Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Natural gas prices keep rising ahead of summer energy crunch
  Analysts at the Minnesota Department of Commerce say this year's natural gas prices are the highest they've seen since hurricanes Rita and Katrina in 2005.7:20 a.m.
• Storm spotters keep their eyes on the skies
  As the temperatures rise, so does the chance for severe weather. There are some people who don't wait for the sirens to sound as they track potentially dangerous storms. They are specially trained volunteers with a storm spotting group called Metro Skywarn.7:25 a.m.
• New film celebrates outdoor hockey
  A sell-out crowd is expected at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival for the world premier of "Pond Hockey."7:50 a.m.
• St. Paul Art Crawl opens
  You can see -- and buy -- everything from stained glass to sculpture during St. Paul's annual Art Crawl. The capitol city's weekend-long movable feast of art opens Friday evening in the Lowertown neighborhood. Morning Edition arts commentator and St. Paul Pioneer Press theater critic Dominic Papatola offers some tips on how to traverse the 25th annual crawl with style.8:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Restoring an Afghan Dam in a Taliban Stronghold
  Engineers in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province are trying to rehabilitate a half-century-old, American-built dam and power plant in what is the heart of Taliban country. Amid attacks and other security issues, progress is slow.
• Bush to Nominate Petraeus to Lead War Fronts
  President Bush will nominate Gen. David Petraeus to be the head of Central Command, putting him in charge of the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
• Church Group Urges Prayer for Lower Gas Prices
  Lawmakers in the nation's capital may be wringing their hands about record high gasoline prices. Others are putting their hands together — praying for help from a higher authority. Volunteers from a Washington, D.C., church soup kitchen launch a movement called Pray at the Pump.
• Afghan TV Station to Fight Soap Opera Ban
  In Afghanistan, the minister for information and culture recently ordered Afghan television stations to stop broadcasting several soap operas from India. Saad Mohseni, one of the founders of Tolo TV, says his station plans to fight the order.
• White House Responds to Carter's Hamas Meeting
  Former President Jimmy Carter met unofficially last weekend with leaders of Hamas, a group categorized by the U.S. government as a terrorist organization. David Welch, assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, talks about the Bush administration's approach to talking with Hamas.
• Bush Hosts Palestinian Leader Ahead of Peace Talks
  President Bush plays host to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday at the White House. The stalled Middle East peace talks are on the top of the agenda. The meeting comes as the president prepares to attend Israel's 60th anniversary celebrations next month, as well as another Mideast peace summit in Egypt.
• Spain's Housing Bubble Bursts
  In the past decade, housing prices in Spain have tripled. But now the housing bubble has ended, leaving home developers and buyers at a standstill as monthly mortgage payments soar.
• Apple Stock Falls Despite Quarterly Gains
  Apple's fiscal second-quarter earnings jumped higher than analyst estimates as computer and iPod revenue boosted the company's profits. The computer and music giant's second-quarter profits totaled more than $1 billion, compared with $770 million in the same quarter last year.
• U.K. Designer Refashions McDonald's Uniforms
  In the United Kingdom, McDonald's is redesigning the uniforms for its workers — all 67,000 of them. In an effort to create a more upscale look, the burger chain commissioned haute couture fashion designer Bruce Oldfield, who reportedly was taken aback when the fast-food chain first approached him.
• Starbucks Links Slowing Sales to Housing Downturn
  Starbucks executives on Wednesday warned investors that sales are slowing and the company faces the weakest economic environment in its history. They blame the housing market. Sales were especially slow in California and Florida, which account for nearly one-third of the coffee chain's U.S. revenues.
• Scientists Find Efficient Way to Grow Heart Cells
  A team of scientists in Canada has developed an efficient way to produce heart cells from human embryonic stem cells, a significant step for potential organ repair. But the study must move to trials with laboratory animals before the cells can be used with human patients.
• U.S. Officials Tie N. Korea to Syrian Nuclear Site
  U.S. intelligence officials say they have evidence that Syria was getting help from North Korea in building a nuclear reactor. The suspected site was bombed by Israeli war planes last year. Intelligence officials brief members of Congress about the facility Thursday.
• McCain Asks N.C. GOP to Pull Ad Attacking Obama
  John McCain has asked the North Carolina GOP not to run a television ad that brings up Barack Obama's controversial former pastor. North Carolina Republican Party officials insist the ad will run as planned, starting Monday.
• Hoosier State Prepares for Important Primary
  In the ongoing battle to earn the Democratic presidential nomination, the primary race now moves to Indiana and North Carolina, states that host primaries on May 6. Indiana, however, is where the race appears to be closest between Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
• Beetle Infestation Compounds Effects of Warming
  In western Canada, tree-infesting beetles are flourishing due to warmer temperatures caused in part by global warming. But a new study in the journal Nature argues that these pests may also be compounding the effects of climate change by destroying the trees that suck key pollutants out of the atmosphere.

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