Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Rep. Bachmann 'not ruling out' bid for president
  Republican U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann is not denying that she's considering a run for president in 2012.4:44 p.m.
• At Medicaid order signing, Dayton gives critics podium
  Gov. Mark Dayton's signing of an order expanding the federal Medicaid program in Minnesota wasn't a surprise. The surprise came from how he handled a rowdy group of people who showed up to protest.4:49 p.m.
• Stakes high for mining projects with Dayton's DNR pick
  Gov. Mark Dayton is expected to announce soon his choice for Commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources. The stakes are particularly high in Northern Minnesota where controversial new mining projects pit water quality against the promise of new jobs.4:54 p.m.
• Rep. Paulsen: Transparency, economy focus for GOP
  Rep. Erik Paulsen said Wednesday that the new Republican majority in the House will focus on transparency and the economy.5:19 p.m.
• Rep. Walz on coming back to Congress in the minority
  As Rep. John Boehner and the Republican Party takes control of the House in the 112th Congress, MPR News checked with 1st District Democrat Rep. Tim Walz.5:23 p.m.
• Twins' Bert Blyleven elected to baseball Hall of Fame
  Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven have been elected to baseball's Hall of Fame.5:50 p.m.
• A remembrance of WWII resistance fighter Reidar Dittmann
  Reidar Dittmann, a retired professor at St. Olaf College in Northfield who was a prisoner at a German concentration camp during World War II, is being remembered by friends as a man committed to helping people marginalized by society. Dittmann died recently at the age of 88.5:54 p.m.
• Today's Question: Should an editor change a classic novel to keep from offending modern readers?
  A Mark Twain scholar plans to release a new edition of "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" without the N word. Today's Question: Should an editor change a classic novel to keep from offending modern readers?6:27 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Training And Trust: Partners On The Flying Trapeze
  When your job is to soar and somersault 45 feet above the ground, you really have to trust your co-workers. As part of NPR's series on creative partnerships, Elizabeth Blair talked with "flier" Andrey Shapin and "catcher" Sergei Philippenko, two trapeze artists in Cirque du Soleil.
• Boehner Takes Gavel As New House Gets To Work
  Ohio Republican John Boehner was elected Speaker of the House on Wednesday, as dozens of new Republican lawmakers swarmed the Hill with their families -- and the House got down to the business of changing its rules and reining in spending.
• What Lies Ahead For The 112th Congress?
  As the 112th Congress begins, Robert Siegel checks in with two representatives we first met four years ago -- Republican Peter Roskam from the Chicago suburbs, and Democrat Gabrielle Giffords from Tucson. Each talks about what they see as their party's agenda in the new Congress, in particular on the subject of health care.
• Lawmakers Talk Bipartisanship; Will It Last?
  Republicans and Democrats in the House of Representatives talked Wednesday about working together in this new Congress to get the nation's business done. How long will this honeymoon last? Michele Norris talks with co-host Robert Siegel, who's spending the day on Capitol Hill.
• Landmark Coal Mine Safety Enforcement Case Settled
  The Labor Department's use of its toughest enforcement tool has resulted in a court-supervised settlement with coal mine giant Massey Energy, giving the federal court jurisdiction over Massey's Freedom Mine.
• The Many Lives Of The 'Death Panel'
  Though the Obama administration recently deleted a reference in regulations to end-of-life planning during annual physicals for Medicare patients, it's still legal for physicians to talk with patients about care when faced with a terminal illness.
• Senate Democrats Seek Changes To Filibuster Rules
  There's a proposal in the Senate to change rules surrounding the filibuster. Democrats are looking to weaken the minority party's ability to use legislative roadblocks. Host Michele Norris gets an explanation of the proposals from NPR Washington Editor Ron Elving.
• Obama Picks New Nominee For Legal Counsel's Office
  The White House has nominated Virginia Seitz to lead the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel, after another nominee stepped aside. If she is confirmed, Seitz will run a unit that became famous for approving waterboarding and other harsh interrogation methods in the Bush years.
• Mobile Money Revolution Aids Kenya's Poor, Economy
  For the past several years, millions of Kenyans have been using their cell phones as mobile bank accounts. They pay bills, buy goods and send money to family members -- all by mobile phone.
• Letters: Supernova Sleuth; Gerry Rafferty
  Listeners weigh in on our interview with 10-year-old Kathryn Aurora Gray, the youngest person ever to discover a Supernova; and our remembrance of singer and songwriter Gerry Rafferty, who died this week at age 63. NPR's Michele Norris and Robert Siegel read from listeners' e-mails.

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