Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Franken goes to Supreme Court; voters sue over rejected ballots
  The dispute over Minnesota's U.S. Senate race has expanded. A group of 64 voters filed suit in the Minnesota Supreme Court to have their votes counted. Meanwhile, Democrat Al Franken asked the court to order the governor and the Secretary of State to sign an election certificate declaring Franken the winner over Republican Norm Coleman.5:20 p.m.
• Growing number of dislocated workers presents funding challenge
  Nearly 190,000 people are unemployed in Minnesota, the highest number in a quarter century. Many turn to the state's Dislocated Worker Program to get back on their feet, but the cost of that service is on the rise.5:23 p.m.
• The sound of harps is alive in Red Wing
  Stoney End Harps has sold more than 6,000 harps to musicians around the world.5:54 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• In Bush's Wake, A New Political Landscape
  In a few days, George W. Bush's presidency will come to a close. He leaves the political landscape considerably altered in his wake: The path to the White House is now a grass-roots one, and a once-strong GOP coalition is now shattered.
• CEO: GM Can Be Competitive Amid Restructuring
  At the auto show in Detroit this week, CEO Rick Wagoner tells NPR that General Motors plans to scale back its brands and models, but it will continue to invest in electric cars. "I actually feel confident that GM is going to be very well positioned to compete in the future," he says.
• 'Lost' Literature: Not Just For Desert Islands
  The ABC series Lost may focus on a mystical island, but it's also about larger themes like religious faith and the importance of community — the stuff of memorable novels.
• Clinton Calls For Smart Power
  The Senate Foreign Relations committee has heard from Hillary Clinton, who has been picked to be the next secretary of State. The committee chairman, Massachusetts Democrat John Kerry, promised a "fair and expeditious confirmation process."
• Other Obama Picks Appear At Hearings
  Many other confirmation hearings took place on Capitol Hill Tuesday. Peter Orszag, President-elect Barack Obama's pick for director of the White House Office of Management and Budget; Shaun Donovan, his pick for secretary of Housing and Urban Development; Arne Duncan, his pick for Education Secretary; and Steven Chu, his pick for Energy Secretary, all appeared on Capitol Hill.
• Robinson 'Delighted' To Be Part Of Inauguration
  The first openly gay Episcopal bishop, Gene Robinson, has been chosen to deliver the invocation at Barack Obama's kickoff inaugural event Sunday. Robinson says he doesn't think Obama picked him to balance the selection of evangelical pastor Rick Warren, who angered gay-rights supporters with his support of the ballot measure that banned same-sex marriage in California.
• In Hard Times, Ford Seeks To Win Back Car Buyers
  The Ford Motor Co. has not taken bailout money from the federal government, but it's struggling to stay out of debt. Mark Fields, Ford's president of the Americas, says his company can't be satisfied with being as good as its Japanese counterparts: It has to be better.
• Letters: Auto Show
  Listeners' respond to the coverage of the auto show in Detroit. Melissa Block and Michele Norris read from listeners' e-mails.
• Report: Justice Official Made Politically Biased Hires
  A Justice Department investigation found that a powerful manager who worked in the Civil Rights Division during the Bush administration illegally hired attorneys based on partisan credentials and then lied about his actions to Congress.
• Where Do Detainees Go When Guantanamo Closes?
  President-elect Barack Obama has reiterated his commitment to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Scott Silliman, a law professor at Duke University, says closing the facility may be more complicated than expected.

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