Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Will Duluth get a Dylan Boulevard?
  A street in Duluth could get a new name tonight. City councilors will consider adding Bob Dylan's name to a few blocks of London Road.6:25 a.m.
• Boomtime coming on the Iron Range
  It looks as though Minnesota's Iron Range could be in for a business boom. Five years ago, many Minnesotans might have been ready to write off the Iron Range, as LTV Steel Mining Co. closed its sprawling taconite mine in Hoyt Lakes. But now, half a dozen new industries may be coming to the Range.6:50 a.m.
• Legislators give themselves passing grades as session ends
  As with every session, the list of things that didn't get done is just as long as what did. While the Twins and Gophers got their stadiums, the Minnesota Vikings will have to wait until at least next year for an Anoka County stadium complex. A provision in the Twins bill instructs the Vikings to continue developing their plans.7:20 a.m.
• Familiar faces leaving Legislature
  All House and Senate seats are on the ballot this fall. And so far 25 incumbent legislators have announced they are not running for re-election.7:25 a.m.
• Reflections from retiring lawmakers
  Cathy Wurzer talked with Republican Senator Bob Kirelin and DFL State Senator Jane Ranum as they reflected on their time in the Minnesota legislature.7:50 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• A Heavenly Voice Keeps 'Da Vinci' Humming
  The soundtrack to the film The Da Vinci Code is filled with celestial voices, high and eerie wails that appear on many film tracks. So what do celestial voices sound like when they talk? Renee Montagne finds out in an interview with Hila Plitmann, the classically trained performer who sings the celestial solos in The Da Vinci Code.
• Florida Community Honors Teacher for 69 Years of Service
  In Florida, Hazel Haley has been teaching English at Lakeland High School since 1939. She's been teaching in the same classroom since 1952! She's retiring this year and the community is grateful for her long service. In some cases, she's taught three generations of the same family. Robin Sussingham of member station WUSF reports.
• Famed Medical Test 'ELISA' Celebrates Its 35th
  The ELISA test can seek out the presence of hormones or viruses in a matter of minutes, replacing previous cumbersome and time-consuming methods. Co-inventor Eva Engvall, then a young graduate student in Stockholm, gave the test its name.
• The Increasing Power of the Silicon Chip
  While most consumers never see a silicon chip, they do see the results of their growing power: high-definition television sets, cell phones with cameras, faster and smarter computers. Ever-shrinking chips are not only giving consumers new products, but also helping the scientific community.
• Book Chronicles History of Government and Torture
  Alfred W. McCoy's new book, A Question of Torture, chronicles the CIA's development and use of torture since the Cold War. He speaks with Steve Inskeep about the past, present and effectiveness of torture.
• Verdi's Requiem Revived as WWII Tribute
  During WWII, hundreds of prisoners in the Terezin concentration camp in Czechoslovakia performed Verdi's Requiem as a way to passively defy their Nazi captors. On Sunday, American musicians performed the same requiem in the former Nazi camp as a tribute to Terezin's victims and survivors.
• Alcatraz Swim Now a Boyhood Trial
  If you follow prison history, or old Clint Eastwood movies, you know the swim from Alcatraz. It was the last barrier to escaping the island prison in California. The only men to escape disappeared without clear evidence they made it to shore. Today, Braxton Bilbrey is attempting that swim. He read about a nine-year-old who swam the 1.4 miles. Now he plans to try it -- at the age of seven. He's hoping to raise money for drowning prevention.
• Roberts' Court Produces More Unanimous Decisions
  Many decisions coming out of the Supreme Court this term have been unanimous. At first glance, that might make the court look unified under new Chief Justice John Roberts. The unity, however, appears to have been achieved by narrowing the scope of the rulings.
• Senate Hoping to Vote on Immigration Bill this Week
  The Senate continues its attempt to overhaul the nation's immigration laws. Amendments added to the bill aim to increase fencing between the borders and bar illegal immigrants who've committed felonies from pursuing U.S. citizenship. Leaders hope to have a final vote on the issue by the end of the week.
• Dog Handler Goes on Trial for Alleged Iraq Prison Abuse
  A military dog handler goes on trial Monday at Fort Meade, Md., for allegedly using his unmuzzled dog to intimidate and threaten detainees at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison. Sgt. Santos Cardona is charged with abusing two Iraqi detainees and, if convicted, he could face 20 years in prison.
• Nagin Re-Elected to Lead Post-Katrina New Orleans
  New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin says he plans to reach out to every segment of the community after he was re-elected over the weekend. He defeated Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu in a run-off. Some voters have concerns about their city's future under Nagin, but others say they've already seen positive changes.
• Barbaro Injury Changes Preakness Storyline
  This past weekend's Preakness Stakes horse race was overshadowed by the life-threatening injury to favorite Barbaro. Steve Haskin, senior correspondent for The Blood-Horse magazine, talks to Steve Inskeep about Babaro's injury.
• U.S. Ambassador Comments on New Iraq Government
  U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad talks to Steve Inskeep about the country's new government under Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. Forming the unity government proved to be more difficult than the U.S. government had hoped.
• Large-Scale Practical Jokes
  In 2004, a Washington state man's friends slipped into his apartment. They wrapped everything he owned in aluminum foil. Now the ringleader has suffered retaliation. He came home to find part of his apartment turned into a human-sized hamster cage. It had a six-foot exercise wheel, a giant water bottle, even shredded newspaper on the floor. You know the old saying -- revenge is a dish that tastes like hamster.
• U.S. Politics Focus on 2006 Elections
  Steve Inskeep talks to Cokie Roberts about the American reaction to the formation of a government in Iraq, and limits to the U.S. commitment to the country. Also, they talk about 2006 election-cycle developments and the re-election of Ray Nagin in New Orleans.

Resources

• Future Tense®
• 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

Become a Sponsor