Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Frenetic storyteller Kevin Kling turns his tales to text
  An All Things Considered regular, Kevin Kling, has translated his frenetic and funny style of storytelling to the written word. In "The Dog Says How," Kling tells tales about his childhood and his 2001 motorcycle accident.4:45 p.m.
• Cost of bridge collapse could reach $400 million
  The Interstate 35W bridge catastrophe carried a far bigger financial toll than previously known and could approach $400 million by the time a replacement is built.5:20 p.m.
• U of M's 500-year-old map shows first reference to America
  The map, printed from a wood cut in 1507, was part of a suite of prints from a noted cartographer in homage to Amerigo Vespucci.5:24 p.m.
• Prosperity sprouts in Minnesota farm fields
  The best news this harvest may be strong grain prices. Corn has attracted most of attention, but other crops including soybeans are moving higher.5:50 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Blackwater Firings Detailed in Report
  The private security contractor Blackwater USA has fired 122 people over the past three years for reasons ranging from misuse of weapons to violent behavior. The details emerged from a report released by a congressional committee investigating Blackwater.
• Dad and Home Improvement
  Americans spend millions of dollars a year on home improvement projects — partly because they add value to a home, and partly because they appeal to the "do-it-yourself" instinct in many of us. Commentator Laura Lorson likes do-it-yourself projects because they remind her of the connection between family and home.
• Giuliani's Abortion Views Risk Third-Party Revolt
  A group of leading religious conservatives are hinting that if former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani is the GOP nominee, they will bolt to a third-party candidate. Giuliani supports a woman's right to an abortion.
• Director Berg Reflects on 'The Kingdom'
  Actor/director Peter Berg's most recent project is The Kingdom, a police procedural set in Saudi Arabia. Berg talks about the film, which stars Jamie Foxx and Chris Cooper.
• Covering the War Against IEDs
  Washington Post correspondent Rick Atkinson is taking an in-depth look at the U.S. military's fight against improvised explosive devices. He discusses his newspaper series.
• Baseball: The Grand Old (Head) Game
  The collapse of the New York Mets, who were passed by the streaking Philadelphia Phillies during the last days of baseball's regular season, raises questions about the mental aspects of winning and losing.
• Author Uncertain About 'Dark' Leap to Big Screen
  Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising series of young-adult books was published more than 30 years ago. A Hollywood version debuts this week. But a recent visit with the author finds that fantasy doesn't always translate easily into film.
• Roles for Women in U.S. Army Expand
  Pentagon rules dictate that women may not be assigned to ground combat units. But the nature of the Iraq war has led to a blurring of distinction between front-line and rear areas, and more women are finding themselves in the thick of battle.
• Alexie's 'Absolutely True Diary'
  The multi-dimensional writer and filmmaker Sherman Alexie offers a novel for young adults. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian follows a 14-year-old from a reservation in the Northwest.
• Courting Justice Kennedy's 'Swing' Vote
  As the "swing" judge on the Supreme Court, Justice Anthony Kennedy has to fend off people from the left and the right who wish to influence his thinking. Satirists Bruce Kluger and David Slavin imagine how that might play out.
• Computer Glitch Affects L.A. Teacher Pay
  Tens of thousands of teachers in Los Angeles aren't getting a regular paycheck. Since the first of the year a new computer payroll system at the nation's second-largest school district has been malfunctioning.
• New Radiohead CD to Debut Online
  In Rainbows, Radiohead's first album since 2005, will appear online Oct. 10, with a specially-boxed CD/LP set to follow in December. The band is working without a label and the album will debut on the Radiohead Web site.
• Lois Maxwell, Bond's 'Moneypenny,' Dies
  Lois Maxwell has died. She played Miss Moneypenny, the secretary who maintained a flirtatious relationship with Agent 007 in 14 James Bond films from 1962 to 1985.
• Doubts Arise in Wake of Myanmar Crackdown
  The government says order has been restored in Myanmar, following a crackdown on recent anti-government demonstrations. But some say the bloodshed has made security forces squeamish about using violence to quell any future protests.
• Golden Olympic Great Oerter Dies
  Al Oerter, the discus thrower who won consecutive gold medals in four straight Olympic Games from 1956 to 1968, has died of heart failure. After track, he began a career as an abstract painter. He was 71.

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