Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• If choosing a president were like hiring a CEO...
  There are a slew of online quizzes designed to match voters with the presidential candidate who most closely shares their politics. Most of the quizzes focus on the issues, but there is one that examines a completely different aspect of the candidates -- their leadership skills.7:20 a.m.
• A taste of yesterday
  The general store is mostly a memory now, but it's still an important part of one small Minnesota town.7:45 a.m.
• One arts critic unimpressed with Minnesota's sesquicentennial
  More than 25 historic aircraft will soar over the State Capitol this weekend to mark Minnesota's 150th anniversary as a state. It ends a week of events commemorating Minnesota's sesquicentennial. Morning Edition arts commentator Dominic Paptola has been unimpressed with the celebration.7:50 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Dam Scrutiny, Quake Aid Efforts Ramp Up in China
  The rescue effort in China has turned toward helping those who survived Monday's earthquake and retrieving bodies from the rubble. Now, the safety of the area's dams is in question — in particular, Zipingdu dam, a staging point for relief efforts that is upstream from a city of a half-million people.
• Gaming Your Way to Fitness
  Video games designed to provide a workout are becoming big business. But do these games — such as the Wii Fit, which hits stores Monday — deliver on their fitness promises?
• Bolivian Mission Towns Revive Baroque Legacy
  Deep in the tropics of Bolivia, young musicians and others are keeping alive the legacy of the country's 17th-century Jesuit missionaries. A region with eight mission towns is home to the richest collection of Baroque manuscripts in the Americas and Asia.
• Obama Visits Michigan, Wins Edwards' Support
  Barack Obama hit the campaign trail in Michigan on Wednesday. That's where former rival John Edwards endorsed Obama for the Democratic Party's nominee. It was the Illinois senator's first campaign visit to Michigan this year. Obama didn't compete in the state's January primary that was outlawed by the National Democratic Party for violating party rules.
• Conservative Keene: McCain 'Marginally' Reassuring
  Presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain has been courting conservatives by saying he'd appoint conservative judges. But he's also trying to appeal to independents and blue-collar Democrats on issues like global warming. Keene says he is "marginally more reassured" by McCain's efforts to solidify the GOP base in recent weeks.
• Letters: Quake 'Mandate,' Texting, Political Insults
  Hosts Steve Inskeep and Renee Montagne read listeners' responses to Morning Edition coverage of the earthquake in China and a new book about political pudowns.
• Experts Warn Senate Panel of World Food Crisis
  The House defied a White House veto threat and voted overwhelmingly for a five-year, $306 billion farm bill Wednesday, the same day that U.S. officials told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that sharp increases in food prices could soon swell the ranks of the world's hungry by a hundred million people.
• Can You Pass the President's Adult Fitness Test?
  The President's Council on Fitness and Sports has unveiled a fitness test for adults on the Internet. It's similar to one that students take each year, but instead of getting a certificate signed by President Bush, the adults can see how their scores rank nationally. NPR reporters David Malakoff and Jon Hamilton are put to the test.
• Judge OKs Shareholder Suit Against Countrywide
  A federal judge has ruled that executives from Countrywide, one of the nation's biggest mortgage lenders, will have to face a lawsuit from angry shareholders like the Arkansas Teacher Retirement Fund that have lost fortunes since the housing market meltdown.
• Investor Icahn Urges Yahoo-Microsoft Merger
  After Microsoft withdrew its bid for Yahoo, it's been reported that billionaire Carl Icahn bought 50 million shares of Yahoo. Apparently, he wants to see the two companies merge, and he has even launched a proxy contest to get rid of Yahoo's entire board of directors.

Resources

• Marketplace Tech Report®
• Marketplace Morning Report®
• Mark Seeley's WeatherTalk

Services

• Hourly Newscast
• HD Radio
• iPhone App / Mobile
• E-mail newsletters
• RSS feeds
• Podcasts
• Submit your photos
• Videos
• Weather
• Most e-mailed stories