Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Stimulus saved special ed jobs in Minn., for now
  The $200 million in federal stimulus funding for special education in Minnesota has mainly been used to maintain what was already there.3:54 p.m.
• Renewed calls to remove gray wolf from federal protection
  The growing number of gray wolves in Minnesota and other north central states is fueling a backlash against the predator, which is still protected under federal law.4:41 p.m.
• Critics challenge Pawlenty's business tax cut plan
  The budget plan Gov. Pawlenty released this week proposes a series of tax cuts which Pawlenty says will help improve the state's job climate -- and continues the decades-long debate over whether cutting taxes really does lead to more jobs.5:06 p.m.
• Dolan takes first steps toward new term as police chief
  Members of the Minneapolis City Council have accepted Mayor R.T. Rybak's nomination of Tim Dolan to serve another term as police chief. But not all of them are ready to support the chief for another term.5:44 p.m.
• Stimulus saved special ed jobs in Minn., for now
  The $200 million in federal stimulus funding for special education in Minnesota has mainly been used to maintain what was already there.5:50 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Bomb Bid Throws Nigeria Into Terrorism Debate
  An NPR News Investigation: Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the young man charged with trying to blow up a plane on Christmas Day, came from predominately Muslim northern Nigeria. Analysts say the area could be an incubator for extremism as Islamic fundamentalism spreads among a population facing inequality and opposed to U.S. foreign policy in Muslim nations.
• Hiring Delay After Recession Not Unusual
  Companies are doing more temporary hiring, and employees are working longer hours. But as long as employers remain skittish, the recovery will likely be weak. Companies won't add permanent jobs until they see demand growing, economists say.
• Story Of Book-Writing Coma Patient Debunked
  Rom Houben became famous for supposedly communicating his innermost thoughts through a trained facilitator after doctors initially concluded that a car accident had left him in a vegetative state. Now, Houben's doctor says those reports appear to be false.
• An Ailing Man Fears Breaking His Borrowed Heart
  Dr. Charlie Kleinman got a heart that had belonged to 17-year-old Marc Dawson in a transplant two years ago. Kleinman says he "couldn't stop thinking about the poor family and the poor kid," but he couldn't find the courage to reach out to Marc's grief-stricken parents. That struggle only became more complicated when he learned he was facing death yet again.
• To Stop A Mosquito, Scientists Follow The Nose
  Mosquitoes use their sense of smell to find human victims. In many parts of the world, a mosquito bite brings more than just an itchy bump — you can get malaria, a sometimes deadly disease. Researchers are looking at the odors that attract mosquitoes in hopes of using that information to ward off the disease-carrying insects.
• Mekong Divides Different Worlds In 'Golden Triangle'
  On opposite sides of the Mekong River, Laos and Thailand also found themselves in different camps after the communist takeover of Laos in 1975. Legacies of that era still affect the countries today in Southeast Asia's "Golden Triangle," as Thailand thrives and Laos struggles to catch up.
• Unification Church Woos A Second Generation
  Mass weddings have long been a hallmark of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church, but the practice may soon come to an end. Facing dwindling numbers, the church is trying to go more mainstream to appeal to young prospective followers — including letting them choose their own spouses.
• Accused Christmas Bomber Listened to Music, Slept
  A Michigan college student who sat next to Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab on a Detroit-bound flight on Christmas Day says the accused terrorist's actions suggested he was in over his head. Jay Howard says that Abdulmutallab mostly slept and listened to music during the flight and seemed surprised when asked about the smoke that apparently came from under his blanket.
• Letters: Ram's Head
  An interview Tuesday about a dispute between a Florida high school and the automaker Chrysler spurred many listeners to write, and most took opposite sides. Some felt Chrysler was unfairly forcing the school to stop using it's ram's head logo, which is identical to the company's Dodge logo. But others took a different position. Melissa Block reads listeners' letters.
• U.N. Eyes Improving Sanitation In Haiti's Capital
  Aid agencies in Haiti are taking steps to reduce the risk of epidemics that could sweep through the densely populated tent camps in Port-au-Prince. Their goal: to improve sanitation. The U.N. says it wants to install 25,000 pit privies around the capital. As of now, the number is closer to 1,000.

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