Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• 'Medi-scare:' Behind the sinister fundraising mailers sent to Minn. seniors
  Many senior citizens in Minnesota and around the nation are the target of fundraising mail. Tax-exempt political groups pledging to protect Medicare and Social Security send out sinister, sometimes false, missives asking for money.4:23 p.m.
• Art Hounds
  Each week Minnesota Public Radio News asks three people from the Minnesota arts scene to be "Art Hounds." Their job is to step outside their own work and hunt down something exciting that's going on in local arts.4:45 p.m.
• Feds crack child porn case with Minn. vacation photo
  Federal investigators used vacation photos to crack a child pornography case in Minnesota, which led to the arrest of an Illinois woman who's now serving a 25-year sentence in federal prison.4:49 p.m.
• Water main breaks in downtown Minneapolis
  A water main break at one of the busiest intersections in downtown Minneapolis is causing low water pressure for some downtown residents and businesses.4:54 p.m.
• Some optimism among Minnesota members as Congress reconvenes
  When the 113th Congress officially convened today, the big question on the minds of many Democrats and Republicans was whether the new Congress will be more productive than the last one.5:21 p.m.
• Closing of Macy's St. Paul leaves big hole; opens new opportunity for downtown
  Downtown St. Paul will soon have a big hole to fill. Macy's announcement today that it will close its St. Paul store by the end of March will leave the city with 360,000 square feet of vacant retail space. The city's business and political leaders are confident they will be able to fill it -- but with what?5:25 p.m.
• 'Medi-scare:' Behind the sinister fundraising mailers sent to Minn. seniors
  Many senior citizens in Minnesota and around the nation are the target of fundraising mail. Tax-exempt political groups pledging to protect Medicare and Social Security send out sinister, sometimes false, missives asking for money.6:20 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• After Sandy, Can The Jersey Shore Come Home Again?
  The Jersey shore is a part of the region's culture that inspires nostalgia. But post-Superstorm Sandy, there are questions about how to rebuild the places special to many and who should pay. "Is it going to look like what people remember from their childhoods? The answer is no," one mayor says.
• White House's 'We The People' Petitions Find Mixed Success
  The retro way to get the attention of the White House was to write an op-ed in a high profile newspaper, lobby Congress, or maybe even stage a march on Washington. Today all you need to do is click a few buttons. In 2011 the White House created a petitioning website called "We the People." Petitions that gather 25,000 or more signatures within 30 days receive an administration response. After more than a year in operation, Audie Cornish checks in with Jim Snider, a Harvard fellow who studies democratic reform in the information age, about the site's effectiveness.
• Transocean To Pay $1.4 Billion In Gulf Oil Spill Settlement
  The owner of the Deepwater Horizon rig where 11 men died in April 2010 has agreed to pay criminal and civil penalties to resolve Justice Department allegations over its role in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
• Drought Puts The Squeeze On Already Struggling Fish Farms
  The year's dry, hot weather forced aquaculturists to spend a lot more to keep their fish healthy and fed. For US catfish farmers, though, already suffering from competition with Asia, the drought has been an especially hard blow.
• Increased Payroll Taxes Pinch Some Middle-Class Families
  Even though Congress struck a last-minute deal to avoid the fiscal cliff, taxes are still going to go up for millions of Americans in the new year. That's because payroll taxes are scheduled to revert to where they were in 2010. Most workers will see an increase of 2 percent, which could mean up $100 less each month for some families.
• Wind Industry Secures Tax Credit, But Damage May Be Done
  Uncertainty over the credit had lingered for a while, causing the industry to put off long-term planning. So while the now-approved tax credit revives prospects for an industry facing tens of thousands of layoffs, don't expect to see many new turbines coming up soon.
• Father Or Sperm Donor? Kansas Case Says Distinction Comes From A Doctor
  A Kansas man who donated his sperm to a lesbian couple is now being pressed by the state to pay child support. Robert Siegel talks to Tim Hrenchir of the Topeka Capital-Journal, about the case. He has been covering it for the newspaper.
• You Can't See It, But You'll Be A Different Person In 10 Years
  People generally fail to appreciate how much their personality and values will change in the years ahead — even though they recognize that they have changed in the past, according to fresh research.
• E-Vote Hiccups Delay Oscar Balloting
  A new online option was meant to make things easier for Oscar voters — but widespread reports of difficulties have prompted the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to extend the deadline.
• After Suspenseful Vote, Boehner Recaptures House Speaker Seat
  Ohio Congressman John Boehner held onto his gavel after winning re-election as speaker of the U.S. House. Many conservative Republicans had been unhappy with Boehner for going along with the recent fiscal cliff compromise, but in the end most voted for him.

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