Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Search brings mixed emotions for the Wetterlings
  Law enforcement officials continued searching Thursday at a farm near where 11-year-old Jacob Wetterling was abducted more than 20 years ago, but his mother said she doesn't think the search signals a break in the case.3:20 p.m.
• New MDH list shows hundreds of potentially harmful chemicals
  The Minnesota Department of Health on Thursday released a list of hundreds of chemicals that pose a potential health risk.3:24 p.m.
• Nurses, hospitals reach agreement; strike avoided
  Fourteen Twin Cities hospitals have reached an agreement with the nurses' union after months of negotiations and the threat of another strike, hospitals and union officials said Thursday.3:50 p.m.
• Art Hounds
  Each week Minnesota Public Radio News asks three people from the Minnesota arts scene to be "Art Hounds." Their job is to step outside their own work and hunt down something exciting that's going on in local arts.4:44 p.m.
• Labor professor discusses the nurses-hospitals settlement
  MPR's Tom Crann discussed the contract deal with John Remington, a professor of human resources and labor studies at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management.4:50 p.m.
• Applications due for turnaround schools in Minnesota
  In Minnesota, 32 schools were labeled this year as the state's 'persistently lowest-performing,' making them eligible for federal money. Today's the deadline for those schools to tell the state just how they'll spend that money.4:54 p.m.
• Nurses, hospitals reach agreement; strike avoided
  Fourteen Twin Cities hospitals have reached an agreement with the nurses' union after months of negotiations and the threat of another strike, hospitals and union officials said Thursday.5:20 p.m.
• New MDH list shows hundreds of potentially harmful chemicals
  The Minnesota Department of Health on Thursday released a list of hundreds of chemicals that pose a potential health risk.5:24 p.m.
• A guide to fireworks displays around Minn.
  The celebrations on July 4 almost always include big bangs in the sky as fireworks light up the night. Here's a sampling of fireworks shows scheduled around Minnesota for the holiday.5:54 p.m.
• Minnesotans ready for fireworks at favorite spots
  You might already have a favorite Fourth of July fireworks show, but is it among the best in the state? We asked members of MPR's Public Insight Network to weigh in on the debate, and tell us if if their community's fireworks have survived the recession.5:58 p.m.
• Labor professor discusses the nurses-hospitals settlement
  MPR's Tom Crann discussed the contract deal with John Remington, a professor of human resources and labor studies at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management.6:16 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• A Very Scary Light Show: Exploding H-Bombs In Space
  Back in 1962, the U.S. blew up a hydrogen bomb, creating what might be the greatest fireworks spectacular ever. People in Hawaii gathered on rooftops, sipping drinks, as they watched a radioactive rainbow display in the night sky.
• In Iraq, Little To Show For Lost Lives, Billions Spent
  A year after the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq's cities, many Iraqis say the country the U.S. is slowly leaving behind is hardly a success story. While violence is down from the levels of 2006 and 2007, Iraq still struggles with political stalemate and a lack of basic services.
• Petraeus Faces Unfinished Projects, Fragile Progress
  As Gen. David Petraeus takes command in Afghanistan, he inherits ongoing military operations in Marjah and Kandahar, and a political process that might bring old enemies to the table. But signs are emerging that in some areas, at least, life is returning to normal, and the government is regaining Afghans' trust.
• Summer Jobs: Waiting Tables
  Our summer jobs series continues with one of the hardest jobs out there -- waiting tables. We hear from several former waitresses, including our own Michele Norris.
• W.S. Merwin Named Nation's 17th Poet Laureate
  The two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, 82, has written more than 30 books. On Thursday, he became the nation's 17th poet laureate, appointed by the Library of Congress. Merwin talks to NPR's Melissa Block from his home -- on a former pineapple plantation -- in Hawaii.
• Letters: Rachel Robinson, Haley Barbour
  Listeners react to our interviews with Rachel Robinson, the widow of Jackie Robinson; and Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour. Melissa Block and Michele Norris read from listeners' e-mails.
• Judge Hears Arguments In Va. Health Care Lawsuit
  A federal judge in Richmond, Va., on Thursday heard the first arguments in the first of several lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the federal health overhaul law. Michele Norris talks to NPR's Julie Rovner, who is at the courthouse in Richmond.
• Medical Billing, A President's Cousin, And The Pain-In-The-Butt Index
  Every morning at 6 a.m., a mail truck arrives outside the headquarters of athenahealth. The truck is filled with other people's hassles: Box after box of medical bills and paperwork.
• Toyota Still Struggling To Restore Its Quality Image
  The Japanese automaker, which may recall 270,000 more vehicles, is trying to win back its reputation with U.S. consumers. Toyota has hired outside experts to examine its cars, taken steps to improve quality control and is offering some of the best incentives in the industry.
• Book Review: 'The Lonely Polygamist'
  Author Brady Udall's second novel deals with the family difficulties of a husband of four -- a father of 28.

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