Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Bachmann gathers Tea Party Caucus for first time
  Today in Washington, Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann holds the first meeting of her new Tea Party Caucus. Bachmann says she hopes to use the caucus to educate members of Congress about the tea party movement.7:20 a.m.
• Bush Foundation president: Health care redesign needed
  Two of the three leading DFL candidates for governor say they'll look to a 2009 report from a group Minnesota foundations for ideas to reduce state spending. The report proposes changing the way the state pays for health care and taxing employer-provided health insurance.7:40 a.m.
• Warm, wet weather good for crops, but also for bugs
  The warm and wet summer is making things grow. That's good in some cases, and not so good in others. Farmers are happy with their crops but homeowners may have noticed more insects than usual. Reporter Mark Steil answers questions about bugs, crops and other news he's been following in southwestern Minnesota.8:25 a.m.
• Rochester transplants find common culture in cricket
  The Rochester Cricket Association, which is holding its first-ever tournament this month. Mayo Clinic and IBM have been recruiting workers from all over the world, including many cricket-playing nations.8:40 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Florida's Crist Dealt Blow Over Offshore Drilling Ban
  Lawmakers refused to vote on the governor's proposal to put a constitutional amendment banning drilling on the November ballot. The House speaker said the move by the former Republican -- and former drilling supporter -- was more about politics than helping Floridians.
• Victories In Congress May Cost Democrats At Polls
  The Democratic Party has used its control of Congress to pass sweeping overhauls of the financial system and health care -- but those changes may come at a steep price. Only a few Republicans were involved -- and anti-incumbent sentiment is running high as mid-term elections approach.
• Blacks Face Bone Marrow Donor Shortage
  African-Americans are less likely to receive life-saving treatments using bone marrow than whites. Low numbers of donors and rare genes make finding a bone marrow match less likely for black people than for white people.
• Will Blagojevich Testify? His Lawyers Aren't Sure
  Ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich may not take the stand in his own defense at his corruption trial, despite earlier promises that the jury would hear from the combative politician. Blagojevich's lawyers are now debating whether to call any defense witnesses at all.
• Shop That Inspired 'Soup Nazi' Reopens In N.Y.
  Immortalized by a Seinfeld character, the Original SoupMan returned to Midtown Manhattan Tuesday, drawing a long line. But the soup man himself -- Al Yeganeh -- did not make an appearance.
• Many Small Golf Courses Can No Longer Swing It
  Smaller, older golf courses are in trouble across the U.S. Nationally, 600 golf courses have closed in the past five years. Around Augusta, Ga., the home of the fabled Masters tournament, golf course owners are trying various techniques to weather a golfing slump.
• Bollywood Parody Plays Bin Laden For Laughs
  Moviegoers in India are flocking to a low-budget film that turns fear of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden into comedy. Pakistan has banned the film, Tere Bin Laden, fearing terrorist reprisals. But audiences in India are enjoying the political satire, including arrogant Americans and a jihadist travel agency.
• Former Interior Secretaries Grilled On Capitol Hill
  Bush-era Interior Secretaries Gale Norton and Dirk Kempthorne appeared before Congress on Tuesday, defending the Bush administration against Democrats' charges that its policies led to the Deepwater Horizon blowout three months ago.
• Western Swing Gets Texas Town Scootin' Again
  Fiddlers, guitar players and singers gathered in tiny Goree, Texas, for a music camp. The camp is about equally divided between children and adults, even though the style of music was popular more than half a century ago.
• 2 Guantanamo Detainees End Captivity
  The Defense Department said this week that two detainees were removed from the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. One was Syrian; the other Algerian. Carol Rosenberg, a reporter for the Miami Herald, offers her insight.

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