Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• New Minneapolis architecture has national profile
  From the new Guthrie Theater, which officially opens on Sunday, to the revamped Children's Theatre Company, the explosion of new or expanded arts buildings in Minneapolis is generating a lot of national and international media attention.4:48 p.m.
• Tom Crann's Guthrie album
  All Things Considered host Tom Crann snapped a few photos of the Guthrie when he toured the new facility recently. He narrates.4:54 p.m.
• U.S. Immigration spent $200K on Keyse Jama deportation
  U.S. Immigration officials spent nearly $200,000 last year on their failed attempt to fly Minnesotan Keyse Jama back to his native Somalia.5:19 p.m.
• National dance event links seven communities on the Mississippi River
  On June 24, simultaneous, site-specific dance performances will take place at seven locations along the Mississippi to call attention to environmental issues affecting the watershed. Two of the locations are in Minnesota: Lake Itasca and the Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis.5:24 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Fantasy Sports: Only a Game, Or Is It Gambling?
  Odds are, somewhere, not far from you, someone is playing online fantasy baseball. Is it only a game, or is it gambling? Players say fantasy sports require skill -- and a little luck to avoid choosing a team full of injured sports stars. But one lawyer says the practice is gambling -- and therefore illegal in most places. He filed suit to convince a federal judge those pretend sports are really gambling.
• Brussels Group Passed Finance Records to CIA
  Revelations that a Brussels-based company has been collecting international financial records to aid the CIA's anti-terrorism efforts have led to many questions about the cooperative, called SWIFT.
• Merck to Drop Price as Zocor Patent Lapses
  The first generic versions of the popular cholesterol pill Zocor were approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The patent on Zocor, held by pharmaceutical company Merck, has run out. Merck has made the unusual decision to lower the price of Zocor to compete with the generics.
• U.S. Soccer May See Shakeup After Cup Losses
  The American soccer team's bad luck in playing World Cup matches in Europe has extended another four years, as the team is sent home from Germany by Ghana. Team USA failed to win any of its games. The Round of 16 is full of traditional football powers and upstarts like Ukraine, Australia and Ghana.
• U.S. Acknowledges Sifting Global Bank Records
  Bush administration officials confirm that, since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the U.S. government has been tracking terrorist finances by accessing a vast, international data base known as SWIFT. The officials defend the program as "legal, targeted and effective."
• U.S. Arrests 7 Accused of Chicago Bomb Plot
  Agents in Miami have arrested seven men who are indicted on terrorism charges. The seven are accused of conspiring to provide support to al-Qaida and planning to bomb the Sears Tower in Chicago, along with some government buildings in Miami.
• News of Hastert Land Deal Came Late in Process
  House Speaker Dennis Hastert has long been known as an advocate for a new highway project in his home district not far from Chicago, Ill. Hastert was able to insert funding for the project in last year's highway bill. But residents in the area only recently learned the highway had improved the value of real estate that Hastert himself owned part of.
• The Ethics of Lawmakers Adding Value to Land
  Speaker Hastert is far from being the only lawmaker whose efforts on behalf of his district raise questions. The practice of "earmarking" project money in big bills is big business on Capitol Hill, and it often includes money for highways and other public works that add value to real estate.
• Treasury Flexes Muscles in Bank Monitoring
  Robert Siegel talks with Stuart Levey, Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence at the Treasury. Undersecretary Levey is responsible for the operations of OFAC, the Office of Foreign Asset Controls, which issues subpoenas to organizations like SWIFT.
• Long-Time Holdout Learns to Be a Hugger
  Commentator Andrei Codrescu disdains public hugging. He traces it back to Frank Sinatra -- and lust. But he admits, as he gets older, and fears not seeing people again, he has reluctantly become a hugger.
• Witnesses: Sadr's Men Killed Saddam's Lawyer
  Eyewitnesses in Baghdad say it was Shiite militiamen who murdered one of Saddam Hussein's lawyers earlier this week. The witnesses say militiamen loyal to radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr kidnapped the lawyer and then shot him dead after parading him through the streets of the capital's largest Shiite district. Sadr's spokesman angrily denied the reports.
• Israel Apologizes, but Strikes to Continue
  Israeli leaders apologize for the deaths of Palestinian civilians, but they insist that missile strikes will continue until radical militants halt rocket attacks from Gaza into southern Israel. More than 12 civilians have been killed in the Gaza Strip in the past 10 days by Israeli missile strikes.
• Last Day of School: Saying 'Bye for the Summer
  For 61 million schoolchildren, it is one of the biggest days of the year: the last day of school. Audio snapshots from across the nation capture the sounds of school kids eager for summer freedom.
• Anatomy of a Shooting: A Civilian's Death in Iraq
  On June 24, 2005, Iraqi journalist and doctor Yasser Salihee was struck by a bullet fired by Staff Sgt. Joe Romero of the 256th Combat Brigade Team, Louisiana National Guard. Those involved agree the shooting was a mistake. But a year later, that's about all they agree on. A look at the impact of one man's death in Iraq.

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