|
April 14 - 18, 2003
[ Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday ]
|
Monday, April 14, 2003 |
Pawlenty signs 24-hour abortion waiting period
Gov. Tim Pawlenty has signed into a law a measure that would require any woman seeking an abortion to wait 24 hours before the procedure is done. Minnesota is now the 19th state to have such a law. The Minnesota Senate passed the bill and sent it to the governor earlier Monday afternoon. Supporters of the waiting period say it provides women with information about possible risks. Opponents say the bill is an attempt to chip away at a woman's right to choose.
U of M, city respond to riot
University of Minnesota officials say they're looking for a way to respond to student misconduct off campus. Police arrested 11 U students Saturday night for allegedly damaging property in Dinkytown next to the campus after the U men's hockey team won a championship game. The 11 face expulsion from the U if they broke laws on university property. However, the U's student conduct code doesn't apply if they broke laws off campus. Other schools have off-campus student conduct codes and U officials say they need one.
Final telescope in NASA's Great Observatories program ready to launch
A new NASA telescope may help scientists discover unknown planets and explore the early days of the universe. Bob Gehrz is a professor of astronomy at the University of Minnesota who has been working on the Space Infrared Telescope for nearly 30 years. Gehrz says the solar-powered telescope will be the first to map infrared, or heat, emissions. He says unlike the Hubble, which relied on visible light, the infrared telescope will be able to see through the clouds of dust in the atmosphere.
Body and soul
John Murray's work as a doctor feeds his fiction. The Australian writer has practiced medicine in developing countries around the globe. He draws on his experiences as a humanitarian worker in his debut collection of short stories A Few Short Notes on Tropical Butterflies.
|
|
Tuesday, April 15, 2003 |
Tax debate heats up at Capitol
On the deadline for Americans to file their taxes, the tax debate heated up a notch at the Capitol. Several groups used Tuesday's filing deadline to either call for tax increases or argue for holding the line on taxes. At the same time, the House is moving quickly to approve budget bills that conform with Gov. Pawlenty's no-tax-increase pledge.
Pawlenty takes his no-taxes message to DFL country
Gov. Tim Pawlenty took his no-new-taxes message to Duluth on Tuesday. He spoke to a neighborhood business group. Protesters outside and business leaders inside expressed reservations about the governor's plan, but Pawlenty stuck to his message.
New grad standards released while education budget is debated
Gov. Tim Pawlenty's administration briefs lawmakers Tuesday on a revised set of English and math standards meant to replace the Profile of Learning. The administration released the updated standards Monday, just as House lawmakers revealed a $12 billion education package that closely follows the governor's spending recommendations.
Traffic fatalities rose in 2002
More people died on Minnesota roads in 2002 than any year in the past two decades.
Kathy Swanson is the director of the Office of Traffic Safety at the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. She says last year's traffic death toll reached 657, despite her agency's efforts to prevent fatalities.
|
|
Wednesday, April 16, 2003 |
Bill would forbid state health workers from striking
A provision in the House Health and Human Services budget bill would forbid 3,000 state workers from striking. The provision would declare workers at regional treatment centers, group homes and other state-run health facilities essential employees. The state already forbids several categories of state employees from walking off the job, most notably law enforcement and corrections officers.
Northwest losses more than double in first quarter
Northwest Airlines said Wednesday that its losses soared nearly 132 percent in the first quarter as the war in Iraq and higher fuel costs battered the travel industry. Chief Executive Richard Anderson also said he saw no signs of improvement, and more cost-cutting was ahead. In March, Northwest cut its work force by 4,900 positions and grounded 20 airplanes.
Math scores suffer, reading improve in latest test results
Reading scores on this year's 8th grade Basic Skills Tests improved slightly, while math scores slipped for the first time in four years. State education officials released test results on Wednesday for individual schools, school districts and the state as a whole. They say minority students continue to lag far behind.
More felony charges likely in Dinkytown riot
Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar says more felony charges are likely in connection with Sunday's Dinkytown riot. Prosecutors charged one 19-year-old yesterday with felony property damage.
The rioters torched dumpsters and overturned cars after the University of Minnesota men's hockey team won the NCAA national championship. Chris Pesklo was one of only a few onlookers who tried to stop the riots. He has lived in Dinkytown for almost 16 years. He says it wasn't hard for him to decide when it was time to step in.
|
|
Thursday, April 17, 2003 |
Budget woes hit home as firefighters lose their jobs in Minneapolis
Friday is the last official day of work for 34 Minneapolis firefighters who have been cut to offset expected cuts in state aid. Some firefighters will return to jobs they held before joining the force; others face unemployment. But many say they are more concerned about what the layoffs will mean to the residents of Minneapolis.
The bears go to town
Black bears have lumbered into Duluth looking for food ever since the city was founded. Now, bears have taken up residence inside the city. The Department of Natural Resources says about 10 bears live fulltime in town. And some of those bears are making people anxious. But there's disagreement over what to do.
Mayo, U of M forge bioscience alliance
Minnesota's premier research institutions formalized an alliance Thursday in what Gov. Tim Pawlenty termed a "historic" step toward making the state a world leader in cutting-edge science fields. Pawlenty and leaders of Rochester's Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota announced a plan to have the state devote more than $100 million over the next few years to get the partnership up and running.
Minneapolis cuts summer school
The Minneapolis School District is reducing its summer education programs because of Gov. Tim Pawlenty's proposed budget cuts.
Germs now or poison later
Ten years ago, only a few dozen products containing antibacterial agents were being marketed to American consumers; now more than 700 are available. Today nearly 90 percent of the hand soaps sold in the United States contain the antibacterial agent triclosan. A new study by researchers at the University of Minnesota shows that sunlight can convert the popular disinfectant into dioxin, a group of chemical compounds that may cause cancer in humans.
|
|
Friday, April 18, 2003 |
Little pill sparks new debate
A new marketing campaign in South Dakota is sparking an old debate. This time a birth control pill is the target. Officials from Planned Parenthood want women to know there are medical options besides abortion. Opponents of legal abortion says the pill promotes promiscuity and is an easy fix.
Gambling revenue bill moving through Legislature
After years of lopsided and convincing defeats, the Canterbury Park racetrack is poised to enter the video slot machine business. A bill to install 2,000 machines is awaiting a vote in the traditionally hostile House, and has the backing of Speaker Steve Sviggum. The plan is even built into the Republican majority's budget-balancing worksheets. But opponents of the plan say the move is politically motivated and has little to do with the extra revenue the state might reap from the venture. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports.
Hoop Dreams director debuts new film
The latest film from the Academy-award nominated director of Hoop Dreams opens in Minneapolis today.
Years ago, filmmaker Steve James signed up for the Big Brother/Big Sister program. He hoped he would be assigned a young boy who liked sports and needed a male role model. Instead, he got a hyperactive, troubled kid named Stevie.
After losing touch with Stevie for more than 10 years, James decided to track down his Little Brother. The film follows him back to rural Illinois and into the life of the now 20-something Stevie. James says the documentary took a direction he never anticipated.
|
| All Things Considered Archive |
|
|
|
© 2009 | Home : Terms of Use : Your Privacy Rights