Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• PoliGraph: Mixed verdicts for Bachmann's National Press Club speech
  PoliGraph reviewed three of her statements and found mixed results in terms of accuracy.4:49 p.m.
• Officials evaulate 311 performance following tornado disaster
  Officials are using the aftermath of the May 22nd tornado to evaluate the performance of the Minneapolis 311 emergency information system.4:55 p.m.
• Health care providers weigh changes with new HHS budget
  With a new state health and human services budget, it's clear that health plans, hospitals and providers will have less money to serve their patients with publicly-subsidized insurance.5:20 p.m.
• Hospital officials disappointed with contract rejection, hope to resume talks
  Management officials with Sanford Bemidji Hospital are disappointed that nurses voted overwhelmingly to reject their contract offer Thursday. The vote authorizes union negotiators representing about 230 nurses to call a strike, if necessary.5:25 p.m.
• Report: Property taxes to go up most in south-central Minnesota
  It's been a week since a new budget was signed into law for the state of Minnesota, and we're still looking at how that budget is being implemented. Cities and counties around Minnesota predict property tax hikes and service cuts, because of the new state budget. The budget freezes state aid to local governments - locking in for the next two years cuts made during the Pawlenty administration. A report from the State House research department estimates those local governments together will raise property taxes by some $376 million as a result.5:51 p.m.
• Cindy Hickey speaks about her son's detainment in Iran
  The mother of one of two hikers arrested and held in Iran for spy charges speak with Minnesota Public Radio.5:55 p.m.
• Dinner Party Download with guest Brit Marling
  On this edition of the Dinner Party Download, the guests of honor are Mike Cahill and Brit Marling, the creators of the Sundance award-winning "sci-fi romantic thriller" "Another Earth."6:20 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• At 7 Days, Egyptian Babies Mark First Rite Of Passage
  In Egypt, families hold a ritual called the Sebou to formally acknowledge their baby to the world. The tradition dates back to the Pharaonic times. But since the revolution earlier this year, which affected the economy, the ceremonies have been tempered.
• No Resolution To Debt Ceiling Crisis In Sight
  The House has passed Speaker John Boehner's debt ceiling bill, while Senate Democrats move ahead on their own plan, which faces lumbering procedural hurdles. The irony, President Obama says, is that "the two parties are not miles apart." He adds that "the time for putting party first is over."
• Flake: Past Spending Limits Haven't Worked
  Robert Siegel interviews Rep. Jeff Flake, a Republican from Arizona, about the debt ceiling negotiations. He tells Robert the inclusion of a balanced-budget amendment helped win his support for House Speaker John Boehner's revised debt plan.
• Pizza Joint Stays Busy As Debt Debate Drags On
  Al's Gourmet Pizza on Capitol Hill has been busy providing Congress with all-day and late-night food during the debt ceiling debate.
• Amid Debt Talks, Politicians Continue Fundraising
  Despite ongoing debate about the debt ceiling — and an impending August 2nd deadline — politicians are still hosting fundraising events for future campaigns. Michele Norris talks to Wall Street Journal reporter Brody Mullins for more.
• Week In Politics: Debt Ceiling
  Robert Siegel is joined by Katrina vanden Heuvel, the editor of The Nation, and Yuval Levin, editor of National Affairs, to discuss this week's political debate over the debt ceiling.
• No Debt Hike? A 'Sophie's Choice' For Who Gets Paid
  If Congress and the White House fail to make a debt-ceiling deal in time, the choice facing the administration may be who will get paid and who won't. Creditors? Seniors? Hospitals? Federal workers?
• System Makes It Hard To Prioritize U.S. Bill Payments
  How will the government decide who to pay and who to stiff if it runs out of credit? It will be tricky since it has never had to tinker with the system to prioritize payments and has a limited ability to do so, a former Treasury official says.
• Ashton Shepherd: Country Music With Roots
  In these days of citified country music, Shepherd lives the life most country stars sing about.
• What Kind Of Deal Would The President Sign?
  President Obama said Friday he would sign a bill based on the plan devised by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that raised the debt ceiling and set the stage for deep deficit reductions in the months ahead. Robert Siegel talks to Ari Shapiro for more.

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