Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Minnesota jobless rate dropped to 6.7% in January
  The state's unemployment rate dropped slightly to 6.7 percent in January -- the lowest rate in Minnesota since December 2008.6:50 a.m.
• Little progress on job creation goals for Dayton or GOP
  Two months after Gov. Mark Dayton and Republican legislative leaders said job creation was a shared priority, neither of their competing strategies has made much headway.6:55 a.m.
• Uncertainty and budget cuts roiling Hudson schools
  Wisconsin Republican Governor Scott Walker's proposal to curb the collective bargaining rights of many state workers has sparked big protests. The proposal is part of his plan to fix a big budget deficit. Also in the plan is a cut of state funding for K-12 schools by $834 million over the next two years. That's a nearly 8 percent reduction, and it's coupled with a measure that would limit the ability of local school districts to make up for the cut with property tax increases.7:20 a.m.
• Minneapolis officials say focus on top 50 repeat offenders reduced downtown crime
  Officials in Minneapolis say they've dramatically reduced crime downtown by focusing on 50 people who've been arrested repeatedly for loitering and panhandling.7:25 a.m.
• Looming NFL lockout complicates Vikings future
  The collective bargaining agreement between NFL owners and the players union expires tonight at 11 p.m. Central Time. If a new agreement isn't reached today, the owners could lock the players out.8:45 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Mass Exodus Of Foreigners Jams Libya's Borders
  Thousands of foreign workers continue to stream out of Libya, crossing into Egypt in the east and Tunisia in west. The mass exodus is threatening to create a humanitarian crisis.
• Online Calls Increase For Protests In Saudi Arabia
  Since Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah arrived home from months of medical treatment, three online petitions have appeared. The petitions, which have been signed by thousands of Saudis, call for an elected parliament, an end to corruption and a chance for citizens to participate in decision making.
• Providence Mayor Defends Firings As Teachers Protest
  City officials say they had no choice but to dismiss the city's entire teaching force because of a massive deficit. But some say the decision was a political one and had nothing to do with solving a fiscal crisis.
• Detroit Public Schools Face 'Draconian' Cuts
  A state official's plan closes half the city's schools and dramatically increases class sizes in order to eliminate the school district's $327 million deficit. The emergency budget director calls his own plan "draconian."
• Sheen's Self-Destructive Antics Stoke Media Frenzy
  The current most popular TV sitcom, Two and a Half Men, has been canceled for the rest of the season because of star Charlie Sheen's increasingly erratic behavior. The show has been big business for CBS and Warner Bros. Kim Masters of member station KCRW, talks to Steve Inskeep about Sheen's behavior. Masters is also editor-at-large for The Hollywood Reporter.
• A No-Fly Zone: 'This Is Not A Simple Operation'
  It's the most talked about option for international military action in Libya. But a no-fly zone would be essentially a U.S. invasion from the sky, Defense Secretary Robert Gates says. And it would require large numbers of aircraft — which could pull U.S. resources away from Afghanistan.
• Life After Libya: Gadahfi Could Find Refuge Tough
  Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has shown no sign of stepping down. Attorney Scott Horton, who's worked with nations trying to retrieve the riches of their former leaders, tells Renee Montagne why it could be problematic if Gadahfi decides to leave Libya.
• Bangladesh Ousts Bank's Famed Founder
  Mohammad Yunus won the Nobel peace prize in 2006 for his pioneering work in lending to the poor. The Bangladesh government has ordered him removed as head of the bank he founded, saying that at age 70 he was past the country's retirement age.
• Steve Jobs Reveals Apple's Second-Generation iPad
  Apple CEO Steve Jobs surprised an audience in San Francisco Wednesday when he appeared on stage to introduce the new version of the iPad. Jobs has been on a medical leave since January.
• Foreclosure Prevention Program In GOP's Cross Hairs
  Republican lawmakers have introduced legislation to shut down the Obama administration's foreclosure prevention plan. The program was supposed to help millions of homeowners but has fallen far short of its goal. But a staunch critic of the plan, TARP special inspector general Neil Barofsky, says it should be fixed, not eliminated.

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