Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Home from Iraq, some National Guard members will face mental health hurdles
  A growing number of mental health care providers say they're ready to help returning Minnesota Guard soldiers.7:20 a.m.
• Fireworks always getting fancier
  July 4 fireworks displays will be held all over the state of Minnesota, and they seem to get more elaborate every year.7:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Small Midwest Town Copes With Immigration
  Tiny Beardstown, Ill.,has seen an influx of immigrants in the past decade. A pork processing plant first attracted immigrants to the town. Town officials estimate that Hispanics, there both legally and illegally, make up a third of the 6,000 residents.
• Hamas Moves to Restore Order in Gaza
  In the Gaza Strip there are no functioning courts and most of the Fatah-backed police force refuses to return to work. But Hamas, now the territory's sole power, has moved quickly to try to restore internal law and order after removing its rival faction just over two weeks ago.
• Pakistan Monsoons Kill 200, Flood Roads
  Pakistan's monsoon season has just begun, but severe rains and heavy flooding have already claimed more than 200 lives. Southwestern Baluchistan province was hit hardest; water inundated roads and swept away bridges and railway lines.
• The Roberts Court and the Role of Precedent
  With new Chief Justice John Roberts at the helm of the U.S. Supreme Court and Justice Samuel Alito replacing Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, the direction of the court has changed. Both promised to honor precedent — but in their first full term together they reversed a number of key precedents.
• Wilson Lambastes White House on Libby Case
  Former Ambassador Joseph Wilson says President Bush short-circuited the justice system and circumvented the rule of law when he commuted the prison sentence of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby. Wilson is the husband of Valerie Plame, the CIA operative whose identity was leaked.
• West African Climate Change Bests Nomads
  A dramatic change in the climate of west Africa over the past 40 years has forced many nomads to settle down in villages. One consequence is people who once lived entirely off the land now depend on foreign aid and charity for their existence. The question is whether they'll ever be able to become independent.
• Eight in Custody in Thwarted U.K. Terrorist Plots
  A bomb disposal team carried out a controlled explosion on a vehicle in Scotland, a day after at least three physicians were identified as suspects in a series of failed car bomb attacks. Kim Sengupta, a reporter for The Independent newspaper in London, talks about developments with John Ydstie.
• Bush: Jail Term for Libby Was 'Excessive'
  President Bush commuted the prison sentence of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, calling it "excessive." President Bush made the statement just five hours after a federal appeals panel ruled that Libby could not delay his 2 1/2-year term. But the president left in tact a $250,000 fine and two years probation.
• Sudan Ambassador Often Shunned
  The man who represents Sudan in Washington says that he is misunderstood — and so is his country. John Ukec seems to be having a hard time getting heard. President Bush has not met with him, and the media has blasted him as a propagandist.
• New York Real Estate Prices at New Heights
  A small office building in midtown Manhattan sold for $510 million. At $1,600 a square foot, brokers say that's the highest price ever paid for office space in the United States. The latest reports from big real estate brokers show that the average Manhattan condo sold for around $1.3 million in the past three months.
• No Takers for Trump Casinos
  Donald Trump has tried and failed to find a buyer for the casino company bearing his name. Trump Entertainment Resorts says it has ended talks with potential buyers. The announcement sent Trump's share price down sharply.
• Opera Diva Beverly Sills Dies at 78
  Beverly Sills, world-renowned opera singer, died from lung cancer at the age of 78. With a silvery voice that soared high, and an irrepressible personality, Sills became an opera superstar.
• Internet Becomes Boon to Presidential Candidates
  Presidential candidates find exposure,, and fundraising opportunities, on the Internet. In the first quarter, candidates collectively spent almost $2 million on Internet sites and fundraising. Henry Copeland, founder of Blogads.com, discusses the central role of the Internet in the campaign with John Ydstie.
• Beer Industry Calls For Kegs
  Apparently many wily beer drinkers are returning the kegs to scrap metal dealers instead of the liquor store. Rising metal prices mean a keg can fetch as much as $50 as scrap. That's a lot more than most beer vendors require in deposit for the kegs. The Beer Institute estimates the disappearing kegs cost the industry $50 million a year.
• President Bush Commutes Libby's Sentence
  President Bush commuted the 2-1/2-year prison sentence of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, a former White House aide. Libby was convicted in March of lying and obstructing justice in an investigation into the 2003 leak of a CIA operative's name. He still faces a $250,000 fine and two years probation.

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