All Things Considered for June 18, 2007 | Minnesota Public Radio News

Monday, June 18, 2007

Minnesota Public Radio Stories

Duluth negotiating with Petters to fill vacant airbase
The parent company of Minnesota's Sun Country Airlines may be the new tenant for the former Northwest Airlines maintenance base in Duluth. The deal could reactivate a multimillion dollar facility that's been empty for two years.5:20 p.m.
State health commissioner defends decision to keep cancer death numbers secret
Minnesota's commissioner of health is defending her decision to withhold information about deaths from a rare form of cancer.5:23 p.m.
Fibrominn powers ahead with turkey litter
When you flip on your lights now, you may be tapping into the region's newest source of electricity; a plant in Benson that's the first facility in the country to make power by burning turkey litter.5:50 p.m.
As foreclosures mount, more people are considering bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a long shot. A lot of people are ending up in the double bind of foreclosure and bankruptcy.5:54 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

U.S. Car Makers Warm to Parts of Energy Bill
Detroit has not embraced the tougher mileage requirements proposed in the Senate energy bill, but some American automakers are embracing the mandate for more homegrown fuels, such as ethanol.
Fuel Economy Proposal Meets Resistance in Detroit
Proposed legislation would raise the requirement for Corporate Average Fuel Economy to 35 miles per gallon over 10 years. Automakers recently have said it's impossible for them to meet the fuel efficiency standards in the Senate energy bill.
SUVs and the Politics of the Energy Bill
The energy bill now before Congress focuses on decreasing consumption across various sectors. Among the proposals: eliminating the so-called "Hummer tax loophole" that allows small businesses to write off large luxury SUVs.
Australian Cattle Ranch Welcomes Climate Change
Australia is the world's driest inhabited continent, and some parts are getting drier. Many farmers and ranchers are struggling because of the lack of rain, but for a lucky few, climate change has brought more rain.
Shaky U.S.-Sheikh Alliance Tempers Violence in Iraq
Violence in Iraq's al-Anbar province has dropped dramatically, due in large part to friendly relations between coalition forces and local sheikhs who have allied with the U.S. to fight al-Qaida. But as tribal leaders who had fled the country return home, old rivalries are re-emerging.
Abu Ghraib Investigator Says He Was Forced to Retire
Ret. Army Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba, who was the lead investigator of military personnel working at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison, tells New Yorker magazine that he was forced into retirement because of his findings. Seymour Hersh, investigative reporter for the magazine, talks with Michele Norris about his interview with Taguba, who gave some details that were not made public before his comments were published this week in the magazine.
Civil War Troops' Mini Emancipation Book on Display
As the Emancipation Proclamation is celebrated in many parts of the U.S. on June 19, or "Juneteenth," a copy of the Miniature Emancipation Proclamation that was distributed to Union troops during the Civil War is on display in New York.
Seizing Power from 'The Woman Warrior'
Author Diana Abu-Jaber felt empowered by The Woman Warrior: "Hong Kingston's voice edges between poetry and barely controlled rage throughout this work. I found it to be at once compelling, alien and true."
U.S. Lifts Embargo Against Palestinian Government
The Bush administration announces that it will lift its economic and political embargo against the Palestinian government, as President Bush prepares to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to discuss how to deal with the Fatah-Hamas rivalry.
Aid Flows to Abbas for New Palestinian Government
The U.S. and European Union have pledged support for the new Palestinian government that excludes Hamas, and Israel looks ready to contribute as well. What will be the extent of the influx of aid, and how will it be used?