Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• JoAnn Verburg relates to the world through her camera
  St. Paul's JoAnn Verburg says she's awful at taking family snapshots. Which is a little strange, because Verburg's art photographs, which often feature her husband, are in museum collections around the country. A retrospective of her work opens at the Walker Art Center this weekend.6:50 a.m.
• Target CEO Bob Ulrich to retire
  Minneapolis-based Target is getting a new chief executive officer. Bob Ulrich, who has led the retailing powerhouse for more than a decade, is stepping down. Under Ulrich's leadership, Target nearly tripled its sales -- and the retailer's profits jumped almost ninefold.7:20 a.m.
• Wind farmers want their two cents
  Supporters of wind energy are watching to see if Congress renews a tax credit for the industry that expires at the end of the year. Without the credit, construction of new wind farms could slow substantially.7:25 a.m.
• Students face discipline based on Facebook pictures
  Some students at Eden Prairie High School may walk out in protest. They're responding to discipline against students whose Facebook pictures appeared to show them partying with alcohol. Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer talked with Charlie Kyte, executive director of the Minnesota Association of School Administrators.7:50 a.m.
• Ordway Center ends year with another balanced budget
  The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts said this week that it has finished its fifth consecutive year with a balanced budget. That's a promising sign for the downtown St. Paul showplace, but it's not out of the woods yet. Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer talked with St. Paul Pioneer Press theater critic Dominic Papatola.8:20 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• A Huckabee-Colbert Ticket?
  Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee makes a tongue-in-cheek vice-presidential offer to Stephen Colbert, whose TV character lampoons right-wing talk-show hosts.
• Soaring Grain Prices Prompt Wheat Thefts
  Midwest farmers are enjoying the recent run-up in commodity prices. But one downside to rising prices has been theft. Wheat has become such a hot commodity that it has been stolen by the truckload in western Kansas.
• Johnny Grant, Hollywood's 'Mayor,' Dead at 84
  Hollywood is mourning its honorary mayor. For 50 years, Johnny Grant was Tinseltown's biggest booster, guiding hundreds of stars to the Walk of Fame. He also took the stars to soldiers at war, leading dozens of USO tours. Grant was 84. "I tell people I'm the luckiest guy in the world to have the name Hollywood attached to mine," he once said. "I mean, that is the key to the world."
• Set-Aside Plan Angers Women Business Owners
  The Small Business Administration is proposing to reserve some government contracts in four industries in which firms owned by women are not well represented. The four? Cabinetmaking, engraving, intelligence and certain motor-vehicle sales. Women business owners say they're at a disadvantage in many other areas, as well.
• Missing the Boat on the New Hampshire Vote
  Pollsters are taking it on the chin for failing to anticipate Sen. Hillary Clinton's victory in Tuesday's New Hampshire primary. But reporters were barking up the wrong tree, too. How did the prognosticators miscalculate?
• Fears of a Recession Grow on Wall Street
  Investment firm Goldman Sachs is predicting the U.S. economy will sink into a recession this year. The report says the economic retreat could extend over two financial quarters and would likely push the unemployment rate up.
• Obama Heads South, Clinton Goes West
  Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama are back on the campaign trail Thursday. Clinton heads to Nevada; Obama has a campaign event planned in South Carolina.
• Drilling Envisioned in Colorado Wildlife Refuge
  A Canadian energy company wants to drill natural gas test wells on a wildlife refuge in Southern Colorado. The U.S. government recently paid $33 million to buy land for the refuge, but the energy company owns the rights to minerals under the land.
• Republicans Descend on South Carolina
  Republican presidential hopefuls are meeting Thursday night in Myrtle Beach, S.C., for a debate. The first primary in the South, due Jan. 19, will be a tough test for Sen. John McCain after his New Hampshire victory.
• Pivotal Races Ahead in Florida, Nevada
  Among the many primaries and caucuses on the horizon, Florida and Nevada loom as particularly important. What are the prospects for the front-runners?
• Ultra-Cheap 'Nano' Car Debuts in India
  The Indian car company Tata unveils a four-seat automobile that will sell for just $2,500. The Nano would be available later this year, and is aimed at people who might otherwise purchase a motorcycle.
• Seattle Suburb Endures Growing Pains
  Once upon a time, Kirkland, Wash., was a quiet bedroom community on the east side of Seattle. Now condos, restaurants and boutiques are popping up, attracting many high-tech employees with discretionary income.
• Marriage Unravels After Meeting at Brothel
  A tabloid newspaper in Poland tells the story of a man who visited a brothel — and discovered his wife working there. She had told her husband she worked at a store. A divorce is pending.
• Bush Sees 'Signed Peace Treaty' for Mideast
  President Bush, visiting the West Bank, predicts that talks between Israelis and Palestinians will produce "a signed peace treaty" by the time he leaves office.
• Media Skepticism Greets Bush in the Middle East
  As President Bush tries to jump-start peace talks between Palestinians and Israelis, reaction to his Middle East tour is subdued and mixed. Hear from Ramez Maluf, a journalism professor at the Lebanese American University in Beirut.

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