Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Accretive agrees to $2.5M fine; company to withdraw from Minn.
  Fairview Health Service's former bill collector, Accretive Health, has agreed to pay a $2.5 million fine and leave the state to settle a federal lawsuit brought by Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson.6:50 a.m.
• Best Buy founder faces big hurdles in a takeover
  It appears Best Buy founder Richard Schulze is continuing his effort to buy back that company. MPR's Cathy Wurzer spoke with financial analyst R.J. Hottovy, who follows Best Buy for Morningstar.7:20 a.m.
• Garden program grows at state prisons
  A new new law turns Minnesota prisoners into gardeners. Inmates will grow fruits and vegetables, and donate what they don't eat to local food shelves. The gardens will be modeled after one that already exists at the Red Wing correctional facility.7:25 a.m.
• Anti-bullying task force member answers questions about recommendations
  A task force charged with examining the state's policy on bullying has finished its work. MPR's Cathy Wurzer spoke with task force co-chair Walter Roberts, who's also a professor of counseling at Minnesota State in Mankato.8:25 a.m.
• Mixed results for Minnesota athletes at the Olympics so far
  MPR's Cathy Wurzer spoke with Rachel Blount of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, who's covering the London Olympics with a particular emphasis on Minnesota athletes.8:45 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Presidential Race Zeroes In On Nevada
  Nevada has just six electoral votes, but it's much fought over in presidential elections. In 2008, it gave an unexpectedly big boost to Democratic candidate Barack Obama. This year the contest is shaping up to be much closer as Nevada copes with both the worst unemployment in the nation and one of the country's highest home foreclosure rates.
• NRA Targets One Of Its Own In Tenn. Race
  On Thursday, voters in Tennessee will decide on a series of ballot issues, including an unusual one that's garnering a lot of attention. The National Rifle Association has turned against one of its biggest supporters and is actively trying to get the Republican booted from office.
• Franklin's Backstroke Wins Her First Olympic Gold
  American swimmer Missy Franklin is back in the Olympic pool in London Tuesday for her third race in two days. The 17-year-old from Colorado is being cast as America's next great swimming star. She fit the bill Monday with her first gold medal, in the 100-meter backstroke.
• American Men Swimming Upstream In Medal Race
  The latest results and what's coming up at the Olympic swimming pool in London — including another shot at Olympic history for American Michael Phelps, and a missed medal for his teammate Ryan Lochte.
• 'Olimpicamente': In Praise Of Feistiness And Big Feet
  Poet Monica de la Torre takes inspiration from Mexican taekwondo champion Maria del Rosario Espinoza. "I am dumbfounded and positively moved by Maria del Rosario's improbable story," the poet says.
• N.J. Mom Puts Kids To Bed With Math
  The U.S. ranks 25th out of 34 countries when it comes to kids' math proficiency. One New Jersey parent wants to change that by overhauling the culture of math. An astrophysics graduate and mother of three kids, she started a ritual when each child was 2 years old: a little bedtime mathematical problem-solving that soon became a beloved routine. Parent friends began to bug her to send them kid-friendly math problems, too. Now Bedtime Math is gaining fans among children and math-shy parents around the country.
• Punk Band's Case Tests Putin's Tolerance For Dissent
  Three women charged with blasphemy went on trial Monday in Russia in a case that's being seen as a major test of President Vladimir Putin's tolerance for dissent. The women are members of the band Pussy Riot. They were arrested after staging a punk rock protest at the altar of a Moscow cathedral.
• Italy Worries Sicily's Woes Could Have Ripple Effect
  The eurozone crisis has led to sharp spending cuts and, with an economy based on public sector wages, Sicily is being called Italy's Greece. The central government fears Sicily's debt of more than $6 billion could further endanger Italy's financial stability.
• Profits Slide For UBS, Deutsche Bank
  Swiss bank UBS reported a 58 percent decline in profit for its second quarter. Some of the losses are tied to Europe's debt crisis, as well as the botched Facebook IPO. Also Tuesday, Germany's Deutsche Bank said its second-quarter earnings slid 63 percent.
• Is Housing Recovery Real? Not Everyone Is Convinced
  Homebuilding is at its highest level in nearly four years. More homes are selling, and at higher prices. But skeptics say factors, including the struggling economy and a lurking inventory of foreclosed and delinquent homes, will push prices down further.

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