Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• NW Minnesota fires may burn for months
  Fire crews are still on the scene in northwestern Minnesota, responding to eight wildfires that continue to flare up and shift. But because some the fires are fueled by the region's peat bogs, it may be some time before those fires are fully extinguished.5:19 p.m.
• Friends, family attend service for shooting victim
  Friends and family on Wednesday gathered at the funeral for Jacob Beneke, the youngest of the six people who died last week in the workplace shooting in Minneapolis.5:23 p.m.
• Minn. corn harvest dodges worst of drought
  Minnesota's crop season started and ended in drought this year, but in between things weren't too bad for most farmers. Despite the hurt production, the damage to Minnesota's $7 billion corn crop wasn't as serious as in other areas.5:51 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Stage Set For First Presidential Debate In Denver
  Mara Liasson joins Audie Cornish from Denver to talk about Wednesday's presidential debate and the stakes for the candidates.
• Romney, Obama Have Parallel Points On The Economy
  President Obama and Mitt Romney both have plans to rebuild America's economy. They talk about them on the stump every day, but they sound surprisingly similar for two men who disagree about so much.
• 2012 Already A Record Year For Political Ads
  A new analysis shows that the Obama campaign continues to have superiority over the Romney campaign and its allies when it comes to TV ads. The report also finds that political ads are the most negative since 2000, and that the leading advertiser in congressional races is Karl Rove's tax-exempt group Crossroads GPS.
• In Nigerian Gold Rush, Lead Poisons Thousands Of Children
  In northern Nigeria, some miners use crude methods to extract raw gold ore — a practice fueled by rising gold prices. But the gold here is embedded in lead, and the dust kicked up by this dirty and illegal mining has killed hundreds of children and sickened thousands more. Experts say this may be the worst case of lead poisoning in recent history.
• Is There Still A Place For Affirmative Action In 2012?
  Next week, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in its first case examining affirmative action since 2003. We're asking listeners for their thoughts on whether affirmative action remains relevant today. Is there still a place for affirmative action in 2012, and why? Contact us here, and be sure to put "affirmative action" in the subject line.
• Racial Issues, Far From 'Invisible' On D.C. Stage
  An adaptation of Ralph Ellison's landmark novel The Invisible Man is electrifying audiences in the nation's capital. NPR's Audie Cornish talks to the writer, director and star about bringing a complicated story to the stage.
• Capturing Summer's Harvest, One DIY Wine Bottle At A Time
  You don't have to own a vineyard to enjoy homemade wine. For fun or family tradition, home winemakers take pride in making a bottle that can't be found on grocery store shelves.
• Some Schools Actually Want Students To Play With Their Smartphones In Class
  Smartphones and tablets can be a big distraction to students, but some schools are embracing these Internet-ready mobile devices as tools for learning. Bring-your-own-device policies have benefits in the classroom, but there are drawbacks, too.
• A Ska And Jazz Innovator Bridges Continents And Decades
  On his latest album, Avila, guitarist Ernest Ranglin enlists three younger musicians to make African- and Caribbean-inflected music that's built to last.
• GOP Seizes On Shifting Accounts Of Libya Attack
  When the Libyan consulate was attacked and the American ambassador killed, the immediate word from the administration was that the strike was a spontaneous reaction to a controversial film. In the immediate aftermath, Republican challenger Mitt Romney harshly criticized the Obama administration and soon found himself at the center of controversy. In the weeks since, however, the administration story has evolved and now a congressional hearing on the matter is scheduled for next week.

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