Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Special Master hears appeals to re-open some state services
  Hearings were under way Friday morning at the the Minnesota Judicial Center. Retired Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Kathleen Blatz is considering whether parts of Minnesota state government should be re-opened.3:06 p.m.
• Dayton: New budget talks unlikely until Tuesday
  The governor says he will resume negotiations with GOP leaders after the Independence Day holiday.3:50 p.m.
• Kaler: U of M to operate as normal after shutdown
  Eric Kaler said the school will operate as normal during the shutdown even without money from the state. Classes and research will continue and hospitals and clinics will stay open.4:45 p.m.
• Largest layoff in state history; 22,000 workers added to unemployment pool
  Today this is the first day of what's undoubtedly the biggest layoff in state history, with 22,000 state employees out of work.4:54 p.m.
• Minn. politicians face the consequences of government shutdown
  Now that the wide-ranging state government shutdown is in place, state legislators should expect to face angry constituents who will demand they return to work with the governor and finish the job, say former state lawmakers who dealt with similar budget stalemates.5:06 p.m.
• Details emerge of budget offers, negotiations
  More than 14 hours into a government shutdown, details emerged Friday about the budget haggling between Gov. Mark Dayton and Republican legislative leaders.5:20 p.m.
• Special Master hears appeals to re-open some state services
  Hearings were under way Friday morning at the the Minnesota Judicial Center. Retired Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Kathleen Blatz is considering whether parts of Minnesota state government should be re-opened.5:24 p.m.
• Dayton: New budget talks unlikely until Tuesday
  The governor says he will resume negotiations with GOP leaders after the Independence Day holiday.5:35 p.m.
• Shutdown stress begins for state workers, others
  The government shutdown that began early today was affecting state workers, the private sector and families who tried to visit the Minnesota Zoo.5:50 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Minnesota Government Grinds To A Halt
  Thousands of state workers had an unscheduled day off in Minnesota Friday. Many functions of state government are on hold after the Legislature and Gov. Mark Dayton failed to reach agreement on a budget for the fiscal year that began Friday.
• Week In Politics: Budget; Debt Ceiling
  Melissa Block speaks with our regular political commentators, E.J. Dionne of the Washington Post and Brookings Institution, and David Brooks of the New York Times. They discuss the latest on the budget and debt ceiling discussions.
• Neptune's Day Is Shorter Than Was Thought
  Figuring out how long it takes the gaseous planet to rotate isn't easy. A University of Arizona astronomer who has now studied 500 images says he's got a more precise estimate. His work should help us understand the planet better.
• Is San Francisco Driving Its Families Away?
  Census data confirms what many San Francisco lawmakers and policy wonks know: The city is bleeding families. San Francisco has about 5,000 fewer children than 10 years ago, despite the city's reputation for being among the most family-friendly in the country. The culprit: the cost of housing.
• Teachers Across The Country Face Layoffs
  Teacher contracts expire in many places Friday, and for many teachers, those contracts won't be picked back up. State budget deficits and increased cuts are taking their toll on school districts around the country. In Milwaukee, 354 teachers are going to be laid off. In Chicago, a thousand. Smaller school districts are losing positions too. Robert Siegel speaks with Sean Cavanagh, who covers state education policy for Education Week, about the cuts — and what they mean for the upcoming school year.
• In Syria, Two Different Flavors Of Street Protests
  A pro-government rally filled the streets of Damascus Friday with high school bands and families on what was dubbed National Unity Day. But across Syria, anti-government protests continued.
• For Strauss-Kahn, Fresh Political Hope (Perhaps)
  Before his arrest, polls suggested that Dominique Strauss-Kahn would have beaten Nicolas Sarkozy in next year's French presidential election. Some say he might still bounce back if the weakening criminal case against him falls apart.
• College Basketball Legend Lorenzo Charles Dies
  Robert Siegel speaks with Dereck Whittenburg about the death of Lorenzo Charles, a member of the NC State Wolfpack who made the 1983 NCAA national title-winning dunk. They were the underdogs to the No. 1 Houston Cougars — also known then as Phi Slamma Jamma — a team that included future NBA greats Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler. Whittenburg threw the ball that Charles grabbed and dunked in the last seconds of the game, upsetting Houston and giving NC State the stunning win.
• How To Cook Perfect Corn
  Melissa Block gets the run down on how to cook perfect corn from Betty Fussell, author of The Story of Corn. Fussell is also a descendant of Nebraskan corn farmers.
• Hollywood's Got A Bad Case Of Sequelitis This Year
  This year, Hollywood will release 28 movie sequels — more than any other year — and while all these Part 2s, 3s and 4s may be good for the industry's bottom line, it's making NPR movie critic Bob Mondello's job tricky.

The Dinner Party Download™

A fast, funny digest of the week's most interesting news, cuisine, cocktails and culture.

Services

• Hourly Newscast
• HD Radio
• iPhone App / Mobile
• E-mail newsletters
• RSS feeds
• Podcasts
• Submit your photos
• Videos
• Weather
• Most e-mailed stories