year-old retired high school counselor writes her first play and gets it staged in St. Paul.5:54 p.m.
• After 30 years, an interview with mom
  Community organizer Pakou Hang interviewed her mother, Phoua, who was part of the first wave of Hmong refugees to come to the country. Phoua has now lived in the United States far longer than she lived in Laos and explains her feelings about fitting in here in Minnesota.6:24 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Fresno Church Considers Split from Episcopals
  The Diocese of San Joaquin says the Episcopal Church has abandoned the Christian faith by ordaining female and gay clergy, and by supporting same-sex unions, and that recent efforts by the national church to reach out to conservatives are not enough.
• Bonds Pleads Not Guilty; Lawyer Hints at Defense
  Barry Bonds pleaded not guilty Friday in San Francisco to perjury and obstruction of justice charges. He's accused of lying to a federal grand jury about knowingly using performance-enhancing drugs. As he left the court, his lead attorney spoke to reporters, hinting at an initial defense strategy.
• An Old Engligh Organ Bellows in Rhode Island
  Listener John Marks of Wickford, R.I., presents the sound of a circa-1680 treadle-bellows organ as one of our prize-winning SoundClips segments.
• Weighing Tebow's Heisman Chances and the BCS
  With the fate of this year's Heisman Trophy up in the air, Wall Street Journal sportswriter Stefan Fatsis says the big question is whether Tim Tebow of Florida will be the first sophomore to win the award. As for college football's national championship game, Fatsis says it's an "athletic and public relations fraud."
• A View from Inside the CIA
  Melissa Block talks with New York Times reporter Tim Weiner for a view from inside the CIA. Weiner is also the author of Legacy Of Ashes: The History of the CIA.
• Fallout Grows from Destroyed CIA Tapes
  The CIA says it destroyed videotapes in 2005 of interrogations of terrorism suspects. A contempt of court proceeding over a Freedom of Information Act request would be only one part of the legal fallout. Another aspect is further damage to the credibility of the Justice Department.
• Clinton Walks Fine Line Wooing Female Voters
  Running as the candidate who could be the first female president seems to be helping Hillary Clinton with female voters, but she hardly has a lock on women, and her opponents are fighting hard for a piece of what might be a huge natural base for her.
• Housing Auctions Surge as Foreclosures Mount
  As the number of foreclosures rises, more homes are going up on the auction block. It's not just down-and-out homeowners, but big lenders trying to get rid of property and speculators who couldn't make a good deal.
• Puppets from 1964's 'Rudolph' Get Star Treatment
  In 1964, the puppet-animated Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer premiered on CBS. But few knew it would become a holiday classic. Now a Los Angeles-based puppeteer is helping to preserve two of the show's famous puppets that arrived at her workshop last year.
• In the Winter Cold, Warmth and Light on the Page
  Novelist Geraldine Brooks, poet Robert Hass, Western essayist William Kittredge: from critic Alan Cheuse, an array of books to keep winter's chill and the ever-earlier dark at bay — at least in the circle of light by the reader's chair.
• Chavez Fights Back After Recent Referendum Loss
  Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez surprised many with his graceful public acceptance of the recent defeat of proposed constitutional reforms. But the kinder Chavez didn't last long. By midweek, he lashed out at Venezuela's opposition, and pledged to press forward with plans to expand his power.
• Captain Accused of Misconduct in San Francisco Spill
  The ship pilot on the Asian freighter that crashed into a bridge and spilled thousands of gallons of oil into San Francisco Bay has been formally accused of misconduct. The agency that licenses Northern California ship pilots says Capt. John Cota maneuvered the ship at speeds too fast for conditions.
• Congress Calls for Hearings About CIA Tapes
  News broke Thursday that in 2005, the CIA destroyed at least two videotapes made three years earlier that showed harsh interrogation techniques. Intelligence committee members from both parties say they weren't told about the tapes or about plans to destroy them.
• Responsible Consumers Decry Mortgage Bailout
  The White House plan to help struggling subprime borrowers has an unexpected backlash. It's coming from consumers who say reckless borrowers in trouble should not be rescued. But housing advocates believe subprime borrowers deserve to be helped, because so many were misled by deceptive or fraudulent lenders.
• Daimler to Market Smart Car in U.S. in January
  The Smart car is coming to America. Next month, dealers in the U.S. will begin selling the tiny vehicle best known for slipping into tight parking spaces on the streets of Rome and Paris. The car's maker, Daimler, said high gas prices, crowded cities and concerns about global warming mean the time is right to crack the world's biggest auto market.

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