Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Day two: What are they judging?
  Judges look for fun, brights colors and good bindings. What are they judging?3:48 p.m.
• Day two: What are they judging?
  Judges look for fun, brights colors and good bindings. What are they judging?4:48 p.m.
• U of M officials propose $80M plan to save aging Northrop Auditorium
  Officials at the U of M are proposing an $80-million plan to save the aging and rarely-used Northrop Auditorium and to reinvent it as a new destination for students and faculty.4:49 p.m.
• Minnesota Orchestra plays at the Proms
  The Minnesota Orchestra has just finished a big concert. They just played a huge symphony, Bruckner's 4th, in a huge hall at what might be the most famous festival in the world -- the BBC Proms. Classical MPR host Brian Newhouse tells us what it was like.4:54 p.m.
• Health expert sheds light on girl's death from rare infection
  Memorial services were held Friday for a 7-year-old Stillwater girl who died from a brain infection contracted while she was swimming. A state health expert tells us more about this rare case.5:20 p.m.
• Inspectors keep a close eye on State Fair food
  The national recall of more than a half billion eggs got us wondering about the safety of food at the 300 food stands at the Minnesota State Fair. Fair organizers say they have never had a foodborne illness outbreak, in part because of their strong relationship with the Minnesota Department of Health.5:24 p.m.
• Day two: What are they judging?
  Judges look for fun, brights colors and good bindings. What are they judging?5:48 p.m.
• Dinner Party Download with Spike Jonze
  This week's Dinner Party Download features an interview with filmmaker Spike Jonze.6:20 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Fed Ready To Act If Economy Falters
  Financial markets reacted favorably to Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke's speech on the Fed's economic policy options. The Fed is under some pressure to do more to get the economy growing again, but Bernanke did not unveil any striking new ideas. He said the Fed has additional tools and would use them if necessary, but he cautioned that the Fed needs to weigh the risk of any policy change against the potential benefit.
• Week In Politics: Bernanke's Speech, Glenn Beck
  Melissa Block speaks with our regular political commentators, E.J. Dionne of The Washington Post and Brookings Institution and David Brooks of The New York Times, about the week in politics.
• Coast Guard Refuses To Be Overlooked
  Robert Siegel and Melissa Block note that we committed a sin of omission on air earlier this week when we stated that the U.S. Marine Corps is the smallest armed service. Many current and past members of the Coast Guard wrote in to remind us that that branch of Homeland Security is the smallest. We share a bit of Coast Guard history and hear from a retired Coast Guard captain.
• Shelling Out For A Chesapeake Bay Oyster Comeback
  Chesapeake oysters are a succulent treat that for centuries have been loved almost to extinction.  But some scientists and business people are making headway in bringing back the bivalve, for the sake of oyster lovers and the bay.
• Midlevel Providers Fill Primary Care Doctors' Shoes
  Physician assistants, like Jim Love, and nurse practitioners can prescribe medicine, and many operate almost completely independently of physician supervision. And unlike physicians in primary care, the number of physician assistants and nurse practitioners is on the rise.
• For GOP Hopefuls In N.H., Economy Is No. 1 Topic
  The Republicans who want to replace retiring Sen. Judd Gregg are hearing from voters that even though the state's unemployment rate is well below the national average, they're very worried about how things are going.
• 'Glee' Expected To Clean Up At Emmys
  Robert Siegel speaks with Stacey Wilson of the Hollywood Reporter about this year's Emmy awards, which will be handed out Sunday night.
• Meet Mesrine: Half A Gangster Epic, Totally 'Killer'
  John Dillinger, Bonnie and Clyde, Pretty Boy Floyd -- Hollywood has long had a love affair with real-life gangsters. Now, says critic Bob Mondello, France's Jacques Mesrine gives his better-known American rivals a run for their cinematic money. (Recommended)
• Some Katrina Evacuees Long For What They Lost
  When the thousands of people fled New Orleans after the storm, they scattered all over the country, with Houston receiving the biggest influx of evacuees. For some families the transition to a new city was easy though bittersweet. Still, others struggled to plant roots.
• Carter Wins American's Release From North Korea
  Melissa Block speaks with Jack Pritchard, president of the Korea Economic Institute, about former President Jimmy Carter's trip to North Korea to secure the release of American Aijalon Gomes. The release occurred as North Korean Dictator Kim Jong Il reportedly was in China to introduce his youngest son -- and expected successor -- to top Chinese officials.

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