Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Obama's middle class pitch connects with some Minnesotans
  President Obama will deliver his first State of the Union address on Wedneday night, and it's expected that he'll focus a large portion of his speech on the economy and the middle class.7:20 a.m.
• St. Cloud Muslims fearful and angry after racist incidents
  More than 300 St. Cloud area residents attended a town hall meeting Tuesday night, concerned about the racism in the area in light of public postings of anti-Islamic images around the city in early December.7:25 a.m.
• Minnesota slips in wind energy rankings
  U.S. wind energy production saw big gains last year in most of the leading states, except for Minnesota, as the state slipped again in the national rankings for wind power capacity.7:40 a.m.
• Mom bloggers help companies promote products
  Companies like General Mills are finding that connecting with blogging moms is a great way to reach customers and generate a buzz about a product.7:45 a.m.
• News Cut's Bob Collins talks sports and Vikings stadium
  News Cut blogger Bob Collins has been exploring a few stories from the world of sports, from NFL playoff football on one end of the spectrum to girls' high school basketball on the other. He talked with MPR's Cathy Wurzer.8:25 a.m.
• New AIDS numbers show need for outreach
  Minnesota health officials are trying to figure out what to do next after seeing a sharp increase in the number of new HIV and AIDS infections last year.8:40 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• For Obama's State Of The Union, It's All About Jobs
  As the economic situation evolves from crisis to long slog for many Americans, President Obama prepares to give his first State of the Union address. If Obama's speech helps alleviate voters' economic worries, it could give Democrats the good news they've been lacking lately.
• House Republicans Focus On Winning Back Majority
  House Minority leader John Boehner talks to Steve Inskeep about President Obama's upcoming State of the Union address. Boehner says the GOP is focused on winning back the majority, and he would like to be the next Speaker of the House.
• Documentary Advances Nuclear Free Movement
  The documentary Nuclear Tipping Point features interviews with four former U.S. government officials — all dedicated Cold War warriors when they were in office — who now advocate the elimination of nuclear weapons. Three years ago, Henry Kissinger, George Shultz, Sam Nunn and William Perry wrote an op-ed arguing that it is time to begin ridding the world of nuclear weapons. That sparked a movement, and producers hope the film can take it further.
• Reporter's Notebook: Friend Killed In Iraq Bombing
  Dozens of people died in Baghdad bombings this week. To many Americans, the death toll is another grim statistic in a distant and fading war, but this week's dead include a close friend and Iraqi colleague of the author.
• Sri Lanka's President Wins Re-Election
  President Mahinda Rajapaksa was in a hard-fought race with his former army chief. Both men had worked together to defeat the Tamil Tiger rebels in a conflict that lasted about 25 years. The challenger rejected the official results and troops have surrounded his hotel.
• Diplomats To Help Yemen Fight Terrorism
  Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and top world officials are trying to figure out how to help a shaky government in Yemen that they suspect isn't fully committed to the battle against al-Qaida. They are gathering in London Wednesday for an international conference to hash out a plan.
• Housing Bubble Fears, And Prices, Soar In China
  New figures show that property sales in China jumped 75 percent last year as record levels of bank loans boosted purchases. Concern that the country is in the grip of a housing bubble is growing, and in the meantime, official figures show 85 percent of Chinese can no longer afford to buy properties.
• Toyota Halts U.S. Sales Of 8 Popular Models
  Toyota has announced it is temporarily suspending sales of eight models because of faulty accelerator pedals. The models were already the subject of a product recall. The company also plans to stop producing the vehicles at U.S. and Canadian plants until the problem is sorted out.
• Will An Apple Tablet Heat Up E-Book War?
  When Apple makes its latest product announcement on Wednesday, many expect the company to unveil a tablet-size computer that will compete with Amazon's Kindle or Sony's Reader. It may also change the way the book and newspaper industries view digital publishing.
• Odds On What Apple's New Tablet Will Be Called
  All the speculation that Apple is releasing a new tablet computer Wednesday prompted The Economist magazine to check into the odds of what people think the tablet may be called. An Irish bookmaker says there are 4-to-5 odds that the tablet will be called iSlate.

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