Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Fair matches Iraq war vets with jobs
  Employers met face to face Tuesday with current and former members of the military who are looking for new jobs. Organizers of the veterans job fair say these soldiers possess many skills in high demand in the workplace.4:44 p.m.
• Boston Scientific begins cutting jobs locally
  Job cuts announced a few weeks ago by Massachusetts-based Boston Scientific have begun hitting the company's Maple Grove stent facility. Monday night and Tuesday, employees got word they were being laid off. One source says more than 300 jobs have been cut in Maple Grove.5:20 p.m.
• University student seeks help finding nieces
  A University of Minnesota student has enlisted the help of classmates to put pressure on officials in Washington to help his nieces in Sudan.5:24 p.m.
• Minnesota's place in the political universe
  The campaign for next year's election began more than a year ago, and Minnesota's candidates for U.S. Senate have been fundraising for months. But, between now and Election Day 2008, voters in Minnesota are likely to get a much more attention from candidates of all stripes.5:54 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Impoverished Village Sees Prosperity in the Surf
  In places like El Paredon, Guatemala, residents have had to rely on small-scale fishing to make ends meet. But now, villagers are trying to market their impoverished settlement as Central America's next big surfing destination.
• Torture Still Hot Topic as Mukasey Advances
  Senate Judiciary Committee members voted 11 to 8 to approve Judge Michael Mukasey as the next attorney general. But with no votes in doubt, debate focused less on the nominee than on waterboarding. The full Senate could take up the nomination on Thursday.
• A Self-Taught New Orleans Pianist's 'Testament'
  Luther G. Williams is an obscure but remarkable stride pianist from New Orleans. He's also a Bible scholar, a professor and a Hurricane Katrina survivor. Ever since the storm crippled his hometown, his musical fortunes have been looking up.
• Musharraf Rivals Mobilize Against Emergency Rule
  The Pakistani opposition is intensifying its campaign against President Gen. Pervez Musharraf and his imposition of emergency rule. Meantime, hundreds of lawyers have been detained, along with activists and other Musharraf opponents.
• Pakistani Lawyers Under 'Preventive Detention'
  One Pakistani lawyer who managed to avoid arrest is Hina Jilani. She was in London when the president imposed emergency rule, and a warrant for her house arrest remains outstanding. Jilani, a lawyer with Pakistan's Supreme Court, plans to return home despite the risks.
• Feds Fight Rampant Medicare Fraud in South Florida
  One of the most lucrative crimes in South Florida now is Medicare fraud. A federal task force is fighting it, but legitimate medical equipment providers worry that the crackdown is tarnishing the industry's image.
• 'Tokyo Year Zero' Gets Under Readers' Skin
  Some thrillers hit you over the head. But David Peace's latest post-war novel, Tokyo Year Zero, is more subtle. Peace has written half a dozen books that were well-received in England. His first American release is full of sound effects.
• Trial Starts for U.S. Sniper Accused of Baiting Iraqis
  Staff Sgt. Michael Hensley went on trial Tuesday at a U.S. base outside Baghdad. He's part of a sniper unit accused of baiting Iraqis with supplies for improvised explosive devices and then killing them when they picked them up.
• Amid Hinderances of Old Ways, Libya Opens Up
  Oil-rich and sanction-free, Libya is going through a revolution. After years of political and economic isolation, the country is opening up to old-fashioned capitalism.
• U.S. Food Aid Critics Call on Congress for Overhaul
  Congress is finishing up a massive farm bill that will set U.S. policy for the next five years. Among other things, it funds the food aid program, which is sending half as much food to hungry people around the world as it used to. Critics say this is a life-and-death matter.

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