Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Oberstar proposes trust fund for aging bridges
  The trust fund would be modeled on the federal Highway Trust Fund, which pays for building and repairing roads and bridges through a gasoline tax.5:20 p.m.
• Debris removal on hold as search for victims continues
  After nearly a week of searching, divers and other emergency workers have yet to recover underwater remains of bridge collapse victims. Officials told reporters Wednesday the main problem facing the recovery effort lies in the tons of bridge materials.5:24 p.m.
• NTSB sleuths responsible for finding out why the bridge collapsed
  The National Transportation Safety Board's investigation of the I-35W bridge collapse will be much like a thorough police search of a crime scene. The NTSB is the lead agency investigating the cause of the collapse.5:50 p.m.
• Soldier from North Mankato killed in Iraq
  Army Staff Sgt. Jacob Thompson, who grew up in North Mankato, is the latest Minnesota solider to die in Iraq. Thompson was killed this week in Baqubah during a house-to-house search.5:54 p.m.
• One week later: Reflection and recovery
  It's been one week since the I-35W bridge collapsed. To mark this occasion, Midday offers a special one-hour broadcast featuring the latest on the investigation, the stories of the survivors and a rememberance of the victims.6:05 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• The Origin of 'Dog Days,' And Dealing with the Heat
  Jon Katz, author of Dog Days, talks with Andrea Seabrook about the origin of the term "dog days of summer" — and how animals know better than humans how to deal with them.
• 'Peace Jirga' in Afghanistan to Draw 700 Leaders
  On Thursday, some 700 Afghan and Pakistani tribal elders and local leaders will gather for an unprecedented meeting to try to close an ever-widening gap. But even before the agenda is ironed out, critics complain that the jirga will do little good.
• Post-Katrina Mental Health: What Can Be Done?
  What is the source of the dysfunction in the FEMA trailer parks, and what can possibly be done to help? In the second part of the Scenic Trails story, reporter Alix Spiegel talks to government officials, mental health counselors, church volunteers and others.
• California GOP Urges Electoral-Vote Changes
  In California, Republicans are beginning to raise money this week for a ballot initiative that would distribute the state's electoral votes by congressional district. Democrats are concerned about the implications for the presidential race.
• Shifting Primaries Could Push Votes to '07
  South Carolina Republicans want to have their presidential primary in mid-January, which could push other traditional primaries still earlier — possibly into December. So the first voting of 2008 could take place before 2007 is over.
• 'Robot Chicken' Offers Comedy with a Dark Edge
  Seth Green and Matthew Senreich's series, Robot Chicken, is a sketch comedy show with stop-motion animation and action figures. The program follows in the tradition of Saturday Night Live, but it has much darker humor.
• Forum Focused on Gay Issues Marks Changing Tide
  The Democratic presidential candidates will participate in a first-ever forum designed primarily for gay voters. A few years ago, such a forum would have been seen as a political liability — even political suicide in some states.
• Army Officials: Soldier's Accounts of War Inaccurate
  The New Republic magazine and the U.S. Army have very different takes on the accuracy of accounts written by a U.S. Army private who has been writing for the magazine from Baghdad. David Folkenflik, who has been following the story, talks with Michele Norris.
• San Francisco Celebrates Bonds' Home Run
  San Francisco celebrates Barry Bonds Day in the wake of the slugger's Tuesday night home run, which broke the career home-run record set by Hank Aaron in 1974.
• Iraqis Find Job Opportunities, New Lives in China
  An estimated 2 million Iraqis have fled the country as a result of the war. A small, but rapidly increasing number of Iraqis is finding a haven on the other side of the world — in the southern Chinese trading city of Yiwu.
• Purple Snail May Be Climate Change Casualty
  Scientists say a purple snail that lived on islands in the middle of the Indian Ocean may be the first species to go extinct in the modern era due to climate change. They say an unusual series of long hot summers did the snail in.
• Commuting in Iraq: From Tedium to Mortal Danger
  The U.S. troop build-up in Baghdad may have reduced overall violence in the city, but life for many people remains a nightmare of obstacles and dangers. On Wednesday, for instance, the morning commute for two NPR employees became a four-hour ordeal.
• Rescue Efforts Proceed Slowly in Utah Mine
  Rescuers are looking for new ways to reach six trapped coal miners after earth tremors forced the rescue teams to abandon the mine. According to the latest estimate, it may take another week to free the six men.
• U.S. Increasingly Seeks U.N. Help
  The relationship between the Bush administration and the United Nations is very different from what it was before the Iraq War. NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr says the U.S. is increasingly turning to the U.N. to handle problems around the world, a big change from a few years ago.
• Student Slayings Signal Deadly Trend in Newark
  Newark, N.J., has been successful in reducing other kinds of crimes, but the murder rate continues to rise at a record pace. The murder of three college students has residents asking tough questions about the city's homicide rate.

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