Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Appetites: Rooftop restaurant 'Union' opens in time for winter
  A new restaurant with a rooftop patio opens in downtown Minneapolis just in time for below freezing temperatures. Who does that?3:49 p.m.
• '38 Nooses' author discusses seminal event in Minn. history
  This year marks the 150th anniversary of not only the battles of the Civil War, but one of the most important episodes in Minnesota's history.4:50 p.m.
• Minnesota faces $1.1 billion deficit
  The new analysis of state revenue and spending obligations shows the same pending shortfall that was projected last March. Minnesota Management and Budget will release the full revenue forecast at 11:45 a.m., but it seems to indicate that the state's economy is continuing to improve slightly.5:20 p.m.
• Thousands attend slain Cold Spring officer's funeral
  State officials estimate several thousand people are attending a funeral service for slain Cold Spring police officer Tom Decker.5:24 p.m.
• Vikings stadium pull-tab revenue reportedly lags
  Proceeds from expanded gambling are not filling up the state's account to help pay for a new Vikings stadium as quickly as had been hoped, finance experts say.5:50 p.m.
• St. Paul crime lab fixes estimated at $1M
  The city is considering spending more than $1 million to fix its troubled crime lab. But questions remain about what the lab's future will look like.5:54 p.m.
• Appetites: Rooftop restaurant 'Union' opens in time for winter
  A new restaurant with a rooftop patio opens in downtown Minneapolis just in time for below freezing temperatures. Who does that?6:20 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Obama And House GOP Engage In Fiscal Cliff Talks, Only Briefly With Each Other
  The president and House Republicans continued to snipe at each other Wednesday over the impending set of automatic tax hikes and spending cuts known as the fiscal cliff. President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner later spoke briefly by phone for the first time in a week, according to reports.
• Looming Spending Cuts Would Hit Hard All Over
  If Congress fails to reach an agreement on tax increases and spending cuts this year, it will mean sharp reductions in a broad swath of federal spending, from defense and Medicare to education and unemployment benefits. Economists say the cuts would be a serious setback for the economy as a whole.
• Cargo Moving Again At Calif. Ports After Strike Ends
  Cargo started moving again on Wednesday at the nation's largest ports. An eight-day strike by clerical workers at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach is over. Melissa Block talks with Kirk Siegler from the port, where clerks, longshoremen and truckers are all glad to be back on the job.
• White House To Seek Emergency Sandy Funds
  The Obama administration is expected to ask for $50 billion to $60 billion. Top administrators told Congress Wednesday that they want at least some of that money to go toward preventing the kind of devastation caused by Sandy and other recent storms.
• Some Maryland Residents Feel Forgotten After Sandy
  Hurricane Sandy focused most of its devastation on New Jersey and New York, but it also decimated the town of Crisfield, Md. The community is one of the state's poorest, and residents say they're being forgotten in the effort to bring aid to other places hit by the storm.
• Black Voters Reflect On Obama's First Term
  In just over a month, President Obama will be sworn in for his second term. Audie Cornish takes a moment to look back at what his presidency has meant for African-Americans. We hear from a comedian, David Alan Grier; from a lawmaker, Emanuel Cleaver, who is outgoing chair of the Congressional Black Caucus; and from three seniors at Howard University, a historically black college in Washington, D.C.
• Texas Twang Fixin' To Ride Off Into The Sunset
  The way Texans speak, from using words like "y'all" to that old Texas twang, is iconic in American culture. But linguists say the twang is fading — and that, in a few decades, "talking Texan" may sound quite different than it does today.
• Egads! Aussie DJ Pretends To Be Queen, Gets Hospital To Talk About Kate
  A nurse who certainly didn't seem suspicious rather cheerfully told the faux queen (and a fake Prince Charles) that the pregnant duchess is doing better. Kate is being treated for severe morning sickness. The hospital is apologizing for sharing the information.
• Washington To Begin Its Grand Experiment With Pot
  Washington state's recreational pot law goes into effect on Thursday. But the state has a year to set up a system to regulate the production and sale of marijuana.
• As Two States Legalize Pot, Tommy Chong Isn't Nostalgic About The Old Days
  Washington state decriminalizes possession tonight. Colorado does so next month. Chong, one half of the stoner duo Cheech and Chong, is all in favor of the new laws. There isn't anything funny about being busted, the comic says.

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