Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Stadium site hearing wraps up; decision on value coming shortly
  The month-long condemnation hearing over the Twins ballpark land in downtown Minneapolis has wrapped up, as both sides gave their final pitches to a three-member panel with their estimates of how much the eight-acre site is worth.5:20 p.m.
• What is an aquifer?
  This week the city of Chanhassen issued a watering ban after three of its 11 wells failed, because it could no longer draw water from underground aquifers in the area. Here's a primer on aquifers.5:24 p.m.
• U.S. attorney announces Duluth drug ring bust
  U.S. Attorney Rachel Paulose visited Duluth to announce that 28 people from the area have been indicted for selling cocaine and crack. Paulose says she's putting the word out that her office will not tolerate drug crimes in greater Minnesota.5:50 p.m.
• Help your yard and garden beat the heat
  This summer's string of hot days, along with a lack of rain, has been hard on crops, lawns, trees, and gardens all over the state. Garden expert Deb Brown shares some tips on how to help our plants survive the hot, dry weather.5:53 p.m.
• Ellison votes with majority on contempt citations against White House aides
  The House Judiciary Committee voted contempt of Congress citations Wednesday against White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and President Bush's former legal counselor, Harriet Miers. U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, DFL-Minn., sided with the majority Democrats.6:10 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• France, Libya Forge Military, Nuclear Accord
  French President Nicolas Sarkozy met Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi to sign the accord Wednesday. France will make a lot of money from the agreements, but critics say it's too high a price to pay, says Adam Sage of The Times of London.
• Bulgarian Nurse Recounts Torture in Libyan Prison
  One of the medical workers released in Bulgaria on Tuesday after eight years in a Libyan prison said she had tried to kill herself after being tortured with electrical shocks. She spoke at a news conference in the Sofia, Bulgaria. Other members of the group were too ill to attend.
• Veterans Suing for Better PTSD Care Share Anguish
  Personality disorders have some similarities to post-traumatic stress disorder — but one big difference is affecting veterans who testified to a House panel Wednesday. Those diagnosed with personality disorders are discharged with no medical benefits to help them recover.
• Bush Aides in Contempt; Will They Be Prosecuted?
  The House Judiciary Committee approved a contempt citation against White House Counsel Harriet Miers and White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolton, who have refused to comply with committee subpoenas regarding last year's firing of U.S. attorneys.
• U.S. Cyclists Say Scandal Won't Curb Enthusiasm
  Cycling enthusiasts in the United States are distressed about the latest doping scandals. For some, it's another disheartening blow to pro cycling. But others say it won't affect their enthusiasm for the sport.
• Advocate Scrutinizes Report on Veterans' Care
  William Rollins Jr., field services director for Paralyzed Veterans of America, approves of some of the presidential committee's report on veterans' care — such as improving support for families — but says other reforms are missing.
• Bush Panel, Congress Urge Aid for Wounded Vets
  A special commission appointed by President Bush issued its report Wednesday on improving health care for wounded veterans, particularly those returning from Iraq. And the Senate approved a bill to streamline benefits and increase military pay.
• Finnish Group Rocks Retro Soul in 'Keep Reachin' Up'
  Nicole Willis is a retro soul singer from Brooklyn. Her really tight band, the Soul Investigators, is from Finland. The group sounds like it's from Memphis – and it's one of Oliver Wang's favorites of the year so far.
• Team Fires Tour de France Leader Rasmussen
  Tour de France leader Michael Rasmussen was fired by his team late Wednesday after he apparently violated team rules surrounding random drug tests he missed earlier this year. Meanwhile, another rider has failed a doping test for testosterone.
• Stocks Bump Up Amid Gloomy Financial News
  Stock prices bounced back Wednesday, but not all the way, after a sharp drop in the indexes Tuesday. With a very gloomy report from the nation's biggest mortgage lender and discouraging numbers for the housing market, is there cause to worry?
• Examining Lows of Bush's Approval, Partisan Divide
  NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr comments on the utter lack of comity among Republicans and Democrats and a president who has just about reached former President Richard Nixon's low point in approval ratings. It is not what the framers of the Constitution had in mind, Schorr says.
• Soccer Players Eye California's Kangaroo Ban
  The California Supreme Court upheld a ban this week on the importation and sale of products made from a variety of wildlife species, including the kangaroo. The decision could have a major effect on soccer players, who value kangaroo leather for its softness and durability.
• Rape Cases On Indian Lands Go Uninvestigated
  Four years ago, a 20-year-old woman was raped and beaten on a South Dakota reservation. Her case is one of many incidents of sexual assault on Indian territory that are not reported or investigated. Tribal leaders blame an overstretched police force and federal indifference.
• In a Changing England, a Child Irrevocably Changed
  Set in early-'80s Britain, Shane Meadows' This Is England tracks a fatherless boy through a budding friendship with a skinhead — and into dangerous territory with a new breed of outsider.
• Internet Radio Rates Face New Roadblock
  Recent negotiations for Internet royalty rates have given webcasters temporary reprieve, but a new issue has risen: stream ripping. Many critics say that the kinds of digital locks the record industry wants to put on Internet radio are either expensive, not feasible or not reliable.

Services

• Hourly Newscast
• HD Radio
• iPhone App / Mobile
• E-mail newsletters
• RSS feeds
• Podcasts
• Submit your photos
• Videos
• Weather
• Most e-mailed stories

Become a Sponsor