Morning Edition

Over the weekend, Syrian troops continued their brutal campaign against those who oppose the regime of President Bashar Assad. And a questionable video has been released by a group claiming responsibility for massive explosions that shook Syria's capital last week.

All this week, NPR is taking a deeper look at the natural gas boom in the United States. The series is called "The Fracking Boom: Missing Answers."

The conference finals are underway in the National Hockey League playoffs. In the East, the New York Rangers will face the New Jersey Devils Monday. In the West, the Los Angeles Kings have won Game 1 — beating the Phoenix Coyotes 4-2.

Morning Edition's Renee Montagne continues her reporting from the Afghan capital Kabul on the future of Afghanistan. She sits down with the U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, Ryan Crocker.

Twenty years ago, few Americans approved of homosexuality or thought gay marriage should be legal. Now, nearly half of all Americans support same-sex marriage, though most Christians are still opposed to it.

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Some other news. The oil boom in western North Dakota has sparked one of the largest migrations to a single area in the United States since the Great Depression. Communities that once struggled to keep people at all, are now struggling to absorb all the newcomers as workers from across the country arrive to seek their fortunes in oil.

Charles Baird will be alone on the island for one year. He'll able to send short text messages, but won't be receiving any. By freeing himself from all media, he expects to have enough time to make a documentary about himself.

JetBlue Airways apologized after removing a passenger from her flight because she was on a no-fly list. The passenger looks innocent enough — maybe because she's 18 months old. Her mother told WPBF-TV in Florida that the idea her daughter is a threat was "absurd" and "made no sense."

The Department of Justice has announced it is suing Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio because of civil rights violations. He became a controversial figure for his tough stance on immigrants. Arpaio says he will not surrender his office and will fight the suit.

For years, Andrew Kohut, president of the Pew Research Center, has been polling people on the issue of gay marriage. He tells Steve Inskeep his research suggests President Obama's evolution is very much in line with national trends.

David Greene checks in with Tyler Saladino, a minor league baseball player for the Chicago White Sox organization. As he works his way up to the majors, Saladino is currently an infielder for the Birmingham Barons in Alabama.

Mitt Romney's presidential campaign is in damage control mode after an article in The Washington Post accused the candidate of bullying in high school. Romney says he does not remember the incidents. Several of his classmates independently recall him going after students who seemed different, vulnerable or effeminate.

Reporting from Afghanistan, Morning Edition's Renee Montagne talks to Salahuddin Rabbani. President Hamid Karzai recently appointed him chairman of the High Peace Council, which is tasked with negotiating with the Taliban. Rabbani replaced his father who was assassinated last year by a suspected Taliban member.

U.S. homeownership rates have fallen to their lowest point since 1997, despite the homebuyer tax credit and enduring rock-bottom interest rates. Two years ago on Morning Edition, we profiled two couples who were renting with no regrets. Have they changed their tune?