Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• New science test scores show improvement
  Scores for state science tests were better this year than last year, although more than half of the students who took the exam still scored below grade-level expectations.7:20 a.m.
• Support extended to families of the fallen
  Five Minnesota servicemen have died in the last few days as a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. While nothing can replace a lost loved one, there are a number of programs available for the families of fallen troops.8:25 a.m.
• Old equipment gets second life at U of M
  When the University of Minnesota decides to get rid of a desk, or a chair, or a piece of equipment, it doesn't throw those items into a landfill. They go the U's Reuse Warehouse.8:40 a.m.
• Next big summer event looming
  The 4th of July has come and gone. Baseball's All Star Game is over too. Summer is going by fast. But don't worry, there's still plenty of it left, and according to Commentator Peter Smith, the next big summer thing is due to arrive any day now.8:45 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• In The Camaro, A Glimmer Of Hope For GM
  After a brutal year that included a bankruptcy and taxpayer bailout money, General Motors appears to have a hit on its hands. The redesigned Camaro has been generating buzz — and more than 15,000 have already been sold.
• Charting NASA's Future: To The Moon And Beyond
  Forty years ago, the Cold War pushed the United States to the moon. Now, NASA hopes to return to the moon to further scientific exploration, technology development and economic expansion. But some groups think instead of focusing on the moon, NASA should invest in traveling to places like near-Earth asteroids.
• Health Effects Of Comparing Care: No Easy Answers
  Some say studies to determine the best treatment for common health conditions could lower health care costs. Atrial fibrillation treatments, for example, have a huge cost range. Jay Allen elected the surgical procedure.
• California Lawmakers OK Budget Plan
  California lawmakers have finally come up with a budget deal. Negotiations went late into the day Monday on a deal that means painful cuts for many Californians. Steve Inskeep talks with member station KQED's John Myers, who has been following the budget negotiations these past few months.
• TARP Chief: Most Banks Using Funds For Lending
  To date, banks have received more than half of the $700 billion of federal bailout money. Neil Barofsky, the special inspector general for TARP — the Troubled Asset Relief Program — is in charge of tracking those funds. In his quarterly report, he says more than 80 percent of the banks surveyed reported using the government money for lending.
• 1930s Famine Still Mars Russia-Ukraine Relations
  Russia and its neighbor Ukraine have had a longstanding dispute over Russian natural gas deliveries. Now they're engaged in a war of words over a famine that happened more than 75 years ago — an event that one historian has called "Josef Stalin's original sin."
• Barnes And Noble Launches Kindle Competition
  Amazon's digital book reading device, Kindle, faces a formidable new rival. Barnes and Noble launched its own e-bookstore Monday. Barnes and Noble's e-books can be read on a number of devices, such as an iPhone or other mobile phones.
• Lender CIT Gets Cash From Bondholders
  The big commercial lender CIT seems to have narrowly avoided bankruptcy for now. The company confirmed that it has struck an agreement with major bondholders for a $3 billion bailout. CIT hopes the plan will give it time to restructure its debts.
• Georgia Registers High Rate Of Bank Failures
  Too much expansion and bad real estate bets during the past decade created an opportunity for Georgia's banks to flourish and then fail. Since August, 15 banks have gone under in Georgia.
• Forget McMansion; Wisconsin Couple Builds Castle
  A trip to Germany six years ago inspired Dale and Terri Roznik, and after a bit of zoning trouble, they started construction on their castle last year. The exterior is made of 400 tons of individually cut stone. There are 12 rooms, four bathrooms, five furnaces and, to top it all off, four towers.

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