Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Rain needed across much of the region
  Drought has settled in across parts of the Dakotas, and dry conditions threaten Minnesota crops.5:19 p.m.
• "Born in Iraq" gives a different perspective on conflict
  An Iraqi and Paraguayan's unique collaboration is producing a play in the Twin Cities about the Iraqi experience before and after the war. The story is based on true experiences by one of the playwrights, who grew up under Saddam Hussein's dictatorship.5:23 p.m.
• 200 National Guard members to patrol Mexican border
  Gov. Tim Pawlenty says he's sending 200 Minnesota National Guard troops to New Mexico to help patrol the U.S.-Mexico border. Pawlenty says he's activating the troops because the U.S. Departments of Defense and Homeland Security issued a request for help.5:52 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Bush Calls for Unity, Condemns North Korean Tests
  Calling North Korea's missile tests a provocative act, President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pledge that the United States will rely on six-party talks to deal with the issue. Over the past 24 hours, Pyongyang has gotten the world's attention, as North Korea launched up to seven missiles.
• North Korea's Neighbors Weigh Response to Tests
  The diplomatic fallout from North Korea's missile tests is growing, but in Asia, the responses have been varied. In Seoul, the capital of South Korea, only symbolic responses were being considered, such as a change in how aid to North Korea is distributed.
• Analyst: U.S. Lost Chance to Stop Missile Tests
  As the United States formulates its response to North Korea's missile tests, Robert Siegel talks with Ashton Carter, Professor of Science and International Affairs at Harvard University. Carter recently argued that an op-ed arguing that the United States should preempt a strike.
• Enron Founder Kenneth Lay Dies of Heart Attack
  Kenneth Lay, founder and vilified former chairman of scandal-ridden Enron Corp., died of a heart attack Wednesday morning. He was 64.
• Jersey Shutdown Hits Resort Casinos
  New Jersey’s government shutdown spread to casinos Wednesday when state casino inspectors were forced off the job by the impasse. Thousands of vacationers were turned away from casinos in Atlantic City. State workers are off the job because New Jersey lawmakers haven't reached agreement on a new state budget. The state court system, state parks and beaches, and numerous other services are also closed.
• Airbus Parent Faces Rivalries, Resignations
  The company that builds Airbus airliners, EADS, promised on Monday to end its chronic internal rivalries and focus on operations after ditching two senior executives. The two had been blamed for production delays in the new super-jumbo A380, and for an under-ambitious design for the forthcoming A350 airliner.
• Jumbo Plane Triggers Giant Airport Change
  Getting ready for the world's largest passenger aircraft isn't cheap. Eighteen U.S. airports are making significant investments, mostly runway improvements, to accommodate the super jumbo, double- decker Airbus A380. But now the jet everyone's waiting for is snagged in production delays.
• The Commuters of Easton
  Ann Murray reports on Easton Pennsylvania's efforts to revitalize itself by luring in New York City workers willing to make the four hour round-trip commute in exchange for low housing prices and small town living.
• Novel Examines Life 'After' Police Shooting
  In her new novel, Marita Golden tells the story of a police officer whose life is torn apart when he mistakenly shoots and kills an unarmed young man. Writing the book, she says, has enabled her to see the complexity and humanity of police officers.
• Bizarre Soulmates: The Magic of 'His Dark Materials'
  When cooking author Julie Powell is looking for a hit of adolescent intensity, she heads for Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. Those books "suck me under and spit me out, feeling as drained and fulfilled as a hormone-crazed bookworm half my age," she says.

The Dinner Party Download™

A fast, funny digest of the week's most interesting news, cuisine, cocktails and culture.

Services

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