Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Health Department says East Metro cancer rates are not higher than average
  Public health officials say cancer rates in Washington and Dakota counties are virtually identical to rates found elsewhere in Minnesota. The agency hopes the findings will alleviate some of the concerns of East Metro residents who have perfluorinated chemicals in their drinking water.6:47 a.m.
• St. Paul targets downtown drug dealing
  St. Paul police say they're on their way to cleaning up a big drug problem downtown. On Wednesday, officials announced that they've arrested and charged 20 people and expect to pick up another 80 in the coming days.7:20 a.m.
• Farmers' markets boom across Minnesota
  Farmers' markets have been sprouting up nationwide. In 1994, there were close to 1,800. Now, there are over well over double that. In Minnesota, farmers' markets are appearing across the state.7:50 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Six Day War: Land Ownership Disputes Arise
  The end of the 1967 war and the beginning of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip brought dramatic changes to the lives of both Palestinians and Israelis. In the West Bank, Israel confiscated large chunks of agricultural land where settlements were eventually built.
• Spurs, Cavs Begin NBA Championship Series
  The National Basketball Association's championship series starts Thursday night between the Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs. The Cleveland Cavaliers took down the Detroit Pistons to get there, announcing the arrival of its star player, LeBron James, as a super star.
• Nuns to Cheer NBA's Spurs
  There was a musician called The Singing Nun. Sally Field played "The Flying Nun." Now we have the Cheering Nuns. Twenty-three sisters watch, pray and cheer for the San Antonio Spurs. They watch and pray. They keep players' names pinned beneath their habits.
• Arkansas Park Visitors Take Away Diamonds
  The Crater of Diamonds in Arkansas is the only state park where you can take something more valuable than pictures. Tourists who visit this diamond-producing site often pick up tiny slivers of the gem, and keep them as souvenirs.
• NASA Chief Regrets Voicing His Views on Climate
  NASA head Michael Griffin says he regrets voicing his views on climate change. Griffin had told Morning Edition he wasn't sure global warming was a problem. On Monday, he told a gathering of scientists and engineers that he had tried to keep his opinions separate but that got "lost in the shuffle."
• CIA, Italian Intel Kidnapping Trial to Start in Italy
  The trial of several CIA and Italian intelligence officers is set to begin Friday in Italy. Prosecutors say the officers kidnapped an Islamic cleric in Milan and transported him to Egypt, where he said he was tortured. This is the first trial associated with the CIA's policy of "extraordinary rendition." All 26 American defendants will be tried in absentia.
• Metal Fence in Yuma Slows Immigration
  The metal fence erected in the border city of Yuma, Ariz., has worked to slow illegal immigration. Congress approved the fence last year. Yuma Mayor Larry Nelson says he supports a commuter guest worker program that allows Mexican agricultural workers into the U.S. daily.
• Bob Barker Leaves 'The Price Is Right'
  Bob Barker taped his final episode after 35 years as host of The Price Is Right. Fans slept outside the CBS studio in the hopes of getting a seat. Rumors were flying that Barker would give away cars to everyone in the audience. But only one lucky contestant got a car.
• Trial Lawyer Lerach May Step Down
  William Lerach, one of the nation's most powerful trial lawyers, has announced he may retire. He has made millions by suing businesses on behalf of shareholders. Last year Lerach's old firm, Milberg Weiss, was indicted for allegedly paying illegal kickbacks to some of its investor-clients.
• Inflation Concerns Check Market
  The U.S. stock market is sputtering a bit this week amid investors' concerns that inflation may be on the march. The Dow Jones Industrial average began slumping Tuesday and fell again Wednesday by 130 points. The two-day downturn stands in contrast to the long bull market that has pushed many stocks to new highs.
• 'Wall Street Journal' May Garner Another Suitor
  Brian Tierney, a private investor who led a group that bought the Philadelphia Inquirer , told the The Wall Street Journal that he may make a counter-bid for Dow Jones & Co., the company that owns the paper.
• A Different Tale of TB in Kenya
  A Kenyan-born doctor describes his father's death from TB in Africa and compares it to the Andrew Speaker case. Commentator Pius Kamau says overcrowding, malnutrition, and poor hygiene contributed to the spread of TB in Kenya. He says his father received what little treatment was available and suffered a prolonged illness.
• Former NATO Leader Says Taliban Weakened
  Dutch Maj. Gen. Ton van Loon, who commanded NATO forces in southern Afghanistan until last month, says the Taliban is no longer in control there. He says despite the determination of militia, conditions in that part of the country are improving.
• U.S. Commander: Troop Surge Working in Baghdad
  Maj. Gen. Joseph Fil, commander of U.S. forces in Baghdad, says since the increase of troops in Iraq nearly four months ago, U.S. forces have gotten control of one-third of Baghdad. He says that attacks by Shiite extremists are on the rise, in part due to some influence they have on Iraqi security forces. By September he hopes to have a majority of the city under control.
• Pakistanis Protest Suspension of Chief Justice
  There are more protests against Pakistan's President Gen. Pervez Musharraf over his suspention of the nation's chief justice. Security forces detained hundreds of activists even before the rallies.

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