Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Nearly $200 million, 10 years and CriMNet is incomplete
  Despite a decade of work, Minnesota has not completed a statewide criminal justice information sharing network. Some say the failure compromises public safety and trust in the judicial system.4:50 p.m.
• Star Tribune price reflects tough ad market
  The surprise announcement that the Star Tribune is being sold came with a bit of reverse sticker shock. In 1998, the McClatchy Company paid about $1.2 billion for the Star Tribune. Now, it's selling Minnesota's biggest newspaper for $530 million.5:19 p.m.
• Capitol consensus: More money for schools
  There's one thing everyone at the Capitol seems to agree on for the 2007 legislative session -- Minnesota's public schools will get more money. But it may not be enough for some parents and education groups, who are calling for an overhaul of the way Minnesota funds schools.5:23 p.m.
• After the fire
  From a distance, much of the land affected by the Cavity Lake wildfire looks like it's burned to a crisp. But even in the blackened areas, life is not only surviving, but thriving.6:19 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Students Praise Above-and-Beyond Teachers
  Three students at Curie High School in Chicago share stories of the teachers who mentor them after school. Kirsten Sanders profiles her bowling teacher, Madeline Ramirez. Charles Garcia interviews his TV teacher Noel Occomy, and Phillip Baggett introduces his gospel choir director, Rev. Daniel Garrett.
• Black Execs Describe Obstacles in Film Industry
  It's a mixed bag this holiday season for African-Americans in the film industry. The biggest movie star in the world, Will Smith, is black, and he's one of many black actors in contention for an Oscar this year. But African-American pros in the film industry say that black talent still faces obstacles -- notably an entrenched notion that overseas audiences aren't interested in movies with black casts. There is also a sense that the Academy has an unspoken -- maybe even an unconscious -- quota system.
• East African Fighting Prompts Diplomatic Response
  Diplomatic reaction to the conflict in East Africa has been swift. In the past day, the United Nations, the Arab League and the African Union have all weighed in.
• Ford's Legacy Will Be His Pardon of Nixon
  Senior Correspondent Daniel Schorr reflects on the legacy of Gerald Ford, and perhaps Ford's most infamous act, pardoning President Richard Nixon.
• Small-Town Rule Pits Divers Against Lobstermen
  A small-town controversy in Massachusetts has lobstermen and divers on different sides. The city of Gloucester requires divers to have one floating flag per diver. Divers say it makes moving underwater cumbersome and potentially dangerous. Lobsterman say it's necessary because they don't want to hit any of the divers with their boats.
• Warming May Put Polar Bear on Threatened List
  The Bush administration is proposing that the polar bear be listed as an endangered species. The administration says global warming, pollution and over-hunting are threatening the bear's existence. The polar bear would be the first species listed as endangered because of climate change.
• Amritsar Massacre a Fresh Memory for Last Witness
  Bapu Shingara Singh was in his early 20s when British forces, attempting to quell an uprising, opened fire on a large crowd of unarmed Indian protestors. The 1919 Amristar Massacre was a critical event in India's history. Most of the world has forgotten about it, but it has shaped Singh's worldview.
• PETS Law a Response to Post-Katrina Pet Losses
  After Hurricane Katrina left many pets stranded, lost and dead, Congress responded with the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act, which recently became law.
• Boston Mayor Wants to Move City Hall
  The mayor of Boston wants to sell City Hall and the area around it -- a barren plaza with the distinction of being voted "the worst public space in the world." Mayor Thomas Menino is thinking about moving to a remote site on the South Boston waterfront, but others say City Hall should stay in the center of town.
• Somalia Gov't Gains Ground with Ethiopia's Help
  With the help of Ethiopian air power and ground troops, Somalia's transitional government forces managed to push the Islamic Courts Union from many of the towns they controlled. Government forces are now said to be within 60 miles of Mogadishu.
• The Long Route with New Orleans' Oldest Cabbie
  Commentator Andrei Codrescu lands himself in a cab with an interesting driver who takes the slow way to the airport -- but his stories are so interesting that Andrei doesn't care.
• Ford an 'Underrated' President, Bob Dole Says
  Former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole was President Ford's running mate in the 1976 presidential election. Melissa Block talks with Sen. Dole about President Ford, who he says was an underrated president.
• Error Prompts Question: How Cold Can it Get?
  Wednesday morning, the National Weather Service predicted weekend low temperature for the San Jose area of minus 30,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The forecast is a computer error, and the temperature is physically impossible. But what would those sorts of temperature mean?
• For Your Listening Pleasure: A Dingo That Sings
  Independent producer Larry Massett introduces us to Dinky, the Singing Dingo that Massett encountered while on assignment in the Australian outback.
• Writer Changed His Tune on Ford's Place in History
  Robert Siegel talks with journalist Richard Reeves, author of the book A Ford, not a Lincoln: Or Why There are No Leaders in Washington, in which he was critical of Ford's presidency. Reeves says he later reassessed Ford's time in office and offered him an apology. Reeves says Ford was an ordinary man and a good man, and had a lot of common sense.

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