Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Muslim comedian performs in Minnesota
  Azhar Usman may be the most famous Muslim comedian today. He's back in Minnesota for gigs in Rochester and in Minneapolis, and talked with Tom Crann about to be a Muslim comic.4:44 p.m.
• An intimate show spread over thousands of miles
  This weekend the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis begins presenting a very intimate theatrical experience with just one performer, and one audience member.4:53 p.m.
• Forgotten bag causes security alert at Duluth airport
  Flights were delayed and the Duluth Airport terminal evacuated after an unattended bag was found near a restroom.5:20 p.m.
• Tough economy forces shutdown of Appleton prison
  The shutdown of a private prison in western Minnesota is costing the region hundreds of jobs, business and city revenue.5:23 p.m.
• The Red Pens make their mark on local music scene
  A local indie rock duo is riding a wave of fuzzed-out guitar distortion into the hearts of critics and fans.5:53 p.m.
• Fund set up for families of store shooting victims
  A memorial fund is being set up for the immediate families of three people killed at a Somali-run corner grocery store in south Minneapolis.6:20 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• U.S. To Renew Push For Israeli-Palestinian Peace
  Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is making a new effort to revive peace talks, and the Obama administration's Mideast envoy will travel to the region soon. Clinton said Friday there is a sense of urgency to reach an agreement.
• France Moves To Outlaw Mental Abuse In Marriages
  The proposed law, which supporters say would be the first of its kind in the world, covers every kind of insult, including repeated rude remarks about a partner's appearance, false allegations of infidelity and threats of physical violence. But skeptics say verbal violence is next to impossible to prove, and that the law will clog the courts with "he said, she said" cases.
• Nigerians In U.S. Stunned By Accused Bomber
  Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab's alleged attempt to blow up a Detroit-bound jet on Christmas Day has put Nigerian-Americans on the defensive. Many are anxious not to be perceived as the "new face" of terrorism.
• Tide Of Arab-Turk Tension Rises Amid Water Shortage
  The headwaters of the Middle East's great rivers, the Euphrates and Tigris, originate in Turkey, which controls flow of the waters to the Arab world downstream. A three-year drought has devastated Syria and Iraq, fueling resentment against the Turks.
• Florida GOP Infighting Means Trouble For Gov. Crist
  Conservatives in Florida's Republican Party forced out the party's chairman and are now pledging to block his successor, hand-picked by party leaders. It all spells trouble for Florida's moderate Republican governor and U.S. Senate candidate, Charlie Crist.
• Finding 'Beautiful' Symmetry Near Absolute Zero
  At the atomic level, things can be messy at room temperature — particles tend to jump around. But a group of physicists have found that if you cool things way down, and apply a magnetic field, some quantum particles align in elegant symmetrical arrangements.
• Olympic Hopeful's Dreams Include Beating Cancer
  Not only was Seun Adebiyi a Yale Law School graduate with a pilot's license who overcame a fractured spine; he also harbored Olympic dreams. But after moving to a training center to practice skeleton, a Winter Olympic sport, he was diagnosed with leukemia.
• Jobless Data Highlight Economic Weakness
  Hopes that businesses would ramp up hiring took an unexpected hit in December, as the economy shed 85,000 jobs. Employers are nervous about the fragility of the recovery and remain reluctant to hire.
• Week In Politics Reviewed
  The new unemployment data, the announcement by key Democratic senators that they won't seek re-election and the review of intelligence failures that led to an attempted bombing of a Detroit-bound flight on Christmas Day dominated the news this week. E.J. Dionne of The Washington Post and David Brooks of The New York Times discuss the week in politics.
• Report: DA Eyes Indictment Of Jackson's Doctor
  The Associated Press is reporting that Michael Jackson's doctor will soon be indicted on a charge of involuntary manslaughter for actions that allegedly contributed to the pop star's death last year. Jackson died at his Los Angeles home in June while under Dr. Conrad Murray's care.

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