Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Arts 101: What do you want to know?
  Have an arts related question you've always wondered about, but have been too embarrassed to ask? Never fear, "Arts 101" is here!3:48 p.m.
• Albert Lea: The manufacturing meltdown
  In Albert Lea, the pain of the manufacturing slump is acute. That sector has lost nearly 43,000 jobs in Minnesota since the start of the recession -- more than any other major industry. With a heavy reliance on factory jobs, Albert Lea's jobless rate topped 11 percent earlier this year.4:50 p.m.
• Supporters say they're ready to back Rybak for governor
  Mayor R.T. Rybak won his third term in Tuesday's election and some speculate he is poised to launch his 2010 campaign, but even though he's been acting like a gubernatorial candidate for several months, he says he's not in a hurry to officially enter the race.5:20 p.m.
• Petters team tries to turn recordings to advantage
  Attorneys defending Tom Petters in his fraud trial are highlighting recordings made by a government witness, in which company officers appear to wonder how much Petters knows about the scam.5:24 p.m.
• Iowa native recalls capture during Iran hostage crisis
  Iowa-native Kathryn Koob worked at the Iran-America Society 30 years ago when militant Islamic students stormed the embassy in Tehran and with support from the Iranian government, 52 Americans were held hostage for 444 days.5:40 p.m.
• Minn. counties planning vaccinations clinics for kids
  Minnesota counties are ironing out the final details on public vaccination clinics for kids that could begin as early as Nov. 16. The doses will only be available to children aged 9 and under.5:50 p.m.
• Four more flu deaths reported, school outbreaks wane
  Four more deaths have been linked to the flu in Minnesota, but the number of schools reporting outbreaks dropped considerably in the past week, health officials said Wednesday.5:51 p.m.
• Peace puppets get to the heart of theater's mission
  The story of a simple monk trying to promote peace during the Vietnam war might seem an unlikely subject for a puppet show. Yet the performers in "A Path Home" at the In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theater say in many ways their show gets to the very roots of what they do as an organization.5:54 p.m.
• Albert Lea: The manufacturing meltdown
  In Albert Lea, the pain of the manufacturing slump is acute. That sector has lost nearly 43,000 jobs in Minnesota since the start of the recession -- more than any other major industry. With a heavy reliance on factory jobs, Albert Lea's jobless rate topped 11 percent earlier this year.6:20 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• An Irrepressible Tribute To Charlie Poole
  The hard-living Poole sold 102,000 copies of a song in 1931. His work has been covered by the likes of Jerry Garcia, The Chieftains and Tom T. Hall. Nevertheless, Poole remains obscure. Singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III means to change that with a two-CD tribute to Poole called High Wide & Handsome.
• With Eye On Local Issues, Democrat Wins N.Y. Race
  For all the national interest in the congressional special election in upstate New York, it was Bill Owens' focus on local issues that made the difference. The Democrat won the seat that had been a safe Republican stronghold for more than a century.
• Radar Reveals Dynamic World Under Antarctica's Ice
  By flying planes over Antarctica with ice-penetrating radar, lasers and other technology, NASA scientists are able to piece together a picture of the vast mountains, valleys and rivers under the miles of Antarctic ice, revealing a dynamic and complex world. And scientists have already found some really surprising stuff happening inside the ice itself.
• Bloomberg Blames Narrow Win On National Backlash
  New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg called his narrow third-term election victory part of a national backlash against incumbents. Pointing to other results across the country, Bloomberg said voters were angry about the economy.
• Writer: Kandahar Bustling, But Violent
  For the past 18 months, the Dutch writer and journalist Alex Strick van Linschoten has been living in downtown Kandahar, Afghanistan, a Taliban stronghold. Van Linschoten, author of See You Soon, If We're Still Alive in Foreign Policy magazine, says the city is a bustling market town, but violence is a daily fact of life.
• Iranian Protests Show Opposition Is Still Strong
  Tens of thousands of demonstrators poured into the streets of Tehran again on Wednesday to protest against the government and last June's presidential election. Some analysts had begun to write off the Iranian opposition as a spent force. But Wednesday, it was clear the opposition has not melted away.
• A Trip To Sumatra To Hear a Gibbon's Call
  The Gibbon, a smaller member of the primate family, is well-known for its long arms and hands. Its speed makes it difficult to see, but its distinctive call is easy to identify. A trip to the rainforests of Indonesia by plane from New York, followed by a crumbling 30-year-old propeller plane, and by foot finally yielded a call from the elusive gibbon.
• What Election Results Say About The Obama Effect
  The midyear election is historically a bad one for first-term presidents. This year, there's no argument that the Democrats got a slap in the face, and the Republicans got a much-needed victory. But what does this tell us about President Obama's likely effect in 2010?
• Italian Judge Convicts Americans In Rendition Case
  An Italian judge convicted 23 Americans in absentia of the kidnapping in 2003 of an Egyptian cleric from Milan. The cleric said he was transferred to an Egyptian jail where he was tortured. The convictions mark the first time "extraordinary rendition" was successfully contested.
• Club For Growth: Conservatives Lost Nothing In N.Y.
  The Club for Growth strongly supported and financially helped Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman in New York's 23 Congressional District. That support led the Republican candidate to withdraw, and throw her weight behind the ultimate winner: Democrat Bill Owens. Club for Growth President Chris Chocola says, from a conservative standpoint, there was no loss.
• High Court Weighs Prosecutors' Immunity
  Terry Harrington served 25 years for murder, but he later discovered that prosecutors handling his case worked with the police to withhold evidence that might have freed him. Harrington wants to sue those prosecutors, but must convince the court that the protections prosecutors have from such suits are unconstitutional.
• Report: U.S. Trails In Infant Mortality
  A report from the National Center for Health Statistics shows that the U.S. ranked 30th in the world in infant mortality rates, mainly because of a higher rate of pre-term births than most countries in Europe. Analysts say these studies don't take sufficiently into account the U.S. population mix.
• Thoughts On A Human Re-Creation Of The Berlin Wall
  Commentator Andrei Codrescu notes that a British artist is asking people to help him mark the 20th anniversary next month of the fall of the Berlin Wall by making a human wall for 15 minutes. At first, Codrescu wants to be part of it, but then has second thoughts.
• Five British Soldiers Killed In Afghanistan
  Five British soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan, apparently by an Afghan policeman they had been training. The attack has raised concerns about possible infiltration of Afghan forces by Taliban insurgents.
• San Francisco Youth Sanctuary Law Prompts Battle
  San Francisco's Board of Supervisors is overturning a city policy that says undocumented youth accused of felonies must be handed over to federal authorities. The new law requires an actual felony conviction before someone is handed over to federal immigration authorities.

Services

• Hourly Newscast
• HD Radio
• iPhone App / Mobile
• E-mail newsletters
• RSS feeds
• Podcasts
• Submit your photos
• Videos
• Weather
• Most e-mailed stories

Become a Sponsor