Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Kurds in Fargo-Moorhead return to class for homeland's language
  Kurdish residents in Fargo-Moorhead who fled Iraq and resettled in Fargo-Moorhead over the past 20 years are trying to reconnect their children with traditional language and culture.6:40 a.m.
• MPR's Mark Zdechlik follows Michele Bachmann in Iowa
  A look at Congresswoman Michele Bachmann as she wraps up her bus tour of all 99 Iowa counties.7:20 a.m.
• Seeking online revenue, businesses, non-profits sell ad space
  Online sales are expected to show a 15 percent increase this holiday season, and as consumers do more of their shopping online, retailers and other businesses are trying to figure out ways to make money from all the traffic that comes to their websites -- even if they don't get a sale.7:25 a.m.
• Mall of America spokesman describes melee
  Cathy Wurzer talks with Dan Jasper, the vice president of public relations with the Mall of America.8:45 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• No U.S. Troops, But An Army Of Contractors In Iraq
  Private security contractors were involved in a number of controversial shootings in Iraq during the war. With U.S. troops gone, American diplomats will be depending on up to 5,000 security contractors to keep them safe.
• Anonymous Arm Says It Hacked Stratfor
  In Texas, a private intelligence company has apparently been hacked by the loosely organized activist group Anonymous. Some members claim they obtained personal information about Stratfor's clients, as well as thousands of credit cards numbers which were then used to make donations to charities. But other members have disavowed the hacking job. Freelance journalist Quinn Norton, who has profiled Anonymous for Wired Magazine, talks to Linda Wertheimer about the breach.
• North Korea's Economy Is In Need Of An Overhaul
  As North Korea prepares for the funeral of leader Kim Jong Il, attention is being focused on the country his son, heir apparent Kim Jong Un, will inherit. Like almost everything to do with North Korea, the picture of how the country's economy works is cloudy.
• Rotterdam Port Feels Effects Of European Debt Crisis
  As the debt crisis spreads across Europe, the economy in the region is slowing to a crawl. One place that's starting to feel the impact of the slowdown is the massive port of Rotterdam in Holland. It's the biggest port in the world outside Asia. Much of what's bought and sold in Europe goes through Rotterdam.
• Oscar Ballots To Start Arriving In Mailboxes
  The end is nearing for an unusual year at the movies — no single film has dominated the conversation in Hollywood. Thousands of people in the industry will get a chance to say what they think of this year's films when the first Academy Award ballots are mailed out Tuesday.
• With A Job, Life Improves For 9th Grade Dropout
  Nearly three decades ago, Kenny Buchanan decided to drop out of school. Over the last 26 years, he's jumped from job to job and unemployment. He now has a full-time job and for the first time in years, he and his family have health insurance and can enjoy a few luxuries.
• Historic Ford Plant Site Likely A Tough Sell
  The automaker recently closed its Twin Cities Assembly Plant on a scenic river bluff in St. Paul, Minn. In better times, the parcel of land might have made condo developers drool, but in today's real estate market, redevelopment of the old factory could be a long way off.
• Afghan Government Signs Deal With Oil Company
  China's National Petroleum Corporation would be the first foreign company to produce oil in Afghanistan. The Afghan government says the 25-year-deal could create jobs and help develop oil reserves in the northeast part of the country.
• Worst CEOs: A Check Up From The Head Up
  Some of the most spectacular business failings of 2011 were created or enhanced by the very people who should have provided protection against failure: the CEOs. Linda Wertheimer wraps up the year in CEO blunders with Professor Sydney Finkelstein, of the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. He's also the author of Why Smart Executives Fail.
• Medellin Inaugurates Giant Outdoor Escalator
  Once known as one of the world's most violent cities, Medellin, Colombia, is enjoying the spotlight for a new socially-conscious public transportation system. The giant outdoor escalator was built for residents of one of the city's poorest districts, with the aim of better integrating them into the city and the broader economy.

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