Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• St. Paul to decide on art funding mandate
  Public art in St. Paul could get a boost if the city council votes to mandate art funding next week.6:50 a.m.
• Survival getting tough for some organic dairy farmers
  In the Midwest, organic dairy farmers are standing by while prices plunge and survival gets tough. Last year demand grew at a rate of 20 percent, but today it's nearly flat.6:55 a.m.
• Study: Achievement gap persists in Minnesota, rest of U.S.
  A new report from the U.S. Education Department shows black students are scoring better in math and reading, but not enough to close a nationwide gap between them and white students.7:20 a.m.
• Franken has a few questions left for Sotomayor
  Minnesota's newest senator will be the last to question Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor today. Is there anything left to ask?7:25 a.m.
• Court hearing expected in missing Somali men case
  A court hearing is the latest development in the story of a group of Somali refugees, living in the Twin Cities, who returned to Somalia, and may have fought alongside a terrorist group.7:45 a.m.
• Harry Potter has impact
  The movie "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" officially opens today. It's the fifth film in the wildly popular franchise of books and films.8:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Region Reconsiders China's Economic, Military Might
  China's growing economic and military power is causing countries in the Asia-Pacific area to reconsider their own positions in the region. Australia is a key case. It's trying to find a new balance between the region's current dominant power, the United States, and the area's re-emerging power, China.
• In Venezuela, Land Redistribution Program Backfires
  Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's government has championed a policy of taking land from big landholders and giving it to the poor as a way to spur production and end dependence on food imports. But the results have fallen short, making the country more dependent on foreign food than ever before.
• A-Rod, Manny Still All-Stars To Many Fans
  Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez, who in recent months admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs, were noticeably absent from Tuesday night's All-Star game in St. Louis. Frank Deford explains that baseball fans no longer seem to care about the use of steroids.
• Israeli Group: Army Used Reckless Force In Gaza
  Israel is rejecting charges by human rights groups that its invasion of the Gaza Strip last winter included acts of excessive violence. An activist group called Breaking the Silence, recorded testimony from some Israeli soldiers who describe acts of gratuitous destruction and disregard for civilian life.
• Another Day Of Questions For Sotomayor
  Judge Sonia Sotomayor is back before the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday. Sotomayor answered questions from several members of the committee Tuesday. At issue were her previous statements about life experience and impartiality, and her handling of the New Haven firefighters case.
• Survey: 1 Resume Typo Will Rule Out Candidate
  The staffing company Accountemps surveyed 150 senior executives, and 40 percent said one typo alone was enough to rule out a job candidate. Also, a human should proofread the document. Spell check can miss errors.
• Goldman Sachs: Better-Than-Expected Earnings
  The Wall Street financial firm reported profits of nearly $3.5 billion in the second quarter. It has set aside $6.6 billion for compensation. The investment bank has paid back the government money it borrowed during the height of the financial crisis, so it's not subject to limits on pay.
• Despite Veto Threat, Senators Debate F-22 Funds
  President Obama has ratcheted up his fight with Congress over the F-22 fighter jet. The president wants to end the program, saying it should give way to building a new joint strike fighter. Some lawmakers want to build seven more F-22s for $1.75 billion. The president says he'll veto the annual defense policy bill if it includes funding for the additional jets.
• Obama May Change International Health Funding
  Public health experts from Afghanistan were on Capitol Hill Tuesday warning about the dire health problems facing women and children in that country. The Obama administration is considering refocusing international funding to address the health problems of women and children worldwide. Critics say that could mean no growth for AIDS treatment even as the epidemic increases.
• Obama: Education A Key To Economic Rebound
  President Obama was on the road most of Tuesday. In St. Louis, he threw out the first pitch for baseball's All-Star game. Earlier in the day, the president delivered a speech at Macomb Community College in Warren, Mich., calling for an infusion of money to community colleges.
• Senators Share Spotlight With Sotomayor
  The Senate Judiciary Committee spent Tuesday questioning Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor about her judicial philosophy among other things. Dana Milbank, a columnist for The Washington Post, was at the hearing, and he tells Steve Inskeep it was a great opportunity for political theater.
• Madoff Transferred To North Carolina Prison
  Disgraced financier Bernard Madoff has begun serving his 150 year prison sentence at a federal prison in North Carolina. He was transferred there Tuesday. Madoff will spend his days in a medium security facility at the Butner Federal Correctional Complex about 45 miles northwest of Raleigh.
• Intel Corp. Reveals Loss
  Intel, the world's largest manufacturer of computer chips, reported its first loss in more than two decades on Tuesday. The slight downturn came not from sales, but a huge fine levied on the corporation by the European Union.
• Why Is The Oil Market So Volatile?
  This time last year, oil prices were at an all-time high of $140-a-barrel. These days prices are much lower but policymakers are still concerned about what's going on in the oil market. Sarah Ladislaw is an energy analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC. She talks with Renee Montagne about the volatility in the oil market.
• House Bill Would Make Health Care A Right
  The on-again, off-again progress on a bill to overhaul the nation's health care system is on again. The first of five Congressional committees completed work on a bill Tuesday. Meanwhile, House Democratic leaders unveiled the first measure that includes a full financing mechanism.

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