NPR 2008-06-09

There has been no let-up in the surge in gasoline prices over the past three weeks. Prices at the pump were up 20 cents a gallon to a new high of four dollars a gallon nationally for self-service regular. Fuel price analyst 1 Jeff Sundstrom with AAA says that organization is urging gas stations not to jack 2 up prices this week. “In view of the fact that the oil prices have been so erratic 3, we are calling on gasoline stations to exercise restraint in their pricing at the pump until the markets give a clear indication of the actual trend.” Sundstrom says gas prices are a dollar a gallon higher now than they were at this time last year.

 At least three deaths are being blamed on the storms that had been drenching 4 parts of the Midwest this weekend. Although the rain has stopped across most of Indiana, some rivers have still not crested 6. Stan Jastrzebski of member station WFIU in Bloomington has the story.

The town of Spencer borders the White River, which has not been this swollen 7 since a statewide flood in 1913. The river is forecast to crest 5 at the level of more than 28 feet some time in the next 24 hours. It takes just 14 feet of water to signal a flood. Stephen Cradick is the deputy director of the Owen County Emergency Management Office. He says relief may be slow in arriving because so few agencies are able to provide any. “We are trying to get more help, as much as we can right now. That’s a situations causing the problem because the whole southern part of Indiana hit just as hard as we are. So, getting resources, it’s gonna be tough for the ne(xt), next 48 hours.”  The news is even worse to the northeast in the small town of Princess Lake, where a dam breach 8 has left that town's 1, 500 residents all but cut off from surrounding communities. For NPR News, I m Stan Jastrzebski in Bloomington, Indiana.

 Opposition 9 leaders in Zimbabwe say they have won a court challenge reversing a police ban on campaign rallies in the run-up to the country's presidential run-off election. NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton has the story.

A lawyer for Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change said the court ruling allowed them to hold rallies without police interference. On Friday, the police announced a ban on several planned opposition rallies, saying they could not guarantee the security of party leaders. Opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai won the first round of the presidential vote in March and is scheduled to face off in the run-off against veteran Robert Mugabe on June 27th. Meanwhile, the government's decision to suspend indefinitely the field work of independent aid agencies in Zimbabwe is beginning to bite. Humanitarian 10 groups have denied government charges that they are meddling 11 in politics and taking sides with the opposition. Ofeibea Quist-Arcton, NPR News, Johannesburg.

A man drove a truck into a crowd of people in a busy shopping area of Tokyo today. He ran over three people and then, took out a hunting knife and began randomly 12 stabbing shoppers. Seven people were killed and eleven others injured before the man was apprehended 13 by police. When asked the reason for the rampage, he told investigators 14 that he was tired of life.

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 Investigators now suspect arson 15 in the early morning fire that badly damaged the Texas Governor's Mansion 16 in Austin. The historic building was unoccupied at the time. From member station KUT, Merrick Agula reports.

 Texas State Fire Marshal Paul Maldonado called the fire “a terrible tragedy” that could be the work of one person. “We have some evidence that indicates that we do have an intentionally 17 set fire, and so we believe we may be looking at a criminal act here.” The agency is reviewing videotape from security cameras and interviewing security guards and nearby neighbors to find out how and who might have set the blaze. Because the mansion was undergoing a ten-million-dollar renovation 18, no one or anything was in the building. Former chief architect for the Texas Historical Commission Peter Maxon says it could be years before another governor calls the mansion “home” again. “If one could send a get-well card to a building, this would have many thousands, if not million, get-well cards.” Damage estimates have not been determined 19. Federal investigators will join state and local agencies to launch a search for the suspect. For NPR News, I'm Merrick Agula in Austin.

 First Lady Laura Bush made a quick visit to Afghanistan today to highlight progress there as she traveled to a US-European Union summit. At one point, her convoy 20 passed a man who had a donkey loaded with crops. A guide assured Mrs. Bush that the crops were not opium 21 poppies. Afghanistan is the world's largest producer and exporter of opium and heroin 22. But Mrs. Bush said she believes that is changing. “I think, still, it’s more lucrative 23, er, to grow poppies, but not near as lucrative as it was, er, compared to wheat because of the rising food prices, the rising commodity prices worldwide.” Mrs. Bush also spoke 24 to American troops near Kabul.