Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• RNC creates friendly competition between Twin Cities
  St. Paul counts down to the Republican National Convention, but why do people continue to think the event is in Minneapolis? It's generating some healthy competition between our Twin Cities.4:49 p.m.
• Minnesota State Fair: What's that sound?
  The Minnesota State Fair has been going since last Thursday and it's always a feast for the senses. You might even say, sensory overload. Great people watching and visual distraction everywhere. The smells of the deep fryer, and the swine barn.4:55 p.m.
• Pawlenty gets encouragement, gives few clues on VP
  Gov. Tim Pawlenty fielded questions about the possibility of being John McCain's running mate from both reporters and fairgoers today, but he didn't say much.5:19 p.m.
• Steve Coogan does Hamlet in his own special way
  Steve Coogan is considered a comedic genius in his British homeland. His specialty is deadpan performances which shred the conventions of television, movies and drama. His latest film, "Hamlet 2," opens this weekend.5:24 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• 1,000 Essential Recordings You Must Hear
  Covering music from Marian Anderson to ZZ Top, 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die: A Listener's Life List covers all genres in its more than 900 pages. It's driven by the notion that "the more you love music, the more music you love." Author Tom Moon submits his picks for the best summer recordings.
• In Praise Of Drive-Ins And Doris Day
  Movie Love In The Fifties offers a view of America as it was 50 years ago, a postwar nation whose struggle to understand race and sex and fashion was reflected in films that weren't all pitched to the appetites of teenage boys.
• Obama Keeps Nation Guessing On Running Mate
  Sen. Barack Obama is expected to announce his pick of a running mate. Among the front-runners being mentioned are Sens. Joe Biden (D-DE), Evan Bayh (D-IN), and dark-horse candidate Rep. Chet Edwards (D-TX). Obama will appear with his pick in Illinois Saturday.
• Arizona Gov.: Dem Platform Renews Promise
  The Democrats will present their 2008 platform, Renewing America's Promise in Denver next week. Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, chair of the Platform Drafting Committee, says it offers goals for a better economic future and emphasizes options to make it easier for women who want to have children.
• Bailout Vow Does Little To Aid Fannie, Freddie
  Congress' approval last month of a bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac was meant to reassure anxious investors. It hasn't worked out that way, however. Investors' confidence in the companies is dwindling and there's still much uncertainty over how a bailout will work.
• Media Coverage Of Conventions Has Changed
  Political Conventions today resemble a made-for-TV spectacle — and television is rebelling against it. The three TV networks only devote one hour a night. But it was not always so. The media's approach to covering conventions has evolved since the mayhem of 1968.
• Reviewing The Beijing Olympics
  The Summer Olympics wrap up in Beijing this weekend. Initial media coverage of pollution and human rights abuses were eclipsed by the sporting events. The games showcased the rising talent of Usain Bolt, but also saw the age of Chinese women gymnasts questioned.
• Imagining The 2012 London Games
  London will host the 2012 Olympic Games, but organizers acknowledge they have big shoes to fill after Beijing. British comedian Matt Kirshen, a finalist on the 2007 season of NBC's Last Comic Standing, says it's going to be impossible to top the ability of a totalitarian regime.
• Russian Retreat From Georgia Disputed
  Russia said Friday the pullback from Georgia into South Ossetia has been completed. The U.S. State Department said, however, that the Russians were not living up to their part of a cease-fire deal brokered by France.
• Obama VP Pick, McCain Gaffe Cap Week In Politics
  Barack Obama continued to wait on the announcement of his running mate, and John McCain can't remember how many houses he owns. David Brooks, a columnist for The New York Times, and E.J. Dionne, a columnist for the Washington Post and a fellow at the Brookings Institution, offer their insight.

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