Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Families go back to school
  Social pressure, identity issues and a dramatic change in routine make the back-to-school season stressful for kids -- and their parents.4:45 p.m.
• Metro commuters largely unaffected by first day of school
  More than 66,000 University of Minnesota students, faculty and staff are adding to the back-to-school traffic today. After the I-35W bridge collapse, public safety officials and metro school administrators have been encouraging commuters to plan for longer commutes on the first day of class. MPR's Tom Crann spoke with Todd Fairbanks, a Traveler Information Operator at the Minnesota Department of Transporation's Traffic Management Center. Fairbanks says metro traffic has been fairly normal.4:59 p.m.
• Neighborhood access could be lost by temporary I-35W off-ramp
  Today, representatives from MnDOT and the city of Minneapolis will present a plan to add a temporary off-ramp from I-35W southbound onto East Hennepin Avenue. The proposal is part of a larger plan to better manage traffic around the collapsed bridge, until a new bridge is built. But, the plan could cause some major headaches for people who work and live in the area. MPR's Brandt Williams reports.5:20 p.m.
• Liberians hope to stay in the U.S.
  As the U.S. Senate reconvenes in Washington this week, many Liberians in Minnesota are anxiously waiting for senators to take action on a bill that could determine whether they have to leave the country within the next 30 days.5:25 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• New Orleans Native Sculptor John T. Scott Dies
  John T. Scott was born in Gentilly and raised in the Lower Ninth Ward. He used to say he tried to capture the musicality of New Orleans in the colors and rhythms of his sculptures. Scott, who was the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, died Saturday at the age of 67.
• Senate to Weigh Bill Tying Sugar, Ethanol
  When the Senate reconvenes, it will have to deal with a massive farm bill already passed by the House. The sugar lobby was effective in getting improvements to its price support program, including a federal effort to promote sugar in ethanol production.
• Merc's 'Pork Belly' Trading Pit Closing
  The once-raucous pork belly pit at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange will soon be history. The storied open outcry pit won't re-open when the Merc merges its trading floors and other operations with the Chicago Board of Trade next spring.
• Bush Elaborates on Iraq Remarks, Visits Australia
  President Bush arrives in Australia for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. Mr. Bush also will spend time with one of his staunchest war allies, Australian Prime Minister John Howard. Howard faces a tough election challenge from an opponent who wants to pull Australia's troops out of Iraq.
• N. Ireland, S. Africa, Iraqis Sign Peace Pact
  Senior representatives of parties from Northern Ireland and South Africa are sharing lessons they learned in the peace process with leading Sunnis and Shia from Iraq at a secret gathering in Finland, where they've signed the "Helsinki Agreement."
• Hurricane Felix Weakens but Remains a Threat
  Hurricane Felix hit Nicaragua as a Category 5 storm and is moving along the coast into Honduras. Although it is slowing down and weakening, Felix can cause a lot of destruction in areas where homes are made from flimsy materials and the infrastructure is decaying.
• Returning Iraqi Parliament to Weigh Legislation
  The Iraqi parliament reconvenes after a monthlong break to consider a package of 10 separate bills put forward by the government. Meanwhile, an Iraqi appeals court has upheld the death sentence against one of the most notorious figures in Saddam Hussein's regime.
• Rapist's Story Sheds Light on Sexual Predators
  Imprisoned serial rapist Brent Brents, who terrorized Denver in 2005, says he now wants to help people understand more about sexual predators. Critics question his motives for talking, but say there's value in hearing him out.
• Predator Pilots Engage in Remote Control Combat
  More pilots are flying combat missions over Iraq and Afghanistan from the safety of a building in the Nevada desert. They're piloting Predator drones, unmanned aircraft equipped with high-tech surveillance cameras and armed with Hellfire missiles.
• Johnson Covers Vietnam, CIA in 'Tree of Smoke'
  Denis Johnson's new novel, Tree of Smoke, is one of the late summer's big books in a number of ways. It covers the Vietnam War and the U.S. intervention in Southeast Asia — and the life of a CIA agent whose career grows with the war. Also, it's more than 600 pages long.
• Author Had Rare Access to Bush for 'Dead Certain'
  Robert Draper, author of the new book Dead Certain: The Presidency of George W. Bush, had unprecedented access to the president and his immediate circle, including six interviews with him in 2006 and '07.
• Aviator Steve Fossett Missing; Search Under Way
  A search is under way for a small plane carrying aviation adventurer Steve Fossett. Federal officials say he took off in the single-engine plane Monday at a private airstrip in western Nevada and didn't return as scheduled. A friend reported him missing.
• An Author's Companion in Rage, Exile and Return
  When writer Eboo Patel felt rejected by America, he took comfort in James Baldwin's essays. He was surprised to find that Baldwin's writing helped him accept the country in a different light.
• Report: Baghdad Meets 7 of 18 Benchmarks
  A study by the Government Accountability Office says Baghdad has not met 11 of its 18 political and security goals. The 100-page report is a bleaker picture of the situation in Iraq than the one being offered by the White House. In July, President Bush said progress had been made in eight of the 18 benchmarks. The GAO report says four benchmarks have been partially met.
• NASA's Leaders Plan for Mars Rock Retrieval
  NASA has yet to bring back any rocks from Mars, but new leadership at NASA's science mission department is pledging to put the U.S. at the forefront of Martian rock return.

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