Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Bike commuting is up, even with lower gas prices
  With gas prices down by half since this summer, it's cheaper to get around than it has been in years. Still, bus ridership, car pooling, even bicycling are up this winter.6:50 a.m.
• Weather with Mark Seeley
  University of Minnesota meteorologist and climatologist Mark Seeley discusses Minnesota weather history and looks ahead to the weekend weather.6:55 a.m.
• Conflicting MN law on who will judge election contest
  Minnesota's U.S. Senate recount is likely to spur legal challenges after the state canvassing board certifies a winner. The parties can contest the election results in court, but some experts say the legal process itself could be grounds for challenge.7:20 a.m.
• Cities, counties get hit by state budget cuts
  Checks from the state will go out Friday to cities and counties in Minnesota, but many of those checks will be smaller than originally planned. Last week, Gov. Tim Pawlenty cut $110 million in state aid and tax credits in order to balance the budget that ends on June 30th. One of the cities that will feel the pain is Coon Rapids.7:25 a.m.
• For the Vikings, playoffs on the line
  The Vikings take on the New York Giants at the Metrodome on Sunday. If they win, they'll clinch their division and secure a spot in the playoffs for the first time since the 2004 season.8:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Water Safe, Cleanup Under Way In Tenn. Dike Burst
  The Tennessee Valley Authority is reporting "progress" in cleaning up the sludge that coated a Tennessee neighborhood after a dike burst at a power plant Monday. Preliminary tests suggest there is no danger to millions of people who get their drinking water from the 652-mile Tennessee River.
• Award-Winning Entertainer Eartha Kitt Dies At 81
  Self-proclaimed "sex kitten" Eartha Kitt, a sultry singer, dancer and actress, has died. She was 81. Her career spanned six decades, from starring on film with Nat King Cole to playing Catwoman on TV's Batman. Kitt won two Emmys. She also was nominated for several Tonys and two Grammys.
• Orchestra Spreads Classical Music In Bolivia
  A movement is brewing in Bolivia. It has nothing to do with political turmoil that has plagued the South American country. Instead, classical music is in the air. A little-known but up-and-coming orchestra is spreading the sounds of Bach and Beethoven across the administrative capital La Paz, and even into some of Bolivia's most forgotten places.
• NASA Awards Contracts To Supply Space Station
  For the first time, NASA is planning to privatize supply operations for the International Space Station. The agency has awarded roughly $3 billion worth of contracts to two companies to develop rockets to haul cargo to the orbiting outpost.
• Economically Speaking, Just How Bad Was 2008?
  As 2008 comes to a close, many people are scratching their heads and thinking, "What in the world just happened to our economy?" Some remarkable financial and economic events have plunged the world into what appears to be the worst recession since World War II. But just a year ago, the huge breakdown was largely unforeseen.
• Video Games Appear To Be Recession Proof
  Sales of video games this holiday season were brisk. Sequels to games did especially well, like Grand Theft Auto IV, Gears of War 2 and Rock Band 2. One analyst predicts the popular Guitar Hero franchise will sell as much as $900 million globally this year.
• Initial Figures Indicate Retail Sales Not Jolly News
  Preliminary figures by SpendingPulse indicate retail sales this season fell by as much as 4 percent overall. SpendingPulse is a division of MasterCard Advisors and keeps track of total purchases by cash, check and credit card. Major retailers will start releasing their sales results Jan. 8.
• Snowzilla Appears Just In Time For Christmas
  A popular attraction in Anchorage, Alaska, is back. The giant snowman dubbed Snowzilla has been built in Billy Powers' front yard. City officials earlier had ordered the Powers family to cease and desist. Still, Snowzilla appeared before dawn one day this week. At 25 feet tall, Snowzilla is bigger than ever.
• Gen. Washington's Delaware Crossing Still Inspires
  President Bush and President-elect Barack Obama each made mention this week of George Washington's crossing of the Delaware. Washington crossed the river on Dec. 25, 1776. The next day, British troops suffered a major defeat in the Battle of Trenton.
• Victims Of 2004 Tsunami Remembered
  Four years ago, a massive undersea earthquake triggered a tsunami. The giant wave crashed onto South Asian coasts, killing an estimated 230,000 people. The tsunami was the deadliest in recorded history. Most of those who were drowned or swept out to sea were in Indonesia. Among the dead and missing were thousands of tourists.
• Will The NFL's Detroit Lions Make It 0-16?
  While the race for the playoffs continues in the NFL, one big question remains: Can the Detroit Lions go the entire season without winning a game?
• Is Ash-Filled Sludge A Health Threat?
  Environmentalists are concerned about a Tennessee neighborhood after an earthen dam holding back a 40-acre retention pond at a coal-burning power plant collapsed. They are worried that sludge, which is filled with ash from the coal-fired plant, could pose a health risk. But initial tests found no threat to drinking water.
• United Arab Emirates Buys Patriot Missile Defenses
  In the final weeks of the Bush administration, the United Arab Emirates has agreed to purchase a $3.3 billion Patriot missile defense system. Washington is urging the UAE to purchase another missile defense system for more than twice that amount, as a means of deterring the potential threat from Iran.
• Father Returns To Mexico; Should Son Follow?
  Youth Radio's Luis Sierra describes his father's decision to return to Mexico after decades in the United States. His father believes the U.S. economy is so bad, he can find better jobs in Mexico. Some other parents are doing the same thing. Luis has to decide whether he should stay and finish college or take his chances finishing his education in Mexico and job-hunting there.
• White House To Break Another Color Barrier In Jan.
  President Theodore Roosevelt caused a national incident in 1901 when he invited Booker T. Washington to the White House. Washington became the first African-American to be a guest at a White House dinner. More than 100 years later, the first African-American president and his family will move into the White House in January.

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