All Things Considered for November 30, 2006 | Minnesota Public Radio News

Thursday, November 30, 2006

Minnesota Public Radio Stories

Rybak says city will not be deterred in effort to remove Bleskachek as fire chief
Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak says he's disappointed and angry about having to remove Minneapolis Fire Chief Bonnie Bleskachek.5:19 p.m.
Nearly two dozen newspeople leave Pioneer Press
Reporters, photographers and copy editors are among those who said "yes" to a company buyout offer.5:23 p.m.
Rocori shooter's case rests on legal test for insanity
The teenager sentenced to life in prison for killing two students at Rocori High School appealed his murder conviction to the state Supreme Court on Thursday, arguing that the legal test for insanity used at his trial was outdated.5:50 p.m.
The teenage brain
For more 150 years the M'Naghten Rule has been the legal standard by which the insanity defense has been measured. More recent research in the differences between the adult and adolescent brain may challenge M'Naghten when applied to young defendants. To learn more about the uniqueness of the adolescent mind, MPR's Tom Crann called on David Walsh, president of the National Institute on Media and the Family and author of "Why Do They Act That Way--A Survival Guide to the Adolescent Brain for You and Your Teen."5:52 p.m.
Monson resigns as Gopher men's basketball coach
University of Minnesota head basketball coach Dan Monson stepped down Thursday after a disappointing start to his eighth season with the Gophers. Monson cited his own inability to spark success on the court. His resignation comes after the Gophers lost their last five games.6:25 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

Litvinenko Inquiry Centers on 12 Sites, 5 Airplanes
British police investigating former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko's death in London say they have found traces of radioactivity at 12 sites in the city -- and in five aircraft, as well. Litvinenko's apparent murder has become a story with very broad implications. Now doctors believe a former Russian prime minister may have been poisoned, as well.
Polonium: Harmless Unless Ingested
Following the poisoning of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko, British authorities are following a trail of radioactive contamination. Litvinenko died from the effects of absorbing a rare radioactive element, Polonium 210.
NPR Host's Lunch in London Intersects Spy Case
NPR's Weekend Edition host Scott Simon was recently in London with his wife and young daughter. During their stay, they ate at the Itsu Sushi restaurant, the infamous site where former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko met with a contact before contracting fatal Polonium poisoning. Traces of the radioactive element have been found at the restaurant.
Holiday Boom Seems to Skip Wal-Mart Stores
Wal-Mart's sales dropped a bit in November, the first monthly decline for the giant retailer in 10 years. But while Wal-Mart's sales seem to have flattened, other retailers are reporting robust holiday season business so far.
Microsoft's Vista System Makes Debut
Microsoft releases the business version of Vista, its new operating system the system. The system, years in the making, is years behind schedule. Retailers expect demand for Vista to be slow. In addition to new system requirements, some businesses fear the high cost of rolling it out. Technology webcaster/broadcaster Leo Laporte reports.
Maliki Assures Bush on Iraqi Force's Readiness
Iraq's prime minister says he thinks his country's forces will be ready to take full control of Iraq's security by next June. Nouri al-Maliki and President Bush discussed the issue at their meeting earlier today in Jordan.
National Guard Family Adjusts to Deployment
There are 35,000 National Guard troops currently serving in Iraq, a quarter of the U.S. military. When husbands and wives are deployed overseas, the families left behind cope with their absence differently. Monica Brady-Myerov of member station WBUR in Boston introduces us to one National Guard family and how they're managing.
A Soldier's Choice: To Re-Up, or Not?
Michele Norris talks with Zack Bazzi, one of several American soldiers who filmed their experience in Iraq for the recent documentary The War Tapes. In December, Bazzi, who was born in Lebanon and lived there until he was 10, will graduate from the University of New Hampshire. Soon after that, he'll set off for Afghanistan, where he will be involved in a program to train Afghan troops.
Auschwitz Prisoner Fights to Recover Her Paintings
In 1944, the notorious Nazi Josef Mengele ordered Dina Babbitt to paint portraits of Gypsy prisoners at Auschwitz concentration camp. Babbitt, 83, is trying to recover the works, which are in the museum at the site of the camp.
Iraq Group to Call for Pulling Back Troops
A bipartisan commission on U.S. policy in Iraq will urge a pullback of some U.S. troops in Iraq, but will not recommend a specific timetable for withdrawing U.S. forces, according to an official familiar with the panel's deliberations.