All Things Considered for February 14, 2008 | Minnesota Public Radio News

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Minnesota Public Radio Stories

Outdoors, arts amendment heads to ballot
Minnesota voters will decide this fall whether to raise the state sales tax to benefit the outdoors and arts.5:19 p.m.
Bernanke's pessimism
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said that the economy would grow at a "sluggish" pace.5:24 p.m.
U of M hopes to fund another stadium-sized building project
University of Minnesota officials unveiled details of a $290-million financing plan for a major biomedical research facility today at the state capitol.5:50 p.m.
Revisioning the suburbs
The American suburb has been revered as a middle class utopia. It's also been ridiculed as a vast expanse of architectural monotony and social conformity. The truth is more complex.5:53 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

Alternative 'Commie' High Mellows with Time
Community High School has been an alternative to traditional high schools in Ann Arbor, Mich., since 1972. Early on, the school attracted a lot of slackers. Now, rebelliousness is carefully channeled into work. And the school is more popular than ever.
Ted Kooser Shares the Poetry of Valentine's Day
Since 1986, Ted Kooser has written an annual Valentine's Day poem and sent it to an ever-growing list of women. It's a project the former U.S. poet laureate ended last year. But now, he's collected those poems in a new book, Valentines.
Bush Plans Africa Trip to Tout HIV/AIDS Program
The president pushes his $15 billion PEPFAR program to fight the virus ahead of a planned trip to Africa. The visit aims to build a different sort of legacy.
Bush, House Democrats Face Off on Wiretapping Bill
President Bush says the House needs to finish a bill governing U.S. eavesdropping on the phone calls and e-mails of suspected terrorists. The current law, the Protect America Act, expires this weekend, and the president says he won't approve another extension of it.
What Happens If Protect America Act Expires?
In August, Congress passed the Protect America Act, which granted the Bush administration legal authority to spy on Americans' communications overseas without individual warrants. That law expires Saturday, and Congress is deadlocked on a bill to replace it. President Bush says to delay is dangerous, but many intelligence experts disagree.
Medill Student Tracks Dean's Anonymous Sources
Last year, the dean of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University used anonymous quotes in two articles in the alumni magazine. Medill senior David Spett found the anonymous quotes odd and went searching for the students who wrote them. He was not able to find them.
Listening In as Writers Return to Late-Night Shows
As the Writers Guild of America returns to work, we listen in on the first night of members' work appearing on talk shows, including excerpts from the monologues from The Colbert Report, The Tonight Show, Late Night With Conan O'Brien and The Daily Show.
Romney Backs McCain for GOP Nominee
Despite an impressive resume and the millions of dollars he spent out of his own pocket, Mitt Romney failed to win the Republican nomination for president. Now the former Massachusetts governor is endorsing Sen. John McCain and having his delegates swing behind him as well.
Candidates' Faces Challenge Political Cartoonists
Political cartoonists have a new crop of presidential candidates to caricature. Jack Ohman of The Oregonian and Kal Kallaugher, whose cartoons appear in The Economist, talk about the challenges of drawing Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John McCain. They identify qualities for each that make them fun to caricature.
Putin Repeats Threats in Final Presidential Address
Russian bombers have been buzzing U.S. aircraft carriers in the past few days, and Moscow is threatening to point missiles at European countries. On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin repeated his threats in his final annual news conference as president.