Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Weather with Mark Seeley
  University of Minnesota climatologist Mark Seeley discusses Minnesota weather history and looks ahead to the weekend forecast.6:55 a.m.
• Farmers embrace genetically modified beets
  Farmers in the Red River Valley are starting to harvest the first crop of genetically modified sugar beets. While most farmers are happy with the Roundup Ready beets, there are some lingering concerns.7:20 a.m.
• Recalling the last statewide election recount
  Minnesota election officials are preparing for a statewide recount after a close finish in a primary race for state Supreme Court justice. The last time Minnesota had a statewide recount was in the 1962 governor's race.7:50 a.m.
• Future Tense with Jon Gordon
  What do Internet users want to know about Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin? Her name as a search term is still high.8:20 a.m.
• USDA cuts estimates for corn, soybean harvests
  The Agriculture Department on Friday reduced its forecast for this year's corn and soybean harvests due to drier weather. The forecast for Minnesota's corn crop was down slightly, but the state's soybean forecast was unchanged.8:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Some Galveston Residents Linger As Storm Nears
  Hurricane Ike is expected to make landfall — as a Category 3 hurricane — late Friday or early Saturday south of Galveston, Texas. Officials issued a mandatory evacuation order and warned of "certain death" for those who don't leave, but NPR's Ari Shapiro says plenty of people remain.
• Sales Soar For Shoes, Glasses Like Sarah Palin's
  The red peep-toe, patent-leather pumps that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin wore when she was introduced as John McCain's vice presidential nominee are a hot seller. The line is called Naughty Monkey. The Wall Street Journal reports that Palin's eyeglasses also are flying off the shelves.
• Lehman Brothers Seeks Government's Help
  The government is stepping in to help Lehman Brothers. The investment bank's plans to shore up its finances didn't convince investors the firm could stand on its own. Lehman is looking to put itself up for sale, and it's working with the government to find a buyer.
• Cuba Reeling From Recent Storms
  Almost all of Cuba has been affected by recent storms. Five people died in Hurricane Ike. Ray Sanchez, a South Florida Sun-Sentinel reporter based in Cuba, talks with Steve Inskeep about the storm destruction.
• Texas Evacuates Coast As Ike Approaches
  Hurricane Ike is expected to come ashore on the Gulf Coast of Texas. It's predicted to be a Category 3 storm, and hurricane warnings are in effect for a 400-mile swath of the coast.
• Lehman Brothers Scrambles To Find A Buyer
  After announcing earlier this week that it expects to report record losses, Lehman Brothers is up for sale. The Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department are helping the investment bank talk to potential suitors, including Bank of America.
• Iraq Puts Sunni Paramilitary Groups To Work
  After strong pressure from the U.S. military, the Iraqi government has agreed to employ the so-called Awakening Councils. These are largely Sunni paramilitary groups who turned against al-Qaida and allied themselves with U.S. forces. But the Awakening membership mistrusts the Iraqi government.
• Grading Palin's TV Appearance
  Sarah Palin and shifting polls are all the talk on the political front. The presidential campaign is kicking into high gear as the Nov. 4 election draws closer. John McCain running mate Palin was interviewed this week by ABC's Charles Gibson.
• Is Fashion Week An Economic Indicator?
  Conventional wisdom holds that during economic downturns, hemlines drop and colors darken. Simon Doonan, fashion writer and Barney's creative director, talks with Renee Montagne about fashion week as an economic indicator.
• Ike Threatens Texas Oil Refineries
  Hurricane Ike is storming toward the Gulf Coast of Texas — home to a quarter of the nation's oil refining capacity. As refineries shut down in anticipation of the storm, wholesale gasoline prices have shot up, despite crude oil prices falling to their lowest level in more than five months.
• Obama, McCain Speak At Community Service Forum
  Barack Obama and John McCain appeared before the same audience Thursday at a Columbia University summit focused on national service. McCain said he respects Obama's experience as a community organizer. Obama praised the work of small-town mayors.
• Zimbabwe's Leaders Strike Power-Sharing Deal
  Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai agreed Thursday to a power-sharing deal. They did not spell out how the deal would work.
• Russians Cling To Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula
  Ethnic Russians outnumber Ukrainians in the city of Crimea, even though the city is part of Ukraine. Most of those Russians have yet to reconcile themselves to the idea of an independent Ukraine. This is reinforced by the continued presence of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in the Crimean port. The Russian navy has leased the port until 2017, but the Western-influenced Ukrainian government wants to join NATO and says it will not renew the lease with Moscow.
• Ads Warn That All Immigration Must Be Reduced
  In recent years, some groups opposing illegal immigration say the public debate has strayed from their real cause — reducing all immigration, including legal. Now, they've started an ad campaign touting the risks of overpopulation. The ads warn that the U.S. faces environmental damage, increased congestion and threats to economic justice unless immigration is dramatically reduced.
• Voter Registrations Could Face Legal Challenges
  Political groups are wrangling over voter registrations and access to the polls. In Ohio, Democrats and Republicans are fighting over interpretation of a state law, which Democrats say allows voters to register and immediately cast an absentee ballot. Republicans say that opens the door to fraud.

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