Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• MnDOT chooses five finalists for 35W rebuild
  Officials with the Minnesota Department of Transportation will meet Friday with the five finalists, all of whom have worked on some of the largest projects in the nation.6:40 a.m.
• Searchers say third body believed found in wreckage
  Authorities said Thursday they had recovered the bodies of two victims from the site of the interstate bridge collapse and believed they had a third. If the third recovery is confirmed, it would bring the confirmed death toll to eight.6:45 a.m.
• Weather with Mark Seeley
  MPR's Perry Finelli talks with University of Minnesota Climatologist Mark Seeley about the latest weather news and looks ahead to the weekend forecast.6:55 a.m.
• Focus on gusset plates called 'overblown'
  The National Transportation Safety Board is downplaying the significance of gusset plates in the I-35W bridge collapse. The big steel plates hold the beams of the bridge structure together.7:20 a.m.
• Pawlenty's political future may be at stake after bridge calamity
  In the short term, political observers say the tragedy has raised Gov. Pawlenty's national visibility and shown him as a concerned and adaptable leader. But they also say Pawlenty could suffer from increased scrutiny of past decisions on highway and bridge repair.7:25 a.m.
• Rock's next generation
  For many Minnesota rock bands, it takes years to get a gig at First Avenue in Minneapolis. But for participants in the MacPhail Center for Music's summer rock camp, it took less than a week.7:55 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Borrower's Choice: Pay Now, Pay (More) Later
  The pitch to skip a mortgage or home loan payment is centered on the lender simply extending the loan by a month and paying it on the back end. But the offer has a catch. The lender makes money on the later payment because the borrower pays a little more interest.
• Iowa Straw Poll Expected to Favor Romney
  Republican candidates for president are preparing for the Iowa Straw Poll Saturday in Ames. Each voter must pay $35 to participate, making the event a solid fundraiser for the state party. Rudy Giuliani and John McCain aren't expected to attend, but Mitt Romney, who has been leading the polls in Iowa, will.
• Book Reveals Excesses, Corruption of Italian Politics
  A recent book about corruption and excess in Italian politics has become a runaway best-seller. La Casta – the Caste – How Italian Politicians Became Untouchable claims that Italian politicians are the best-paid in Europe, and have lavish perks and privileges unheard of elsewhere on the continent.
• Central Banks Flood Money Markets with Cash
  The credit market that upheld the U.S. economy is now dragging down investments. French bank BNP Paribas jolted U.S. markets when it suspended all activity in three investment funds, saying losses in U.S. subprime mortgages made it impossible to tell what their funds were worth. The Fed and other central banks flooded money markets with cash.
• Beckham Makes MLS Debut, Loses to DC United
  Soccer star David Beckham suited up to play in his first official game as a member of the Los Angeles Galaxy. His only previous appearance was in an exhibition match; an ankle injury slowed down the start of Beckham's season. But in the 72nd minute Thursday night, he stepped onto the rainy field in Washington, D.C. The Galaxy lost to DC United, 1-0.
• Iraq's Interior Ministry: Still Feared, Still Corrupt
  Iraq's Interior Ministry has become as feared today as it was under Saddam Hussein. Before the U.S. invasion, the ministry served as the pervasive, terrifying intelligence arm of Saddam's Baath Party, which kept a file on every Iraqi. Now Iraq's political parties are fighting to control the ministry.
• U.S. and Cuba Wrangle over Visas, Goods
  Things are heating up between the United States and Cuba. Dagaberto Rodriguez, who represents Havana in Washington, says the latest diplomatic squabble stems from the United States issuing only half of the 20,000 visas targeted for Cubans. U.S. officials say Cuba is blocking U.S. shipments to Havana.
• Low-Cost Airlines Stimulate Travel, Economy
  Low-cost airlines prove a great commercial benefit to travelers — and also to the economy. In addition to hiring more workers, they transform airports by forcing aviation operators and travelers to be more efficient. Charlie Isdell, director of aviation for Philadelphia, says the arrival of Southwest Airlines to Philadelphia increased passenger totals by the millions.
• Democratic Candidates Share in Gay Rights Forum
  Nearly all the Democratic candidates for president appeared in the first forum on gay rights shown live on television. Sponsored by a group called the Human Rights Campaign, it was carried on the LOGO cable channel, which caters to a gay audience.
• Global Markets Respond to Credit Squeeze
  Asian stocks fell sharply, as fallout from the growing credit crunch stretched from France's largest publicly owned bank to the largest home-mortgage lender in the U.S. Amid the decline, the Bank of Japan says it injected more than $8 billion into money markets.
• Sarkozy Upsets French With U.S. Vacation
  French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been vacationing in the United States, rattling the French by snubbing the Riviera or the Alps for New Hampshire. Sarkozy flies back to France to attend the funeral of Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger. But he will return to the United States in time to have lunch with President Bush Saturday.
• 'BET' Gets Thumbs Down Award From Journalists
  The cable TV channel Black Entertainment Television receives a "Thumbs Down" award from the National Association of Black Journalists at its annual convention. Its critics say BET has too much low-brow entertainment, portraying blacks in the worst possible way.
• Vietnam Lessons Could Shape Iraq Exit
  The question of how best to walk away from Iraq is on the minds of Americans. President Bush wants to hand more of the conflict to Iraqis; many of his opponents simply want out. Lessons learned from Vietnam might shed some light on exiting Iraq — decision-makers from back then are serving in the current administration.
• Hey, Hot Dog. Move It Along, Move It Along
  The Oscar Meyer Wienermobile got a ticket for parking illegally on Chicago's Magnificent Mile. The city called for a tow, telling the Chicago Tribune: "We have trucks that can handle a Polish sausage, not just a hot dog." But the driver got back first, to find on the giant wiener a $50 ticket — license plate reading "WEEN-R."
• Computer Thief Busted by YouTube
  A New Zealand man stole a laptop computer. Security video cameras captured it all. The images show him wandering a store, and slipping the computer in his overcoat. The video was posted on the Web site YouTube, with music from the Pink Panther. Half a million people saw it, including somebody who recognized Dawson Anthony Bliss and turned him in.

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