Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Minnesota teen wins national photo contest
  Joelle Linhoff, 18, of Minnetonka, snapped the winning image of a fog-shrouded valley in New Zealand to win Smithsonian Magazine's fourth photography contest.3:50 p.m.
• Legislative candidates getting early start on 2008
  The next election is more than 17 months away, but Republicans are already lining up candidates in their bid to regain control of the Minnesota House.5:45 p.m.
• Pawlenty, Canadian ambassador talk border, economic issues
  Gov. Tim Pawlenty met with Michael Wilson, Canada's ambassador to the Unites States on Wednesday. They talked about the strong trade ties between Minnesota and Canada.6:15 p.m.
• The need to read
  Twin Cities libraries have kicked off a summer reading program for teens. Librarians say busy teenagers don't typically make time for reading, yet summer reading can help them academically.6:20 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Motorsports Store Stages Annual Engine Blowout
  For the past 15 years, Reynolds Motorsports in Maine has celebrated a unique form of conspicuous consumption. As part of its annual open house, employees take a beat-up old motorcycle, tape the throttle wide open and take bets on how long it takes the machine to die.
• House Approves Gun Legislation
  The House of Representatives passed a gun bill Wednesday that aims to improve national background checks so the names of people who shouldn't be able to buy guns are more likely to get into the system. It's the first gun-control measure in more than a decade to have a good chance of becoming law.
• Attack on Iraqi Shrine Prompts Fears of Retribution
  Another attack on one of the holiest Shiite Muslim shrines in Iraq has raised fears of a new wave of sectarian bloodletting. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki blamed al-Qaida for the attack and ordered a curfew in Baghdad to prevent new violence.
• How Do Shrine Attacks Affect U.S. Strategy in Iraq?
  Retired Army Gen. Barry McCaffrey, who went to Iraq earlier this year, explains what the latest bombings of the holy Shiite mosque in Samarra mean for the U.S. military strategy in Iraq and why insurgents continue to target the shrine.
• Good-Credit Holders Lend Their Histories for Cash
  Would-be borrowers who have iffy credit ratings are turning to those with strong credit for help — and a cottage industry of credit-for-rent companies has sprung up to match them. Federal regulators are investigating the practice, but they haven't banned it.
• Beirut Attack Is Latest in String of Targeted Killings
  In Beirut, a bomb claimed the lives of an anti-Syrian member of parliament, his son and several others Wednesday. The explosion is the latest in a string of targeted killings stretching to the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri two years ago.
• CDC Sends Nurses Home with Some TB Patients
  Tuberculosis patients who don't have private doctors to oversee therapy, or who seem unlikely to take pills with unpleasant side effects for several months, get daily visits from a nurse who watches them take the medicine in their homes.
• Ex-Bush Aides Subpoenaed in Fired-Attorney Inquiry
  Two congressional committees have issued subpoenas for testimony from former White House counsel Harriet Miers and former political director Sara Taylor regarding their roles in the firings of eight federal prosecutors.
• Group Protesting Violence Draws Fire in Gaza Strip
  Hamas militants appear to be gaining the upper hand in the fight against gunmen from the rival Fatah movement in the Gaza Strip. There is now no talk of a cease-fire, and the "unity" government has collapsed. A group of Palestinians staged a protest against the fighting and came under fire.
• 'Sopranos' Lack of Resolution Mirrors Real Issues
  Just as The Sopranos ended its run Sunday without any resolution, many of the world's real problems persist — with no clear hope of resolution.
• Genetic Analysis Helps Track TB Infection Chain
  CDC scientists tracing tuberculosis cases use genetic analysis to hunt for a chain of transmission they might not catch through traditional shoe-leather epidemiology. The method has real benefits: They found that several apparently unrelated cases were traceable to a bar that all of the TB patients had frequented.
• Don Herbert, TV's 'Mr. Wizard,' Dies
  Actor Don Herbert, who explained the world of science to young viewers in the 1950s and '60s, has died at the age of 89. His show, "Watch Mr. Wizard," ran for 14 years. Science Friday host Ira Flatow talks about Herbert's legacy with Robert Siegel.
• 'This Has to Stop': Recalling a Protest for Peace
  Commentator Hossam al-Madhoun, who works for a Western aid agency in Gaza, took part in Wednesday's anti-war protest in Gaza City against the increase in factional violence.
• Hum of the Newspaper Press Soothes Texas Man
  Listener Gary Borders of Lufkin, Texas, loves the sound of his newspaper press starting up.
• Judge Sues Cleaners for $54 Million for Lost Pants
  An odd trial is under way at D.C. Superior Court in Washington. An administrative law judge is suing a dry-cleaner for a whopping $54 million. The alleged misdeed is the loss of the judge's pants, which he delivered to the cleaners to be altered. He claims the cleaners broke their promise of "Satisfaction Guaranteed."

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