Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Count all the numbers, and the job picture looks even bleaker
  The official U.S. employment rate for July is 5.7 percent. It's also 10.3 percent, and that higher number may be a more accurate reflection of the nation's job market.6:51 a.m.
• MPR poll: Obama leads, but contest is fluid
  A new Minnesota Public Radio and University of Minnesota Humphrey Institute poll shows Democrat Barack Obama leading John McCain in the state, but the race is still very fluid.7:20 a.m.
• U of M study shows cancer hits American Indians at higher rates
  The first large-scale national study of cancer rates among American Indians and Alaska Natives shows they face highers rates of several forms of cancer than the rest of the population.7:24 a.m.
• Fried food on a stick? It's fair time.
  Over the next 12 days, 1.6 million people are expected to meander and munch their way through the Minnesota State Fair. Whether they're looking for mini-donuts, cheese curds, or the latest fried food on a stick, they'll find it at the Great Minnesota Get-Together.7:50 a.m.
• Future Tense with Jon Gordon
  The FTC announced new rules this week that will prohibit recorded sales calls, beginning in September 2009. But an exception to the new rule has drawn the ire of one advocacy group.8:20 a.m.
• State Fair features plenty of entertainment
  The Minnesota State Fair opens Thursday and runs through Labor Day in Falcon Heights. Morning Edition arts commentator and St. Paul Pioneer Press theater critic Dominic Papatola runs down some of the entertainment offerings.8:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Pakistani Envoy Sees New Phase For Terror War
  The departure of Pakistan's president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, will aid the fight against terrorism, according to Husain Haqqani, Pakistan's ambassador to the United States. "Unfortunately, there was no chemistry between Gen. Musharraf and President Karzai," Haqqani said. But NATO troops will still be kept out of Pakistan, he said.
• Poll Zeroes In On Weak Spots For McCain, Obama
  An NPR poll of likely voters in 19 battleground states finds about half consider Sen. Barack Obama too risky. Fewer see Sen. John McCain as independent, giving Obama a slight edge. Many of the states polled are traditionally red ones where the race is surprisingly tight.
• Russia-NATO Divide Widens Amid Georgia Conflict
  Officials on both sides of the conflict are still thinking in Cold War terms, experts say, even though it ended more than 20 years ago. NATO is a much different organization now, but relations with Russia are strained.
• Fannie, Freddie Shares Slumping; Indy Gets A Break
  After trading at $60 or $70 a share a year ago, mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are in the single-digit range — and slipping further. But there's some hopeful news for struggling homeowners whose mortgages are held by IndyMac Bank, which was taken over by the government.
• Quarter Of U.S. Workers Get No Paid Vacation
  The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that one-quarter of workers in the United States get no paid vacation at all. And non-union workers get more time off than union workers during their first years on the job, though the union workers start getting extra vacation after 10 or 20 years on the job.
• In N.M., McCain Questions Obama's Judgment
  Presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain campaigned Wednesday in Las Cruces, N.M. At a town hall meeting there, he criticized Barack Obama for opposing last year's troop surge in Iraq. He also answered questions from the audience about his vice president pick.
• In Va., Obama Paints McCain As 'Out Of Touch'
  Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama campaigned Wednesday in Virginia. The Illinois senator used tough words to relay his message that Republican rival John McCain is out of touch with middle-class Americans.
• Workplace Deaths Hit All-Time Low
  The latest figures from the Labor Department show a sharp decline in workplace fatalities. They're lower than at any point since the department started keeping track.
• Web Site Comparing U.S. Hospitals Expanded
  The Department of Health and Human Services has beefed up its Web site that compares hospitals, making more information available to consumers.
• Fay Swamps Florida; Governor Seeks Federal Aid
  Tropical Storm Fay has flooded hundreds of homes and caused tornadoes in parts of Florida. Gov. Charlie Crist has described the flooding as catastrophic and requested that President Bush issue a federal disaster declaration.
• Ohio Rep. Tubbs Jones Was Democrats' Rising Star
  One of Hillary Rodham Clinton's most ardent campaign supporters has died. Ohio Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones suffered a brain aneurysm while driving Tuesday in her home district of Cleveland, and was pronounced dead Wednesday. She was 58 years old.
• Banner Day For U.S. Women's Teams In Beijing
  Day 13 brings the U.S. softball team's gold-medal game and important contests for American women in soccer, volleyball and water polo. But it isn't all good news: The softball team, aiming for its fourth straight Olympic gold medal, had to settle for silver after an upset loss to Japan.
• Pressure Mounts On Russia To Pull Out Of Georgia
  The Russian military promised Thursday that all of its forces in Georgia will be withdrawn by Friday night. However, many Russian units remain deep in Georgian territory. Meanwhile, Russia's allies, the militias from South Ossetia, seem to be expanding their breakaway region.
• U.S. Runners Medal After Winners Disqualified
  Americans Shawn Crawford and Walter Dix took silver and bronze in the 200-meter dash in the Beijing Olympic Games after the second- and third-place finishers were disqualified.
• Monkey Eludes Police In Tokyo Train Station
  A cheeky little monkey made his way into a Tokyo train station Wednesday and perched on a ledge high above the morning commuters, many of whom grabbed their cell phones and snapped videos. The mischievous creature can now be seen all over the Internet. Dozens of police tried to get him to jump into nets, but the wild monkey skipped out of the station toward a nearby park.

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