Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Small coffee shops not sweating McDonald's new McCafes
  The debut of gourmet coffee in Twin Cities area's new McDonald's McCafes is being welcomed by some smaller coffee shop owners.6:25 a.m.
• Understanding autism can lead to tolerance
  Autism was once a rare disorder, but according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in every 150 children now carries that diagnosis.6:50 a.m.
• Weather with Mark Seeley
  University of Minnesota Climatologist Mark Seeley discusses Minnesota weather history and looks ahead to the weekend forecast.6:55 a.m.
• Loss of state funding threatens senior services
  Programs designed to keep seniors out of nursing homes say they're facing service cuts because of a lack of state grant funding.7:20 a.m.
• Lung cancer researchers say they'll keep miners informed
  The task force studying a rare but deadly cancer among taconite miners on Minnesota's Iron Range offered an update on progress at a meeting Thursday.7:25 a.m.
• Star Wars blasts into the Science Museum
  The much anticipated Star Wars exhibit opens today at the Science Museum of Minnesota.7:50 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Exxon to Sell Off Retail Gasoline Stations
  Exxon-Mobil says it's getting out of the U.S. retail gas business. You'll still see Exxon Mobil signs, with the familiar tiger logo. But on Thursday, the company announced it will sell the 2,200 or so gas stations it still owns.
• Women's Colleges Decline in U.S., Rise Globally
  There used to be more than 200 women's colleges in the U.S.; now there are about 60. But the few that are left are being used as a model for a growing number of women-only colleges overseas.
• U.S. Consulate's Manhole Comment Riles Mumbai
  India's largest city complains that advice from the U.S. consulate makes Mumbai look bad. After monsoon rains began, the U.S. consulate warned people not to fall into manholes. City workers open manhole covers during floods and leave them unattended. One official says the open manholes have killed, at most, 10 people.
• Publishers Push for New Rules on Unsold Books
  For decades, the publishing industry has paid stores to return unsold books. The method forces publishers to gamble on the success of a given title, a risk many small presses can't afford. In a move seen to signal a possible industry change, a new imprint at HarperCollins will not allow stores to return unsold merchandise.
• Facing Losses, Lehman Bros. Bank Demotes CFO
  Erin Callan, the first woman to reach the top ranks at the investment bank Lehman Brothers, was demoted from her position as chief financial officer Thursday. The investment bank has suffered $2.8 billion in quarterly losses and a drop in its stock.
• U.S. on Pace for Record Tornado Season
  This year is shaping up to be one of the most active tornado seasons on record. More than 100 people have died so far, and the number of storms is far above the 10-year average. Scientists say the season got off to a strong start especially early this year, perhaps because of unusually cool ocean temperatures in the western Pacific.
• Floods Make Half of Iowa's Counties Disaster Areas
  Nearly 4,000 homes have been evacuated in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, as residents there brace for flooding following more rain. More than half of the state's 99 counties have been declared disaster areas, and nine rivers are at or near historic flood levels.
• Pluto Gets Consolation Prize after Demotion
  Bodies like Pluto — which was demoted from being a planet — will now be called Plutoids in its honor. Plutoids are certain distant bodies too small for full planet status. That "oid" construction may be useful elsewhere.
• Obama's VP Search: Avoiding Party's Past Mistakes
  Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama is searching for a prospective vice president. Selecting and vetting a running mate has proven difficult for Democratic candidates in the past. A look at the list of possible candidates and how Obama may make his decision.
• Democrats Time Votes to Pack Partisan Punch
  Democratic congressional leaders have been working to highlight partisan differences by crafting bills that force Republicans to take unpopular stands. In the House, Democrats staged a vote on a bill extending unemployment benefits. Senate debate centered on a measure to tax oil companies.
• McCain's VP Search: Age Makes Pick More Significant
  Republican John McCain has had more time than his rival to think about potential running mates, since he clinched the GOP nomination three months ago. Because he'll be 72 on Election Day, his choice of an understudy carries some extra weight.
• 'The End of Guantanamo as We Know It'
  The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have the right to seek their release in federal court. The 5-4 decision was a stinging rebuke to President Bush's anti-terrorism policies, and reaction from law experts and Bush allies was swift.
• Yahoo Teams with Google in Web Advertising Deal
  Internet companies Yahoo and Google are teaming up in online advertising, a move that Yahoo says will increase its revenue and stockholder value. The deal comes as Microsoft reiterates that it is no longer interested in buying Yahoo.
• Bill Boosts Resources for Oil-Futures Monitoring
  New legislation proposes giving the commission that monitors the sale of oil futures more money, more manpower and more detailed information. With oil still trading well above $130, some lawmakers think the high prices aren't just about high demand; they think speculators are to blame.
• States' Party Allegiances Shifty
  With Barack Obama as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, some states that have been voting Republican are now seen as Democratic prospects. Yet states like Pennsylvania and Michigan, which have long voted Democratic, could conceivably go the other way.

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