Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Xcel neighbors buoyed by convention news
  Some local businesses in the shadow of the Xcel Energy Center's are seeing dollar signs in their futures.7:20 a.m.
• Convention planner shares lessons from '88
  Georgia Democratic Party Chairman Bobby Kahn spoke with Cathy Wurzer about his experiences organizing the 1988 Democratic convention in Atlanta.7:23 a.m.
• Poll shows slight shift in gay marriage opinions
  A new Minnesota Public Radio/St. Paul Pioneer Press poll shows a majority of Minnesotans are still opposed to legalizing gay marriage, but the opposition appears to be softening.7:46 a.m.
• Wisconsin marriage vote splits state
  Polls indicate the fate of Wisconsin's proposed ban on same-sex marriage rests upon voters' interpretation of the bill. MPR's Cathy Wurzer discussed the issue with JR Ross, editor of the political news service WisPolitics.7:48 a.m.
• Ballot question would set aside money for roads and transit
  Minnesota voters will be asked whether the state Constitution should be amended to require that all of the sales taxes collected on motor vehicles be spent on roads, bridges and transit.7:53 a.m.
• Arts critic turns eye on own profession
  The fall arts season brings a flurry of arts reviews. MPR's Cathy Wurzer talked with Morning Edition arts commentator Dominic Papatola about the role critics play in art patrons' decisions.8:24 a.m.
• Harvest looks healthy despite summer drought
  Minnesota farmers are reaping an average harvest despite a scorching summer. MPR's Cathy Wurzer discussed this fall's harvest with Doug Holen of the University of Minnesota Extension Service.8:35 a.m.
• Gubernatorial candidates play it safe in debate
  Moderators pressed the group to offer specific proposals for future road funding, education reform and the environment. But Mike Hatch and Tim Pawlenty mostly demurred.8:51 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Coffee: A Little Really Does Go a Long Way
  For people who love coffee, it's more than just a drink. The morning cup is part ritual, part pick-me-up. But what most people don't know is that a small amount of caffeine can give many people the lift they want, without producing jitters.
• Rice to Sudan: Cooperation or Confrontation?
  Two years ago, the Bush administration first used the word genocide to describe the conflict in Darfur, Sudan. Now Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says Sudan has a final choice: cooperation or confrontation.
• Flu Research Finds Harmful Immune Response
  Researchers have infected mice with a replica of the deadly 1918 flu virus. As expected, all the mice died within days. But not because the virus directly destroyed the lungs. Instead, it triggered an overwhelming and self-destructive immune response. That fits with emerging research on one way viruses kill.
• Presidents of Afghanistan, Pakistan Dine with Bush
  President Bush brought together two allies in the fight against terrorism over dinner at the White House on Wednesday night. The honored guests were President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan and President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan. The two men have recently been fighting their own war of words.
• Map Thief Sentenced in Federal Court
  E. Forbes Smiley is one of the nation's foremost experts on antique maps. He was given access to some of the rarest collections at Harvard, Yale, and Chicago's Newberry Library. But the scholar was also a thief. He was sentenced Wednesday for crimes that came to light when Smiley was stopped after leaving a Yale library with nearly $900,000 worth of rare maps.
• Florida Incumbent Shaw Faces Strong Challenge
  Clay Shaw has represented the Fort Lauderdale area in Congress since 1981. This year, he's facing stiff competition from Democratic challenger Ron Klein, who's trying to play up Shaw's ties to President Bush. Klein is also attacking Shaw's record on Medicare.
• U.S. Terrorism Strategy Troubles Muslim World
  Questions surround U.S. efforts to win the hearts and minds of the Muslim world after a National Intelligence Estimate reports that the war in Iraq appears to have become a rallying point for the global Jihadist movement.
• U.S. Military Questions Iraqi Government's Resolve
  The U.S. military says it can't leave Iraq until there's a stronger government in place. But over the past few weeks, U.S. commanders have repeatedly expressed frustration with the Iraqi government. They say Iraq's government hasn't been able to provide essential services, weed out corruption or rein in brutal militias.
• Detainee Interrogation Bill Moves to Senate
  President Bush visits the U.S. Capitol to push for new rules to try and interrogate suspected terrorists. On Wednesday, the House voted largely along party lines to pass that legislation. The Senate is expected to do the same Thursday.
• 'The Road' Travels a Desolate American Future
  Cormac McCarthy's latest book, The Road, is a story about the journey of a father and son through a post-apocalyptic American landscape. But it may be a comment on conditions today.
• Clothes Light the Way with LEDs
  A new German clothing line relies on fabric that displays images with light-emitting diodes.
• Letters: Muslims in America, Part II
  Last week's listener comments about our series on Muslims in America drew a fresh round of e-mails. Many of the comments we originally read criticized the series. This week, a number of listeners write in support of the stories and interviews.
• NFL's Terrell Owens Denies Attempting Suicide
  Football star Terrell Owens was rushed to a Dallas hospital Tuesday night. According to the police report, he had overdosed on painkillers in an attempt to kill himself. But Wednesday, Owens said he did not try to take his own life.
• Dow Nears a Record
  The Dow Jones industrial average finished just shy of reaching an all-time high Wednesday. McDonald's and Altria were among the stocks leading the way forward.
• HP Executives Testify Before Congress About Spying
  Hewlett-Packard's Chief Executive Officer Mark Hurd and its former chairwoman, Patricia Dunn, are expected to testify before a Congressional subcommittee Thursday. The House Energy and Commerce subcommittee is investigating HP's spying on board members.

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