Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• I-35W bridge collapse could produce U of M traffic headaches
  The I-35W bridge collapse means U of M students, staff and other commuters could face traffic bottle-necks when fall classes resume Sept. 4.7:20 a.m.
• SE Minnesota banks deal with unique flood problems
  Some people in southeastern Minnesota are turning to their banks for loans or mortgage deferments after recent flash floods. Banks, however, have been dealing with their own damage.7:50 a.m.
• Labor Day weekend a time for cultural outings
  Labor Day represents a last blast of summer. While the long weekend might not seem like a time for a cultural outing, Morning Edition arts commentator and St. Paul Pioneer Press theater critic Dominic Papatola says this could be a good weekend to hit your favorite theater or museum.8:25 a.m.
• Vikings explain why land deal fell through
  The Minnesota Vikings' $45 million deal to buy land from the Star Tribune has fallen through, and the team's vice president explains why.8:40 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Hollywood Scouts Authentic Spanish Accents
  A new TV drama starting next month follows a Florida sugar-cane dynasty of Cuban-Americans. The cast of Cane went through extensive coaching to make sure their accents sounded Cuban, not Puerto Rican or Colombian — because audiences increasingly know the difference.
• Cheesemakers Taste a Change in the Weather
  Alpine cheese is as distinct as the milk it is made from – milk that tastes of the grasses and flowers eaten by alpine cows. But as the weather changes, some makers of alpine cheese worry that they won't be able to continue producing traditional cheeses.
• N. Korea, U.S. to Discuss Normalizing Relations
  U.S. and North Korean negotiators are to meet this weekend in Geneva to talk about normalizing ties. Now that North Korea has shut down a key nuclear facility, the United States says it will keep its end of the bargain and discuss ways to improve relations with the communist nation.
• Taliban Releases Remaining South Korean Hostages
  The hostage crisis in Afghanistan has come to an end. Seven South Koreans held by the Taliban were freed after six weeks. The drama is over after the deaths of two of the captives.
• Air Traffic Control System Gets Overhaul
  The federal government awards $1 billion contract to begin modernizing the nation's air traffic control system. The contract is a long awaited first step towards relieving growing congestion in the skies. This summer has been the worst on record for flight delays.
• Letters: Hurricane Katrina, Bloomberg, Power Plant
  Too many Hurricane Katrina stories overlook Mississippi. New York City Mayor Bloomberg's ideas to end poverty are overshadowed by questions about running for president. All power plants that run from thermal processes — including coal, oil and natural gas — require cooling.
• Vatican Airline Officials Seize Holy Water
  Pilgrims boarding the Vatican's new airline for a flight from Lourdes, France were pretty upset when they discovered they couldn't take their water onboard — their holy water. Many had waited hours to collect the water from the Grotto there, legendary for its curative powers. Officials cited anti-terrorism rules. Still, this is the Vatican's airline. Passengers found small bottles of holy water waiting on their seats.
• Colorado School Bans Tag Game
  Schools are finding more ways to protect your kids. Some schools limit the sodas kids may buy. Other schools say dodge ball is too dangerous. Now the Discovery Canyon Campus School in Colorado Springs, Colo., is banning tag. Officials say the game can lead to harassment.
• Report: President Musharraf Yields as Army Head
  After insisting he would not surrender his role as chief of the Army, reports are that President Gen. Pervez Musharraf has agreed to do just that. The agreement was worked out in secret negotiations with former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. It would restore civilian rule to the country.
• California's Levees Threatened by Vegetation
  Since Hurricane Katrina, California has spent millions of dollars repairing levees. But the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says there's another problem: vegetation. Army Corps policy bans shrubs and trees along levees. California faces the loss of federal funds for levees if it doesn't comply.
• Virginia Tech Report Faults School in Mass Murder
  A final report on last spring's mass shooting at Virginia Tech says the school's officials might have saved lives had they paid closer attention to the concerns raised about shooter Seung-Hui Cho, whose writings and classroom demeanor were disturbing.
• Nielsen Ratings System Includes Spanish TV
  Nielsen Media Research dispenses with a separate ratings system measuring the size of audiences for Spanish-language TV. That programming is now measured alongside the English-language programming of major networks and cable, enabling advertisers to compare the audiences.
• Retailers Try Marketing Schemes to Lift Spending
  Some 4,000 gas stations have started showing satellite TV on 20-inch screens at the pump in hopes that gas buyers will stick around the station, and buy more stuff. And Kentucky Fried Chicken just piloted its first "scent-focused" campaign.
• Asian, European Stocks Rebound
  Asian and European stocks following a rally in the U.S. financial markets. Wall Street's rally recouped previous sharp losses. The improvement was partly because investors were hunting for bargains.
• New Orleans Lowers Juvenile Crime
  Following Hurricane Katrina some in New Orleans saw the chance to reform the city's troubled juvenile justice system. It created a house arrest program, youth advocates, and mental health liaisons to meet the needs of children.

Resources

• Future Tense®
• Marketplace Morning Report®
• Mark Seeley's WeatherTalk

Services

• Hourly Newscast
• HD Radio
• iPhone App / Mobile
• E-mail newsletters
• RSS feeds
• Podcasts
• Submit your photos
• Videos
• Weather
• Most e-mailed stories

Become a Sponsor