Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Levees may worsen flooding problems
  A long chain of levees along the Mississippi and other rivers is contributing to the catastrophic flooding that has hit the region recently, some civil engineers say.7:20 a.m.
• Hudson business owner to host John McCain
  A Hudson company will be the site for a campaign visit Friday by Republican presidential candidate John McCain. It's billed as a town hall meeting focusing on women in business. MPR's Cathy Wurzer talked with LouAnne Reger, president and CEO of J&L Steel Erectors.7:25 a.m.
• Duluth man sets out on solo Pacific race
  This weekend, a Duluth man will set sail out into the Pacific Ocean. Eric Thomas is racing in the Singlehanded TransPacific Yacht Race, which covers more than 2000 miles between San Francisco Bay and the Hawaiian island of Kauai.7:50 a.m.
• A Bangladeshi story that resonates around the world
  A new film adaptation of Monica Ali's best-selling novel, "Brick Lane," opens in the Twin Cities this weekend. It's the story of two Bangladeshi sisters separated by an arranged marriage.7:55 a.m.
• Largest automotive art exhibit in U.S. on display in Hopkins
  This evening, vintage race cars will be on display outside the Hopkins Center for the Arts in Hopkins, Minnesota. The event is part of an art exhibit running inside the art center, an exhibit featuring automotive art. It's called "Velocity: the Art of Motion."8:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Obama's Early Brush With Financial Markets
  A little-known chapter in Sen. Barack Obama's life is the year he spent writing about financial markets for a New York City firm. The job gave him a crash course in market economics — knowledge that some say is still evident on the campaign trail.
• Oil Market Investors Selling Off, Analysts Say
  Oil prices Wednesday were up a bit from Tuesday but were still sharply down from their recent peak of about $145 dollars a barrel. Analysts say investors in the oil market are selling off in order to cash in after the recent run-up in prices, and because they think prices will fall further.
• Investment Pioneer John Templeton Dies At 95
  A man once called "arguably the greatest stock picker of the century," John Templeton, died Tuesday at his home in the Bahamas. He was 95. More than a half-century ago, he founded the global Templeton Growth Fund. But the devout Presbyterian invested as much in faith as he did in finance.
• Ventura Run Would Shake Up Minn. Senate Race
  In Minnesota, a closely watched U.S. Senate race has lately been consumed by talk of an old Playboy article, a Capitol Hill crash pad and whether a onetime professional wrestler will jump in the race. Vying for the seat are incumbent Republican Norm Coleman, Democratic funnyman Al Franken — and possibly ex-Gov. Jesse Ventura.
• Team Hunts Aging Nazi Doctor In South America
  Efraim Zuroff, the top Nazi hunter at the Simon Wiesenthal Center, and his colleagues are searching Chile and Argentina for former Nazi doctor Aribert Heim. He's on the Center's list of targets in Operation Last Chance, an effort to track down alleged war criminals from the Holocaust before they die.
• Rays, Brewers Challenge MLB's Goliaths
  Two smaller-market Major League Baseball teams, the Tampa Bay Rays and the Milwaukee Brewers, are quickly emerging as major contenders against more established teams with larger payrolls, such as the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox.
• U.S. Played Vital Role In Colombia Hostage Rescue
  The U.S. Embassy in Bogota has provided details about U.S. participation in the effort to rescue three Americans along with Ingrid Betancourt and 11 other hostages held by FARC guerrillas in Colombia. The U.S. created a 100-member team of intelligence analysts and special forces to help.
• California Checks On Farmworkers In Heat Wave
  Searing temperatures are expected this week in most of California, spelling more risk for firefighters and for people laboring in agricultural fields. This summer, at least one farmworker has died due to heat exhaustion. California officials are trying to better enforce laws requiring growers to provide adequate water and shade.
• Analysis: Bridging The Gap Between Pay, Inflation
  Wages for middle-class Americans have lagged far behind inflation for almost a decade. David Wessel, economics editor for The Wall Street Journal, talks about why wages have been so flat and what the presidential candidates want to do to help.
• U.S., India Advance Nuclear Trade Deal
  Almost three years ago, President Bush and India's prime minister reached an unprecedented agreement that promised to lift the U.S. ban on nuclear trade with India. Last year, the deal stalled due to conflicts in the Indian government. Now, India appears to be moving forward with it.
• G-8 Nations Clash On How Much To Cut Emissions
  On the final day of the G-8 summit in Japan, leaders of eight developed and eight developing nations issued a joint statement. In it, they pledged to combat climate change and advance U.N. negotiations on global warming. However, it failed to convince those attending from emerging economies that the rich nations are doing enough.
• SEC Exposes Credit Rating Agencies' Shortcomings
  The Securities and Exchange Commission investigation of credit rating agencies has uncovered numerous problems. It's the first time the SEC had the regulatory power to review the performance of the nation's largest credit rating firms, including Moody's and Standard and Poor's.
• Italy's Berlusconi Urges Immunity For Top Officials
  In Italy on Tuesday, opposition parties protested Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's efforts to pass legislation that would grant immunity from prosecution to the country's top four officials. That includes Berlusconi, who is being tried on corruption charges and is under investigation for bribery.
• A Run-In With An Australian Desert Lizard
  "Wild Sounds" is an occasional series of short stories that take you to remote parts of the planet to hear the sounds of rare animals. Wildlife recordist David Stewart introduces the "goanna" lizard that is native to the Australian desert.
• Car Ads Across Time Tout Reliability, Affordability
  It hasn't been lost on automakers that Americans are looking for cars that are reliable and affordable. In fact, car companies have been marketing their vehicles that way for decades, starting as far back as when Henry Ford's Model T hit the scene.

Resources

• Future Tense®
• Marketplace Morning Report®
• Mark Seeley's WeatherTalk

Services

• Hourly Newscast
• HD Radio
• iPhone App / Mobile
• E-mail newsletters
• RSS feeds
• Podcasts
• Submit your photos
• Videos
• Weather
• Most e-mailed stories

Become a Sponsor