Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Can Democrats take over Minnesota House?
  Republicans currently have a two-seat majority in the Minnesota House but Democrats think they have the candidates and the political climate to win control.5:20 p.m.
• UnitedHealth Group's profits give investors something to cheer
  Minnetonka-based UnitedHealth Group Inc., the nation's second-largest health insurer, said its third-quarter earnings rose almost 38 percent on growth across its businesses. Even so, the company's incoming CEO is apologizing for the company's stock option problems.5:46 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Hold Steady's 'Boys and Girls' with Problems
  The Hold Steady is led by a very wordy, not-so-great singer named Craig Finn. The group's latest CD is Boys and Girls in America — a title taken from a line by Jack Kerouac. The line goes, "Boys and girls in America have such a sad time together." Critic Robert Christgau says that despite the band sounding a bit more like Bruce Springsteen, the characters are strong and indeed quite sad.
• Little Joy in Gaza as Ramadan Tapers Off
  The last days of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan are a festive time for most Muslims. But in Gaza, the mood is dark for many Palestinians. Israel continues to apply military and economic pressure on Gaza, where militants continue to fire rockets at the Jewish state. At a time when inter-Palestinian violence threatens to widen into a civil war, lawlessness, border closures and a poor economy put Gazans in a bleak mood.
• Power Turbines Will Rely on Tidal Forces
  In a trial of the first underwater turbines in the United States, turbines will remain in the East River for a year and a half, supplying electric power to a parking garage and supermarket on New York City's Roosevelt Island. Businesses and communities have long been looking for ways to harness the tidal energy in waterways along the U.S. coastline.
• NBC Universal Plans to Cut 5 Percent of Staff
  NBC Universal says it is cutting 700 jobs. Cost-cutting plans include the news operation. General Electric's NBC expects to save $750 million by 2008. The job cuts would represent about 5 percent of its work force.
• House Clerk, GOP Leader Questioned on Foley
  Former House Clerk Jeff Trandahl, who oversaw the congressional page program until late last year, testifies for more than four hours before a special House ethics panel looking into the Mark Foley scandal. The House panel also heard from House Majority Leader John Boehner.
• Immigrant Group Sues Arizona for Millions
  An Illinois immigrant-rights group is suing the Arizona Attorney General, accusing him of illegally seizing millions of dollars in money transfers sent to Arizona and Mexico by thousands of people in 26 states. The group charges that Arizona improperly used blanket warrants.
• 'Flags': The Story Behind an Iconic Image of WWII
  Flags Of Our Fathers is Clint Eastwood's look at the World War II battle of Iwo Jima, which was symbolized around the country by the photo of six faceless Marines raising the flag over Mount Suribachi.
• Unequal, Uneasy: Life on the China-Korea Border
  Along the Yalu River, China and North Korea maintain an uneasy coexistence. Relations between the two countries are at an all-time low, and China may be coming to the unpleasant realization that it could one day find itself in its neighbor's nuclear crosshairs.
• 'Flags of Our Fathers' Stays True to History
  The new film by Clint Eastwood portrays the iconic raising of the U.S. flag over the Pacific island of Iwo Jima and its aftermath. Charles Melson, chief historian of the U.S. Marine Corps, says the movie accurately depicts history.
• Parallels, Differences in Vietnam 1968, Iraq 2006
  The current escalation of violence in Iraq, coupled with the American public's war fatigue, resembles conditions during the Vietnam War's Tet Offensive, says New York Times columnist Tom Friedman. Andy Kohut of the Pew Research Center polled U.S. opinion during that war.
• Spike in Iraqi Attacks 'Disheartening,' General Says
  Insurgent attacks against U.S. and Iraqi forces have soared in the past three weeks. The northern city of Mosul was hit by at least six suicide bomb attacks Thursday; one attack at an Iraqi police station killed at least 13 people.
• The Boy Who Ran Like a Deer
  Before a recent cross-country race in Bend, Ore., seventh-grader Kevin Cox found himself matched against tough competition: a deer. In a series of photos, Cox is shown running from the overly friendly animal. Cox tells Robert Siegel it was funny... but "a little scary," too.
• Letters: Population, Sullivan, and the No-Names
  We read from audience e-mails, including comments on the U.S. population hitting 300 million, our conversation with Andrew Sullivan -- and Texas' McMurry University, home of the sports teams with no mascot.
• Moving from the War to Law School at Yale
  Commentator Ken Harbaugh spent nine years in the Navy before he started Yale Law School last year. Among his new peers at Yale, he's found very few people who have resumes like his, combining both military service and an Ivy League education.
• 'Ugly Betty' Leads Pack of New TV Series
  This fall's network TV season has already seen cancellations, as well as stability. Ratings for 30 Rock and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip -- both NBC shows centered on the behind-the-scenes life of TV series -- have faltered recently. But ABC's Ugly Betty, based on a Colombian telenovela, has been a surprise hit. Robert Siegel talks with Marisa Guthrie, of The New York Daily News.

Services

• Hourly Newscast
• HD Radio
• iPhone App / Mobile
• E-mail newsletters
• RSS feeds
• Podcasts
• Submit your photos
• Videos
• Weather
• Most e-mailed stories

Become a Sponsor