Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Minnesota has a wine industry. Who knew?
  Drive through certain parts of eastern Minnesota this summer, and you just might feel like you're in Napa Valley. At least some businesses in the area are hoping you get that impression. Six Minnesota wineries are trying to garner attention by linking together in a wine trail.6:50 a.m.
• Hutchinson, team cruise to IP endorsement
  Winning the Independence Party endorsement for governor was no problem for public policy consultant Peter Hutchinson Saturday.7:20 a.m.
• The Guthrie: More open than ever
  The Guthrie Theater's new home on the Minneapolis riverfront welcomes the public through its doors for the first time.7:24 a.m.
• National Guard surgeon practices combat medicine in Iraq
  Col. Basil Leblanc, a surgeon with the Minnesota National Guard, recently returned from a three-month mission in Iraq. LeBlanc was responsible for medical operations at several military bases serving more than 5,000 troops. He talked with MPR's Cathy Wurzer.7:50 a.m.
• Summer school in Minneapolis: The first week
  Most students taking summer classes in Minneapolis are either preparing to pass the Minnesota Basic Skills tests, or making up credits they did not earn during the regular school year. Two teachers share their experiences with us.7:55 a.m.
• Monday Markets
  Minnesota Public Radio's Chief Economics Correspondent Chris Farrell discusses anticipated interest rate hikes and philanthropic donations.8:50 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Philadelphia Newspapers Size Up New Owners
  A Philadelphia newsroom filled with professional skeptics is trying to give new owners the benefit of the doubt. The big-business partnership that is buying the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News include the area's most influential entrepreneurs. Almost any article could generate a conflict of interest, as reporters dig up dirt on their new owners -- or their competitors.
• Breaking the News About a Cancer Diagnosis
  It's among the worst news people can imagine getting: a diagnosis of cancer. Then, before the news is fully absorbed, family, friends and colleagues must be told. Commentator Leroy Sievers describes how he broke the news about his cancer.
• Going Binocular: Susan's First Snowfall
  Susan Barry was born with crossed eyes. Shortly after her second birthday, she had a surgery to treat them. But what she didn't know until decades later was how differently she still saw the world. A type of physical therapy for the eyes has changed all of that.
• Iraq Veteran Says Harassment Prompted Desertion
  Army specialist Suzanne Swift left her Washington-state-based unit six months ago without permission. She was arrested last week at her home in Oregon. She says she deserted because of the sexual harassment she suffered during a year-long deployment to Iraq. The Army says it's investigating her claims.
• Jordan Accused of Harboring Sweatshop Factories
  An American labor group has investigated conditions in Jordanian garment factories and says that foreign workers are being enslaved in sweatshops. Under a free-trade agreement with the U.S., the factories are producing items for Target, L.L. Bean and other major American retailers.
• Speed Limit Considered for Ships Entering U.S. Ports
  The National Marine Fisheries Service is proposing a speed limit for ships entering ports along the eastern seaboard. The goal is to save right whales from being struck and killed. Shipping companies say there is no proof that slowing their vessels will help the endangered mammals.
• Palestinian Attack, Kidnapping Angers Israel
  Israel is demanding the release of a soldier captured during a raid by Palestinian gunmen Sunday at a Gaza border crossing. The attack killed two Israeli soldiers and was the first such ground assault since Israel pulled out of Gaza last summer.
• Iraq Reconciliation Plan Is Short on Details
  Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki presented a 24-point national reconciliation plan Sunday. It outlines terms under which some insurgents would be given amnesty. It also puts forward other initiatives, like a reconstruction campaign. But the specifics of the plan haven't been worked out.
• Artist Viktor Schreckengost Turns 100
  Cleveland artist Viktor Schreckengost turns 100 today. He is being honored by 100 museums across the country for his work in industrial design, pottery, dinnerware, toys, sculpture and watercolors.
• Video Games Serve Up Targeted Advertising
  A new kind of highly targeted advertising is popping up in video games. Advertisers are taking advantage of new technologies to deliver targeted ads in real time to game players. Some critics find the practice intrusive.
• Cat Rescue Goes Awry
  Ken Sinclair's cat got stuck up a tree in Portland, Ore. Now, there's an old saying that nobody ever found a cat skeleton stuck up a tree. But Sinclair didn't want to take any chances, so he climbed 30 feet up the fir tree himself. Sinclair recovered the cat, only to discover that he himself could not get down. His girlfriend finally called 911. Firefighters came with a ladder to bring man -- and cat -- back to earth.
• Billionaire Buffett Promises Fortune to Gates Foundation
  Warren Buffett is giving away the bulk of his fortune, more than $30 billion, to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Buffett is the second-richest man in America, after Bill Gates.
• The Eternal Wait for Victory
  This gives new meaning to the phrase "die-hard fan." A Midwestern casket company says it has signed a licensing agreement with Major League Baseball. Fans will now be able to attach the names and logos of their favorite teams to their caskets or funeral urns. Loyal fans of losing teams, having waited a lifetime for a World Series, can now extend the wait into eternity. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Another Cubs season already went bust.
• Iraq Troop Withdrawal Remains a Hot Topic in Washington
  The political debate over a timetable for a U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq heated up over the weekend when it was leaked that Pentagon withdrawal proposals seemed remarkably similar to Democratic proposals. Last week, Republicans attacked and voted down Democratic initiatives in the Senate on troop withdrawal.
• Beckham Goal Highlights Weekend World Cup Action
  England and Portugal will square off in the World Cup quarterfinals in Germany. Soccer broadcaster Seamus Malin talks with Steve Inskeep about David Beckham's performance over the weekend. He's the first Brit to score goals in three consecutive World Cups.

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