Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• PoliGraph: Bachmann state aid claim fails the truth test
  PoliGraph fact-checks Republican Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann's comment on FOX News last week about a new law providing financial assistance to states.4:49 p.m.
• Answer to declining bee population sought in N.D. prairie
  Researchers in North Dakota, which leads the nation in honey production, are trying to better understand why so many bees are dying all across the country.4:54 p.m.
• Siren enthusiasts chase tornadoes through sound
  Meteorologists and storm chasers are well known players in the drama of severe weather, but another small group of sky watchers appreciate a different aspect of bad weather -- its distinctive sound.5:19 p.m.
• Hmong leaders consider value of identity politics after losing seats
  The upcoming retirements of St. Paul lawmakers Mee Moua and Cy Thao means there won't be a Hmong legislator at the Capitol next session -- for the first time in about nine years.5:24 p.m.
• Gov candidates discuss business growth in Chamber debate
  The state's three candidates for governor debated jobs, the economy and education issues on Tuesday before the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, stressing their executive credentials to an audience that cares about business.5:49 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• In Egypt, Carrie Bradshaw In A Headscarf
  Writer Ghada Abdul-Aal chronicles the nightmares of Egypt's matchmaking culture based on her own experiences. Her popular blog led to a book and now a TV series exploring with humor the way Egyptians marry -- or don't -- in Muslim society.
• In Pakistan's Punjab Province, Widespread Damage, Distress And Desperation
  Flooding has displaced hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis, leaving many of them without shelter, or access to food and medical supplies. Punjab Province, one of the country's poorest parts, has been left in particularly bad shape.
• USAID Urges More Relief For Flood-Hit Pakistan
  NPR's Michele Norris talks to Rajiv Shah, administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, about American aid for the victims of the floods in Pakistan. Shah says aid has been delayed in part by the difficulty of getting around the flood-ravaged areas. He also says the magnitude of the flood damage has become clear only gradually, as the crest of the Indus River has moved downstream and more and more people have been affected.
• First La. Shrimping Season Since Gulf Spill Begins
  The first shrimping season since the start of the Gulf oil spill began this week in Louisiana. NPR's Michele Norris talks to Acy Cooper, the owner of the commercial shrimper the Lacey Kay and vice president of the Louisiana Shrimpers Association, about his catch.
• Electronics Sales A Bright Light In Dim Economy
  Sales of electronics and appliances totaled $8.7 billion in July, up 8 percent from a year earlier, according to the Commerce Department. Shoppers are slowly beginning to feel comfortable spending again, says an analyst, but that may be short-lived after they release their "pent-up demand."
• Healing Rural Patients With A Dose Of Broadband
  The Federal Communications Commission has pledged $400 million a year to provide rural health clinics with broadband access. The program connects patients at far-flung sites with limited staff to specialists around the country. Critics say it's a federal overstep, but the FCC says it's necessary and potentially a source of savings.
• Salary Scandal In Bell, Calif., Ripples Across State
  Until recently, Bell, Calif. -- population 40,000 -- had the dubious distinction of having some of the highest paid officials in the country, including a city manager whose salary and benefits package totaled more than $1.4 million. Those officials are mostly gone now, and the salaries are being adjusted. But the fallout from Bell's salary scandal is still rippling across California.
• Letters: The Spin, Tomatoes
  Listeners give us feedback on our summer music series The Spin, and a story about tomatoes. NPR's Robert Siegel and Michele Norris read from listeners' e-mails.
• The Spin: Nairobi's Hit Is Daddy Owen's 'Kupe De Kalle'
  From the Democratic Republic of the Congo via Kenya, here's a summer jam that happens to be a gospel song. MTV Africa host VJ Kule says it's indicative of a trend in modern Nairobi, where churches are just as loud and full of dancing as nightclubs are.
• White House Weighs Changes To Fannie, Freddie
  The future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac was on the line in meetings Tuesday at the White House, and that means the world to the U.S. mortgage and housing markets.

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