Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Suspect fatally wounded in Little Falls standoff
  The Morrison County Government Center in Little Falls is expected to reopen today after a frightening incident yesterday. A man was shot and killed after taking hostages during a county commission meeting.7:20 a.m.
• Gas prices hit truckers hard
  Gas prices have been getting a good deal of attention in the U.S. Congress, where House Democrats Tuesday failed to resurrect a bill to punish price gouging at the gas pump. Meanwhile, they maneuvered to block Republican attempts to expand offshore drilling. The high prices are particularly hard on truck drivers. John Hausladen is the president of the Minnesota Trucking Association.7:25 a.m.
• Native Americans confront problem of poor water quality
  Native Americans have had to alter traditional ceremonies that involve the drinking of lake and river water.7:50 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Imagining the Pentagon Under a New President
  The next president will be the first in 40 years to inherit the Pentagon during wartime. While the two candidates' foreign policy advisers both advocate greater accountability at the Pentagon, they disagree on how to handle Iraq.
• Internet Helps Liberate, Create Music in China
  For many Chinese, the Web isn't merely a tool to help circumvent political censorship. Some Chinese musicians are exploiting online tools and sites to create new economic models for the music business.
• Ultra-Rich Collectors Help Keep Art Market Afloat
  An $80 million auction sale of a work by Claude Monet illustrates that while most ordinary people are cutting out non-essential spending, wealthy art collectors aren't. The weak dollar is one reason why a very small group of ultra-rich buyers is keeping the high-end art market alive.
• Foreclosure Rescue Bill Passes Key Senate Test
  Congress is close to sending the president a sweeping measure to help homeowners avoid foreclosure. Under the bill, the Federal Housing Administration would provide loan guarantees for people seeking to refinance their mortgages. The Senate may pass the bill as early as Wednesday. President Bush has threatened a veto.
• Nonprofits Look For New Ways To Shape Campaign
  No outside organization has thrown a roundhouse punch this election season like the one Swift Boat Veterans for Truth delivered four years ago. But they're quietly mobilizing, using small staffs and new technologies to stoke the public's attention.
• A Nod to Arranged Marriage This Wedding Season
  Wedding season is in full swing, and while some soon-to-be spouses are choosing caterers, some families are choosing their children's spouses. Commentator Sandip Roy is the product of an arranged marriage. His parents saw each other for the first time at their wedding — and were happily married for 40 years.
• Amtrak Ridership Swells in Rural and Urban Areas
  As gas prices soar, so does ridership on Amtrak. The long-struggling passenger railroad had its biggest May ever, with a 12 percent spike in travelers. While the railroad is seeing heavy jumps in populated areas, travelers in rural parts of the country are also getting on board.
• Midwest Levees Reportedly Working as Planned
  The city of New Orleans flooded after Hurricane Katrina, in part because some of the levees protecting the city failed. In recent weeks, there have been reports about levees breaking in Iowa and Missouri. But initial reports are that most of those levees performed as they were supposed to.
• Governors Resist as Guard Readies to Leave Border
  Two years ago, thousands of National Guard troops went to the southwest U.S. border with Mexico to secure it from illegal entry. That temporary assignment ends in July. It's been hailed as a success. The Border Patrol says it now has the numbers to take over, but border state governors say they want the troops to remain.
• States Sue Countrywide for Deceptive Loans
  Struggling mortgage lender Countrywide is facing two new lawsuits — one from Illinois and the other from its home state of California. The suits were filed Wednesday, just as Countrywide shareholders prepared to vote on whether to approve the sale of their company to Bank of America.

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