Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Pawlenty's PAC raises $723K, trails other likely presidential candidates
  Gov. Tim Pawlenty's federal political action committee raised $723,000 between April and June.4:20 p.m.
• Art Hounds
  Each week Minnesota Public Radio News asks three people from the Minnesota arts scene to be "Art Hounds." Their job is to step outside their own work and hunt down something exciting that's going on in local arts.4:45 p.m.
• Universities hope to ban boring lectures
  Being trapped in a boring lecture can be a student's worst nightmare. Minnesota colleges understand that's not a good way to teach students, so they're encouraging professors and instructors to use a more engaging style in their classrooms.4:53 p.m.
• I-35W bridge victims: Contractor should pay punitive damages
  Attorneys representing 134 people affected by the Interstate 35W bridge collapse in 2007 are asking a Hennepin County judge to require an engineering contractor to pay punitive damages for allegedly knowing the bridge could fail.5:20 p.m.
• State unemployment rate drops to 6.8 percent, as more Minnesotans stop looking for work
  The state lost 3,700 jobs, but the rate likely dropped because nearly 14,000 works left the state labor force.5:24 p.m.
• Pawlenty's PAC raises $723K, trails other likely presidential candidates
  Gov. Tim Pawlenty's federal political action committee raised $723,000 between April and June.6:20 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• BP Says Cap Has Stopped Flow Of Oil Into Gulf
  The flow of oil into the Gulf of Mexico was halted this afternoon as BP began an "integrity test" of a new cap on the Deepwater Horizon well. Scientists are watching the pressure that is building up under the cap to make sure that no oil is leaking into the rock below the well. The test will last anywhere from six to 48 hours. Robert Siegel speaks with NPR's Richard Harris, who has the latest.
• Weathering Emotional Storms Over Gulf Oil Spill
  The spill in the Gulf of Mexico has caused a lot of visible damage, and now signs of the mental toll have also started to show. Thousands are seeking counseling from professional clinics and neighbors alike.
• Fiscal Localism On Rise In Germany
  The Havelbluete, the Augusta and the Chiemgauer might sound like the names of locally brewed beers, but they are in fact micro-currencies which, like micro-breweries, are in abundance in Germany. There are more than two dozen local currencies in circulation, and 40 or so initiatives are about to start printing their own banknotes. These notes are not gimmicks. They're recognized legal tender -- at least within each local region.
• Doctors Face Dilemma Over Prescribing Avandia
  A panel of experts voted Wednesday to recommend that the FDA keep the diabetes drug Avandia on the market despite findings that the drug increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Now it is up to doctors to decide when the benefits of taking Avandia outweigh the risks. Michele Norris speaks with Daniel Einhorn, a clinical endocrinologist and medical director of the Scripps Whittier Diabetes Institute in San Diego, about the ruling.
• Gay Marriage A Human Rights Issue In Argentina
  In a heated debate that lasted almost 15 hours, Argentina's Senate today approved a bill that would make the country the first in Latin America to legalize gay marriage. Argentine President Cristina Fernandez promised to sign the measure, which the Catholic Church had strongly opposed.
• Islamic Center Near Ground Zero Sparks Anger
  Emotions are running high around a proposed Islamic cultural center and mosque two blocks from the destroyed World Trade Center. Plans for the Islamic center are supported by most politicians in Manhattan and by religious leaders of many faiths. But some Sept. 11 families and many conservative politicians are opposed.
• Muslims In U.S. Face Challenges Erecting Mosques
  Muslims all across the country have run into local opposition when they’ve tried to build new houses of worship. Robert Siegel speaks with Akbar Ahmed, a professor of Islamic studies at American University and author of Journey into America: The Challenge of Islam, about the experiences of Muslims in the U.S.
• Letters: Tea Party, Companies' Cash Reserves
  Michele Norris and Robert Siegel read from listener emails about a story on the Tea Party's belief that the Obama administration and Democrats are subverting the Constitution and an interview with Steven Pearlstein about how companies are sitting on cash reserves.
• Barry Eisler: A Grim Future Is Now In '1984'
  George Orwell's dystopian vision offers such devastating political commentary that it's rarely described as a suspense novel. But author and former CIA operative Barry Eisler says the book simply proves just how powerful a thriller with a message can be.
• Senate Passes Sweeping Financial Overhaul Bill
  President Obama and the Democrats scored another major legislative victory Thursday. The Senate passed a broad bill to overhaul financial regulations. The measure rewrites the rules for Wall Street to try to avoid crises like the 2008 economic meltdown. This time the Democrats got a little help from Republicans.

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