Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Big Stone power plant expansion gets green light
  The proposed Big Stone II coal-fired power plant cleared an important hurdle Wednesday. Two Minnesota administrative law judges gave a favorable recommendation to a power line project needed for the plant. Environmental groups oppose Big Stone II, saying it will contribute to global warming.6:50 a.m.
• Farm vehicles can be tough on rural roads and bridges
  As Minnesotans have increasingly learned over the last two weeks, a major factor in the deterioration of roads and bridges is vehicle traffic and its weight. And one class of vehicles travels most of the state without any weight restrictions: farm vehicles.6:55 a.m.
• Other states' experiences inform debate over bridge rebuild timeline
  State lawmakers weighed in on the design of the new I-35W bridge at a joint legislative hearing Wednesday. A large part of the hearing focused on the accelerated timeline of the rebuild.7:20 a.m.
• Historians ponder how to document the bridge collapse
  One part of the 35W bridge collapse story that is quietly proceeding is how to best chronicle, and remember, this event. MPR's Cathy Wurzer spoke with Matt Anderson, a curator with the Minnesota Historical Society.7:25 a.m.
• Songs from Scratch: What's this all about?
  Minnesota Public Radio has a new project that explores the creative process, and you have a chance to participate. We want to find out what happens when you ask a bunch of people to each compose a song using the same lyrics.7:50 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• It's Easy to Miss the Memo on Product Recalls
  Even with the latest buzz surrounding product recalls, it can be difficult to stay updated on what has been cleared off the shelves. One Baltimore art student missed a contact-solution recall announcement — and found out about it the hard way.
• Critics Assail Uganda Hydropower Project
  Uganda approves a new hydropower project. But critics say it will destroy cultural sites that are home to ancestral spirits — as well as wreak environmental havoc and ruin one of the best white-water rafting spots in the world.
• Floods Devastate North Korean Crops
  Floods in North Korea have killed hundreds, left thousands homeless, and wiped out a significant portion of farmland, during peak planting season.
• Surveillance Lawsuits Tricky to Prosecute
  How do you sue the government over a surveillance program when the program itself is a state secret? That thorny question has landed in the lap of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.
• 'Made in USA' Has Become a Simple Concept
  Businesses like the toymaker Little Tikes are seeking to answer this question: Which products may be labeled "Made in the USA?" Most 100 percent American-made toys have no electronic parts — blocks, rattles and the classic Slinky, for instance.
• Mortgage Loans Increasingly Difficult to Acquire
  The latest scare in the financial markets was set off by worries that the largest U.S. mortgage lender could face bankruptcy. It's getting harder for everyone to acquire home loans because lenders are seeing their own lines of credit drying up.
• Pakistan's Media Raises Its Voice
  Recent news out of Pakistan tells of a country at extremes ranging from a bloody siege at the Red Mosque to a growing democracy movement. A newly emboldened media is reporting more of it than before.
• New Orleans Home Owners Challenge Assessments
  Aug. 15 was the last day for property owners in New Orleans to contest assessments in person at City Hall. The offices were jammed and an effort to extend the deadline was rebuffed.
• Engineers in New Orleans Test Levees
  The Army Corps of Engineers in New Orleans are simulating hurricane conditions that caused levees to fail two years ago in order to test whether dozens of new pumps in two of the city's canals can hold back a storm surge.
• Hundreds Dead After Peru Earthquake
  An earthquake in Peru kills more than 300 people. The 7.9 magnitude quake struck near Ica, on the coast, and shook Peru's capital, Lima, for more than a minute. It also produced a small tsunami.
• NASA to Decide Endeavour Repair
  NASA says it will decide whether astronauts need to take a spacewalk to repair damaged tiles on the belly of the space shuttle Endeavour. Engineers will seek to decide if the gash will endanger the shuttle during the extreme heat of re-entry.
• Calif. Budget Impasse Imperils Clinics, Child Care
  In California, child care centers and health clinics may have to close if the state fails to pass a budget that is now six weeks overdue. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is pressing his fellow Republicans in the state Senate to pass it.
• Federal Cuts Prompt L.A. Hospital to Close
  The Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital in Los Angeles is being forced to close its doors after the federal government cut funding because of lapses in care. The shutdown means thousands of patients will be re-routed.
• Main South Korean Stock Index Plunges
  The main stock indexes in Japan and China closed around 2 percent lower. South Korea's benchmark index suffered its biggest decline in more than five years, falling nearly 7 percent.
• Toy Industry Moves to Ensure Product Integrity
  Mattel, the world's largest toymaker, had a reputation for a strong quality-assurance program in China. With many Christmas orders already in the pipeline, manufacturers and suppliers are scrambling to ensure the integrity of their products.

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