Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Weekend rain assists ground crews fight Boundary Waters fire
  About 30 percent of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area wildfire is under control now, after receiving more than a quarter of an inch of rain yesterday. Around Sea Gull Lake the rain let ground crews work right on the fire line. Cathy Wurzer spoke with Jeff Edmonds, Fire Information Center for the Minnesota Interagency Fire Center.7:20 a.m.
• Poor spring wheat harvest may mean higher bread and cereal prices
  The harvest of winter wheat is just finishing up and combines will move over to the spring wheat harvest this week or early next. Farmers expect $5 per bushel this year. That's up $1.50 over last year. Consumers are seeing an increase in the grocery store but the reason for that might surprise you.7:24 a.m.
• U. S. tax dollars help bid for democracy in Burma
  A Minneapolis man spent part of his summer helping pro-democracy activists who oppose the brutal military regime in Burma. His trip was paid for, in part, by the U.S. government.7:40 a.m.
• Minnesota's highways will bear extra large load
  A giant truck will be rolling through Minnesota tomorrow. It is in Wisconsin right now, and it is heading for an ethanol plant in Richardton, ND. The truck, carrying an industrial dryer, has 94 wheels and gets 2 miles to the gallon. It weighs nearly 230 tons, almost 200 tons heavier than most semi-trucks. Cathy Wurzer spoke with Shelley Latham, a dispatcher with Perkins Specialized Transportation Contracting.7:44 a.m.
• Twins play for wildcard, Vikings begin camp, Lynx loose coach
  The Minnesota Twins begin a three-game series tonight against the White Sox in Chicago. If the Twins win all three games, they will be tied with Chicago, the team that is currently leading the race for the wild card spot in the playoffs. The Vikings are getting ready for training camp in Mankato and Minnesota Lynx head coach Suzie McConnell Serio resigned with 11 games left in the season. Cathy Wurzer spoke with Morning Edition sports commentator Steve Rudolph.8:24 a.m.
• Rising intrest rates lead to increase in foreclosures
  Foreclosures in Hennepin County are up 71 percent over the last year. The Hennepin County Sheriff's office used data from June 2005 to June 2006 to measure the jump. Cathy Wurzer spoke with Deputy John Villerius, who conducts foreclosure sales for Hennepin County.8:55 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Dictation Software Improves Usability, Accuracy
  New dictation software hits the market this week that, for the first time, allows users to dictate directly to a computer right out of the box. Previous versions of Dragon NaturallySpeaking required training the computer to recognize a particular user's voice.
• Tiny Cars Finding New Homes in the U.S.
  With gas at around $3 per gallon, it would seem a good time for automakers to step up their marketing of small cars. Honda, Nissan, GM and Toyota are introducing new fuel efficient, sub-compacts to the U.S. market. The cars are finding some unexpected buyers.
• Lebanon Fighting Drives Humanitarian Crisis
  Israel's bombing campaign has displaced more than 600,000 Lebanese -- a humanitarian disaster, says the United Nations. Aid agencies are concerned about getting help to people who can't evacuate from dangerous areas.
• Reed Primary Loss Analyzed for National Implications
  Conservative activist Ralph Reed lost his bid in last week's Republican primary to become Georgia's next Lt. Gov. He had been favored to win. But ties to fallen lobbyist Jack Abramoff tainted his candidacy. Some see Reed's fate as a sign of things to come this November.
• An Act of Faith
  Commentator Leroy Sievers talks about something that takes up a big part of any cancer patient's life: waiting for test results. After months of unpleasant chemotherapy, it all comes down to a single day of testing.
• United Nations Seeking Annan's Successor
  With Kofi Annan's term due to expire at year's end, the U.N. Security Council is starting the search for a new secretary general. Asian nations insist it's time for someone from their region to hold the post.
• Woods Wins and Weeps at the British Open
  An emotional Tiger Woods won the British Open tournament at Royal Liverpool Golf Club on Sunday -- his first victory since his father died from cancer in May, and his 11th major title. The win came after Woods missed the cut at the U.S. Open in June.
• Lebanese Civilians Caught in Israeli Attacks
  Residents of southern Lebanon have been warned to evacuate. But many are getting caught by attacks by Israeli warplanes. The civilian death toll has climbed to more than 350.
• Fierce Israel-Hezbollah Fighting Grips Border
  Hezbollah continues to fire large numbers of rockets into northern Israel, while the Israeli military continues its air and artillery strikes on Lebanon. Israeli incursions into south Lebanon have encountered heavier-than-expected resistance from well-organized Hezbollah guerrillas.
• Rice Launches Mideast Mission with Lebanon Stop
  U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrives in Beirut to begin a diplomatic mission to the Middle East. Her unannounced stop in Lebanon is intended to show support for the country's beleaguered government. Rice will work to end hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.
• Making Reservations for Soccer's Final Stop
  Some soccer fans follow a team their entire life. Now they'll be able to do it in the afterlife as well. A German soccer club plans to open a cemetery just a few feet from its stadium's main entrance. It'll be in the shape of a small stadium and open to 500 diehard fans willing to pay $10,000 a grave. Some churches in the area object. But the Hamburg Football Club is already getting reservations
• Do Not Speak of the Dollar
  The ruble has been so unstable that many Russians prefer dollars. But not the Russian parliament. It's adopting a law that would fine government ministers when they substitute "dollar" instead of "ruble" Which prompted the defense minister to come up with a new currency. Speaking about a new contract to sell fighter aircraft, he said the deal has "a value of more than one billion ... of that thing that you are not allowed to say anymore."
• U.S. Takes the Stage in Middle East
  News Analyst Cokie Roberts talks with Renee Montagne about the Bush administration's diplomatic moves around the conflict in the Middle East. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is in the region to work for a halt to violence. The administration is looking at the idea of an international force to secure calm along the Israel-Lebanon border.
• Soccer Teams Demoted in Italian Match-Fixing Scandal
  A judge has ruled against teams involved in an Italian soccer-fixing scandal, sending top soccer clubs like Juventus to the sport's minor leagues. Some are worried that the sentences were too tough on the teams, and not harsh enough on the individuals involved.
• Congress Looks at Creating Judicial Watchdog
  Some members of Congress want to create a position of "inspector general" to oversee the federal judiciary. The inspector general would watch for conflicts of interest, or abuses of power. But critics of the plan say the result could be to punish judges for unpopular rulings.

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