Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Rodriguez's mother urges jury to spare son's life
  Alfonso Rodriguez Jr.'s mother was called Tuesday as a witness in federal court to help spare her son from the death penalty for the killing of University of North Dakota student Dru Sjodin.6:54 a.m.
• Ellison wins 5th District battle
  The seat has been dominated by DFLers for decades, but Ellison's Republican opponent in November says he'll question Ellison's character, a campaign theme that was used over the summer by Ellison's DFL opponents.7:20 a.m.
• Ellison moves past primary, prepares for November
  Keith Ellison is the 5th District DFL candidate. He will face Republican candidate Alan Fine, Independence Party endorsee Tammy Lee and Green Party candidate Jay Pond in November.7:24 a.m.
• Preliminaries over, gubernatorial survivors begin campaign
  Republican incumbent Tim Pawlenty, DFLer Mike Hatch and the Independence Party's Peter Hutchinson will face off in the November election, and the barbs have already started.7:47 a.m.
• Primary night suspense? Attorney general races provided it
  Minnesota Solicitor General Lori Swanson will take on Rep. Jeff Johnson. But the closest race was in the Independence Party.7:51 a.m.
• Senators in marriage-ban spotlight post primary wins
  Democrat Dean Johnson, the state Senate's Majority Leader, easily defeated a political newcomer who claimed Johnson wasn't conservative enough for his west central Minnesota district. Republican state Sen. Paul Koering also defeated a challenger who criticized the openly gay lawmaker for opposing a Senate vote on a gay marriage ban in 2005.7:55 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Filmmakers Shatter Arab Stereotypes in Hollywood
  For a couple of decades in Hollywood, Sayed Badreya played stereotypical Arab bad-guy roles: a hijacker, a Hezbollah gunman and a murderous Iraqi tank commander. But after the Sept. 11 attacks, he realized it was time to tell a story more like his own.
• Iraq, Iran Agree on Need to Police Border
  Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki concludes a two-day visit to neighboring Iran. He returns home with a pledge from Iran's leaders to crack down on militants who've been crossing into Iraq from Iran. Relations between Iran and Iraq, who fought an eight-year war in the 1980s, have steadily improved since Saddam Hussein was driven from power. Steve Inskeep talks to Time magazine reporter Azadeh Moaveni.
• War Solidifies Support for Hezbollah in Lebanon
  Hezbollah is considered a terrorist organization by the United States, Britain and Israel. But efforts to undermine the Shiite militia have been blunted by Hezbollah's strong support within Lebanon, especially since this summer's 34-day war with Israel.
• Death Penalty Off the Table at Marine's Trial
  A Marine corporal will not face the death penalty for shooting an Iraqi civilian. But he still faces several years behind bars. The decision was released during hearing at Camp Pendleton in southern California. Seven Marines and a Navy corpsman have been charged with kidnapping and murdering an Iraqi civilian.
• Senate Considers Attorney-Client Privilege
  The Senate Judiciary Committee weighed in on an issue Tuesday that's been consuming the corporate legal world. The hearing addressed whether government prosecutors may urge companies to waive attorney-client privilege in exchange for leniency.
• Companies Withhold Research on Medications and Children
  Several years ago, Congress gave drug companies an extension on drug patents if the companies agreed to test their products for use in children. The law produced a lot of research about how medications can and can't be used in children. But some companies aren't publishing the information, even though they've received patent extensions worth billions.
• Pope Tackles Sensitive Topic of Jihad
  In Munich on Tuesday, Pope Benedict addressed the controversial subject of Islam and violence. In a lecture at the University of Regensburg, where he used to teach, he touched on the concept of Holy War and Jihad.
• U.K. Is Home to Thousands of Islamic Converts
  Conversion to Islam has become a hot topic in Britain recently, not only because of a number of high-profile converts to the religion, but also because there were a number of converts among those arrested last month on accusations of plotting to blow up airliners flying to the United States.
• Time and Times Shrink Media Holdings
  Two American media companies are downsizing. Time Inc., which owns Time magazine, is selling some of its smaller publications. And The New York Times Company is putting some of its television stations on the market.
• The Joys and Perils of Whining at Work
  People who complain at work all the time can be annoying. But people who never complain at all are downright spooky. Finding a balance for your workplace complaints is one key to professional happiness. Lucy Kellaway, the workplace columnist at the Financial Times, talks with Renee Montagne about whining at work.

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