Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Canada looms large in U.S. health care debate
  As U.S. politicians debate what to do about the 47 million Americans without health insurance, in the background of the discussion stands another country's health care system: Canada's single payer health system.7:20 a.m.
• State park visits dip but gas prices may help rebound
  Visits to Minnesota state parks are down so far this year, but officials say that's mostly because of weather. With rising gas prices, some campers are heading to the parks in favor of trips farther away from home.7:50 a.m.
• Arts with Dominic Papatola
  The Fourth of July weather forecast looks promising, and the long weekend provides ample opportunities for grilling or golfing or... going to see some outdoor art. Morning Edition arts commentator and St. Paul Pioneer Press theater critic Dominic Papatola has some suggestions for those who want a little art to go with their fireworks.8:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Algae Overload Threatens Olympic Sailing Course
  A vast amount of stinky green algae is threatening the Olympic sailing course in China; more than 14,000 workers are rushing to remove it all before the competition starts in five weeks. Olympic officials are confident the algae will be removed, but competitors are finding training difficult.
• British Invasion: Duffy's Brand New Soul
  The young singer, part of a wave of British female pop stars finding success in the U.S., has been compared to Dusty Springfield and sparked rumors that her father is fellow Wales native Tom Jones. She talks about the tiny town where she grew up, and recording her first demos on a karaoke machine.
• Climbers Reclaim World Record On El Capitan
  After three attempts, Hans Florine and Yuji Hirayama took back their record for the fasting climbing time up the giant rock. The two had held the record for six years before two German brothers topped their time.
• FHA Aims To Curb No-Money-Down Loan Program
  The Federal Housing Administration says homebuyers who receive down payments through nonprofits are more likely to default on FHA loans than homebuyers who put up the money themselves. Supporters of the assistance program are fighting back.
• Home Prices Drop More Steeply Outside Cities
  In some parts of the country, house prices are dropping faster outside cities rather than inside them. It could be because migration to America's fastest growing areas has slowed in the past year. William Frey, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, talks about the housing markets that are cooling fastest, and why.
• Who Wrote Shakespeare's Plays? Debate Goes On
  Centuries later, doubts persist that William Shakespeare penned the works that bear his name. Skeptics include not only scholars but also famous folks, ranging from Orson Welles to Mark Twain.
• Childhood Home Of George Washington Excavated
  George Washington slept there for years — it's the Virginia house he grew up in. Archaeologists have excavated the house, or what's left of it, and they say they've found artifacts that suggest that the Washingtons started out genteel but fell on hard times.
• Most Patients Happy With German Health Care
  German health benefits are very generous, and there's usually little or no wait to get elective surgery or diagnostic tests, such as MRIs. It's one of the best health care systems in the world. It's visible in little ways that most Germans take for granted.
• Oil Prices, Global Worries Drag Down Asian Stocks
  Co-host Ari Shapiro has this morning's business news.
• June Estimate: 60,000 U.S. Jobs Lost
  The Labor Department releases employment estimates for June on Thursday. As the economy has worsened, consumers have cut back on spending, and job losses have spread through different sectors.

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