Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Coleman won't support troop pullback
  Republican Sen. Norm Coleman says he won't support an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. Democrats have been trying to pressure Coleman this week as the Senate debates various amendments about the Iraq war.5:20 p.m.
• State Health Department names new epidemiologist
  Dr. Ruth Lynfield, a 10-year veteran of the Health Department, has been acting epidemiologist since March.5:24 p.m.
• Researcher predicts larger Gulf dead zone this year
  A researcher with the U.S. Geological Survey says there was a sharp increase this spring in the amount of nitrogen entering the Gulf of Mexico from the Mississippi River. The excess fertilizer likely will cause an increase in the size of the Gulf's dead zone.5:50 p.m.
• Minnesota teens push gang proposal to members of Congress
  A delegation of high school students from the Twin Cities think that mandatory financial management classes would help keep their peers out of gangs. They recently had the chance to take that proposal drectly to their U.S. senators.6:24 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Sen. Reed: Bush 'Overly Optimistic' on Iraq
  President Bush outlined a mixed interim progress report on Iraq, emphasizing his belief that peace can be secured there. Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) says the White House is "being overly optimistic" in reviewing the situation in Iraq and the country's fledgling government.
• Birth of a Phenomenon: 'Two Sevens Clash'
  Culture was one of the seminal reggae harmony groups and the 1977 single, "Two Sevens Clash," was huge in Jamaica. The title refers to apocalyptic prophecies by Marcus Garvey. The song was so influential that on 7/7/77, the city of Kingston shut down. The full album was just reissued — on 7/7/07.
• Iraqi Insurgents Lead in P.R. War, Study Says
  Sunni insurgents in Iraq are getting their messages out to the wider Arab world by issuing daily press releases and video clips through the Internet, according to a report by the U.S.-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. According to the report, "an alternative, no matter how lavishly funded and cleverly produced, will not eliminate this demand."
• Illinois Democrats Spar Over Spending Plan
  Squabbles over state spending plans usually break down along party lines — as in Pennsylvania, where a budget fight between the Democratic governor and Republican lawmakers has shut down parts of the government. But in Illinois, Democrats are fighting Democrats.
• Abbas Accused of Undermining Rule of Law
  Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas is coming under fire from critics who say he is ignoring the rule of law. Abbas has issued a series of controversial decrees since Hamas militants seized the Gaza Strip from his Fatah movement. Earlier this week, Abbas gave military courts in the West Bank powers to crack down on suspected Hamas supporters.
• Surgeon General Nominee Vows to Uphold Science
  Dr. James Holsinger faced tough questioning at his Senate confirmation hearing about his views on homosexuality and how he would react if he were pressured to put politics ahead of science in his role as the nation's doctor.
• Trying Diplomacy in Person, in Iraq
  Horatio Ureta worked as a political officer for the State Department based in Anbar province. He says the situation there is improving greatly, citing improved security and living conditions.
• Johnson: First Lady of American Flowers
  Commentator Amy Stewart remembers the legacy of former first lady Lady Bird Johnson. All you have to do is drive along federal highways to see the wildflowers she inspired.
• House Panel Rejects Bush's Privilege Claim
  A House Judiciary committee panel has taken a first formal step toward citing former White House counsel and one-time Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers for contempt after she ignored the panel's subpoena. President Bush asked Miers not to attend the hearing, claiming executive privilege.
• Cover-Up Charged at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport
  For the second time in two years, whistleblowers are accusing their air-traffic control colleagues of a wide-ranging conspiracy to cover up errors at one of the nation's busiest airports. The latest accusations charge that Dallas-Fort Worth controllers blame near collisions on pilot error.
• Lacihte? Whole Foods CEO Spams Under Anagram
  The head of organic food giant Whole Foods has been caught trashing a competitor on the Internet. Using the pseudonym of Rahodeb — his wife's name spelled backwards — Whole Foods CEO John Mackey said a competitor's stock price was too high and that it had no future. Now he's trying to buy the company.
• Democrats: Bush Out of Touch, Wrong on Iraq
  A report on Iraq's progress in meeting benchmarks is providing ammunition for critics and supporters of President Bush's strategy in the country. Democrats in the Senate say the president is out of touch. In the House, they move toward a vote on a bill to withdraw troops by spring.
• Music Business Still Groping for a Digital-Age Plan
  Midyear music sales figures are in. Not surprisingly, they're not good: CD sales are down from last year, and legitimate online sales are far outstripped by downloads for free. How will the industry cope in this new generation of digital media consumers?
• Bush: No Moves on Iraq Until September
  President Bush says he will make no decisions on possible troop withdrawals until at least September, when Gen. David Petraeus, the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, gives his security report. He also said that Congress should not be making policy in Iraq.
• Taking Stock of Al-Qaida
  President Bush denies that al-Qaida is as strong now as it was before Sept. 11, 2001, as a recent report suggests. What exactly did the intelligence community say about al-Qaida's strength, and what exactly is al-Qaida today? Melissa Block talks with NPR's Mary Louise Kelly.

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