Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Most Minnesota companies can't beat the Dow
  The Dow Jones Industrial Average hit a milestone Thursday, closing above the 14,000 mark for the first time. But most Minnesota-based firms have not fared nearly as well during the Dow's recent run.5:20 p.m.
• The next step in Northfield
  A coalition of Northfield community leaders met Thursday to discuss ways to combat drug and alcohol abuse among the city's youth. The meeting comes two weeks after the community was plunged into turmoil by claims of a large heroin problem in the town.5:24 p.m.
• Jackson Project residents celebrate 70 years
  People in Hermantown are celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Jackson Project, a back-to-the-land village built during the Great Depression.5:50 p.m.
• USA Cup kicks it up a notch with the Web
  Twenty-one countries are represented in the USA Cup youth soccer tournament in Blaine. Players may be far from home, but this year, the USA Cup is connecting participants and their fans in new ways.5:55 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Iraqi Parliament Pulls Together as Break Looms
  A bloc of Sunni lawmakers ended its boycott of the parliament days after a key Shiite group also returned to the legislature. The moves raise hopes for progress on legislation, but parliament is due to break for a monthlong recess in less than two weeks.
• Iraqi Diplomat Says U.S. Must Clean Up Mess in Iraq
  Iraq's Ambassador to the United States, Samir Shakir al-Sumaidaie, says it's important to remember that the United States chose to intervene in Iraq — and to walk away from the mess would be self-defeating and immoral.
• Checkbook Is No Solution for Terrorism
  Last week, Congress voted to double the reward for information leading to the capture of Osama bin Laden. But, NPR Senior News Analyst Ted Koppel says, the scourge of Islamic fundamentalist terrorism can't be solved with a checkbook.
• Thompson on Heels of Frontrunners, Adviser Says
  Ken Khachigian, senior adviser to Fred Thompson's exploratory presidential campaign, says Thompson has caught up with top GOP candidates in fundraising. It helps that Americans have some comfort and familiarity with Thompson, he tells Michele Norris.
• Examining Fred Thompson's Political Record
  Americans best know Fred Thompson, who is soon to jump into the Republican presidential contest, as an actor. But he is also a former lobbyist and served eight years in the Senate.
• Leak at Japan Nuclear Plant Went Undetected
  After Monday's powerful earthquake in Japan, radioactive material leaked from a nuclear plant, undetected for days — even as the utility company assured the public that there was no danger.
• Iran Adjusts to Gas Rations; Will Economy Survive?
  After three weeks of gasoline rationing, there is far less traffic on the city's streets, and the government is saving millions of dollars each day in subsidies for cheap gasoline. But drivers are frustrated, and economists fear that Iran's economy could suffer.
• Letters: Rice and Powell, Michigan and Teachers
  Michele Norris and Robert Siegel read from listeners' e-mail. Topics include our interviews with the current and former secretaries of state, Michigan's peninsulas, and how teachers spend their summers.
• Crinkly Plastic Swaddles International Shipments
  Listener David Sige shares the sound of a noisy, plastic,wrapping material he uses to ship items all over the country.
• False Cardboard-Dumpling Report Results in Arrest
  In China, a broadcast report about dumplings with cardboard filling raised fears of a new food safety scandal. But the report turned out to be fake, and the reporter has been arrested.

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