Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Job hunting gets harder
  The economic downturn has forced many more Minnesotans to look for a new job -- either because of layoffs or a cutback in hours or to supplement retirement. Compared to a year ago, about 40,000 more Minnesotans are unemployed. But over the same period there are 16,000 fewer jobs in the state.6:20 a.m.
• Minnehaha Falls restoration starts today
  In the next several months, Minnehaha Falls will get a make-over. It will involve some much-needed repairs, but there'll also be some work to improve the ecology of the place.6:50 a.m.
• Weather with Mark Seeley
  University of Minnesota Climatologist Mark Seeley discusses Minnesota weather history and looks ahead to the weekend weather.6:55 a.m.
• Senate election outcome may rest with challenged ballots
  The number of challenged ballots in the Senate recount has reached a level that has made the slim margin between the two leading candidates meaningless. With more than half of the precincts now recounted, the number of ballots challenged by both Al Franken and Norm Coleman is above the 215 vote margin by which Coleman led Franken at the end of the first count.7:20 a.m.
• Voters have second thoughts about first picks
  It's like the campaign never ended. Senate candidates Al Franken and Norm Coleman are still raising money, their campaigns are still trading barbs and they have staff and volunteers fanned out across the state to press for advantage in the recount. But there is one thing that's not like the campaign: Minnesotans don't get to vote again.7:25 a.m.
• The price of road salt is up
  Officials in cold-weather states like Minnesota are trying to find ways to pay an increasing amount for road salt. Minnesota typically uses tons of salt each winter to remove snow and ice.8:35 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Chicago Symphony Tops U.S. Orchestras
  The city of Chicago has one more thing to boast about: Its hometown orchestra, the Chicago Symphony, has been named America's top orchestra in a new critics' poll published in the venerable British magazine Gramophone.
• The Grandmother Behind The Man
  Mike Kilgore's grandmother played a large role in his life. From helping Kilgore stay out of trouble with his father to teaching him how to approach life's problems, her lessons have stayed with him long after her death.
• 'Twilight': For Teens, A Swooningly Risky Romance
  Morning Edition's movie critic is not, and never has been, a 13-year-old girl. But Catherine Hardwicke's dead-on screen take on Stephenie Meyer's vampire books makes him wish he could be — if only to get the full effect.
• Obama Faces Rising Anti-U.S. Sentiment In Russia
  U.S.-Russia relations are at a low point, following Russia's invasion of Georgia in August. And anti-American sentiment is spreading among Russians, bolstered by Kremlin threats. President-elect Barack Obama faces a delicate balancing act: don't look weak, but don't give up on Russia as a hopeless case.
• Iran Has Uranium For One Bomb, If Enriched Further
  The International Atomic Energy Agency reports that Iran has produced close to 1,400 pounds of low-enriched uranium. If that material were to be enriched further, experts say it would probably be enough to make a single atomic bomb.
• Sadr's Supporters Protest Iraq Security Agreement
  Thousands of Iraqis gathered Friday at a central square in Baghdad to demonstrate against a security agreement that would keep U.S. forces in Iraq for another three years. The protesters are supporters of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who opposes the accord. Iraqi lawmakers are scheduled to vote on the agreement Monday.
• 5 Detainees Ordered Released From Guantanamo
  A federal judge in Washington has ordered the Bush administration to release five detainees from the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The men have been held there for seven years on evidence the judge finds insufficient. The ruling is the first by a trial judge since the Supreme Court declared in June that the Guantanamo prisoners have the right to challenge their detentions in U.S. courts.
• Trading Foreign Oil For Foreign Electric Car Parts?
  A rush to build electric cars could also mean a rush to get minerals that are produced in unstable parts of the world. Lithium-ion batteries require large amounts of cobalt, which comes primarily from the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo, Tibet and Siberia. Easing dependence on foreign oil could mean increasing dependence on foreign minerals — from even less reliable trading partners than the Persian Gulf states.
• Electric Car Battery Must Keep Going And Going
  One of the buzzwords at the Los Angeles Auto Show is "electrification." It's a future where cars run solely on battery power. Paul Eisenstein of The Detroit Bureau, an independent auto news service, says that future is still a ways off. He tells Steve Inskeep that for electric cars to succeed, they'll need a battery that lasts for more than 100 miles before a recharge.
• Will Credit Rating Agencies Be Monitored?
  The G-20 last weekend committed to exercising strong oversight of credit rating agencies. Many of the financial instruments that are at the heart of the financial crisis had been given AAA ratings, meaning they were supposed to be of the highest quality. That turned out to be wrong. Will the G-20 declaration change anything?
• Lending Stalls; Banks On Sidelines
  Stock prices are at six-year lows. Over the past two days, the Dow Jones industrial average has lost more than 6 percent of its value. The $700 billion bailout was supposed to stabilize the financial industry and get banks lending again. But that hasn't happened yet.
• Oil Prices Hovering At 3-Year Low
  Oil prices dipped below $50 a barrel Thursday. That's a nearly two-thirds drop from the record high of more than $147 in July. While that may sound like pleasant news, the low price is actually a symptom of a weak economy. Since many expect the economy to drag for a year or more, oil prices likely will stay low.
• Citigroup CEO Weighs Company's Options
  The financial crisis is closing in on Citigroup. The banking colossus has more than 200 million customers around the world. But investors are increasingly worried about Citigroup's financial condition. Its share price tumbled more than 25 percent Thursday. CEO Vikram Pandit is weighing his options, including selling off parts of the company or selling the whole company. Citigroup lost half its value this week and is trading at levels not seen since the mid-1990s.
• Wall Street Too Real? Try Fantasy Investing
  Some would-be investors may be too scared to dip their toe into the investment world of stocks and bonds. Now they don't have to worry, and can take the plunge in fantasy investing. It works similarly to fantasy sports leagues. Faux investors are using virtual investing games like "Wall Street Survivor" to learn the real deal.
• Analysts: By 2025, U.S. Won't Be Top World Power
  Top U.S. intelligence analysts have released a report on what they think the world could look like in 2025, if current trends continue. They predict that the U.S. probably won't be the dominant world power. Countries will be fighting over food, water, energy and other scarce resources. But there's some good news: Terrorism may wane.

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