Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Art makes a difference in North Minneapolis
  Outsiders tend to associate the north side of Minneapolis with drugs, violence and theft. But some residents are trying to change the way the neighborhood is seen--and the way it sees itself--through art.6:50 a.m.
• Despite gains, women still lag at orchestral podium
  Women have made great strides in corporate board rooms and other professions, but they lag behind at the conductor's podium. The head of the Bemidji Symphony Orchestra is hoping that will change.7:20 a.m.
• Labor Day union updates
  The Teamsters and six other major unions broke off from the AFL-CIO about a year ago to form the Change to Win coalition. They said labor should focus on organizing more workers, instead of trying to influence elections. Cathy Wurzer spoke with history professor Peter Rachleff, from Macalester College in St. Paul. Rachleff conducts focused research into U.S. labor history.7:49 a.m.
• The new Guthrie offers a restaurant with plenty of local flavor
  Lenny Russo, the chef and localism advocate who brought diners the Heartland in St. Paul, is now taking his cooking and restaurant philospohy to a larger stage: Cue and Level Five at the Guthrie. In doing so, he's also changing the way his suppliers do business.7:54 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Hezbollah Engineering Helps Rebuild Lebanon
  Jihad Construction, Hezbollah's engineering arm, was on the streets in Lebanon the day after the cease-fire with Israel went into effect. The company has dozens of paid engineers and thousands of volunteers. It worked out how many homes need to be rebuilt, who needs compensation, and it has begun repairing electricity and water lines.
• Remembering Mom, the Labor Organizer
  This Labor Day, commentator Clancy Sigal has this appreciation of his mother Jennie, a Depression-era union organizer who led her first strike at age 13. He recalls the first, but not last, time he was locked in a jail cell with her — and the many colorful characters that came in and out of her life, which was spent fighting for the rights of workers and minorities.
• Fido, Breathing Easy
  Pets in Appleton, Wis., can breathe easily now. Local fire trucks and ambulances there are now carrying oxygen masks designed especially for pets. Animal lovers put up the money to buy the masks at $49 each. They did it at the urging of a local politician, who was disturbed by a photo in the newspaper. The picture showed a firefighter giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to a cat rescued in a house fire.
• Hard Times for Jury-Duty Slacker
  A Michigan man was in the middle of jury duty when he decided he'd had enough. Brandon Dickens walked out of the courthouse during a lunch break. So a judge ordered Dickens to spend three days in the courthouse, and write an essay on jury duty. Turns out he doesn't exactly write like Charles Dickens. A court employee found much of the essay was taken from an article in the Seattle Morning News. Dickens insists he didn't copy the article — he just quoted from it.
• Peace Talks Return to Somalia
  Jonathan Ledgard, correspondent for The Economist, talks to Steve Inskeep about negotiators in Somalia resuming peace talks over the weekend.
• Somalia Faces Threat of New Refugee Crisis
  A new refugee crisis has broken out in Somalia, where the Union of Islamic Court has taken control of Mogadishu and much of the country. The UIC threatens to overthrow the U.N.-backed Somali Transitional Government, and Ethiopia says it will invade if that happens.
• San Francisco Mosque Removes Wall Between Sexes
  San Francisco's largest mosque has taken what some call a revolutionary step: removing the eight-foot wall that separates male and female worshippers. The action has caused heated debate among Muslims in the area.
• Britain Debates Military Involvement in Afghanistan
  A British plane crashed over the weekend in southern Afghanistan, killing 14 British military personnel. Britain is debating whether British troops in Afghanistan are stretched too thin. Other issues facing the British public include terrorism-related arrests in Britain over the weekend and tension in the British Muslim community.
• NATO Launches Major Offensive in Afghanistan
  A major NATO offensive in Afghanistan has led to fierce fighting. As many as 200 Taliban fighters — and four Canadian soldiers — have been killed, according to NATO. It's described as the most significant NATO offensive since it took over command of the southern region from U.S. forces at the end of July.
• From a Paper Clip to a House: Bartering on the Web
  Kyle MacDonald, 27, traded a red paper clip on the Internet for a fish-shaped pen. He kept trading for something better and eventually got a house.
• Key Leader of Al-Qaida in Iraq Has Been Captured
  The man believed to be the second in command of al-Qaida in Iraq has been captured. Hamed Farid al-Saeedi is believed to have masterminded countless attacks, including the bombing of a Shiite shrine in Samara earlier this year. Iraqi officials say the arrest is a major blow to terrorists in the country.
• Stingray Kills 'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin
  Steve Irwin, the Australian television personality known as the "Crocodile Hunter," was killed Monday by a stingray while filming an underwater documentary. He was 44.
• New Orleans Seeks Host for Mardi Gras
  Officials in New Orleans are trying to make it clear that the city's tourist areas escaped relatively unharmed from Hurricane Katrina. Steve Inskeep reports that they are looking for a sponsor for next year's Mardi Gras.
• American Productivity Rises, But Not Wages
  On this Labor Day, David Wessel, deputy Washington bureau chief of The Wall Street Journal, talks to Steve Inskeep about wages of the American worker. Wessel says that according to new government figures, American productivity is up, but very often, wages are not.
• Labor Day Kicks Off U.S. Political Season
  Labor Day is traditionally the start of the political season. And any reminder of terrorist threats or successes in the fight against terrorism buoys Republicans and may be among the factors that will play a role in upcoming primary and midterm elections.

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