Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• The Cube Critics: The best movies of 2012
  Not to be outdone in the annual media ritual of compiling a "best of the year" list, arts reporter Euan Kerr and Movie Maven Stephanie Curtis pick their favorite films of 2012.3:54 p.m.
• 40 years later, Minneapolis parents recall busing's start
  Four decades ago, cities across the country were being forced by the courts to desegregate their schools through busing. At the same time, a group of parents in south Minneapolis, some black, some white, persuaded the city's school board to voluntarily bus students between two schools to make both schools more diverse.4:49 p.m.
• Congressional gridlock threatens benefits for 12,000 jobless in Minn.
  It looks all but certain that some 12,000 jobless Minnesotans will lose their extended unemployment insurance after this week. They're all slated to come to a halt tomorrow, barring a last-minute agreement from a deeply divided Congress.5:20 p.m.
• A country with so much hurt has a special need for art
  The conversation since Sandy Hook has focused on gun control, mental health and armed schools. It should also consider the role of art.5:55 p.m.
• The Cube Critics: The best movies of 2012
  Not to be outdone in the annual media ritual of compiling a "best of the year" list, arts reporter Euan Kerr and Movie Maven Stephanie Curtis pick their favorite films of 2012.6:25 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Major Port Strike Averted — For Now
  A threatened strike by the International Longshoremen's Association at 14 ports along the East and Gulf Coasts has been called off. Federal negotiators say the union has reached an agreement with the United States Maritime Alliance and will extend contract talks.
• Reading The Economic Tea Leaves For 2013
  Mark Zandi of Moody's Analytics predicts a last-minute deal on the "fiscal cliff" might be an early drag on next year's economy, but by year's end, the economy will be gaining momentum. If there's no deal? "I don't even want to think about it," he says.
• International Adoptions On Downward Trend
  President Vladimir Putin on Friday signed a bill banning Americans from adopting Russian children. U.S. adoptions from Russia had already been on the decline over the last several years — reflecting a broader downward trend in international adoptions. For more on adoption trends, host Audie Cornish talks with Adam Pertman, executive director of the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute.
• Tracking Gun-Related Deaths, One Tweet At A Time
  Slate and a citizen journalist are trying to report every gun-related death in the nation on a daily basis. There is no central clearinghouse for such information. The goal of the project, Slate says, is to provide key data for the post-Newtown debate over gun laws.
• True Originals: Biographies That Defy Expectations
  Our list of this year's best biographies focuses on books about individuals who lived their lives off the beaten path. From the story of a spy turned chef to the story of the real Count of Monte Cristo, these books chronicle subjects who refused to conform to the expectations of others.
• Out Of Desperation, North Korean Women Become Breadwinners
  In North Korea, profound social change is happening beyond the view of the outside world. The pressure of national ideology has forced women to become the primary breadwinners in many households — dramatically redrawing gender roles in the process.
• Is It Morally Wrong For U.S. To Export Coal?
  The Seattle area is seeing widespread, well-organized opposition to an export industry: coal. Thousands of people have turned out to express their disgust with a plan to build export terminals on Puget Sound to ship American coal to Asia. Opponents cite noise, traffic delays, coal dust and global warming.
• 'Fifty Shades' Is The One That Got Away. At Least From Me
  Sometimes "the one that got away" is a book that actually was easy to overlook. And sometimes it's something you ignore until you just can't anymore. NPR's Lynn Neary finally comes to terms with the publishing sensation that is Fifty Shades of Grey.
• Remembering Fontella Bass, Voice Of A Soul Classic
  R&B singer Fontella Bass has died at a hospice in St. Louis. She was 72. Bass is best known for the soul classic "Rescue Me."
• Obama Meets With Congressional Leaders On Fiscal Cliff
  Audie Cornish talks with NPR's Ari Shapiro about efforts to prevent the automatic spending cuts and tax hikes due to take effect at the beginning of the year.

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