Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• First Guard troops arrive in Wisconsin
  The smell of green grass and humidity were just some of the things Minnesota National Guard troops appreciated as they stepped off a plane in central Wisconsin after serving more than a year in Iraq.5:20 p.m.
• Nautilus joins year-long theater marathon
  The St. Paul-based Nautilus Music-Theater is one of hundreds of theater companies across the country participating in a year-long floating theater festival. They're staging the work of a writer who challenged herself to write a play a day for an entire year.5:54 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• White House to Report on Iraqis' Progress
  With a key report on Iraq soon due from the White House, it's a good time to take measure of the Iraqi government's progress in meeting 18 military and political benchmarks set by Congress, and to assess Iraqi laws aimed at political reconciliation.
• Expert Assesses Iraqis' Benchmark Efforts
  Dr. Anthony Cordesman, who holds the Arleigh Burke Chair in Strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., examines efforts to sideline militias and bring Iraq under the control of the government in Baghdad.
• McCain's Top Advisers Quit Campaign
  Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), having returned from a visit to Iraq, gives his impressions of the war on the Senate floor. Meantime, his longtime top two advisers quit his presidential effort, the latest blow to a campaign that has been struggling.
• Long Waits Slow New Orleans Recovery
  The biggest difference between New Orleans and the rest of the country — and the main reason the storm recovery is so slow, according to some locals — is that there are long waits for everything. Whether it's for an insurance settlement, government aid, a contractor, or even a doctor's appointment, weeks-long waits turn into months, and frustrations grow.
• Sprinting for Grease Pits, and Other Tornado Tales
  Residents of the middle of the United States might take for granted that summer is tornado season, but for commentator Harriet Brown, a transplanted Northeasterner, it took a little getting used to.
• Cleric's Death at Red Mosque Fuels Violence
  Violence at the Red Mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan, continues after cleric Abdul Rashid Ghazi is found to have been killed. Militants continue to hold hostages. When might the fighting end?
• Execution in China Highlights Rash of Scandals
  The former head of China's Food and Drug Administration was put to death for approving untested medicines, highlighting a series of environmental and industrial scandals in China, and growing pressure on the government to change.
• Vegas' Green 'Flash' Could Cost Nevada Millions
  A Nevada state assemblywoman had an idea in a flash: Encourage green building in Las Vegas by offering a tax break — of 50 percent. Three years later, her "flash of inspiration" could cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars.
• Chef Seeks Converts to Crudo, Italian Sashimi
  Italian and sushi are two words that normally don't go together. Chef David Pasternack is trying to change that, with a dish called crudo. The chef at Esca in New York City has a new cookbook, The Young Man and The Sea.
• Senate Renews Push for Iraq Withdrawal Deadlines
  Senate debate on the Iraq war began in earnest Tuesday as Democrats called for troop withdrawals. Democratic leaders introduced an amendment ordering withdrawals by April 30, 2008. Sen. John McCain, just back from Iraq, gave a floor speech saying precipitous withdrawal would be a disaster.

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