Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• It's a shoe...It's a tank...It's art!
  Among the attractions that visitors can check out at the Minnesota State Fair are all of the items that have been judged; everything from livestock to pickles to quilts and dolls. One of the most competitive categories is fine art. MPR's Cathy Wurzer took a tour of the exhibit.6:54 a.m.
• Legal limbo leaves uncertainties over strike strategy
  A judge has barred the Northwest Airlines flight attendants' union from calling the sporadic work actions it has said it planned to conduct, citing the potential of irreparable harm to the bankrupt airline. But there's little agreement over how much harm the so-called "CHAOS" strikes could cause.7:24 a.m.
• The war of words over DM&E
  A highly organized war of words is erupting over Rochester. It's over a requested federal loan of $2.3 billion loan to the D M and E railroad. The railroad wants to expand and upgrade its line from Wyoming's Powder River Basin to the Mississippi. Supporters and detractors are using whatever methods they can to try to build public support for their side.7:55 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• U.S. Pollution Law Targets Canadian Smelter
  An Indian tribe in Washington state has successfully sued a company whose smelter in Canada is fouling the Columbia River in the United States. The court says the U.S. Superfund law applies to foreign polluters, if the pollution affects U.S. territory. The ruling is being appealed.
• Crop Cops Take to the Sky
  The USDA's National Agriculture Imagery Program is creating a computerized map of U.S. farmland using aerial photography to improve farming subsidy oversight and to better prevent instances of fraud.
• The Rise and Fall of the Chilean Sea Bass
  Bruce Knecht's book Hooked: Pirates, Poaching, and the Perfect Fish is the story of the Chilean Sea Bass. It's an ugly, oily fish that became a favorite dining option in upscale restaurants, until it was nearly fished out.
• Missouri Voter ID Law Faces Legal Challenges
  Missouri's new voter identification law is now in effect. It requires citizens to show a state-issued photo ID before voting. The law faces legal challenges. A Federal judge in Georgia threw out a similar law, while a judge in Indiana upheld one.
• '24' Takes Center Stage at the Emmy Awards
  The Fox drama 24 was the big winner at this year's Emmy Awards. It took five seasons for 24 to be rewarded in the major Emmy categories. The show also collected an Emmy for best directing.
• U.N.'s Annan Visits Beirut to Support Cease-Fire
  U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan visits Beirut in an effort to shore up the cease-fire between Lebanon's Hezbollah militia and Israel. It's Annan's first visit since the 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah officially ended.
• Jet Used Wrong Runway in Kentucky Crash
  Investigators are trying to understand how a Comair plane that crashed Sunday in Kentucky ended up taking off on a runway that was too short for the plane. The crash in Lexington killed 49 people. The only survivor is the co-pilot, who is in critical condition.
• Phone-Throwing Contest in Finland
  Bet you've wanted to do it at least once. Say, after a frustrating talk with an annoying service representative, just throw your cell phone as far as you can. The urge is sufficiently widespread to have given rise to a Mobile Phone Throwing World Championship. Now in its seventh year, it was held over the weekend in Finland, with a hundred contestants from around the world. This year's winner was a Finn who threw a late model Nokia nearly 300 feet.
• Utah Superfund Site Ready for Development
  A Superfund site in Midvale, Utah, is being cleared for development. The area had been off limits since 1991 because of pollutants in the ground left from years of mining activity.
• Prize-Winning Watermelon Weighs 252 Pounds
  The winner in this year's Louisiana Watermelon-Growing Contest weighed in at 252 pounds. Donnie and Rusty Strunk, a father and son team, broke the state record by more than 50 pounds. The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry measured the winner at 3 feet long and 5 feet around. The secret? One melon per vine, and rotate daily. As Mr. Strunk put it: "We babied this thing for 147 days."
• President Visits New Orleans for Katrina Anniversary
  President Bush visits New Orleans to mark the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Politics also surround another disaster anniversary, five years since the Sept. 11 attacks.
• U.S. Open Set to Bid Farewell to Agassi, Navratilova
  The U.S. Open tennis tournament begins in New York City at the National Tennis Center. It will be the farewell tournament for tennis stars Andre Agassi and Martina Navratilova.
• Israeli Businesses Work to Recover Lost Income
  Two weeks after the cease-fire with Hezbollah, life for Israelis in the country's north is returning to normal. Many businesses that depend on tourism lost income because of the fighting. But some are still hoping to make a little money before the summer season ends.
• Fargo Family Determined to Make it in New Orleans
  Mark Folse and Rebecca Noack moved to New Orleans from Fargo, N.D., after Hurricane Katrina -- uprooting their family but determined to make a difference in reviving Folse's native city.
• Guatemala Police Archive Yields Clues to 'Dirty War'
  Human-rights researchers are sifting through tens of millions of documents, searching for evidence of the Guatemalan police's role in murders and disappearances during the country's "dirty war" in the 1970s and 1980s.

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