Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Minnesota Marine killed in Afghanistan
  A Marine from Greenfield, Minn., has been killed in combat in Afghanistan, the Department of Defense announced Thursday.6:35 a.m.
• Budget deal draws criticism from education officials
  Education officials across the state are frustrated and even angry that the budget agreement reached Thursday will include delaying even more payments to schools than first proposed.6:50 a.m.
• Storms today, heat and humidity for the weekend
  There's a chance for showers and more severe thunderstorms today and tomorrow, but then get ready for the heat. Some places in the state are expected to have temperatures in the 90s F and Heat Index Values well over 100 degrees F on Sunday and Monday.6:55 a.m.
• Budget compromise reached; ends 15-day shutdown
  Although DFL Gov. Mark Dayton and Republican legislative leaders have agreed on a budget framework to end a 15-day-old state government shutdown, neither side is celebrating the deal that relies heavily on one-time money and pushes a big part of the budget problem into the future.7:15 a.m.
• Business owners eager to see end of shutdown
  Businesses owners affected by the state government shutdown are relieved that a budget deal could be within sight.7:20 a.m.
• Political expert: Miscalculations in budget negotiations lead to blows on both sides
  After all the maneuvering and brinkmanship involved in negotiating a budget deal, who actually came out ahead? And who took the worst political hits?7:25 a.m.
• Leaders now tasked with writing, passing budget
  With Minnesota's government impasse close to over, Gov. Mark Dayton and GOP legislative leaders are tasked with writing budget bills and passing them in a special legislative session.8:15 a.m.
• State employees ready to get back to work, but concerned about deal
  State employees should be able to return to their jobs within days, but they are concerned about what the budget agreement means for them.8:20 a.m.
• Dayton aims for special session on Monday
  DFL Gov. Mark Dayton on Friday called state employees the "real heroes" of the budget stalemate and shutdown and said he's hopeful they will get back pay to make up for lost wages. During an appearance on MPR's Midday program, Dayton said he hoped to call lawmakers back into special session on Monday to approve the budget deal and end the shutdown.8:40 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Pentagon Strategy Prepares For War In Cyberspace
  The Defense Department said it is preparing to treat cyberspace "as an operational domain," with forces specially organized, trained and equipped to deal with cyberthreats and opportunities. The plan says the U.S. must be prepared to retaliate against cyberattacks, possibly with military force.
• Outspoken Panetta Returns From Iraq, Afghanistan
  Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is just back from trips to Afghanistan and Iraq. They are his first visits to the war zones since taking over the top job at the Pentagon. His trip was punctuated with rough and tumble rhetoric.
• Vermont Town's Food Focus Still A Growing Concept
  The book The Town That Food Saved put Hardwick and its local food community on the map. But small farms can translate to prices too high for many customers. So farmers are focusing on efficiency and new ways to broaden the appeal of local fare.
• A Guide To Potter-isms: Wizardspeak In Translation
  Ben Zimmer of the interactive dictionary Visual Thesaurus explains some of the vocabulary that you might have missed if you're not a Harry Potter reader, and gives a refresher as we head into the final film's first full weekend.
• A Facade Of Normal Life In Syria's Capital
  Even though Damascus is far from the protest battle zones, tourists are staying away from the Syrian capital. At public events, there is a facade of normalcy. But people are afraid to be asked whether they support the regime or the revolution.
• In Gadhafi's Tripoli, Libyans Cautiously Voice Dissent
  Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has many die-hard supporters in the capital, but opposition sentiment exists. One man who works for the Libyan intelligence agency says he hates Gadhafi and wants to see him go. Another has a message for the rebels: "When they come here, all the people in Tripoli — they will rise up."
• A Top Murdoch Lieutenant Resigns Amid Scandal
  Rebekah Brooks has resigned as chief executive of Rupert Murdoch's embattled British newspapers. She is the biggest casualty so far in the phone-hacking scandal at a Sunday British tabloid.
• Italy's Lawmakers Rush $99 Billion Austerity Plan
  After days of market turmoil, the Italian Parliament is rushing approval of an emergency budget to try to reassure international investors that Italy — the world's seventh-largest economy — will not be overwhelmed by the sovereign debt crisis.
• Harry Potter: The Brand That Will Live Forever?
  The release of the last Harry Potter film marks the end of an era not just for fans but also for a major movie studio and other players in a multibillion-dollar business empire. How will they fill the gap left by the loss of such a long-running franchise?
• Does 'Potter' Foreshadow News Corp. Scandal?
  A Harry Potter book written years ago includes a nasty tabloid reporter. She does anything for a story including turning herself into a bug to eavesdrop. In the end, she's caught. NewsCorp executive Rebekah Brooks was famous for doing anything for a story. She's lost her job now, after her critics said she took that impulse too far.

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