Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Stuck in traffic? Study bumper stickers
  It's summertime, and between rush hour congestion, road construction and gas prices, the driving's not so easy. Commentator Peter Smith suggests devoting your extra time in traffic to the study of bumper stickers.6:50 a.m.
• Battling diabetes another hurdle for Somali immigrants
  A public health campaign fights to raise awareness about diabetes among Somali immigrants.7:20 a.m.
• Minnesota National Guard troops back from Iraq
  155 soldiers from a Minnesota National Guard's 851st Vertical Engineer Company, based in Little Falls, returned to the U.S. from Iraq Monday.7:25 a.m.
• Small business owners debate candidates' economic plans
  The presidential candidates are promoting their economic plans this week. Some small business owners in Minnesota say McCain's plan is superior, but others doubt either candidate will do much to help or hurt small business.7:40 a.m.
• U of M researchers report threats to Minnesota's environment
  A report presented to the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources points out many places where Minnesota's environment is facing significant threats -- from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in the north to the streams in southern farm country.8:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Credit Crisis Shakes Confidence In Student Loans
  The federal student loan program has helped tens of millions of students pay for college. But with the economy in a downward spiral, lenders have been pulling out. Funding for new loans has dried up. For the first time, public confidence in the program seems shaky.
• McCain's First (And Only) Military Command
  John McCain is well-known for his five-and-a-half years as a POW. Less famous is the job he held after his release: commander of the Navy's largest squadron. It was the only time he ran something bigger than his Senate office or a presidential campaign.
• Iraq War Is Key Election Issue For N.M. Hispanics
  Forty percent of New Mexico's voters are Hispanic, a demographic both heavily Democratic and connected to the military. In 2004, Hispanics swung right to help President Bush win the state in a time of war. This year, Iraq remains a central issue in the swing state.
• Bansuri Master Deepak Ram Tackles Jazz
  Deepak Ram is a master of the bansuri, an Indian bamboo flute, and is known for a series of North Indian classical music albums. On his latest record, Steps, he turns to American jazz, reinterpreting classic standards on one of India's most traditional instruments.
• Hong Kong Jeweler Clings To His Golden Toilet
  You can't put a price on a dream — at least not all of it. An entrepreneur in Hong Kong says he grew up obsessed with gold. He became an apprentice goldsmith, then a wholesale jeweler. He built a house full of gold. Now that gold prices are soaring, the Wall Street Journal says he's melting it down. But no matter what the price, the man says he will keep his solid gold toilet.
• Trailer Graveyards Haunt FEMA, Neighbors
  What should be done with the nearly 100,000 travel trailers sitting idly at sites around the country, at a cost of $130 million a year to the government? Concerns over formaldehyde fumes have rendered them useless, and most could end up sold as scrap.
• Bipartisan Group Proposes New War Powers Law
  A bipartisan study group led by two former secretaries of state — James Baker and Warren Christopher — is proposing new war powers legislation. It would require the president to consult lawmakers before initiating combat lasting longer than a week, except in emergencies.
• Church Of England To Allow Female Bishops
  The Church of England's governing body has agreed to allow women to become bishops. However, members want to work out some way to accommodate those who object to the practice.
• Sleek Turbine Harnesses Wind To Power Homes
  French designer Philippe Starck has unveiled a small, sleek wind turbine aimed at eco- and fashion-conscious folks. It doesn't look like a windmill: The turbine is a polycarbonate rectangle, about 12 feet wide and 18 feet high. It can generate 20 percent to 60 percent of the energy needed for a home.
• NBC Plans Unprecedented Olympics Coverage
  NBC will broadcast the Summer Olympics in Beijing starting Aug. 8 and has announced an unprecedented amount of coverage: 3,600 hours of programming over 17 days. The 2004 Olympics in Athens got 1,200 hours of coverage.
• Why Don't We Know Why Oil Prices Are So High?
  The price of oil keeps hitting new highs, but is it the fault of oil speculators, as some in Congress claim? Or is that an oversimplification?
• Photos With Petraeus A Big Draw In Baghdad
  Every six weeks, hundreds of people in Baghdad's Green Zone line up to take a picture with Gen. David Petraeus, the head of coalition forces in Iraq. He gets thousands of requests from people who want their picture taken with him.
• Judge Responds To 465-Page Lawsuit In Rhyme
  When a lawyer in Tacoma, Wash., filed a lawsuit 465 pages long — with an eight-page title — the judge had enough. Referring to a rule requiring "short and plain" allegations, Judge Ronald Leighton issued a short and plain limerick: "Plaintiff has a great deal to say, but it seems he skipped Rule 8-a. His complaint is too long, which renders it wrong. Please rewrite and refile today."
• Calif. Lender Indymac To Cut Work Force By Half
  Steve Inskeep has this morning's business news.
• Kidney Cancer Cells Tricked Into Killing Themselves
  A new drug to fight kidney cancer exploits a gene defect in cancerous cells, tricking them into killing themselves. Kidney cancer historically hasn't responded well to treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy.

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