Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Minnesota may be on verge of "energy revolution"
  A committee in the Minnesota Senate unanimously approved a bill that would require utility companies to get at least a quarter of their energy from renewable sources after a wide variety of interests reached an agreement on the bill late Thursday.6:50 a.m.
• Talks aim to head off strike by metro janitors union
  More than 4,000 Twin Cities union janitors could walk out over health care demands.7:20 a.m.
• "The Separation" joins crunchy guitars with crystalline polyphony
  The mystical sounds of a 15th-century choral mass mix with thrashing guitars and crashing drums this weekend at the Walker Art Center. The Walker brings together jazz drummer Bobby Previte with the St. Paul-based Rose Ensemble, a choral group more at home with ethereal medieval chant.7:25 a.m.
• Call-center bill advances at Capitol
  The bill requires telemarketers and customer service representatives to identify their location if asked. Overseas call centers would also have to disclose an alternative U.S. contact when requesting personal or financial information.7:45 a.m.
• He's an artist, he don't look back
  An exhibition that's about to open at the Weisman Art Museum explores a pivotal period in Bob Dylan's career, a time that includes his Minnesota years. It reveals a lot about Dylan's ability to transform himself as an artist.7:50 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Making a Difference on the Streets of Boston
  For 40 years, Walter Fahey walked the streets of Boston as a police officer. The secret to lasting so long, he says, was that he had "a good reputation on the street, because I never looked down on people."
• Federal Subsidy Expires on Oregon's Timber Towns
  A federal subsidy for forested counties has expired, causing a financial crisis in rural counties across the country. In rural Southern Oregon, counties are in deep financial trouble and will have to shut libraries, and lay off highway crews and sheriff's deputies. But Congress says the federal subsidy was never intended as a permanent solution.
• After a Safe Landing, a Pilot Gives Thanks
  Air traffic controller David Murphy was awarded the Archie League Medal of Safety award for his work helping a pilot land safely despite a broken autopilot that kept his plane in a nosedive.
• Italy Debates Rights for Unmarried Couples
  The Italian political scene is in turmoil over a proposal to grant unmarried couples, heterosexual and homosexual, legal recognition. The proposal stops short of allowing gay marriage.
• Arab Cabinet Minister Approved in Israel
  Israel this week approved the first Muslim and Arab cabinet minister in the 59-year history of the Jewish state. The new minister, and the Labor Party leader who appointed him, call the move a historic step toward equality and integration.
• Peter O'Toole, Young and Old, Is Back on Screen
  Actor Peter O'Toole is up for an Oscar for his movie role in Venus. But he is also known for his best-actor nod in the 1964 film Becket. That movie has been restored and is back in theaters.
• Senate Considers McConnell for Top Intelligence Job
  The Senate Select Intelligence Committee is weighing Mike McConnell's credentials to be national intelligence director. If confirmed by the full Senate, McConnell would become the second U.S. director of national intelligence, overseeing 16 agencies.
• Report: Sectarian Violence Greatest Threat in Iraq
  The National Intelligence Estimate for Iraq describes an increasingly grim situation, in which the United States has little control. It says that sectarian violence is outstripping al-Qaida as a threat.
• War Strains Family Life for Military Couples
  According to a number of commanders, there are more married U.S. military couples serving together in Iraq and Afghanistan than in any previous conflict. These men and women all face the same challenge: remaining a family during wartime.
• Senators Air Iraq Doubts at Confirmation Hearing
  Gen. George Casey is up for the job of Army chief of staff. But senators at his confirmation hearing took the opportunity to criticize him about his former job as the senior U.S. Army officer in Iraq.
• Senate Readies for Vote on Iraq Troop Resolutions
  Senior Senate Republicans visit the White House for a meeting with President Bush on two non-binding, but politically potent, resolutions that the Senate will take up next week. One endorses U.S. troop increases in Iraq, the other does not.
• Small Farmers Hit Hard by Bad California Weather
  California's cold weather has devastated crops planted by the state's small farmers. Many of the farmers are immigrants who have trouble getting affordable insurance, or help from the government.
• With Difficulty, Senate Passes Minimum Wage Raise
  The Senate passed a bill Thursday that raises the federal minimum wage by more than $2 an hour. The bill was supposed to be an easy victory for the new Democratic majority. But passing the bill got complicated when it reached the Senate.
• CEO Pay Enters the Political Dialogue
  Executive pay packages are beginning to register as a political issue in Washington, with questions being raised about the pay gap between top corporate officers and lower-rung workers.
• Publicity Stunt in Boston Reveals Generational Divide
  Two men in Boston pleaded not guilty to charges Thursday that they planted devices around that city that prompted a day-long security scare. The devices turned out to be part of a publicity campaign for a TV show. Younger adults say the police overreacted.

Resources

• Future Tense®
• Marketplace Morning Report®
• Mark Seeley's WeatherTalk

Services

• Hourly Newscast
• HD Radio
• iPhone App / Mobile
• E-mail newsletters
• RSS feeds
• Podcasts
• Submit your photos
• Videos
• Weather
• Most e-mailed stories

Become a Sponsor