All Things Considered for February 11, 2010 | Minnesota Public Radio News

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Minnesota Public Radio Stories

No shortage of recruits
The Minnesota National Guard isn't having any trouble recruiting, even though signing up means almost certain combat deployment.3:50 p.m.
Art Hounds
Each week Minnesota Public Radio News asks three people from the Minnesota arts scene to be "Art Hounds." Their job is to step outside their own work and hunt down something exciting that's going on in local arts.4:44 p.m.
Boston Scientific still mum on job cut plan
Boston Scientific officials provided little new information today on plans to slash as many as 1,300 jobs.4:50 p.m.
Pawlenty focuses on jobs in State of State speech
Governor Tim Pawlenty used his eighth and final State of the State speech Thursday to outline a plan for jump-starting the economy through a variety of tax breaks for businesses.5:20 p.m.
Pawlenty wants mayors to manage St. Paul, Mpls. schools
Gov. Tim Pawlenty on Thursday proposed handing control of the Minneapolis and St. Paul school districts over to those cities' mayors.5:24 p.m.
Denny Hecker pleads not guilty to fraud
Former Minnesota auto mogul Denny Hecker has pleaded not guilty to federal fraud charges alleging he operated a multi-million dollar scheme to defraud lenders.5:45 p.m.
No shortage of recruits
The Minnesota National Guard isn't having any trouble recruiting, even though signing up means almost certain combat deployment.5:50 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

Iran Protests On Republic's Anniversary
Iran's president said Thursday the country had produced its first batch of highly enriched uranium. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's claim came on the same day police cracked down on protests by anti-government groups, and on the anniversary of the founding of Iran's Islamic republic.
U.S. Prepares For Afghan Offensive
A major offensive by U.S. Marines in Afghanistan's Helmand Province is expected to begin shortly. Ahead of the offensive, Marines exchanged fire with the Taliban on the outskirts of the Taliban stronghold of Marjah.
Just How Many Terrorists Has The U.S. Convicted?
In defending his decision to prosecute alleged Sept. 11 plotters in civilian court, Attorney General Eric holder cites figures that the U.S. has won more than 300 terrorist convictions. Republicans dispute that number — though it originated with the Bush administration.
Schreiber, Johansson Build A 'Bridge' To A Classic
Liev Schreiber and Scarlett Johansson are starring in a widely praised revival of Arthur Miller's A View From The Bridge. They tell reporter Jeff Lunden that as in all great tragedies, this one's clashes and catastrophes have something of the inevitable about them.
The Case Of A Confidential Informant Gone Wrong
Confidential informants, or people who pose as criminals so they can provide information to the government, have helped crack some major U.S. cases. They operate in a secret, largely unregulated world. But sometimes things go terribly wrong — like informant No. 913, known as Lalo, who stayed on the U.S. payroll even after he was connected to murders.
Plantation Diary Yields Clues To Faulkner's Work
When Emory University adjunct professor Sally Wolff-King was researching her latest book, she came across a plantation diary that bore a strong connection to William Faulkner's novel Go Down, Moses. The names of the slaves in the journal were the same as those in Faulkner's book. Wolff-King discusses the discovery.
A Surprising Record From Gil Scott Heron
Gil Scott Heron is a poet and singer/songwriter known for his politically charged work in the 1970s. Many consider him a forefather of modern rap for the way he merged inner-city poetry and jazzy soul music. He's been out of the spotlight in recent years, but has just released a surprising new record.
Obama Sends Economic Report To Congress
President Obama sent his official economic report to Congress on Thursday, buoyed slightly by a more favorable trend in the weekly jobless claims report. That number went down again this week after rising last week. The report itself details actions taken so far to deal with fallout from the financial crisis of 2008 and restart the economy on a more sustainable basis.
Future Of Senate's 'Bipartisan' Jobs Bill Looks Shaky
Senate Democrats rolled out their latest proposal for creating more jobs on Thursday. Several leading Republicans have endorsed measures in the bill, so for now at least, it's being called bipartisan. But there are already doubts about its prospects.
From Snow States, Tales Of Being Snowed In
Snow-staters think those in the mid-Atlantic are a bunch of whiners. They're used to being pummeled by back-to-back blizzards. They share their "hunkered-down-in-3-feet-of-snow" stories — from a high school with no Farrah Fawcett hair to a father's sanity saved by Kunta Kinte, plus the cunning architecture of Colorado miners, determined to answer nature's call come heck or high snow.