Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• State Fair mystery sounds: Day 7
  Each weekday during the Minnesota State Fair, All Things Considered will indulge your ears and bring you some mystery sounds from the Great Minnesota Get-Together.4:49 p.m.
• Summer tourism numbers mixed
  A recent state survey shows that while many hotels saw fewer guests this summer, campground operators say business was up, and festivals across the state drew record crowds.4:50 p.m.
• Rybak, Coleman campaign at the fair
  Right now, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman are running for re-election in their respective cities. It might just be a matter of time, however, before they find themselves running against each other.5:20 p.m.
• Hennepin County steps up composting programs
  A growing number of Hennepin County residents are donating a few extra minutes each week as part of a larger effort to measure the benefits of organic recycling and composting.5:50 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• The Way We Work: Signs Of Life In The Labor Market
  What we do on the job inevitably shapes who we are and how we live. While layoffs continue, millions are finding jobs each month. Three workers tell their stories.
• Midwestern States All Aboard High-Speed-Rail Push
  The White House is full of Chicago natives now, but is that enough to win federal funding for the proposed high-speed Chicago hub network? Advocates say such a network would connect Midwestern cities and provide a needed boost to the regional economy by creating jobs.
• Exercise Studies Find Good News For The Knees
  It's commonly thought that exercise — particularly running — is hard on the joints. But recent studies show that running doesn't increase the risk of arthritis, and many runners have healthier joints.
• A Magnet No More: Florida's Population Shrinks
  After beckoning retirees, sun worshippers and developers alike for the past century, Florida saw its population shrink last year for the first time in decades. That has come as a shock in a state that has long relied on growth to power its economy.
• Do Random Tests Keep Teen Athletes Off Steroids?
  In Texas last year, 45,200 student athletes were tested for steroids under a tough new program for high schools. The most frequently tested were football players. Only 19 athletes tested positive. Some say that's proof that the testing deters kids from using drugs, while others say the program is flawed.
• Kim Kashkashian's Vocal Viola
  The title track of Kim Kashkashian's new CD, Neharot, Neharot, is a dark, impressionistic portrait of war and mourning by Israeli composer Betty Olivero. All Things Considered host Robert Siegel was "blown away."
• U.S. Strike In Afghanistan Kills Dozens
  A U.S. F-15 bombed hijacked tanker trucks in northern Afghanistan, killing more than 70 people. NATO, which called in the strike, says many insurgents were killed. Afghan officials say up to 40 of the dead were civilians.
• How Will More Troops In Afghanistan Affect Obama?
  There is every indication that Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who this week released his assessment of the war in Afghanistan, will call for more troops. Political commentators E.J. Dionne of The Washington Post and the Brookings Institution and David Brooks of The New York Times discuss what this means for President Obama.
• Obama's Schools Speech Faces Backlash
  President Obama's plans to give a speech to the nation's schoolchildren is facing a huge backlash. Parents in many states are threatening to pull their children out of school. In Texas, several school districts have promised not to show the address live. Now, those moves are angering other parents who don't understand the controversy.
• Obama's Speech Protests Examined
  Many Republicans are criticizing President Obama's planned address to the nation's schoolchildren next week. E.J. Dionne of The Washington Post and the Brookings Institution and David Brooks of The New York Times discuss the reaction.

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