Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Obama greets breakfast crowd at St. Paul restaurant
  Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama dropped in on a St. Paul breakfast restaurant for about 45 minutes Thursday, greeting patrons and shaking hands. He held a fundraiser in Minneapolis last night.5:20 p.m.
• Cottonwood residents relieved after bus trial verdict
  Cottonwood residents reflect on how the town is coping after a guilty verdict was returned in the trial of Olga Franco, the woman responsible for a school bus crash that killed four children last February.5:24 p.m.
• RNC organizers boast locally supported event
  Three and a half weeks before the opening of the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, the convention hall is starting to take political shape inside the Xcel Energy Center.5:54 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Tough Times Pose Economic Challenges For Cubans
  Nearly 50 years after revolution brought Fidel Castro to power, Cuba's infrastructure is in shambles. In a July 26 address, his brother and successor, Raul Castro, offered no new plans to liberalize the economy and warned people of even harder times ahead.
• Chinese City Folk Throng To Ancient Shangli
  With more disposable income in a booming economy, Chinese tourists head to the city of Shangli to see a 300-year-old bridge and pay homage to their ancestors. Peasants and longtime residents welcome the attention.
• China Using Games To Highlight Best, Hide Worst
  The Olympic Games in Beijing will give China an opportunity to show off the best aspects of Chinese society, while keeping the worst under wraps. The games begin in Beijing on Friday.
• Ore. Debates Why Counties Are Hurting For Cash
  The end of timber payments in the Pacific Northwest has left rural counties reeling. But some folks say the financial woes are due to fiscal mismanagement. In Curry County, petitions are circulating to overthrow elected officials.
• Tough Race In Colorado For Open Senate Seat
  In the tight race for the open U.S. Senate seat in Colorado, Democratic Rep. Mark Udall faces-off against former GOP Rep. Bob Schaffer. Michael Riley, a reporter for the Denver Post, says Udall is being labeled a "Boulder liberal" and Schaffer is being called "Big Oil Bob."
• Obama Looks To Make Fla. Inroads
  Florida has been increasingly tough territory for Democrats since Al Gore nearly won it in 2000. Few thought it would be winnable for Barack Obama, but the Democrat's campaign in the state is in high gear and looking to pull off an upset.
• Lawyer For Bin Laden's Driver Lays Out Next Steps
  A military jury has handed Salim Hamdan a 5 1/2-year sentence, but he is likely to serve less than six months. Neal Katyal, a law professor at Georgetown University and Hamdan's lead counsel, says the sentence shows the administration's approach to the war on terrorism is flawed.
• In Afghanistan, Disenchantment Against Coalition
  Western military officials in Afghanistan acknowledge they are having a "tough time" battling the Taliban and Islamist insurgents. One Western military spokesman says disillusionment with the coalition effort among the local population is growing.
• Film Marks Balancing Act Between Twin Towers
  Wednesday was the 34th anniversary of Phillipe Pettit's walk between the towers of the then-unfinished World Trade Center on a wire high above the ground without a net. Now a documentary film says it's time to remember the Twin Towers in a different way.
• Guantanamo Jury Gives Hamdan Light Sentence
  A military jury in Guantanamo Bay has sentenced Osama bin Laden's driver to 5 1/2 years in prison, making Salim Hamdan eligible for release in just six months. Hamdan was found guilty of supporting terrorism on Wednesday.
• Space Company Hopes To Cut Cost Of Launches
  A private company called SpaceX has failed three times to reach orbit with one of its rockets. But the company says it's learning from its failures and still hopes to radically decrease the cost of putting objects in space.
• Detroit Mayor Ordered To Jail
  Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has been ordered to the county jail after a judge found he violated the terms of his bond by traveling to Canada without informing the court. The judge says he would have given the same treatment to any criminal defendant.
• Efforts To Recover Chopper In Calif. Hampered
  Federal investigators have struggled to reach the wreckage of a helicopter that crashed with nine people. They were battling a wildfire in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest near Junction City, Calif. Eight firefighters and one crewman are feared dead.
• Chinese Couple Copes With Loss Of Family In Quake
  Tens of thousands of people were killed in May's earthquake in China's Sichuan Province. One family that was looking for its son in the aftermath of the quake is learning to cope with his loss.
• Beijing Preps For Opening Of Olympics
  For the organizers of the Beijing Olympics, Friday's opening ceremony can't come soon enough. They're hoping that a spectacular show and a well-run games will quiet the talk about pollution and China's crackdown on dissidents.

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