All Things Considered for February 21, 2006 | Minnesota Public Radio News

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Minnesota Public Radio Stories

Boil order ends in St. Cloud
The order to boil the drinking water in St. Cloud and nearby St. Augusta was lifted Tuesday afternoon after another round of water quality tests showed no E. coli contamination.5:19 p.m.
Trial begins in 36-year old cop killing
A Ramsey County prosecutor said the man accused of conspiring to kill a St. Paul police officer nearly 36 years ago was attacking a symbol of the white establishment. Attorneys gave their opening statements Tuesday in the trial of Ronald Reed, 54, who is accused of aiding and abetting the 1970 murder of Officer James Sackett.5:23 p.m.
Dr. Hallberg: A surprise cure for the common cough
Coughing is the most common complaint for which patients seek medical attention. But the most common remedies, over-the-counter cough medications, have been proven clinically ineffective. New recommendations out from the American College of Chest Physicians suggest that very basic antihistamine and antiinflammatory drugs such as the pain reliever Aleve might be the best cure for the common cough.5:48 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

Bush Defends Deal to Entrust Ports to Dubai Firm
President Bush says a deal to allow a company owned by the government of Dubai -- one of the United Arab Emirates -- to operate six U.S. seaports is no threat to port security. He promises to veto any effort to stop it. Lawmakers, including Republicans, have criticized the decision.
Retired Commander Urges Stronger Port Security
Retired Coast Guard Commander Stephen Flynn talks with Robert Siegel about a Dubai-based company's potential operating rights at major U.S. ports. Flynn says that the United States needs to bolster security at its shipping ports.
Three Ohio Men Indicted on Terrorism Charges
Three men who lived in Ohio have been indicted on federal charges that they planned attacks to kill U.S. troops in Iraq and elsewhere. One of the men allegedly threatened President Bush. The indictment does not say how far the plot had developed or whether defendants had contact with conspirators or undercover agents.
Embattled Harvard President Will Resign
Harvard University's Lawrence Summers announces that he will resign at the end of the academic year. The move comes a week before the Faculty of Arts and Sciences was expected to take a second no-confidence vote on Summers, who has been criticized for his abrasive personality and intemperate remarks.
U.K.'s Arctic Monkeys Try to Win American Fans
The Arctic Monkeys' CD, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, is the fastest-selling debut album in U.K. history. Their first two singles topped the British charts and their CD is being released in the United States.
High Court Hears Challenge to Clean Water Act
The Supreme Court hears arguments about a challenge to the Clean Water Act. The case involves a developer who refuses to apply for a permit to build on wetland-designated property. He says the federal act should not apply to the land, which is 20 miles from Lake Huron.
Wetlands Show Effect of Court's Last Decision
Five years ago, the Supreme Court blocked the federal government from regulating small, isolated wetlands and streams and returned those powers to the states. In some areas, such as the Houston suburbs, there is no effective regulation and thousands of acres are being filled in with dirt.
Firefighter Who Awoke From Coma Dies
Donald Herbert, a firefighter from Buffalo, N.Y., who awoke from a 10-year coma last year, died today. Herbert, 44, was thrust into the spotlight when he suddenly awoke from a coma and talked to his family for 14 hours. Retired fire lieutenant Patrick Coghlan talks with Melissa Block about Herbert's dramatic but temporary recovery.
Hallmark Writers Get Advice from Poet Laureate
Ted Kooser, the nation's poet laureate, has been traveling around the country talking to librarians, school children and other groups about poetry. One of his stops was in Kansas City, Mo., where he led a workshop with some of Hallmark's greeting card writers.
High Court Takes Up Partial-Birth Abortion Case
The Supreme Court votes to review a case stemming from the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act. The federal law has been struck down by judges in three states. Those states say that the act doesn't make an exception for using the technique to save the health of the mother.