Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• 'Hotshots' adapt to watery wilderness of BWCA wildfire
  Elite western "hotshot" firefighters have a lot of expertise in arid and mountainous terrain, but the Pagami Creek Fire in the Boundary Waters presents challenges many of them have never faced.6:20 a.m.
• Climatologist: Frost was unusually early and widespread
  MPR's Cathy Wurzer spoke with University of Minnesota Climatologist Mark Seeley about the frost and freeze this week in many parts of Minnesota. He also tells her the weather forecast for the area around the Pagami Creek Fire in the Boundary Waters.6:55 a.m.
• As American Crystal lockout drags on, frustration grows among union workers
  Frustrated and angry union members who rejected a contract offer from American Crystal Sugar are now locked out. They can only watch as replacement workers hired by the company do the work.7:20 a.m.
• Wildlife sleuths seek DNA evidence of invasive carp
  Wildlife experts are looking for evidence of carp DNA in the Mississippi River this week.7:25 a.m.
• Coach Kill's siezure on the sideline raises questions epileptics commonly face
  The Minnesota Gopher Football team takes on Miami of Ohio tomorrow. It will be the Gopher's first game since Coach Jerry Kill suffered a seizure in the final moments of last weekend's home opener. Kill was released from the hospital yesterday, and university officials say he's free to return to work as soon as he feels up to it. Kill's very public seizure has has increased public awareness of epilepsy.7:45 a.m.
• Senser case hits a nerve
  Amy Senser, the wife of former Minnesota Viking Joe Senser, is facing charges of criminal vehicular homicide. Senser is accused of hitting Anousone Phanthavong with her car and killing him on the night of August 23. The complaint also says she left the scene of the accident. The charges were announced yesterday in Hennepin County Court. Senser is free on $150,000 bail.8:45 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Libya's Oil Production To Resume Shortly
  Libya is poised to bring its major source of wealth back on line in a matter of days. Oil profits will be vital to a government that has much of its money tied up in frozen overseas assets. The Transitional National Council has said repeatedly it will honor all the contracts made with oil companies by the Gadhafi regime. Critics say those contracts were riddled with corruption.
• Arctic Ice Hits Near-Record Low, Threatening Wildlife
  Ice on the Arctic Ocean has melted to its second-lowest level on record. The summertime melt coincides with a dramatic warming over the past decade, and it's already affecting wildlife in the area.
• EPA Postpones Power Plant Emissions Rules
  The Environmental Protection Agency has decided to delay new rules that would limit emissions of climate-warming gases from power plants. It's the second time this month the EPA has either withdrawn or postponed new pollution rules that industry didn't like.
• New Programs Aim To Close The Wealth Gap
  The city of San Francisco is taking a step to even the playing field by offering public school kindergartners college savings accounts. It is part of a nationwide effort by government and nonprofit groups to address the widening wealth gap.
• A Slow-Motion Bank Run In Europe
  Fear can wreck a banking system and cause havoc in an economy. That's why the recent worries about big French banks are so important, and so scary.
• Iran's Political Infighting Ensnares 2 U.S. Hikers
  The families of two American hikers imprisoned in Iran received hopeful and then wrenching news this week. Iran's president announced the two would be released, only to have the judiciary deny it the next day. It's an indication that the political infighting among Iranian conservatives is intensifying.
• U.S. Now Relies On Alternate Afghan Supply Routes
  The Pentagon began the Northern Distribution Network at the end of 2008, bypassing Pakistan to supply military operations in Afghanistan. Those routes have become even more critical as U.S.-Pakistan relations have deteriorated.
• Graft Hinders Somalia's Transitional Government
  Wracked by civil war for 20 years, Somalia is in the throes of the worst famine in six decades. Prime Minister Abdiweli Ali, an American-educated Somalian, tells David Greene that corruption is a big problem in the country. He says a lot of aid money has disappeared.
• UAW Extends Contract Talks With Big 3 Automakers
  Autoworkers have stayed on the job even though their old contracts have expired. Talks are continuing with General Motors, Chrysler and Ford. Among other demands, the union wants a raise for entry-level workers who make about $15.00 an hour.
• Rogue Trader Arrested In Swiss Bank UBS Scandal
  Switzerland's largest bank UBS blames a rogue trader for a $2 billion loss involving unauthorized trades. London police arrested a 31-year-old man in connection with the alleged fraud. Megan Murphy, the banking correspondent for the Financial Times, talks to David Greene about whether the bank will be able to recover.

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