Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• St. Louis County schools face major change, regardless of $80 million vote
  Voters in St. Louis County head to the polls Tuesday for a special election that carries both a large price tag and potentially large ramifications for education across northern Minnesota.4:49 p.m.
• A view from inside the Petters trial
  Tom Crann talked with Michelle Entsminger, one of the jurors on the Tom Petters fraud trial that ended this week. The jury returned a sweeping verdict against the businessman, finding him guilty on all 20 counts of fraud, conspiracy and money laundering.5:20 p.m.
• The economy through the lens of British TV ads
  Once again, in what's become a uniquely Twin Cities holiday tradition, the finalist in the British Television Advertising Awards are on show at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis.5:53 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Pastor Offers Sex Offenders A 'Miracle': A New Start
  In rural Palm Beach County, Fla., pastor Dick Witherow ministers to a community he calls "modern-day lepers": convicted sex offenders. Witherow believes people can change. So while strict zoning laws elsewhere have left offenders homeless, his Miracle Park housing complex welcomes this population.
• Time Runs Out On U.S.-Russia Arms Control Treaty
  The landmark 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty expires Friday night. The U.S. and Russia are negotiating to replace the agreement, but the work is not done. One major issue is extending key verification measures. Both sides say they will abide by the treaty terms as the deadline passes.
• University To Use Earth's Temps To Heat Its Buildings
  Ball State University is constructing the largest geothermal heating and cooling system in the country — and environmentalists are watching it closely. The university plans to use more than 660 acres to heat and cool nearly 50 buildings, and phase out its coal boilers. If the project is successful, officials say it will cut the university's emissions in half.
• Two Brothers, Measured Against One Another By Fate
  Before Sam (Tobey Maguire) goes off to war, he and his brother Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal) live different lives. When Sam is reported lost in a helicopter crash, though, both men find their character tested — and director Jim Sheridan takes his time tracking the nuances, so that when emotional fireworks finally come, they're honestly explosive.
• From Dickens Himself, Notes On 'A Christmas Carol'
  Charles Dickens performed his famous story in public more than 150 times. Now the handwritten changes he made during those hugely popular readings are on display at the New York Public Library.
• Jobs Data Boosts Recovery Hopes
  The Labor Department said Friday the number of Americans who lost their jobs in November was fewer than expected. The jobless rate fell from 10.2 percent to 10 percent, raising hopes the economy is on the mend.
• Week In Politics Reviewed
  This week President Obama announced he was sending 30,000 troops to Afghanistan as part of his strategy for the country. Political commentators E.J. Dionne of The Washington Post and David Brooks of The New York Times offer their insight.
• Aide Shoots Guinean Leader In Head
  The head of Guinea's military junta, Capt. Moussa Dadis Camara, was being flown to Morocco for medical treatment after being shot in the head by an aide. Analysts say this suggests splits the ruling junta and comes weeks after the massacre of 157 people at a sports stadium.
• Chicago Canal Flooded With Toxin To Kill Asian Carp
  Authorities dumped 2,300 gallons of a fish-killing toxin into a 6-mile stretch of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, targeting the invasive Asian carp. Although none of the fish have actually been seen in this part of the canal, Asian carp DNA was found in water samples.
• Questions On Health Care Legislation
  Senators are continuing their health care debate on Capitol Hill. Listeners ask questions about the legislation.

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