Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Man receives first artificial and portable heart in Minn.
  Alvin Carter left St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester today with a lifeline strapped to his back. Inside a backpack is a portable device that keeps the artificial heart in Carter's chest beating.3:49 p.m.
• Minnesota Sounds & Voices: Dean McFarlane, last in a line of stone carvers
  Dean McFarlane is a 10th-generation master stone carver. His great-grandfather started the Minneapolis-based family stone carving company in 1916. But the line ends with McFarlane: There are no family members waiting in the wings to become master stone carvers.3:54 p.m.
• Mpls. dad charged after 1 son kills another
  Hennepin County prosecutors have charged a Minneapolis man with two felony counts for allegedly leaving a loaded handgun within reach of his children. His 4-year-old son accidentally shot and killed his 2-year-old brother.4:50 p.m.
• Rybak won't seek 4th term as mayor of Minneapolis
  Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak said Thursday that he will not seek a fourth term as head of Minnesota's largest city. He said that after 11 years on the job, he and his family were seeking more balance in life. He added that he does not know what he will do after he leaves office.5:20 p.m.
• Growth slows in demand for food help
  Food stamps, food shelves and subsidized school lunches all grew to new highs in Minnesota in 2012, but the pace slowed from previous years.5:24 p.m.
• Q&A with 'Birdchick' Sharon Stiteler
  Now that we're officially into the winter, we wondered how Minnesota's birds are faring — the ones that stick around.5:50 p.m.
• Minnesota Sounds & Voices: Dean McFarlane, last in a line of stone carvers
  Dean McFarlane is a 10th-generation master stone carver. His great-grandfather started the Minneapolis-based family stone carving company in 1916. But the line ends with McFarlane: There are no family members waiting in the wings to become master stone carvers.5:55 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• With Fiscal Cliff Looming, Washington Scrambles For Deal
  Audie Cornish talks with NPR's David Welna about the latest on negations to avert the so-called fiscal cliff.
• Federal Government Prepares For Uncertain Landing After 'Fiscal Cliff'
  If Congress and the president can't reach a deal, budget cuts will go into effect next week. But most agencies won't be hit right away. The biggest planning headaches seem to be for payroll companies and others who deal with taxes — as they wait to see if automatic increases happen Jan. 1.
• An Abundance Of Extreme Weather Has Many On Edge
  It was the warmest year on record and brought a series of extreme weather events, from wildfires and floods to drought and a devastating derecho. Polls show a big jump this year in the number of people connecting such disasters with climate change.
• Orphans In Middle Of Russian Political Dispute With U.S.
  U.S. adoption advocacy groups are appealing to Russian President Vladimir Putin not to sign a law that would bar adoptions by Americans. More than 60,000 Russians have been adopted by Americans over the last two decades, and more than a thousand are now in the process of being adopted. Russian lawmakers proposed the ban to retaliate over a measure by the U.S. Congress to impose visa bans on Russians accused of human rights violations.
• Gerard Depardieu's Tax Flight Stirs Fierce Debate In France
  The film actor is moving to neighboring Belgium to avoid a new 75 percent tax on the superwealthy. This has touched off a war of words with the prime minister, and the public seems deeply divided.
• Journalists Thrust Into Heart Of Gun Story
  Coverage of the gun control story has become hypercharged since the shootings in Newtown, Conn. Even journalists such as David Gregory and Piers Morgan have become part of the story.
• Shootings Leave Sandy Hook Survivors Rethinking The Odds
  The probability that an individual will experience a school shooting may be low. But when the improbable happens to you, where do you find comfort?
• Birds Hang Around Mistletoe For More Than A Kiss
  Mistletoe figures prominently during the holidays, offering some holiday cheer and an excuse to steal a kiss or two. But researchers found that removing mistletoe from an Australian forest also caused large numbers of birds to leave.
• In January, A Boomlet Of Season Premieres And New TV Shows
  Audie Cornish talks to Eric Deggans, the TV and media critic for the Tampa Bay Times, about TV shows starting up in January.
• E-Books Destroying Traditional Publishing? The Story's Not That Simple
  Conventional wisdom says e-books are destroying the traditional publishing business model. But the story's not that simple. For one thing, flexible pricing allows publishers to hold what amount to one-day-only sales on any given title — which means more people will discover that book.

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