KVNF Mountain Grown Community Radio

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says he's ready to become the first Iranian in space.

Britain's Independent reports:

"'I am ready to be the first human to be sent to space by Iranian scientists,' Ahmadinejad said on the sidelines of an exhibition of space achievements in Tehran, according to the Mehr news agency.

Canada is changing its change.

The European Union police organization, Europol, uncovered a massive match-fixing scheme that they say presents "a big problem for the integrity of football in Europe."

As the AP reports, the Europol investigation found "more than 380 suspicious matches — including World Cup and European Championship qualifiers and two Champions League games — and found evidence that a Singapore-based crime group is closely involved in match-fixing."

The Chinese workers who assemble iPhones, iPads and tons of other electronic devices may soon be able to elect their own union representatives, the FT reports.

Labor unions technically do exist in Chinese factories, but they're typically controlled by management and the government. So a union run by democratic vote of the workers would be a huge shift.

Some people enjoy the Super Bowl commercials more than the football game. Host Michel Martin and Tampa Bay Times media critic Eric Deggans run through the best and worst ads; from senior citizens making late night trips to Taco Bell to nerds getting really sloppy kisses.

The debate over gun control continues to dominate the headlines. Meanwhile, the U.S. Senate doubles the number of African-American members by welcoming William 'Mo" Cowan. He replaces John Kerry. Host Michel Martin talks politics with Republican strategist Ron Christie and Keli Goff, political correspondent for The Root.