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

• Burns Prompt Another Toy-Oven Recall
  For the second time in less than a year, Hasbro has recalled its Easy-Bake Oven toy. Some children's hands were burned in the front opening of the oven.
• U.S. Envoy: Fear Must Turn to Trust in Iraq
  In testimony Thursday from Baghdad, Ambassador Ryan Crocker, the top U.S. diplomat in Iraq, told a Senate panel that the mood of fear in Iraq needs to "be replaced with some level of trust" if the country is going to move forward.
• Panama Ponders Dictator Noriega's Return
  The former strong-man of Panama, Manuel Antonio Noriega, is set to be released from a Miami prison in September. He was captured after the U.S. invasion of Panama in 1989 and imprisoned on a federal conviction for drug trafficking and racketeering.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Teen Girls — and a Mom — Fret Too Much
  A new study about girls excessively talking about their problems with friends says that, although it might be a bonding experience, the fretting also might increase anxiety and depression. Mom and commentator Ayelet Waldman applies the study's lessons with humor.
• 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.
• Dow Tops 14,000-Point Barrier
  The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished above 14,000 Thursday for the first time, adding 82 points to close at 14,000.41. The market has been spiraling upward in recent weeks, as many U.S. companies thrive on a booming world economy.
• Brad Paisley Shifts Into Witty '5th Gear'
  Brad Paisley is a major country music star in the midst of a huge North American tour, with stops in towns like Syracuse, Cedar Rapids and Saskatoon — and he has a new CD, 5th Gear.
• 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.
• Proposed FBI Data Center Sparks Privacy Fears
  The FBI wants $12 million for a new center where agents could comb through existing databases, searching for signs of would-be terrorists. Critics fear the agency would "fish" for data — putting the privacy rights of everyday Americans at risk.
• 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.

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