Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Bankrupt Northwest Airlines reports profits
  Bankrupt Northwest Airlines says it made it made $101 million in profit in July, its second monthly profit in a row. Northwest's earnings report comes amidst an ongoing contract dispute between the company and its flight attendants union. The union has threatened to strike over Northwest's demands for wage and benefit cuts.6:50 a.m.
• WeatherTalk with Mark Seeley
  Cathy Wurzer spoke with University of Minnesota climatologist Mark Seeley about last week's storms, tornadoes and August's highs and lows.6:53 a.m.
• 5th District DFLers debate the details of Iraq war
  Former DFL Party Chair Mike Erlandson is touting the endorsement of one of the leading critics of the war in Iraq in an attempt to distinguish himself among the DFLers running for Minnesota's 5th Congressional District seat.7:19 a.m.
• FAA staffing under air traffic controller recommendations at MSP, 38 other major U.S. airports
  Minnesota Congressman Jim Oberstar, Ranking Democrat on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, asked for an investigation into the Federal Aviation Administration guidelines and compliance regarding air traffic controller staffing numbers. He has also warned that staffing air traffic controllers below recommended levels could affect flight safety. Cathy Wurzer spoke with U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar, D-Chisholm.7:24 a.m.
• The options for managing menopause
  More than 42 million women are going through menopause, and many of them are taking their transitions into their own hands.7:50 a.m.
• 100-year anniversary of Dan Patch's state fair record
  Saturday is Dan Patch Day at the Minnesota State Fair, celebrating the 100-year anniversary of the horse's world pacing record. MPR's Cathy Wurzer spoke with Tim Brady, author of "The Great Dan Patch and the Remarkable Mr. Savage," about Minnesota's most famous horse and his owner.8:24 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• AWOL Iraq Veteran Returns to Base
  Army Spc. Mark Wilkerson served for a year in Iraq, and was scheduled to return for another tour of duty. The Army denied his request for conscientious-objector status, so he disappeared for 18 months. On Thursday, Wilkerson returned to his base in Ford Hood, Texas, to turn himself in.
• China Attacks Communist Party Corruption
  This year China has seen an unusual number of high-level corruption inquiries. Some investigations have ended in the killing, torture or suicide of party officials. The party has kept most of these cases quiet. Now it is changing the way it investigates its members.
• Men of Steel: Three Generations of Mill Workers
  For Ken Kobus, his family's history is linked to steel. In 1906, his grandfather first punched in at the same plant Kobus himself started working at in 1966, joining his father on the job. As he says, "The mill was always in my life, even as a baby."
• Avoiding War Service a Minor Problem for Military
  The all-voluntary military handles many fewer cases of conscientious objectors today than it did during the Vietnam era, when a draft was in place. During Vietnam, as many as 50,000 Americans fled to Canada to escape the war. Current numbers are in the hundreds.
• Mortgage Rates Retreat as Housing Market Slows
  Mortgage rates are on their way back down again, just as the housing market seems to be cooling in many markets around the country. Figures out this week from Freddie Mac show the average rate on a 30-year fixed loan to be 6.4 percent, down from 6.8 percent a month ago.
• Polygamist Jeffs Won't Fight Extradition to Utah
  Polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs has waived extradition hearings and will soon be sent to Utah to face charges of rape as an accomplice. His capture had been a priority of state and federal officials trying to stem forced polygamous marriages involving underage girls.
• Report Questions Events of Beslan School Siege
  A new report on the Beslan school seizure contradicts an earlier account. More than 300 people were killed two years ago when Chechen militants seized the school. Russian officials have said that the blasts and fire began when hostage-takers set off bombs. But a report from a Russian lawmaker says security forces started the blasts when they fired grenades at the school.
• 'Lifestyle Centers' Make Shopping Fashionable
  The fast-growing suburb of South Windsor, Conn., has a problem. It has a lot of big highways and subdivisions but no "town center." So South Windsor is creating one by building a "lifestyle center," a kind of latter-day shopping center that's become very popular with architects and designers.
• Iranian Public Concerned About Economy, Not Nukes
  While international attention is focused on Iran's nuclear activities, much of the Iranian public is asking what President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is doing to improve the economy. Some are worried that international sanctions tied to Iran's nuclear program could hold back the country's economy.
• 'Not Yet Rated' Takes Viewers for a Ride
  A new documentary called This Film is Not Yet Rated takes aim at the MPAA rating system, and the mysterious workings of the anonymous ratings board. The film has been a hit at film festivals. But it's final rating should be "B" for boring.
• Lockheed Martin to Build Space Shuttle Replacement
  NASA announces it is entering into a multibillion dollar contract with a team led by Lockheed Martin to build a generation of spaceships capable of carrying astronauts to the moon. The vehicles -- described as "Apollo on steroids" -- will replace the space shuttle fleet. Lockheed had been in intense competition for the contract with a team led by Northrop Grumman and Boeing.
• Lebanese Seek Strong Government for Future
  In the wake of Israel's war with Hezbollah, Lebanon's political system is in turmoil. Hezbollah has gained popularity for its confrontation with Israel. And Prime Minister Fouad Siniora -- who's long been an advocate of democratic reform -- is on the defensive as opposition leaders call for his resignation.
• Timed Explosions Kill More than 50 in Baghdad
  Residents of Baghdad are collecting bodies and clearing the rubble after a series of closely timed explosions devastated a major bazaar. More than 50 were killed and 250 wounded. It was one of the deadliest attacks in the capital in months and it came near the end of one of the bloodiest weeks in Iraq.
• Parents the Best Judges of Movie Content for Kids
  Nell Minow, who writes the "Media Mom" movie review column for the Chicago Tribune, talks to Renee Montagne about movie ratings. She says the association that assigns ratings like PG and PG-13 for films doesn't do an adequate job. Minow says parents should judge movies for themselves.
• Both Parties See Votes in Iraq-War Issue
  The war in Iraq continues to be a hot political topic in the months before the November congressional elections. Iraq is a key issue in races throughout the country. Both Republicans and Democrats think the issue could be a winner.

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