Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Minnesota, U.S. puts financial burdens on students who want higher education
  A new, annual report on how well individual states and the U.S. provides higher education to its citizens shows Minnesota with a mostly positive record. This year's report from the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education shows that the biggest issue for Minnesota is making higher education more affordable. Cathy Wurzer spoke with Joni Finney, Vice President of the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, a non-profit, non-partisan organization.2:53 a.m.
• Jurors resume deliberations in Rodriguez trial today
  Jurors in the trial of Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. will resume deliberating at 9:00 this morning over whether he is eligible for the death penalty. The federal jury has already found Rodriguez guilty for the kidnapping resulting in the death of college student Dru Sjodin. This the first federal death penalty case in North Dakota history.3:27 a.m.
• Spanish is becoming important police tool
  The Hispanic population is on the rise across the United States. And now, some organizations are making concerted efforts to try to communicate better with Spanish-speaking communities, including local police departments.3:49 a.m.
• Survey asks what white people think about being white
  Researchers at the University of Minnesota are shedding new light on race and racial identity. In a new survey, instead of questioning people in minority groups, researchers focused on what white people think about being white. Researchers say it is the first survey of its kind. Cathy Wurzer spoke with Doug Hartman, associate professor of sociology at the U of M and a co-author of the survey's report.3:53 a.m.
• Fall fine arts preview
  Cathy Wurzer spoke with Minnesota Public Radio arts commentator Dominic Papatola about this fall's theater, dance, and concert schedule.4:24 a.m.
• Registration continues today for American Idol contestants, auditions Friday
  Singers can still go to the Target Center today to register for a chance to sing in front of Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson tomorrow. Auditions for the sixth season of American Idol has drawn people from around the region to Minneapolis. Cathy Wurzer spoke with Neal Justin, TV Critic for the Star Tribune.4:54 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Music and Mayhem in 'Laurel Canyon'
  In the late 1960s, just as San Francisco was having its own Summer of Love, a rustic canyon at the heart of Los Angeles was also in bloom with songs that defined the moment, written and performed by the bands that defined a generation.
• Bush Seeks Approval of Guantanamo Commissions
  President Bush is asking Congress to approve his rules for military commissions to try detainees accused of war crimes. He says court-martial rules are not appropriate for what he terms "illegal combatants." Some legal analysts are concerned that the president's rules leave defendants without enough rights.
• New Pentagon Interrogation Manual Limits Methods
  The Pentagon has issued a new interrogation manual on how to deal with detainees. It strictly limits how interrogators can question military prisoners, including those the Bush administration calls "unlawful combatants." Administration officials had previously said that those prisoners -- who don't wear uniforms or fight under a recognized military -- were not entitled to the Geneva Convention's protections for prisoners of war.
• Sprinter Marion Jones Cleared of Doping
  Track and field champion Marion Jones was cleared of doping charges Wednesday after results of a second drug test came back negative. The B-sample test result saved Jones from a possible career-ending suspension. The former Olympic champion's A-sample had tested positive in June for the banned oxygen-boosting substance known as EPO.
• Indian Song, Controversy Turn 100
  India's national song turns 100. The song was written as a rallying call for independence from Britain. But since its inception, the Hindu-inspired lyrics have fueled a debate about whether the song ignores India's large Muslim population.
• Bush Administration Offers Carrot to Serbia
  Serbia's president and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice sign an agreement that paves the way for U.S. military cooperation with Serbia. It's part of the Bush administration's effort to promote reforms in that country. The cooperation comes despite the fact that Serbia has yet to turn over a high-profile war-crimes suspect and is still taking a hard line in talks on Kosovo.
• New Treatments (and Old Advice) Can Aid Diabetics
  The latest treatment advances -- inhalable insulin, a drug derived from lizard saliva -- hold great promise for the 21 million Americans with diabetes. And so does the familiar doctor's order: Exercise!
• An Intern Learns That Saving Lives Isn't So Simple
  An intern thought she had made a smart diagnosis and saved a patient's life. But medicine isn't always that straightforward.
• Congress Investigates Alaska BP Pipeline Leak
  The House Energy and Commerce Committee holds a hearing on BP's corrosion problems in Alaska. A leak forced the shutdown of half the Prudhoe Bay oil field. Committee Chairman Joe Barton says evidence indicates the problem was caused by BP's poor maintenance of the pipeline.
• Some Charges Dropped Against Former AIG Executives
  New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer has decided to drop some of the charges against two former executives of the insurance company AIG. Hank Greenberg and Howard Smith, the company's former chairman and chief financial officer, are accused of misleading investors about the size of the company's reserves.

Resources

• Marketplace Tech Report®
• 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