Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Uptick in violence stirs debate over St. Paul police staffing
  St. Paul police are blaming gangs for a spike in shooting incidents over the past two weeks. The shootings have prompted sparring between the police union and the mayor's office over staffing levels.5:20 p.m.
• Investor's interest drives up Target stock
  Minneapolis-based Target has apparently caught the eye of a New York investor known for leaning on companies to make quick moves to boost their stock prices.5:24 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• New Intelligence Director Receives Mixed Reviews
  New intelligence director Michael McConnell's 100-day plan to reform U.S. spy agencies has yielded some tangible results, but questions remain as to whether McConnell can achieve his ambitious agenda.
• Baghdad Residents: Early Pullout a Disaster
  In light of President Bush's latest comments on Iraq, few residents of Baghdad seem to share the president's optimism about the prospects of success, but many say a premature pullout of U.S. forces would lead to disaster.
• Beckham Moves Into Los Angeles Limelight
  English soccer star David Beckham was formally introduced as the newest player for the Los Angeles Galaxy, the Major League Soccer team. Beckham is by far the highest-profile European player to join America's MLS. Beckham's arrival in Los Angeles and entry into the MLS is being carefully choreographed.
• 'Bye Kids': Where Teachers Go in Summertime
  Ever wonder what teachers do over the long summer break? Many teachers take classes, travel on exotic exchange programs, or do fancy research, all in preparation for the coming school years. Others catch up on their reading, or use the time to recharge their batteries.
• Plastic Turns 100: Bakelite's Birthday
  One hundred years ago today, Belgian-American chemist Leo Baekeland applied for a U.S. patent on a substance he dubbed Bakelite, the first "true" synthetic plastic. Michele Norris talks with Dr. Jeffery Meikle, a historian of American plastic, about how Baekeland's invention affected the world's thinking.
• Pace: Iraqi Military Suffers a Setback
  The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Peter Pace, says the number of Iraqi battalions able to fight independent of American support has dropped in recent months, despite increased U.S. efforts. Political pressure has grown in Congress for a rapid withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.
• Conrad Black, Others Found Guilty of Fraud
  A federal jury in Chicago convicted the former Hollinger International CEO Conrad Black on multiple counts of criminal fraud and obstruction of justice. The jury delivered a mixed verdict for the government — it found Black not guilty of wire fraud and racketeering and other charges.
• Alabama Firm Accused of Aiding Paramilitaries
  Alabama-based Drummond Coal Co. finds itself in a U.S. court this week, accused of hiring paramilitaries in Colombia to kill union organizers at its operation there. Drummond denies the allegation. The killings happened in the coal-rich state of Cesar, known for its paramilitary activities.
• Bands, Labels Try to Beat the CD Leakers
  Record labels hoping to promote new releases — without allowing free digital copies to inundate the marketplace — face a conundrum. In an effort to beat the leakers, a label posted its new record by the band Stars online four days after completion. It is a hit on iTunes.
• Hadley: U.S. Should Stay Engaged with Iraq
  As President Bush urges patience and members of Congress call for timelines and withdrawal plans for Iraq, Michele Norris went to the White House to talk with National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley. Hadley strongly defended the need to wait until September to judge success of the current strategy in Iraq.
• 'Talk to Me': The Mouth That Roared in '60s D.C.
  Don Cheadle plays "Petey" Greene, an ex-con turned talk-radio DJ in '60s D.C.; when riots explode after Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, the loudmouth with a past discovers he's got the street cred to help a burning city bring itself back under control.
• Opting Out: New Jersey Governor Rejects E-Mail
  Gov. Jon Corzine is going offline. The New Jersey governor said this week that he's "going back to the 1920s" to "have direct conversations with people." Commentator David Shipley, the author of a recent style guide on e-mail, doesn't agree with the governor's strategy. He explains why.
• A Model Bridge That Is a Wonder to Behold
  Remember the Erector Sets you played with as a kid? Retiree Frosty Wyrick took that pastime to a new level by building a scale model of the Mackinac Bridge which connects Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas. The model weighs more than a ton; it took longer to build than the real bridge.
• Personal Assistants Can Help Manage Life
  Butlers may still be for the exceedingly wealthy, but more and more busy professionals are turning to personal assistants, who can be hired by the hour to run errands and do chores.
• 'Petey' Greene: Pioneering Shock Jock, D.C. Icon
  The film Talk to Me is based on the life of Washington, D.C., radio announcer Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene Jr. The smart-talking ex-convict, now regarded as one of the first shock jocks, was also a social activist and commentator.

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