Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Schools already cutting budgets, ahead of state action
  Schools aren't waiting for possible cuts from the state to slash their own budgets.6:55 a.m.
• Board to start reviewing Coleman challenges
  Now it's on to Norm Coleman's challenges. This morning the State Canvassing Board will begin examining the disputed ballots put forward by the Republican incumbent. That comes after the board spent a day and a half processing most of the challenges put forward by Democrat Al Franken.7:20 a.m.
• Some Austin pork plant workers struggle with disease and its aftermath
  A year after a neurological disease surfaced among workers at a pork plant in Austin, some workers still can't get worker's compensation for their illness.7:25 a.m.
• Rep. Peterson reacts to Vilsack choice
  President-elect Barack Obama chose Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack to be his Secretary of Agriculture. One of the people that Vilsack will work closely with in his new job is Minnesota's Seventh District Congressman Collin Peterson, a DFLer who chairs the House Agriculture Committee.7:45 a.m.
• The big arts stories of 2008
  Morning Edition arts commentator and St. Paul Pioneer Press theater critic Dominic Papatola reviews the year in the arts in Minnesota in 2008.8:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Michael Pollan On Vilsack, Agriculture — And Food
  When President-elect Barack Obama chose former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack as secretary of agriculture, he praised Vilsack's knowledge of both agriculture and energy. But writer Michael Pollan says the incoming administration's focus should be on food and the people who eat it.
• Trio Mediaeval's Norwegian Christmas
  The Oslo-based trio of vocalists introduces a Norwegian Christmas tune, as well as a few traditions from their homeland, in NPR's Studio 4A. The group's latest recording has just been nominated for a Grammy Award.
• 'Pal Joey' Returns, Hoping To Be Understood
  The Rodgers and Hart musical Pal Joey thrilled and confused audiences in 1940 with its story of adultery and blackmail. Tastes have changed — and now a revival of Pal Joey is opening on Broadway.
• What Makes Milk Organic? New Standard Proposed
  A proposed USDA rule would require cows that produce milk labeled as organic to spend plenty of time out on pasture land, grazing on grass. Research suggests cows that eat grass, clover and alfalfa produce milk higher in healthy omega-3 fatty acids than cows that eat concentrated feed made of corn.
• Fallout From Madoff Scandal Hits Europe's Big Banks
  The Bernard Madoff financial scandal has spread to Europe, where banks that seemed to be weathering the financial storm that has hammered the U.S. say they're being hit hard by exposure to the Wall Street money manager alleged to have run a $50 billion scam.
• Madoff Red Flags Were There All Along
  In 2001, reporter Erin Arvedlund wrote an article for the financial weekly Barrons that was skeptical of Bernard Madoff's strategy and performance on Wall Street. She questioned how Madoff was able to offer good returns. She talks with Steve Inskeep about the impetus for her story and what she learned in the process.
• Prince Charles Launches Herbal Remedy Business
  Britain's Prince Charles is launching a line of herbal remedies next year as part of his organic food company. According to a survey, one in five Britons uses some form of alternative therapy, and the National Health Service funds treatments such as acupuncture and hypnotherapy.
• Renewable Energy Doing Well In Spain, Portugal
  One industry in Spain and Portugal seems immune to the global recession: renewable energy. With hardly any fossil fuel resources, both countries have invested heavily in alternatives in the past decade. The Iberian peninsula is home to some of the world's biggest renewable energy companies — and some are conquering the U.S. market.
• U.S. Firms Want Help Advancing Car Batteries
  Some U.S. technology companies plan to ask the Obama administration for $1 billion. They want help speeding up the production of advanced car batteries, which are a critical component of electric cars. The Wall Street Journal reports that 14 companies hope to build a large plant for making lithium-ion batteries. Asian companies currently are way ahead of the U.S.
• Boston Co. Gets A Charge Out Of Laptop Batteries
  Computer maker Hewlett-Packard next month will offer batteries that could outlast the laptops they power. The batteries are made by Boston Power, the first American company to break into a market dominated by Japan. The batteries don't have to be replaced as often as others, which is expected to reduce their environmental impact.
• Mumbai Attack Questions Still Unanswered
  It's been less than a month since a band of Islamist militants landed on the shores of Mumbai, India, and set off on a rampage that lasted three days. India says the attackers came by boat from Pakistan and belonged to a terrorist organization based there. Many questions remain about why the attacks happened, and who was really behind them.
• You Too Can Throw A Shoe At President Bush
  President Bush's quick reflexes spared him getting hit by a shoe hurled at him in Baghdad. But shoe throwers around the world can take their turn at the president's likeness. In a new online game called Sock and Awe, players aim a brown topsider at a ducking President Bush. It's much like a carnival game, with the president's face popping up from behind a wide lectern. Players earn a point for every shoe that makes a direct hit.
• Ill. High Court Rejects Attempt To Remove Governor
  The Illinois Supreme Court has denied an effort to remove Gov. Rod Blagojevich, rejecting what could have been the quickest way to force the Democrat from office. The court, without comment, refused to hear state Attorney General Lisa Madigan's legal challenge to the governor's fitness to serve.
• Pastor Rick Warren To Give Inauguration Invocation
  Besides filling Cabinet posts, President-elect Barack Obama has been announcing the program for next month's inauguration ceremonies. A lot of controversy followed the announcement that Pastor Rick Warren, a social conservative, will give the invocation.
• Online Retailer Surprised By Strong Holiday Buying
  Across the country, people are struggling. Morning Edition has provided a glimpse of those struggles with occasional reports on how people are dealing with the recession. Online retailer Uncommon Goods is doing better than expected, and holiday sales are actually pretty strong this year.

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