Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• A conversation with Norm Coleman
  Republican Norm Coleman says he's confident that the issues he has raised in the court challenge of the U.S. Senate recount will be addressed to his satisfaction. He spoke with MPR's Tom Crann about the progress of the trial, and the lengthy process to determine Minnesota's next senator.3:45 p.m.
• Franken waiting, says he's ready to join Senate
  Al Franken said Friday he's frustrated but not bitter that a lawsuit by Norm Coleman is keeping him out of the U.S. Senate. Franken, a Democrat, left little doubt in an interview today that he considers himself the winner of the race.3:52 p.m.
• Fascination with pirates goes back centuries
  Today's pirates are a far cry from the dashing swashbucklers featured in folklore. But despite all the present-day pillaging, Americans hold tight to centuries-old pirate mythology.5:20 p.m.
• Audio slideshow: Fascination with pirates goes back centuries
  The fascination with pirates has continued for centuries. Today, this wonderment is shared by both children and adults.5:21 p.m.
• Savage Aural Hotbed at 20
  Take the driving intensity of Japanese Taiko drumming. Add the rhythmic precision of drum and bugle music. Then place it in a post-industrial setting, and you have Savage Aural Hotbed, which turns 20 this year.5:53 p.m.
• Postcards from Antarctica
  A team from the Twin Cities spent January mapping one of the planet's last frontiers: the dry valleys of Antarctica.6:25 p.m.
• Slideshow: Postcards from Antarctica
  A team from the Twin Cities spent January mapping one of the planet's last frontiers: the dry valleys of Antarctica.6:26 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Jobs Plunge Shows Economy In 'Freefall'
  Nearly 600,000 jobs were cut from payrolls last month and the nation's unemployment rate jumped to 7.6 percent — its highest level since 1992. Economist Mark Zandi says businesses are "panicked. They're fighting for survival and that means they're slashing investment and jobs."
• Memoir Reveals Where 'Ask Amy' Gets Her Advice
  Amy Dickinson, author of the syndicated advice column "Ask Amy," writes about the strong women in her life in her new memoir, The Mighty Queens of Freeville. The youngest in her family, Dickinson says she's "the plankton at the end of the food chain and the advice flows down."
• Henry Selick, Keeping Stop-Motion Moving Ahead
  Stop-motion animation has evolved a lot since the days of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Henry Selick's Coraline, based on the Neil Gaiman classic, pushes the form even further.
• IBM's Project Match Draws Criticism
  IBM's Project Match allows employees facing layoffs to be transferred abroad to countries such as India, Brazil and the Czech Republic to work at local wages. Not all workers are happy, however. Julie Moran Alterio, senior business reporter for The Journal News in the Lower Hudson Valley, offers her insight.
• Experts Analyze Fate Of Stimulus
  President Barack Obama said the situation could not be worse, referring to Friday's abysmal economic and job figures. Obama and Democratic senators are hard at work pushing for passage of the huge stimulus package. E.J. Dionne of the Washington Post and the Brookings institution, and David Brooks of the New York Times offer their insight.
• Is Phelps Being Judged Differently?
  Swimming superstar Michael Phelps has apologized for his behavior after a British tabloid splashed a picture of him toking from a marijuana bong at a college party. Are expectations out of whack for top athletes?
• Where Does Beckham's Departure Leave MLS?
  David Beckham was supposed to single-handedly make Major League Soccer a relevant U.S. sports league when he signed to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy. Now, not even two years after much-hyped arrival, he wants out of Southern California to play in Italy. Sportswriter Stefan Fatsis offers his take.
• Army Suicides At Highest Rate Since 1980
  The Army has released some surprising figures about the skyrocketing suicides sustained in its ranks. Twenty-four soldiers committed suicide last month, the highest since the Army began keeping records. It's also more deaths than were sustained in combat in all branches of the armed forces last month. Gen. Peter Chiarelli, Army vice chief of staff, discusses the numbers.
• Economy Dominates House Democrats' Retreat
  House Democrats were in Williamsburg, Va., Friday, attending the party's annual retreat. Topics usually include the year's legislative agenda, but this year the economic crisis dominated. President Barack Obama criticized Republicans for putting drag on his stimulus plan.
• Daily Kos Founder Blasts Obama Stimulus Approach
  Markos Moulitsas, founder of the left-leaning Web site Daily Kos, says President Barack Obama must do a better job in making the case for the stimulus. He says Obama should work on getting the necessary support instead of focusing on a bipartisan coalition.

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