Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• News of Gunflint Trail fire could burn resorters
  Resort owners and canoe outfitters in the area say they're afraid news coverage of the fire could cause people to cancel their summer vacations to canoe country.7:21 a.m.
• Gas tax is latest issue facing gubernatorial veto
  Gov. Tim Pawlenty has promised to veto any increase in the gas tax. Supporters of the bill acknowledge they will need a few Republican votes to override a veto, but Republicans say they won't get enough.7:25 a.m.
• Commentary: Doctors and drug companies too cozy
  A recent study published in The New England Journal of Medicine suggests that the relationship between doctors and representatives of the pharmaceutical and medical device industries is uncomfortably close. For some physicians, like commentator Dr. Craig Bowron, that's a hard pill to swallow.7:51 a.m.
• Somali folktales travel to St. Paul
  Storytelling is an important part of Somali family life. Now, a play by SteppingStone Theatre in St. Paul will showcase Somali stories in a new way. The stories have transformed as they've traveled.7:55 a.m.
• New Ordway leader faces many challenges
  The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts has a new president. Patricia Mitchell was chosen for the position late last week. Arts commentator Dominic Papatola talks about the challenges she'll face running the Ordway.8:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Britain's Blair to Depart June 27
  Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair says he will leave his post June 27, after 10 years on the job. Times of London columnist Matthew Parris, who served in Parliament as a Tory, discusses Blair's decade in power.
• Author Takes New Approach to 'Damage Control'
  While working on public relations issues in the Reagan White House, Eric Dezenhall learned how to make bad news go away. Now he's the author of Damage Control: Why Everything You Know about Crisis Management is Wrong.
• Alabama to Revisit Civil-Rights Era Killing
  An Alabama grand jury has indicted James Bonard Fowler, a former police officer, for the murder of Jimmie Lee Jackson, a black Vietnam veteran, during a civil rights protest 42 years ago. Lee's death sparked a march that led to the "bloody Sunday" beatings of civil rights protesters in Selma, Ala.
• For Most People, Gluten Isn't a Diet Enemy
  Gluten is everywhere, from pizza, bread and ketchup to ice cream and prescription drugs. A small percentage of Americans can't tolerate the wheat protein, which has a gluey nature. But more people are dropping gluten from their diet to see if it cures what ails them.
• Army to Offer Bonuses to Keep Captains
  The U.S. Army is losing captains at a brisk rate. Repeated deployments to Iraq are causing many of these junior officers to leave the military for civilian careers. In an unprecedented move, the Army will soon offer substantial bonuses to entice captains to stay on. But is the extra money enough?
• House to Vote on Portioned-Out War Funds
  Members of the House are expected to vote Thursday on a bill that provides $43 billion for the Iraq war over the next two months. The measure calls for a second vote in July on additional war funds. President Bush vows to veto any bill that only partially funds his war requests.
• Letters: Tenet Interview, Gas Prices, Bow Facts
  Listeners respond to an interview with former CIA director George Tenet, reporting on gas prices in the U.S. and abroad, and a feature on "ancient" bows and arrows.
• Opossum Genome May Answer Human Questions
  Human DNA isn't that different from what you find in other mammals. So how does it combine to form people in some cases and dogs or chimps in others? It's one of the big mysteries of biology. And now biologists are turning to the opossum for answers.
• Bush Gets Earful on War from GOP House Members
  Eleven Republican members of the House tell President Bush that conditions in Iraq must improve or he will lose more party support. And a rush of people are leaving the administration earlier than usual in a second term.
• Dow Rises as Fed Holds Steady
  The Dow Jones industrial average rose another 53 points Wednesday. Analysts credit the Federal Reserve's decision to avoid an increase in key interest rates.
• Nigerian Rebels Kidnap American Workers
  Nigerian rebels seize four American workers in the oil-producing Delta region. Wednesday's incident comes a day after Nigerian militants destroyed three major oil pipelines in the south.
• Report: JPMorgan Chase Paid Student-Aid Officers
  Congressional investigators say that JPMorgan Chase paid some student aid officers while they were working for colleges. The new revelations come as Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings is scheduled to testify on Capitol Hill about the student loan industry.
• Covering the News in an 'Uncertain' Sudan
  The hardest thing for anyone from a developed country to get used to in Sudan is the lack of certainty. You leave the West with expectations that something that worked yesterday, such as the phone, will work again today. Then there are even more basic questions about food and safety.
• Tussle Stops Boston Pops; Fake Explosives Stolen
  People at a Boston Pops concert acted like people at a pro wrestling match. The performance stopped when two men battled each other in the balcony. One had his shirt pulled off. Los Angeles police started a training exercise at Union Station. It included a bag of "dummy explosives." During practice with the fake threat, a real person stole the bag. The station was shut down during a failed hunt for the suspect.
• Energy Drink 'Cocaine' Has Short Shelf Life
  Makers of an energy drink with more caffeine than a large cup of coffee branded it as Cocaine — until the FDA stepped in. Cans of the drink, marketed as "Speed in a Can," were pulled from stores this week. The firm will have to sell the drink under a new name.

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