Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Fake products make for real holiday fun
  Maybe you've done this -- packed an inexpensive Christmas present in a box from a high-end retailer. An Eden Prairie graphic designer has taken this disconnect between gift and gift box to another level.4:49 p.m.
• Reservation homelessness survey first in the nation
  The first comprehensive study of homelessness on Minnesota's Indian reservations shows that hundreds of people are homeless or living in overcrowded housing.5:14 p.m.
• Three MnDOT managers discplined over Pitt case
  State officials have disciplined three Transportation Department managers for lax oversight of an emergency manager who stayed out of state after the Interstate 35W bridge collapse.5:20 p.m.
• St. Paul downtown to remain open during convention
  A top police official is promising that downtown St. Paul will remain open and accessible during next year's Republican National Convention.5:24 p.m.
• Minnesota's newest Nobel Laureate receives his prize
  Minnesota's newest Nobel Laureate received his award Monday at a public gathering at the University of Minnesota.5:35 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Putin Gives Support to Medvedev as Successor
  Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his support for First Deputy Prime Minister Dimitry Medvedev to be his successor. Putin's endorsement virtually assures that Medvedev, chairman of gas giant Gazprom, will win the March 2 presidential election.
• The Future of Russia Under Medvedev
  Marshall Goldman, author of the forthcoming book Petrostate: Putin, Power, and the New Russia, talks with Robert Siegel about Dmitry Medvedev, who has received the endorsement of Vladimir Putin for next year's presidential election in Russia.
• Syndication Salesman Roger King Dies
  Roger King, who, along with his brother, was responsible for selling some of the most popular syndicated television shows to local stations, has died. He's probably most famous for persuading reluctant stations to pick up a show by a then little-known host: Oprah Winfrey.
• Leader Criticizes Obama's Black Experience
  A video of civil rights leader Andrew Young has been reverberating online since the weekend. The video shows him remarking that Barack Obama is too inexperienced to be president and that Bill Clinton is "as black" as Obama.
• A Disregard for Constitution and Ethics
  NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr remarks on what he sees as government disregard for constitutional and ethical standards since Sept. 11, 2001.
• Pieta Brown Sticks to Her Roots in 'Remember'
  Singer/songwriter Pieta Brown grew up in Iowa and Alabama, and her songs bear the stamp of her rural past. Her father is renowned folk singer Greg Brown, and the two share a gift for looking askance at contemporary life. Brown's third CD is titled Remember the Sun.
• Surfing Icon Davi Dies Pushing Limits of Big Waves
  Legendary surfer Peter Davi died last week while surfing waves as high as 70 feet off the coast of California. Anthony Ruffo, a surfer who found Davi's body, talks about Davi's legacy and what made him seek out the big waves.
• Landowner Fights Squatter's Rights to Vacant Lot
  Using a legal doctrine known as adverse possession, or "squatter's rights," a judge has awarded a Colorado couple ownership of one-third of a vacant lot in Boulder valued at $1 million. The lot's owner had no idea his lot was being used by the couple and is appealing the claim.
• Aussie Climate Advocate Cheers Howard's Ouster
  Bill McCarg, a wealthy co-founder of Colliers International, supported former Prime Minister John Howard in the past but became a vehement anti-Howard campaigner in the Nov. 24 elections because of climate change. Howard was a climate change skeptic for most of his 11 years in power.
• Nations Plot Modest Climate Goals at Bali Talks
  Representatives of the world's nations have gathered in Bali, Indonesia, to plan how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions after the Kyoto agreement expires. There is growing optimism that the conference will be able to reach its very modest goals.
• Gore Calls on U.S., China in Nobel Speech
  In his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech Monday in Oslo, Norway, former Vice President Al Gore urged the United States and China to face up to the challenges of dealing with climate change or, in his words, "stand accountable before history for their failure to act."
• Allegiances Shift Among Iowa's Evangelical Voters
  Evangelical Iowans talk about the Republican presidential contest and the upcoming caucuses. They say no one contender seems to deliver on the entire package of faith and religious values.
• Move-Out Date Looms for New Orleans' Homeless
  On Tuesday, the state is planning to begin building a fence around a city park that has become an encampment for homeless people. They'll have until Dec. 21 to move out, and that may not be enough time for groups that help the homeless to find them permanent housing.
• Rep. Harman Says She Raised Concerns to CIA
  In January 2003, U.S. Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA) took over as the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee and, as the ranking member, was briefed in February 2003 on the existence of videotapes of CIA interrogations.
• China's Mother River Under Threat
  Over the centuries, the floodwaters of China's Yellow River have claimed millions of lives. Now, the problem has reversed: The river is drying up due to ecological damage, forcing nomadic Tibetans to give up their traditional way of life.

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