NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Oil giant BP PLC laid much of the blame for the rig explosion and the massive Gulf of Mexico spill on itself, other companies' workers and a complex series of failures in an internal report released Wednesday before a key piece of evidence has been analyzed.  Talk about this topic

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The leader of a small Florida church that espouses anti-Islam philosophy said Wednesday he was determined to go through with his plan to burn copies of the Quran on Sept. 11, despite pressure from the White House, religious leaders and others to call it off.  Talk about this topic

MINOT, N.D. - The Ward County Sheriff's Office has charged a Grand Forks man with drunken driving in the weekend death of a Canadian man at the North Dakota State Fairgrounds in Minot.

DICKINSON, N.D. - Stark County has adopted a "distracted driver" policy for its employees.  Talk about this topic

WILLISTON, N.D. - The dollar value of building permits issued in Williston has set a record with four months to go in the year.  Talk about this topic

FARGO - Concerns about North Dakota State University were raised in an audit discussed today by a committee of the state Board of Higher Education.

Republican House candidate Rick Berg is concluding his nine-day tour across North Dakota this week with public events planned in Wahpeton, Valley City, Edgeley and Fargo.

BISMARCK - A North Dakota Department of Agriculture trade mission to Cuba has been postponed due to the financial collapse of a major air carrier to the island.

BISMARCK (AP) - Amerada Hess Corp. was granted permission Wednesday to begin a $500 million expansion of its natural gas processing plant in northwestern North Dakota.

ST. PAUL (AP) - Minnesota Republican leaders accused Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mark Dayton of avoiding state income taxes with trust funds set up outside Minnesota, an allegation Dayton quickly refuted Wednesday.

GRAND FORKS, Minn. - A UND employee is in serious condition after being hit by a car while walking across a campus street this morning, UND officials reported.

DULUTH, Minn. (AP) - The union for nurses at a Duluth hospital says it has reached a tentative agreement with management that will avert a one-day strike set for Sept. 14.

The El Zagal Shrine will hold a motorcycle ride Saturday to benefit various Shrine charities.

FARGO - Two sex offenders have moved to new addresses in Fargo, police said today in a news release.

MOORHEAD - BNSF Railway is making repairs to a train bridge over the Red River between Fargo and Moorhead, a fact many residents living near downtown Moorhead learned the hard way on Tuesday night.  Talk about this topic

Ralph Micheli said there is a simple story behind how he ended up back on the Minnesota State Moorhead coaching staff this fall.  Talk about this topic

Cookbook takes readers on monthly culinary adventure
Glancing at the cover of "The Minnesota Table: Recipes for Savoring Local Food Throughout the Year" book, you might think it's something that would appeal to only those who live in Minnesota.  Talk about this topic

Gardeners filling their fridges and storage shelves with this year's bumper crop are being encouraged to help fill the stomachs of those fighting hunger.  Talk about this topic

Moorhead unconcerned about fewer students
The first day of school in Minnesota brought a mixed bag of enrollment news across the region.  Talk about this topic

Hawley (Minn.) Lutheran Church, a congregation of more than 1,100 baptized members, could take the first step Sept. 19 toward breaking with its denomination.  Talk about this topic