Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• The songwriting begins in earnest
  We check in with our three bands as they try to turn the words into songs.4:49 p.m.
• Minneapolis council to discuss discrimination lawsuit
  This week, the Minneapolis city council and mayor will get a progress report on a lawsuit involving the city's police department.5:21 p.m.
• Excel Dairy still violating air quality
  A large dairy operation near Thief River Falls in northwestern Minnesota, continues to violate air quality standards.5:24 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Postal Service Takes Lead In Going Green
  Where do you look among federal agencies for smart thinking about renewable energy and alternative fuels? The U.S. Postal Service. Every 1-cent increase in the price of gasoline costs it an extra $8 million. That brings a keen motivation to innovate.
• American Teens Hog Spotlight; 'Boy A' Shies Away
  Amid summer's blockbusters, two films offer a change of pace: American Teen, a documentary that plays like fiction, and Boy A, fiction that feels true to life.
• Portland, Ore., Rides Bikes Around High Gas Prices
  Americans want alternatives to traffic jams and high gas prices. Portland, Oregon, thinks it has found one: convincing residents to commute by bike. Cycling has doubled since 2001. And the city hopes this is just the beginning.
• For Homeowners, There's No Place Like Home
  Homeowners seeking help to re-underwrite or restructure their mortgages talks about what their home means to them. They were waiting to be counseled by members of the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America, which held free counseling sessions.
• Housing Bill Would Aid Struggling Homeowners
  The housing bill that has passed the House would help struggling homeowners with new, more affordable mortgages. The measure would keep them from losing their homes through foreclosures and would require the cooperation of their current lenders.
• House Passes Housing Bill
  The House passed the mammoth housing bill and has sent it to the Senate. The bill aims to restore confidence in the housing market by shoring up mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and offering qualified homeowners a chance to refinance their mortgages.
• Wikipedia Turns To Gutenberg-Era Tech
  Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, is going to be printed in a hardcover edition. Beate Varnhorn, of Bertlesmann Lexicon, says the single-volume edition will be about 1,000 pages and carry around 50,000 most-requested entries and definitions.
• Letters: Hamdan, Mail Carrier, 'Mamma Mia'
  Listeners responded to the story on the trial of Salim Hamdan and the interview with an Ohio mail carrier seeking the right to wear his kilt to work. And one listener corrects a detail from the review of "Mamma Mia!"
• Obama Reiterates Commitment To Israel
  Barack Obama has met with top Israeli and Palestinian officials. His basic message has been that he is a friend of Israel who is committed to the special relationship between the two countries. He also said he would use "big sticks and big carrots" with Iran.
• McCain Talks Domestic Issues On 'JV' Press Tour
  Republican John McCain held a town hall meeting in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., and had a news conference scheduled for later in the day. Even so, he finds himself struggling to keep up with the attention paid to Barack Obama's foreign travel.
• Bill Bolsters Tribal Power To Prosecute Rape Cases
  Native American women are far more likely to be raped than other women — and tribal officials say many incidents on reservations across the country go unreported and uninvestigated. Senate legislation introduced Wednesday would make it easier to prosecute those who commit sexual assaults on tribal land.
• Study: Parasites Sometimes Essential
  Parasites get little attention. But a new study shows that parasites can sometimes be an impressive presence in an ecosystem. A study of three Pacific estuaries found that parasites there actually outweighed larger animals, such as birds.
• Scholar Believes Israel Will Strike Iran Nuclear Sites
  An Israeli professor believes that Israel will attack Iran's nuclear program within the next four to seven months. He bases that timeline on unsuccessful diplomatic efforts and Iranian tehnological advances.
• Janis Ian Recounts Her Renegade Teen Years
  Janis Ian wrote "Society's Child," a song about an interracial couple in the 1960s, when she was 15 years old, a song that she says everyone hated her for. In a new memoir, Ian recounts her life as an activist and musician.
• Minimum-Wage Hike A Lift For Seniors, Too
  The federal minimum wage increases by 70 cents on Thursday to $6.55 an hour. About one quarter of the people who work for a minimum wage are teenagers, but most are adults like 63-year-old Shirley Golliday.

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