Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Business is up, funding down for homeless families' drop-in center
  St. Paul's only drop-in day shelter for homeless families faces an increase in need and a decrease in federal funds.7:20 a.m.
• The Commonweal unveils a new theater
  For 19 seasons the Commonweal Theatre in Lanesboro has performed in a small, cinder-block former movie house. Now the regional theater is opening a new, $3.5 million building, and looking to the future.7:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Got Water? Summer Heat Ignites Dehydration
  Heat-related dehydration is a big problem in summer. And if you're active — even if you're healthy — you're at risk. Thirst isn't always the best clue that it's time to take a drink.
• Mitt Romney Storms Iowa Ahead of Straw Poll
  While many presidential candidates marched in Independence Day parades in Iowa, Republican Mitt Romney walked in four. Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses may be six months away but Romney has his focus on an even earlier contest: the state's straw poll.
• Fallout from Bad '70s Idea: Auto Tires in Ocean Reef
  Divers are beginning to remove some 2 million used auto tires that were dumped into the Atlantic Ocean, off the Florida coast, in the 1970s. The move was intended to create an artificial reef to promote sea life, but the tires became an environmental blight.
• Singer Marc Broussard Remakes Soul
  Marc Broussard, a 20-something musician, creates soulful rhythm and blues like a seasoned artist. The Louisiana singer remakes classic soul songs by Al Green, Stevie Wonder, and others on his new album S.O.S.: Save Our Soul. Broussard talks with John Ydstie.
• Insurance Firms Back Effort to Storm-Proof Homes
  Two years ago, the insurance industry had its most expensive year ever. Some $83 billion in claims were received, largely because of Katrina and other hurricanes in the United States. Now the industry is sponsoring research into houses that can better withstand storm damage.
• U.K. to Scrutinize Overseas Recruiting
  The fallout of the failed bomb attacks in London and Glasgow continues with focus especially on Britain's National Health Service after five of the eight suspects were discovered to be NHS doctors. Prime Minister Gordon Brown pledged much more thorough checks on professional immigrants.
• U.K. Plot Raises Concerns Over U.S. Transition
  The timing of the attempted bomb attacks in the U.K. has renewed concerns in the United States about its vulnerability when a new president comes into office. Many top officials are fresh on the job, and key security posts may not yet be filled. The U.K. foiled bomb attacks happened soon after Prime Minister Gordon Brown took office.
• Military: Iraq Strategy Can Work, Over Years
  The strategy U.S. military commanders in Iraq are pursuing is known as "clear, hold, retain," a classic counter-insurgency technique. Most military strategists say it is a feasible plan, but it could take three to five years to see results.
• Chinese Regulators Say Goods Substandard
  Chinese regulators say nearly a fifth of the food and consumer products sold in China are substandard. China's state media said the government will step up controls on dental-care products, following the alarm over toothpaste that contains a chemical found in antifreeze. But officials stress that most Chinese products are safe.
• Driving Avoids Hassle of Holiday Travel
  A record 41 million Americans took extended trips this Fourth of July, according to AAA. And those who chose to fly (about 5 million) instead of drive were likely to experience some turbulence, given the troubles airlines have been having.
• Calif. Procures Air Supertanker to Fight Fires
  Faced with huge wildfires, California officials are using big tools to fight them, including a DC-10 jet airliner. The big plane that once carried passengers now hauls four times as much retardant as the largest air tanker. But some say flying heavily loaded jumbo jets at low altitudes is too risky.
• EU Wine Industry Must Shrink to Compete
  Europe is the world's largest producer, consumer, importer and exporter of wine. But competition from new world producers and complex regulations has created a surplus that has led to quality problems. The European Union's top farm chief unveiled a plan to save the troubled industry.
• French Winemakers Urge India, China to Drink
  Some French winemakers are turning to China and India to convince those countries to develop a taste for wine as European demand dwindles. The market for wine in India is growing by at least 30 percent a year. Of course, the populations are huge in India and China.
• Ozzy Osbourne Backs Taiwan's Plea to Join U.N.
  When it comes to rock stars using their influence on the world stage, one name comes to mind: Bono. One that probably doesn't: Ozzy Osbourne. The heavy metal singer is backing a Goth band from Taiwan that will be promoting Taiwan's quest to join the United Nations.
• Mich. Home Becomes Beehive
  In Michigan, Sarah Spitler and her husband noticed a few honey bees going in and out of a hole in their house. Given the bee shortage they decided to leave the hive alone. Now with tens of thousands of bees in the walls and an odor in their home, the Spitlers have called the exterminator. But here's the problem, once the bees are dead their waxy comb will melt and gallons of honey will leak from the walls.

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