Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• American RadioWorks : "Vietnam and the Presidency"
  As America grapples with an increasingly unpopular war in Iraq, the experience in Vietnam may offer some lessons. A major conference on Vietnam and the Presidency at the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston drew together some of the most respected experts on the war. They included scholars, journalists, diplomats - and top White House advisors from the time. A new American RadioWorks special presents some of the highlights from that conference.6:50 a.m.
• Helping the woodcock
  Woodcocks are one of the smallest gamebirds in Minnesota. Their numbers have been shrinking for nearly 40 years. A federal plan should be in place this fall to begin trying to reverse that population decline.6:55 a.m.
• Fifty years of "The Singing Wilderness"
  There's a piece of paradise in northeastern Minnesota, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, the BWCA. Admirers credit a book published 50 years as part of the inspiration for creating the wilderness area. And they credit the author, the late Sigurd Olson, for putting into words the reasons humans need wilderness.7:20 a.m.
• Local Somali community concerned about Mogadishu
  Members of Minnesota's Somali community are following the news from Mogadishu and many are concerned for their home country's future. Perry Finelli, fill-in host of Morning Edition, spoke with Abdi Aynte, editor of Hiiraan online, a locally-run Website that posts the latest news and information about Somalia.7:45 a.m.
• Suburban food shelf use up
  Residents in the western suburbs such as Excelsior and Eden Prairie are using food shelves much more often. A report by a consortium of Minnesota food shelves and food banks says some suburban areas saw a 300 percent increase in the last five years.7:55 a.m.
• Cervical cancer vaccine awaiting FDA approval
  The Food and Drug Administration is expected to approve a new vaccine this week that could prevent up to 10,000 cases of cervical cancer a year. The vaccine, called Gardasil, is formulated to protect against major strains of the most common sexually-transmitted infection, human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV causes about 70 percent of all cervical cancer cases. Perry Finelli, fill-in host of Morning Edition spoke with Dr. Levi Downs, an ovarian and cervical cancer researcher at the University of Minnesota's Medical School and Cancer Center and he has been involved with the vaccine's development.8:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Impulse Records: 'The House That Trane Built'
  Impulse Records was launched during a golden age of jazz and it featured a variety of legendary artists — from John Coltrane to Ray Charles. Its edgy sound reflected the turbulent politics of the 1960s, the author of a new book about the label says.
• Government Investigates Iraq Contracting Fraud
  The Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction has 78 open investigations into fraud and corruption in the Coalition Provisional Authority. This spring, two men pleaded guilty to bribery and fraud. Last winter, two Army officers were arrested on similar charges. Those cases appear to be only the beginning of reconstruction fraud cases.
• Iraq Contracting Payoffs Include Gifts and Money
  The payoffs at the heart of reconstruction fraud in Iraq apparently come in many forms. Documents in the case of Robert Stein, a former Defense Department employee for the Coalition Provisional Authority, show that payoffs can include watches, cars, planes and, of course, cash.
• Bus Exhaust Pits Health Worries and Cost Concerns
  Exhaust from school buses can be harmful to students' health. Old diesel buses generate fumes that can trigger asthma attacks and other harmful health conditions. In Texas, environmentalists want the state to help pay for new low-exhaust equipment for the state's buses. It costs as much as $7,000 per bus, and school districts say they don't have the money.
• Accepting the Reality of Drug Addiction
  Commentator Jim Bildner remembers his son's drug overdose at the age of 21. He says he and his wife were in denial about their son's drug addiction. He believes the best defense parents have is to accept that this tragedy can happen to them.
• Businesses Aim to Smooth Food-Stamp Cycle
  Grocers in the inner city complain that it's hard to run their businesses when most of the customers only make their purchases the first week of the month. That's due in large part to the cycle of the food stamps program. Now a group of Michigan retailers and wholesalers is seeking to change the way that the state administers the federal assistance program. Quinn Klinefelter of Detroit Public Radio reports.
• Researchers Race to Make Stem Cells from Embryos
  Several American universities are trying to make stem cells from cloned human embryos. This is what South Korean researchers claimed they had done, before that work proved to be fraudulent. The University of California, San Francisco, is at the head of the pack.
• Defining the Ethics of Stem Cell Research
  Richard Hynes, of the National Academy of Sciences, talks with Steve Inskeep about creating a set of ethical guidelines for conducting stem cell research. Hynes is also a professor of cancer research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
• Miami and Atlanta Vie for Latin American Business
  Atlanta wants to unseat Miami as the gateway to Latin America. Politicians from both cities want the economic boost of growing trade with the region. While Miami promotes its longstanding ties to Latin America, Atlanta is touting its vast airport, major seaports and geographic location.
• Group Predicts Another Bad Year for Airline Industry
  A group representing the global airline industry says losses this year will be worse than feared. U.S. airlines are faring the worst. The biggest culprit is the high cost of fuel.

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