Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• The Moving Company's 'War Within' evolves to open again
  A few months ago, university students struck a chord and packed in the crowds with "The War Within," a dark farce of loosely connected sketches of commentary on absurdities in life and the workplace. The play is now reworked as a tour through the endless war of daily existence.6:45 a.m.
• Peter Smith: The eternal struggle over mowing the lawn
  Given the forecast, today is the perfect day to get your lawn mowed. That doesn't mean it's going to happen. Parents and teenagers across the state will battle over the urgency of this chore. Minnesota Public Radio essayist Peter Smith has captured the essence of this eternal struggle in a poem.6:50 a.m.
• Weather with Mark Seeley
  University of Minnesota meteorologist and climatologist Mark Seeley discusses the wet and windy May and looks ahead to the Memorial Day weekend forecast.6:55 a.m.
• Brainerd wants to tap sewers for energy savings
  Brainerd officials say an unconventional source of energy to heat holds huge energy potential for heating and cooling buildings, likely starting with the city police station and a school building.7:20 a.m.
• Speculation high about Mitt Romney running mate
  Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty is being mentioned as a possible running mate for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romeny, even though Pawlenty said recently that he wasn't interested. MPR's Cathy Wuzer talked with former Republican Congressman Vin Weber, a Pawlenty supporter, about the process.7:40 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• In Iowa, Obama Accuses Romney Of Distortion
  President Obama campaigned Thursday in Iowa, where he delivered his sharpest criticisms yet of Republican rival Mitt Romney. Iowa is one of several states likely to determine the outcome of the November presidential election.
• In Ariz. Contest, A Debate Over Government's Reach
  Voters in Arizona's 8th Congressional District will decide next month who will fill the seat vacated by Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. She resigned in January, a year after she was badly injured in a shooting. One of her former aides is taking on a Tea Party candidate in the special election.
• Treason Trial Complicates U.S.-Pakistani Relations
  The Pakistani doctor who helped the U.S. pinpoint the location of Osama bin Laden is facing a 33 year prison term. A Pakistani court convicted him this week of treason. The sentencing drew protests from the Obama administration, but many in Pakistan wanted an even tougher punishment.
• To Tap Arctic Oil, Russia Partners With Exxon Mobil
  Moscow's recent deals with foreign oil companies are designed to maintain Russia as the world's No. 1 oil producer. The biggest deal, with Exxon Mobil, would put billions of dollars toward exploiting vast oil and gas reserves in Russia's Arctic waters.
• Why Cable Channels Don't Mind Airing Reruns
  Cable channel TBS had the highest ratings among cable networks in the all-important 18-to-49-year-old audience during the first quarter of the year. Programmers did it without offering a single original program in prime time. They did it with reruns, led by The Big Bang Theory, which is in heavy rotation.
• Will A Golf Course Save Benton Harbor's Economy?
  The Whirlpool Corp., the largest home appliance maker in the world, wants to improve its hometown of Benton Harbor, Mich. Executives are leveraging a PGA-approved golf course to try to turn the city into a tourist destination. But many residents aren't convinced becoming a tourist town is the best way to create jobs.
• Eurovision 2012: The Babushki Make It To The Final
  This week, Europeans can forget about the debt crisis and politics for a moment. Six grandmothers, a half-Congolese Ukrainian singer and Eleftheria Eleftheriou are competing in the international singing competition held in Baku, Azerbaijan.
• 'Times-Picayune' To Limit Publication
  In New Orleans, The Times-Picayune will publish only three print issues a week starting this fall. The 175-year-old paper is the biggest metropolitan newspaper in the country to stop daily circulation.
• Hollywood Dreams Led Chinese Firm To Buy Into U.S.
  When the Chinese firm Wanda announced the purchase of AMC cinemas, it may not have made a lot of business sense in the short term. But it could be part of a larger strategy that will bring the company into the U.S. in a major way.
• Dating Events Cater To Wealthy Individuals
  Finding love can be hard, and according the Society of Single Professionals, it's even harder for a wealthy person. According to the society, "the 1 percent live in constant fear that their money will attract gold diggers." So the group has decided to host dating events that cater to wealthy individuals looking for love.

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