Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Come one, come all, ye Republican protester
  The protest groups who have reserved march or park permits during the Republican National Convention range from 9/11 conspiracy theorists to folk music loving peaceniks.5:20 p.m.
• Business groups spend most to lobby this year
  Two organizations that advocate for businesses spent more than $1 million lobbying the Legislature and the Pawlenty administration over the first six months of this year.5:25 p.m.
• Courthouse shooting prompts security reviews around Minn.
  The incident has kicked off a statewide discussion on safety inside Minnesota's public buildings, even as people who work in the Morrison County government center try to make sense of what happened.5:50 p.m.
• Archdiocese intervenes in church's gay pride service
  St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church will be holding a prayer service tonight that will promote peace and understanding, and some parishioners are planning to protest the event.5:54 p.m.
• Leonid Hurwicz, oldest Nobel winner, dies
  Hurwicz, 90, shared the 2007 Nobel economics prize with two other Americans for developing a theory that helps explain how buyers and sellers can maximize their gains from transactions. He was retired from the University of Minnesota.6:19 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Creator of Big Bird Costume Remembered
  Kermit Love, the costume designer who helped puppeteer Jim Henson create Big Bird and other Sesame Street characters, has died. Carroll Spinney, the puppeteer who plays Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on Sesame Street, remembers him.
• Jefferson's Library Once Again Complete
  The Library of Congress has managed to re-create —with the help of rare-book collectors —-the missing two-thirds of Thomas Jefferson's Library. Mark Dimunation, of the Library of Congress, discusses Jefferson's tastes and rare-book detectives.
• Ill., Calif. Sue Countrywide
  Illinois and California have sued Countrywide Financial, one of the country's largest mortgage lenders. The suits against the company and its chief executive come on the same day Countrywide shareholders approved a takeover by Bank of America.
• Zimbabwe's Mugabe Stripped of Knighthood
  Britain's Queen Elizabeth II has stripped Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe of his knighthood. This highly unusual move is a protest by the queen over Mugabe's human rights abuses following complaints by Zimbabwe's opposition of intimidation.
• Mars May Have Been Struck by Massive Object
  There are competing reasons for why Mars' northern hemisphere is much lower in altitude than the southern hemisphere. Three papers in the journal Nature present new evidence that a massive object struck Mars, giving one of the theories a major boost.
• Zimbabwe Opposition Leader Seeks End to Conflict
  Zimbabwe's opposition leader briefly left his refuge in the Dutch Embassy and called for talks as a way to end the electoral conflict with President Robert Mugabe. Morgan Tsvangirai said, however, he wouldn't enter talks if Friday's runoff vote goes ahead.
• Laptops for Kids in Small Towns May Not Be Panacea
  One Laptop per Child may have been thinking of the developing world, but cities such as Immokalee, Fla., feel its kids would benefit, too. But it's unclear how much the laptops can bridge the achievement gap for the kids of migrant workers.
• Supreme Court Cuts Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Damages
  The Supreme Court rule that the punitive damage award imposed on Exxon, stemming from the huge oil spill in Alaska, was excessive. The justices said the punitive damages should not be more than the compensatory damages.
• Israel Again Closes Border With Gaza
  Israel Wednesday again closed the border crossings into the Gaza Strip in retaliation for rocket attacks from Gaza into the southern city of Sderot. Hamas called the move a violation of a truce, but urged Palestinian factions to hold their fire.
• Studies Find Link Between Alzheimer's, Calcium
  Two new studies are likely to change scientists' understanding of Alzheimer's disease and could lead to better treatments. The studies both find a link between Alzheimer's disease and the way cells handle calcium.
• Letters: Itch, Drilling, Senate's Sartorial Style
  From the nature of the itch to offshore drilling to the sartorial style of the U.S. Senate, readers sound off in e-mails.
• High Court Rejects Death Penalty for Child Rape
  The Supreme Court has outlawed executions of people convicted of raping a child. The court was considering a Louisiana law that allowed for such executions. The ruling said the law violates the Constitution's ban on cruel and unusual punishment.
• In Ore., GOP Senator Cites Working with Obama
  Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., is facing a tough re-election challenge in November. He says he's supporting John McCain for president, but in a new campaign ad he touts his achievements working across the aisle with a certain Democrat: Barack Obama.
• Md. School Board Eyes Nixing Bus Services for Some
  The Montgomery County, Md., school board is considering doing away with bus services for students who live a certain distance from school in a bid to save fuel costs. Sharon Cox, a school board member, discusses the board's options.
• U.S. Report Links Climate Change to Security
  Two top intelligence officials have testified in Congress about the implications of climate change for U.S. national security. They discussed an assessment that identifies parts of the world where climate change could produce political instability.

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