Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Paul Feig celebrates the geek in all of us
  Paul Feig has made a career out of making TV shows and films which examine the lives of geeks. His show "Freaks and Geeks" launched the careers of several people who are now big names in Hollywood. Now, Feig has now turned his talents to writing children's books.4:45 p.m.
• Another commuter airport expansion?
  Dozens of angry neighbors packed the Anoka County board room today, to oppose a plan to expand the airfield in Blaine. An air services company wants to add 1,000 feet to the airport's runway to make it a center for corporate aviation.4:54 p.m.
• Canvassing board orders Senate recount
  The State Canvassing Board Tuesday ordered local election officials to begin recounting the votes in Minnesota's U.S. Senate race starting Wednesday. But the board put off a decision on whether disputed absentee ballots should be included in the count.5:20 p.m.
• Some Minnesota absentee voters worried about ballots
  The battle over rejected absentee ballots is sparking questions in the minds of some Minnesota Public Radio listeners who voted absentee.5:24 p.m.
• MPCA chief resigns
  Brad Moore, commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, is leaving that post after two years on the job.5:50 p.m.
• Charter schools to buy three Mpls district buildings
  Unlike previous property deals, the Minneapolis School District this time entertained offers from charter schools.5:55 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• 'Outliers' Puts Self-Made Success To The Test
  Why do Asian kids outperform American kids in math? How did Bill Gates become a billionaire computer entrepreneur? Malcolm Gladwell takes on these questions and more in his book Outliers. He argues that the "self-made man" is a myth.
• After Years, Sondheim's 'Road Show' Pulls Into N.Y.
  Stephen Sondheim's new musical has been around in various forms for a decade or more. But Broadway's living legend says his fascination with the scandalous story of the Mizner brothers goes back 50-plus years.
• Lieberman To Keep Key Senate Committee Post
  Sen. Joe Lieberman will keep his job as chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee. Democrats decided against replacing the independent from Connecticut, but did strip him of the chairmanship of an environmental panel.
• In Afghanistan, 'New Spirit' To Confront The Taliban
  Retired Army Col. John Nagl, an expert on counterinsurgency, says he saw a new U.S. determination to stamp out the insurgent Taliban when he visited Afghanistan this month. He says the U.S. 'can win this war' if military commander Gen. David McKiernan gets the resources he needs.
• Obama And Russia's 'Privileged Interests'
  Russian President Dimitri Medvedev says the new American president must respect Russia's "privileged interests." That appears to be a synonym for "sphere of influence."
• Economic Slowdown Tests Dayton's Job Center
  The Job Center in Dayton, Ohio, is busy these days. It's a one-stop center for help with food stamps, Medicaid, resumes, employment searches and classes for new skills. Forty-three agencies are under one roof.
• Lucrative Piracy Business Thrives Off Somali Coast
  Pirate attacks on shipping vessels in the Gulf of Aden are on the rise. The director of the Nelson Institute for International and Public Affairs at James Madison University says piracy and ransom will exceed more than $50 million this year.
• Paulson Sticks To Bailout Strategy
  Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson once again defends his management of the federal government's $700 billion rescue program for the financial industry. Democrats want some of the money used to help other ailing industries, as well as struggling homeowners.
• Study Suggests Buying Toxic Assets Could Work
  Purchasing toxic assets from banks is still the fairest way to save the American economy, say two University of Maryland economics professors. To prove it, they had a group of graduate students take part in what's known as a reverse auction.
• Holder Is Obama's Pick For Attorney General
  Washington attorney Eric Holder has been chosen by President-elect Barack Obama to be the next attorney general. Holder, a former U.S. attorney who served as the No. 2 official in the Justice Department under President Clinton, would be the nation's first black attorney general.

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