Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Former investors watching Petters fraud case unfold
  Twin Cities businessman Tom Petters is now scheduled to go on trial in early February. Petters is facing charges that he masterminded a multi-billion dollar fraud scheme. Petters pleaded not guilty in a federal courtroom in St. Paul Tuesday.6:50 a.m.
• Gas prices down, old habits return?
  Gas prices dipped Tuesday, hitting their lowest level since January 2005. High gas prices over the summer turned Minnesotans into frugal drivers. Now that prices have plummeted, are drivers reverting back to their old gas-guzzling ways?6:55 a.m.
• Stray ballots, excessive challenges raise concern in recount's final days
  Scott and Wright counties will start recounting their votes in Minnesota's U.S. Senate race today. With just three days until the recounting is expected to end, 93 percent of the vote has been recounted and the campaigns for Republican Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken have challenged 6,000 ballots.7:20 a.m.
• U.S. Steel laying off 400 at Keewatin plant
  Hundreds of workers at the taconite plant in Keewatin are wondering how long the layoff will last this time. U.S. Steel has announced it will idle the Keewatin plant, laying off close to 400 workers.7:25 a.m.
• Future Tense with Jon Gordon
  Popularity of mini-laptops rising8:20 a.m.
• Two Pro Bowl Vikings weigh legal options after suspension
  Attorneys for Kevin and Pat Williams may seek an injunction today so the players can continue competing for the Minnesota Vikings this year. The two defensive tackles were suspended by the NFL for four games because they tested positive for a banned substance.8:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Sports Advice: Copy Hollywood's Business Model
  The economic downturn may force pro sports leagues to re-examine their business model, says commentator Frank Deford. And the leagues might look to Hollywood for inspiration: Top athletes would still command huge contracts, but lesser players could see their salaries reduced.
• Obama Pledges To Help Governors With Recession
  President-elect Barack Obama promised the nation's governors swift action on an economic plan to deal with the recession. Obama spoke to members of the National Governors Association on Tuesday in Philadelphia. The states want federal money for infrastructure projects like roads and bridges.
• Aid Worker: No Easy Answers In Darfur
  Jerry Farrell has lived in Darfur for three years and currently runs programs for Save the Children. He describes a lawless region, where peacekeepers can't even patrol camps, and bandits run off with just about anything they can steal. Asked what a new Obama administration could do, Farrell says there are no easy answers other than trying to restart peace talks.
• Mumbai Stands Out From Other Terrorist Attacks
  India has experienced terrorist attacks long before last week's violence in Mumbai. But Shashi Tharoor, a former U.N. under-secretary general and the author of many books on India, says the Mumbai attacks stand out because the siege lasted for three days, foreigners were killed and the media kept the attacks in the headlines.
• Britons Discover Ways To Cushion Recession's Blows
  Britain is being hit by the recession, and unemployment is rising sharply. But the Brits are coming up with some old-school ways to cushion the blow. For a lot of young people, this is their first recession, and they are not used to shopping at second-hand stores.
• Chambliss Denies Democrats 'Super Majority'
  Georgia Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss has won a second term by holding off Democrat Jim Martin in a runoff Tuesday. That means Senate Democrats won't have a 60-seat filibuster-proof majority.
• Folk Legend Odetta Dies Of Heart Disease
  Odetta's folk songs made her a symbol of the civil rights movement. She performed at the civil rights march on Washington in 1963 and sang "O Freedom." Her ballads and songs became, for many, the soundtrack to the American civil rights movement. Manager Doug Yeager says Odetta died Tuesday of heart disease at the age of 77.
• Recession Could Thin Auto Dealer Ranks
  Domestic auto dealers face their worst market in decades. Thousands could go out of business, but that's not necessarily all bad. The domestic auto industry suffers from overcapacity. Detroit's Big Three would like to thin dealerships, but can't because of state franchise laws and contracts.
• Chinese City Cracks Down On Pirated Software
  Red Flag Linux is the name of a Chinese-made operating system. Officials in Nanchang are forcing local Internet cafe owners to install it in place of Microsoft Windows. An official from the the city's Cultural Discipline Team confirmed this to Radio Free Asia, which is funded by the U.S. government. The rule is apparently aimed at cracking down on pirated software. But some cafe owners say they're using Microsoft legally and don't want to change. They're also not happy about the fees for Red Flag Linux, which are more than $700.
• Hawaii Plans To Roll Out Electric Car Stations
  Hawaii's Republican Gov. Linda Lingle has announced plans to create an electric car recharging network throughout the islands by 2012. The state is working with a Silicon Valley company that will build tens of thousands of battery recharging points throughout the islands. Many in Hawaii would like to see the plan put in place because drivers there pay some of the highest gas prices in the nation.
• Foreclosure Crisis Leaves HOA Dues Unpaid
  Homeowners associations across the country are being hit hard by the foreclosure crisis. Millions of dollars worth of monthly dues are going unpaid. Neighbors are left to pick up the tab — if they can.
• Recession Hits The Happiest Place On Earth
  In the past, Disney's theme parks near Orlando, Fla., have been fairly recession-proof. But this year, fewer people are finding their way to the Magic Kingdom. Disney's profits dropped sharply in the last quarter.
• Thief Tries To Steal Holiday Spirit
  A Maryland woman was safe in her bed, when out on the lawn there arose such a clatter that she sprang from her bed to see what was the matter. Somebody had stolen her 4-foot-tall Santa Claus and snowman. Police arrested a suspect who allegedly stole decorations from three homes. Meanwhile, a Florida man faces charges for allegedly throwing a Christmas tree at his father. In the spirit of the holidays, the Christmas tree missed.
• Rice Stops In India To Defuse Mumbai Tensions
  Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is in New Delhi, where she's trying to calm tensions between India and Pakistan over the Mumbai attacks. The Indian government says the militants who carried out the attacks were linked with Pakistan. Ordinary Indians are upset over the failure of the country's intelligence services.
• Tchaikovsky's Skull Fired For Upstaging Actors
  It was no joke that Andre Tchaikovsky wanted to have his skull play the part of Yorick in Hamlet. When the acclaimed pianist died in 1982, he bequeathed his skull to the Royal Shakespeare Company. And there it remained in a tissue-lined box until now. For four months, it's been onstage. Then word got out, and the company decided the real skull was upstaging the actors. "Alas, poor Yorick" will no longer be played by Tchaikovsky's skull.

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