Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Irish poet Sean Lysaght receives O'Shaughnessy Award
  Poet Sean Lysaght is in St. Paul to receive the 11th O'Shaughnessy Award for poetry. The award is given each year by the Center for Irish Studies at the University of Saint Thomas. It recognizes contributions to the art by an Irish poet.4:45 p.m.
• Pachanga Society brings a new sound to polka country
  This weekend, a group called the Stearns County Pachanga Society will offer St. Cloud a unique musical experience that's homegrown, but it doesn't sound like it. The society blends Latin music with a heavy dose of audience participation.4:54 p.m.
• Hennepin County foreclosures on pace to double
  Based on the first three months of this year, more than 6,000 families will lose their homes to foreclosure in 2007. That's about five times the number in a typical year.5:20 p.m.
• Non-compete clause at heart of Ridder lawsuit
  The St. Paul Pioneer Press contends its former publisher, Par Ridder, violated a non-compete clause in his contract when he took a similar job at the rival Star Tribune newspaper. But the contract itself is nowhere to be found.5:24 p.m.
• Judges report delivers a blow to proposed Iron Range power plant
  A new legal opinion is a big setback for a proposed coal-gasification power plant on the Iron Range. The opinion only concerns the sale of energy from the plant, but it could be the make or break issue for the project.5:50 p.m.
• What we can learn from studying soil
  You've probably used the phrase "old as dirt" before, but researchers have found out that some rare soils are indeed old -- up to four million years old. A soil scientist who grew up on the Great Plains says studying how soils have changed over the years can help determine the future of the environment.5:54 p.m.
• Lack of funding closes World Press Institute
  A Twin Cities program that has given more than 500 foreign journalists perspective about American media is shutting down.6:20 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• U.S. Will Not Take Over Iraqi Parliament Security
  The U.S. military will not take over security of the Iraqi parliament building in the wake of Thursday's deadly suicide bombing. The building is located inside Baghdad's heavily protected Green Zone. Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, the No. 2 U.S. commander in Iraq, said Friday that the Iraqis should continue to provide security for the building.
• Dem. Candidates Turn Backs on Fox, Black Caucus
  Three of the major Democratic presidential candidates have decided not to participate in a debate to be broadcast on Fox News Channel in September. The debate is being sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus Institute, the caucus' educational arm. Some Democratic Party activists say Fox doesn't respect black Americans — or Democrats.
• ESPN Apologizes for Radio Host's Attack on Blog
  Colin Cowherd of ESPN Radio recently urged listeners of his syndicated show to flood a sports blog called The Big Lead, which got so many hits that the Web site went offline for about 48 hours. ESPN's ombudsman later criticized Cowherd, and the network apologized.
• Camus, Re-Translated: 'Exile and the Kingdom'
  In 1957, French-Algerian writer Albert Camus won the Nobel Prize for Literature, and his short story collection Exile and the Kingdom was first published in French. The first English translations of the stories were not well received by critics. Fifty years later, Carol Cosman has newly translated the book.
• Odd Mix of Racial News: Pattern of 21st Century?
  The last two weeks have been a particularly interesting time to be black. Presidential candidate Barack Obama raised $25 million. Charges were dropped against the Duke University lacrosse team, and talk-show host Don Imus was fired from CBS and MSNBC for racially insulting the Rutgers women's basketball team. The message of it all is, "Welcome to the 21st century."
• In Imus, Democratic Candidates Lose a Platform
  The scandal surrounding Don Imus' remarks about the Rutgers women's basketball team culminated Thursday in the cancellation of his show by CBS. The repercussions will be felt elsewhere, however, including within the Democratic Party. The show was a key platform to reach independent white males.
• Al-Qaida Claims Deadly Bombings in Algeria
  Suicide bombings Wednesday in Algeria left at least 33 people dead. Al-Qaida claimed responsibility for what were the first known suicide bombings in the North African country. The attacks came on the heels of a foiled suicide attack in nearby Morocco.
• Lawyers, Activists Protest Removal of Pakistan Judge
  Thousands of lawyers and political activists demonstrated on the streets of Pakistan's capital Islamabad today over the suspension of the country's chief justice of the Supreme Court. They called for the country's military ruler General Pervez Musharraf to re-instate the judge and restore democracy to Pakistan.
• Richardson: N. Korea Will Allow U.N. Inspections
  North Korea has agreed to allow U.N. nuclear inspectors to verify that the country is shutting down a nuclear reactor, according to New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who led an American delegation on a White House-approved four-day trip to North Korea this week.
• White House Supports Wolfowitz Amid Scandal
  World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz faces demands for his resignation over a promotion he helped to arrange for Shaha Riza, a bank employee whom he has dated. The bank's board of directors is considering what action to take.
• Documents Show Justice Ranking U.S. Attorneys
  The Justice Department sent Congress a new batch of documents about the dismissals of eight U.S. attorneys. The documents show Justice Department and White House staffers planning the firings and trying to control the subsequent fallout, along with a chart that mixes political and legal criteria.
• Study: 'Abstinence Only' Goes Only So Far
  A government-funded study of sex-education programs that promote "abstinence only" concludes that they are ineffective in reducing sexual activity among teenagers.
• Week in Politics, from Gonzales to McCain
  Melissa Block talks with our regular political commentators, E.J. Dionne of The Washington Post, and David Brooks of The New York Times, about the week in politics. Their topics include: Alberto Gonzales and the U.S. attorneys controversy, Sen. John McCain and other presidential hopefuls, and the Iraq war.
• Simulated City Preps Marines for Reality of Iraq
  Before going to Iraq, Marines visit Wadi al-Sahara, a fictional Iraqi town where Iraqi role players re-create many of the same situations found in Iraqi cities. This training exercise is designed to help Marines work with Iraqis and avoid conflict.
• Drug Ads Play Up Benefits, Downsize Risks
  That beautiful mesmerizing moth fluttering through the Lunesta sleeping pill commercial? Studies show that such animated, sparkly creatures do a good job of helping you tune out the narrated list of side effects.

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