Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Central Corridor a key issue in race for St. Paul district seat
  St. Paul is poised to send its first black legislator to the Capitol and the construction of the Central Corridor line is already a key issue in the race playing out in the Frogtown, Summit-University and Rice Street neighborhoods.3:50 p.m.
• Kayaker finishes paddling 1,007 lakes in Itasca County
  Mary Shideler has battled mosquitoes and crawled through the woods on beaver trails in her quest to kayak every lake in Itasca County.3:54 p.m.
• Singer Ruth Moody goes solo on new album
  Singer Ruth Moody, the founding member of A Prairie Home Companion favorite The Wailin' Jennys, is out with her first full-length solo album, "The Garden." She spoke with MPR's Steven John.4:48 p.m.
• Central Corridor a key issue in race for St. Paul district seat
  St. Paul is poised to send its first black legislator to the Capitol and the construction of the Central Corridor line is already a key issue in the race playing out in the Frogtown, Summit-University and Rice Street neighborhoods.5:15 p.m.
• Church aims to bring peace to crime-ridden neighborhood
  A majority of the 32 homicides in Minneapolis this year have occurred on the city's north side. With each shooting comes more concern that no one can bring peace to the neighborhoods that need it most. But one north side church has a plan to do just that.5:20 p.m.
• Kayaker finishes paddling 1,007 lakes in Itasca County
  Mary Shideler has battled mosquitoes and crawled through the woods on beaver trails in her quest to kayak every lake in Itasca County.5:50 p.m.
• Dinner Party Download with Rainn Wilson
  What do the King of Albania, "Eat, Pray, Love" and TV star Rainn Wilson have in common? You'll be talking about all of them at your dinner parties this weekend, after listening to the Dinner Party Download.6:20 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Jobs Report Taxes Obama's Political Capital
  Jobs have become one of the most important barometers in assessing the president's performance, and the latest report shows that, in some ways, the economy has slipped backward. The anemic economic recovery is taking a political toll on the president, amplifying his other challenges.
• Week In Politics: Taxes, Jobs, Gay Marriage
  Melissa Block talks with E.J. Dionne of The Washington Post and Brookings Institution and Michelle Barnard, CEO of the Independent Women's Forum, about the Bush tax cuts, jobs and the ruling overturning California's same-sex marriage ban.
• Gay Marriage Ban To Survive A While Longer
  Although a federal judge ruled California's ban on same-sex marriages is unconstitutional, gay marriages in the state are on hold until both sides have had a chance to weigh in on the appeal. Today is the last day for Proposition 8 supporters and opponents to submit written arguments. If Judge Vaughn Walker lifts his stay, same-sex marriage could become legal immediately. Karen Grigsby Bates
• 'Cloned Beef' On Store Shelves Causes Stir In Britain
  The "cloning" scandal has dominated headlines this week amid fears that beef and milk from the offspring of cloned cows have made their way to British supermarkets. British food regulators say there is no danger to the public, but they also concede that they don't exactly know how many cows derived from an American clone are on farms in Britain.
• The Spin: Indonesia's Hit Is Nidji's 'Laskar Pelangi'
  From the lush jungles of Bali to the 24-hour buzz of Jakarta, Indonesia is an island nation with a host of summer song offerings. Daniel Mananta is a VJ with MTV Indonesia and the host of Indonesian Idol, and his choice for the country's song of the summer is "Laskar Pelangi," which he describes as the most listener-friendly song in Indonesia.
• Strange Fruit: Anniversary Of A Lynching
  On Aug. 7, 1930, two young African-American men were lynched by a mob in Marion, Ind. The night before they had been charged with murdering a white factory worker and raping his companion. The case was never solved, but a photograph of the lynching became iconic. And a third man narrowly survived: Who was James Cameron?
• Research Calls Into Question 'Toning Shoe' Benefits
  Shoe companies that sell "toning shoes" -- a fancy sneaker with an unstable sole -- say that toning shoes can sculpt your legs and reduce the girth of your backside while you walk. But at least two new studies from the American Council on Exercise suggest the claims are untrue.
• Bjork: A Celestial Voice
  The singer, as widely known for her eccentric outfits and behavior as she is for her voice, is easily the most famous Icelander in the world. Inspired by childhood adventures walking among lava fields, Bjork's music is full of stories about pitch-dark forests and tiny sparks that live within them. Her music may prove challenging to listen to, but there are always moments of beauty and transcendence.
• Company Ranks Celebrity Bankability
  Michele Norris talks with James Ulmer about The Ulmer Scale, which ranks more than 1,000 actors worldwide by their bankability.
• U.S. Economy Still Sputtering
  The job market remains stuck in low gear, offering few prospects to the unemployed. The economy lost 131,000 jobs in July and the unemployment rate remained stuck at 9.5 percent. There was a slight uptick in private sector hiring, but that was more than offset as temporary federal census jobs lapsed and cash-strapped states and cities laid off workers. Jim Zarroli

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