Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Legislators, retailers work to close online sales tax loophole
  Shopping online lets buyers often skip out on paying sales tax. That amounts to as much as $400 million a year in lost sales tax revenue to the state of Minnesota. Brick-and-mortar retailers are lining up behind a congressional bill that would allow states to require all retailers to collect sales taxes due.6:55 a.m.
• St. Croix bridge bill has Minnesota congressional members at loggerheads
  Ordinarily Congress - let alone Cabinet members - wouldn't get involved in whether or not to build a bridge between two states. But everything about finding a replacement for the aging Stillwater lift bridge is complicated.7:20 a.m.
• 'Descendants' is latest from Minn. moviemaker Jim Burke
  It's a big weekend for movie producer Jim Burke. His latest film "The Descendants" opens in select cities, including his hometown of Minneapolis.7:25 a.m.
• Bachmann back in Iowa
  Rep. Michele Bachmann is in Iowa this week campaigning for president. Later this morning she holds a town hall meeting at Drake University. On Saturday, she'll participate in a forum with other Republican candidates in Des Moines. The Iowa Caucus is on January 3, 2012.8:40 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Scientists Worry About Impact Of Bird Flu Experimen
  Scientists are worried about the deadly bird flu called H5N1 which sometimes infects people. It's never acquired the ability to transmit easily between humans, but researchers would like to know if that could happen. Recently, they've essentially been altering the genes of H5N1 to make the virus spread more easily between lab animals — raising concerns about biosafety and how this research is regulated.
• Why Brain Injuries Are More Common In Preemies
  Each year more than 60,000 babies are born weighing less than 3.3 pounds. As scientists learn more about how brain injuries occur among these very premature infants, it could point the way to possible prevention and repair strategies.
• Congolese Presidential Candidate Orders Jail Breaks
  Campaigning in the Democratic Republic of Congo has taken a stormy turn. Veteran opposition politician and presidential candidate Etienne Tshisekedi proclaimed himself president, and ordered his supporters to stage jailbreaks to free their detained colleagues.
• Genocide Survivor To Sit On Holocaust Museum Board
  President Obama has appointed Rwandan refugee Clemantine Wamariya to the board of the U.S. Holocaust Museum. Wamariya, who's an American now, talks to Renee Montagne about surviving the Rwandan genocide.
• Feds Want To Make Farming Safer For Kids
  The Labor Department has proposed changes that would outlaw farm kids under the age of 16 from driving tractors, branding cattle and handling pesticides. Family farmers are angry about the proposal and accuse the government of encroaching on a sacred part of country life. But statics show kids who work on farms are six times more likely to be killed than children working in other industries. Peggy Lowe of Harvest Public Media reports.
• By Attacking The Media, Gingrich Built A Following
  Gingrich may have found his voice by turning the tables on the political press. Republicans have been doing this fourth-estate two-step for decades — quite explicitly at least since Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew in 1968. That might work for the back of the pack, but how will it play for a front-runner?
• Political Climate Ripe For A Third-Party Prospect
  Dissatisfaction with both parties is at an all-time high, and trust in Washington is at an all-time low — exactly the kind of environment that is welcoming for an alternative to the Democrats and the Republicans. "There's too much opportunity, too much anger with politics," says one pollster.
• Wal-Mart To Move Into 6 D.C. Urban Neighborhoods
  While some communities have fought to keep Wal-Mart out, officials in Washington, D.C., have welcomed the retailer with open arms. Most of the stores will be built in underserved neighborhoods. But community activists complain city leaders should have pressed Wal-Mart for concessions on starting salaries and other benefits before announcing the deal.
• Would-Be Accountant Takes To Streets To Find Work
  College graduates face one of the bleakest job markets on record. It's so hard to find work that some grads are resorting to unconventional approaches. An aspiring accountant spent six months emailing resumes before trying something more daring: carrying a sandwich board.
• Google Music Competes Against iTunes, Amazon
  Google's music store will allow Android smart phone users to buy songs directly from Google, which is something they can't do from iTunes. They'll also be able to share their purchases with friends on the Google Plus social network. But the company, known mainly for its search engine, has a long way to go before it can challenge the big kid on the block.

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