Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Rep. Ellison's trip under increasing scrutiny
  MPR speaks with political analyst Steven Smith about the controversy over who paid for Rep. Keith Ellison's trip to Mecca.7:20 a.m.
• Fees to clear lakefront vegetation could triple
  Thousands of Minnesotans get permits every year to clear aquatic vegetation from their beach front property, but next year, the cost of those permits could triple.7:25 a.m.
• Art Hounds: Art of This, One Day in July, and 'Jazz'
  This week's Art Hounds sing the praises of the "Art of This" gallery in Minneapolis, commemorate the 1934 Truckers strike , and riff on a staged reading of "Jazz," a new play adapted from the Toni Morrison novel.8:25 a.m.
• Home-based wind turbines not living up to the hype
  Independent studies of home-based wind turbines show they often fail to generate as much electricity as their makers claim they will. The poor performance has led to customer complaints and government scrutiny of the industry.8:45 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Minimum Wage Hike Spurs Optimism And Debate
  Millions of America's low-wage workers are about to get a raise. But economists are debating how the pay hike will play out. Some worry that forcing higher wages will hurt small businesses. Others say raising the minimum wage will generate more consumer spending.
• Jewish Settlements Squeeze Bedouin Enclave
  In the hills east of Jerusalem, a Palestinian Bedouin tribe lives in tents and huts between two Jewish settlements. Unable to bus their children to nearby schools, they invited an aid group to help them build a school. But Israeli authorities have slated the primitive buildings for demolition.
• Diana Krall: A Method Actress, Trapped In A Jazz Singer
  For pop-jazz star Diana Krall — vocalist, pianist, mother of two young boys — to interpret a song's lyrics is to imagine and inhabit a new character within them. She took a break from touring (and parenting) to demonstrate to Steve Inskeep.
• Obama Tries To Reassure Voters On Health Care
  President Obama used a prime-time news conference Wednesday night to try to win support for major changes to the nation's health care system. With polls showing the public wary of his handling of the issue, Obama tried to allay the concerns of those who now have health insurance and fear their coverage will be reduced.
• Swine Flu Vaccine Poses Challenges To FDA
  As manufacturers start to roll out vaccines against the new H1N1 swine flu, the Food and Drug Administration will only have weeks to decide whether they're safe. It's a high-pressure situation, complicated by the memory of a flu-vaccine scare in 1976, and by a new ingredient that some manufacturers are experimenting with.
• Letters: 'Bobby McGee,' Sour Cherries, Rapper Feud
  Steve Inskeep and Linda Wertheimer read from listeners' comments about a story on Washington cherries, a comparison of a rappers' feud with international politics. They also make a correction about a Janis Joplin song.
• 'Change' Party Rallies Ahead Of Kurdistan Election
  The autonomous Iraqi region of Kurdistan is experiencing something it's unaccustomed to: an election in which no one knows the results in advance. The election will have consequences for the tense standoff between Arabs and Kurds in Iraq — friction that threatens to derail the Obama administration's plan for an orderly withdrawal.
• GM Dumps Montana Mine For Foreign Supplier
  A bankruptcy judge has granted General Motors' request to drop its precious metals contract with a Montana mining company. The automaker will instead use cheaper foreign suppliers for the same materials.
• 'Cash For Clunkers' Program Could Boost Hummer
  The government's so-called "cash for clunkers" program goes into effect Friday. People who trade in their gas guzzlers for more fuel-efficient cars can get a government subsidy — even if they trade in old pickups for ones that get just 2 miles per gallon more. Which means the program could provide an unexpected boost to the beleaguered Hummer brand. Its H3T pickup gets 16 mpg.
• Obama Taps Volunteers For Health Care Outreach
  If the next few weeks are crunch time for health care legislation, an equally big test looms for the army of volunteers that Barack Obama assembled during last year's presidential campaign. While Obama continues his push for a health care overhaul in Washington, his grassroots political operation, Organizing for America, is trying to build support around the country.

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