All Things Considered for April 16, 2010 | Minnesota Public Radio News

Friday, April 16, 2010

Minnesota Public Radio Stories

Anna Quindlen explores life's sudden changes
Anna Quindlen's new novel "Every Last One" grew out of her feeling that many of the people around her believed they could protect themselves from life's random acts.4:44 p.m.
St. Paul attorney on the front lines of church abuse crisis
Attorney Jeffrey Anderson has an unorthodox resume for a man who thinks he may be bringing the Catholic Church to a watershed moment in history. Recent disclosures of church documents in Wisconsin and northern Minnesota have brought Anderson's 30-year legal campaign against child abuse by clergy to the gates of the Vatican.4:50 p.m.
U of M, Met Council reach tentative agreement on Central Corridor
The University of Minnesota and planners of the Central Corridor light-rail line have struck a tentative deal that would allow the project to move forward.5:24 p.m.
Gay advocacy groups applaud Obama hospital visitation rights order
Local advocacy groups for gays and lesbians are applauding President Barack Obama's directive to give same-sex couples visitation rights in hospitals.5:38 p.m.
Mpls fire investigation raises questions about inspections
A fundraiser is scheduled Friday night for some of the surviving family members of a Minneapolis fire two weeks ago, which killed six people. Funerals and more fundraisers are scheduled in the days and weeks ahead, even as many questions remain about how the fire could have happened.5:51 p.m.
For the record: Vintage Music
State of the Arts blogger Marianne Combs paid an homage to record stores on a recent trip to Vintage Music in Minneapolis. There she was treated to a tour, and a lesson on music history, by owner Scott Holthus.6:20 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

Battle In Afghanistan Highlights Bravery, Failures
A battle following a Taliban attack on a combat outpost last fall in Afghanistan that killed eight soldiers and injured two dozen others highlights the best and worst of the American military: troops fought bravely, but some think they were put at unnecessary risk.
Feds Accuse Goldman Sachs Of Fraud
Federal regulators on Friday accused Goldman Sachs of defrauding investors. The Securities and Exchange Commission said Goldman sold a collateralized-debt obligation, or CDO, but withheld pertinent information from investors. The SEC said investors weren't told a prominent hedge-fund manager had not only handpicked the securities in the CDO, but was also betting against it.
Making Billions Betting Against Toxic Investments
The client implicated in the fraud Goldman Sachs is accused of is one of the world's largest hedge funds, Paulson & Co. The fund is run by John Paulson, who made billions by betting against subprime mortgage securities. Robert Siegel talks with Gregory Zuckerman, author of The Greatest Trade Ever: The Behind-the-Scenes Story of How John Paulson Defied Wall Street and Made Financial History.
LA Police Chief During Rodney King Riots Dies
Daryl Gates, the controversial former police chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, has died. He is best known for creating SWAT teams and for his handling -- or mishandling -- of the riots that followed the acquittal of four white police officers on most charges in the beating of black motorist Rodney King.
Travelers In Limbo At JFK
Volcanic ash from Iceland has shut down major airports throughout Europe. At John F. Kennedy airport in New York, travelers bound for Europe are dealing with flight problems the caused by the eruption.
Airport Closures Bring Silence For London Resident
For 29 years, Margaret Thorburn has lived under the flight path of London's Heathrow Airport. Noise from planes flying overhead affects her daily life. She talks with Robert Siegel about how the airport's closure due to volcanic ash has brought silence.
Hospitals Ordered To Follow End-Of-Life Care Wishes
President Obama's memo requiring hospitals that participate in Medicare and Medicaid to allow gay partners to visit patients also included a second, also controversial, provision. It requires the Department of Health and Human Services to ensure that those same hospitals obey all rules regarding patients' desires to be kept alive -- or not -- using artificial means.
Week In Politics: Nuke Summit, Financial Bill
President Obama hosted a nuclear summit in Washington this week, while Democratic lawmakers prepared to introduce legislation on financial regulation. Columnists E.J. Dionne of The Washington Post and David Brooks of The New York Times talk with Robert Siegel about the week in politics.
A State Microbe For Cheese-Crazed Wisconsin?
A bill to designate lactococcus lactis the official state microbe passed the Wisconsin Assembly yesterday, and now awaits action in the state senate. Lactococcus lactis is the bacterium used to make cheese, and Wisconsin makes a lot of cheese. For more on the microbe, Michele Norris talks with Elio Schaechter, a microbiologist and visiting scholar at UC San Diego.
'Secrets' And Lies Drive An Oscar-Worthy Thriller
Juan Jose Campanella's The Secret in Their Eyes, took the foreign-film trophy for a story about a retired investigator who sets out to solve -- and write a book about -- the rape and murder case that stymied him 25 years ago.