Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Obama inspires black Minnesotans
  You have to wonder what Martin Luther King would say. Forty years after Dr. King's death, for the first time, a black man has a real shot at the White House. What does Barack Obama's candidacy mean to African-Americans in Minnesota?5:23 p.m.
• MLK Day job fair draws thousands
  Economists and politicians are worried about the economy. Minnesota's state economist said last week that the state is in a recession. Congress is debating a possible stimulus package. What do these uncertain economic times mean for African-Americans?5:51 p.m.
• Grandma's Marathon defending champ killed in Kenyan violence
  Grandma's Marathon organizers in Duluth, Minn., reported Monday that two-time men's champion Wesly Ngetich was killed during ongoing violence in Kenya.5:55 p.m.
• Pawlenty announces human rights office for St. Cloud
  St. Cloud is getting a state human rights office.6:20 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Antebellum Town a Record of Black Experience
  While many African-American communities in the South dissolved after the Civil War, the residents of Flat Rock, Ga., clung to the land of their ancestors. Today, the town is working to preserve its history as a rare, surviving example of the black experience.
• Trees Lost to Katrina May Present Climate Challenge
  Hurricane Katrina destroyed hundreds of millions of trees. As those trees decay, they're emitting tons of carbon dioxide, new research shows. And that makes them part of the climate-change problem that makes intense storms like Katrina more frequent.
• In Search of 'The Perfect Scent'
  In his new book, The Perfect Scent, Chandler Burr follows the developments of two perfumes: one by actress Sarah Jessica Parker; the other by French perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena. Burr is perfume critic at The New York Times.
• GOP's Giuliani Hopes for a Breakthrough in Florida
  Florida is next on the Republican presidential program, and all of the big names are arriving ahead of the vote a week from Tuesday. But one major GOP contender has been working the state all month, counting on a breakthrough there to overcome the influence of the early contests: former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.
• Obama Leads Polls Ahead of Pivotal S.C. Primary
  A debate Monday night in Myrtle Beach, S.C., features Democratic presidential hopefuls Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John Edwards. Five days before the Democratic primary in South Carolina, Obama leads in polls, having overtaken Clinton's early substantial lead. Black voters are expected to cast half or more of the ballots in Saturday's primary.
• Examining the Presidential Nominating Process
  Political commentators EJ Dionne of the Washington Post and David Brooks of the New York Times talk with Melissa Block about the state of play in the presidential nominating process.
• Insurers Try to Calculate Risks of Climate Change
  Before Hurricane Katrina came along, U.S. insurers didn't consider climate change when they assessed the risk of events like floods. Now they're factoring in a changing world, and it's costing consumers in places like New Orleans.
• Passionate Politics Prompt a Warning to Democrats
  The Congressional Black Caucus Institute is hosting a Democratic Presidential Primary Debate on Martin Luther King Day. Commentator Mary Curtis, a columnist for the Charlotte Observer, says that while she's pleased to see so much excitement about this presidential race, too much "passion" could have unexpected consequences for the Democratic Party.
• Musician Andy Palacio of Belize Dies at Age 47
  Andy Palacio, a musician and cultural icon in Belize, died Saturday. Through his music, Palacio sought to preserve the culture of the Garifuna people — descendants of shipwrecked slaves who settled on the east coast of Central America.
• Atlanta MLK Ceremony Dips Into Presidential Politics
  "Action — not words" was the unofficial theme of Monday's commemoration of the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. at Ebenezer Baptist Church, attended by hundreds of dignitaries. Two former Arkansas governors were there: Mike Huckabee and former President Bill Clinton.

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