Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Meet the lyricist
  The source of musical inspiration is a subject we're exploring in a new edition of our Songs from Scratch project. We asked songwriter Adam Levy to compose some lyrics, and asked three musicians to create a song using them. Meet Adam Levy of the Honeydogs.4:49 p.m.
• Their field of dreams
  Whether it's Little League or the majors, there's nothing like watching a ball game on a warm July evening.4:53 p.m.
• RNC construction begins inside Xcel Energy Center
  Construction began Monday inside the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul to get it ready for the Republican National Convention.5:20 p.m.
• Franken proposes tax plan
  DFL Senate candidate Al Franken has a tax plan that he says would ease the strain on the middle class. Franken accused Republican Sen. Norm Coleman of favoring the wealthy and special interests.5:23 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Mukasey Urges Congress To Create Detainee Rules
  Attorney General Michael Mukasey calls on Congress to set the rules by which Guantanamo detainees will challenge their detention. Lawmakers, not judges, should answer questions left open by a Supreme Court ruling granting detainees court access, he says.
• On The Brink: The Cuban Missile Crisis Revisited
  Though much was made of the conflagration between John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev during the Cuban missile crisis, Michael Dobbs, author of One Minute to Midnight, says the two leaders were actually of like minds when it came to the threat of nuclear war.
• Albuquerque: A Scene Blooms In The Desert
  A jazz fan visiting the desert city might equate the chances of seeing great live jazz there with the chances of getting caught in a rain shower. But since the 1970s, a devoted group of musicians and educators has turned the area into a hotbed for jazz performance.
• Obama Meets Top Iraqis, U.S. Military Officials
  Barack Obama has met with Iraqi and U.S. military officials in Baghdad. The Democratic presidential candidate's visit to Iraq is his first on-the-ground look at the war effort since starting his White House bid. Over the weekend, he was in Afghanistan.
• McCain Vows To Court Young Voters
  Republican John McCain vows not to cede the youth vote to his Democratic rival, Barack Obama. And while they're not getting as much attention as their Democratic counterparts, thousands of young GOP volunteers are turning out to help the McCain campaign.
• Mugabe, Rival OK Talks On Unity Government
  Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai have signed a deal paving the way for talks on a unity government. The breakthrough came after South Africa's leader pledged to work closely with the U.N. and the African Union.
• China Approaching Quake Housing Deadline
  The Chinese government set an ambitious Aug. 1 deadline for providing temporary housing to survivors of the May 12 earthquake. Prefabricated shelters have been constructed in many areas, but many residents remain without accommodations.
• Ahead Of Games, Beijing Switches To English
  Beijing has put much effort into brushing up on its English in order to host the Olympics. The city also boasts a few linguistic stars, such as police officer Liu Wenli, who over the past two decades has taught himself English and other languages.
• Connecting With Wrens (With Help From An IPod)
  Carolina wrens — small cinnamon-brown birds that choose to live around outbuildings — will hide their nests almost anywhere: a discarded boot, a bucket turned on its side. With a little innovation, it is possible to make a connection with wrens.
• Expert Weighs In On Guantanamo Trial
  Osama bin Laden's driver Salim Hamdan is the first prisoner to face a U.S. war crimes trial since World War II. Professor Scott Silliman, executive director of the Duke Law School's Center on Law, Ethics and National Security, says the trial will be very similar to a regular criminal trial.

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