Monday, August 27

When Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch releases his audit of Allina Health System sometime in the next few weeks, health-care experts and policy makers say it won't resolve the dispute over spending practices of the state's HMOs. In March, Hatch released some of his findings in court documents, which alleged Allina spent nearly half of its premium dollars on administrative expenses. Hatch critics say those figures are misleading and call his investigation overreaching. HMO critics say the audit will offer a look into the often private spending practices of a health plan. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports.

Two months after lawmakers barely averted a government shutdown, the state is now facing another potential shutdown because of a labor dispute. About 30,000 state employees vote this week on whether to walk off the job in mid-September. If members of the state's two largest public employee unions reject the state's latest contract offer, it would be the first state employee strike in 20 years - and the largest ever. Union representatives say a strike appears imminent, and state officials are preparing for the possibility. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.

On September 4, MPR is sponsoring a debate with the six leading candidates for mayor of St. Paul. On September 5 we'll have a debate with the four leading candidates for mayor of Minneapolis. In each city, there are quite a few other candidates on the ballot. Over the next two weeks, we'll talk with those candidates. The people running in St. Paul can be heard on All Things Considered in the afternoon. On Morning Edition, you'll hear from the Minneapolis candidates for mayor. Today, we'll hear from John Hartwig, a real estate broker who lives near Lake Calhoun. Hartwig is 64-years old, and calls himself an Independent. He talked with Minnesota Public Radio's Julie Siple. Hartwig says he is running for mayor because of something that happened to him outside a Minneapolis grocery store.

The honking of a flight of geese is a common sound across Minnesota, perhaps a bit too common. Later this fall, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will propose options for reducing the population of giant Canada geese. A flock of the big birds can quickly denude a farm field, eating into many farmers' income. The birds are also a big nuisance in urban areas because of the mess they leave behind. Biologists say it's critical the population be reduced. Mainstreet Radios Dan Gunderson reports.

The govenor is back in the state today after spending yesterday in New Jersey, campaigning for gubernatorial candidate, Bill Schulter. Schulter is a Republican state senator, but he's running for higher office as an Independant. Ventura appeared at a $1,000-a-person fund raiser last night. Dave Kinney, a reporter, covered the event for the Newark Star Ledger newspaper.

Typically in courtrooms, it's the judges who do the observing, the evaluating of other people's behavior. But in Hennepin County, judges are subjecting themselves to scrutiny. The judges have asked independent observers to critique their courtroom conduct in hopes of improving the fairness of the justice system. Minnesota Public Radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports.

While the Minneapolis mayoral race has taken center stage this election year, there are about 40 other candidates running for various positions, from the city council, to the school board, and from the parks board to the board of estimate and taxation. Monday night residents had an opportunity to meet many of the lesser-known candidates at a candidate bazaar in southwest Minneapolis. Minnesota Public Radio's Marisa Helms reports.

In fact, MPR is sponsoring a debate with the six leading candidates for mayor of St. Paul, on September 4. On September 5 we'll have a debate with the four leading candidates for mayor of Minneapolis. In each city, there are quite a few other candidates on the ballot. Over the next two weeks, we'll be hearing from those candidates. The people running in St. Paul can be heard on All Things Considered in the afternoon. On Morning Edition, you'll hear from the Minneapolis candidates for mayor. Marcus Harcus is 23-years old and lives in the Near North area of Minneapolis. He quit his job in order to run for mayor. He belongs to the People's Party, a party he helped create. Harcus told Minnesota Public Radio's Eugene Cha his message is based on one phrase.

State law requires that neighbors be told, when certain sex offenders are released back into a community. There is often worry among residents, who fear the convict will reoffend. Later today, at a national conference of probation and parole officers in St. Paul, there will be some research presented on whether treatment for sex offenders really works. One of the presenters is Robin Goldman, a psychologist and sex offender treatment program director at the state corrections facility at Lino Lakes. She says psychologists have made great progress in treatment approaches in recent years.

Later today, the Minnesota News Council will have a forum on whether race plays a role in the reporting of sports news. One of the topics will include local coverage of controversies involving two white coaches and and two black coaches in high-profile positions. The white coaches are former University of Minnesota men's basketball coach Jim Dutcher, and former men's hockey coach Doug Woog. The black coaches are former U of M basketball coach Clem Haskins, and current Minnesota Vikings coach Dennis Green. Gary Gilson, executive director of the Minnesota News Council says that the news council often responds to requests to have public discussions about issues.

A group of Minnesotans is in Durban, South Africa, just days before the United Nations conference on racism begins later this week. They are there despite the Bush Administration's decision not to send representatives to the conference because they say that language in the conference's agenda is anti-Israel. Joining us on the line from South Africa is John Powell, executive director of the Institute on Race and Poverty at the University of Minnesota.

South Dakota becomes the final state in the nation to allow cameras in the courtroom. Wednesday and Thursday, the South Dakota Supreme Court will allow video and audio coverage of oral arguments. For years, South Dakota and Mississippi were the only holdouts among the 50 states. There's an effort in congress called the "Sunshine in the Courtroom" act to open federal courtrooms to television and radio coverage. While history is being made today in South Dakota, present practice shows that even when courtrooms are open to cameras, rarely are cases covered. Mainstreet Radio's Cara Hetland reports.

A study of the Minneapolis school district's four-year experiment with later start times shows high school students are getting more sleep and they're showing up more often for classes. But researchers at the University of Minnesota have yet show whether the schedule change met its primary goal of improved student achievement. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.

Minneapolis businessman Basim Sabri pleaded innocent to bribery charges yesterday in Federal District Court. Sabri is accused of offering $95,000 to then-city council member Brian Herron in an effort to win political favors. Minnesota Public Radio's Art Hughes reports.

A new study commissioned by a Twin Cities media watchdog group says black coaches who receive bad press are more likely to have their careers ruined than are white coaches. The report was released last night in St. Paul during a media forum on whether race is a factor in sports reporting. Minnesota Public Radio's Marisa Helms was at the forum and has this report.

It's pretty unusual for the subject of mysticism to find its way into a discussion about a football book, but Austin Murphy's Sweet Season is not your typical football book. Murphy, who lives in California and writes for Sports Illustrated, spent four months in Collegeville, Minn. with the St. John's football team and it's legendary coach John Gagliardi. While he was on campus, Murphy learned about mysticism from religious studies professor John Parenti.

On September 11, Twin Cities voters will narrow the list of candidates for mayor of Minneapolis and St. Paul from 38 to four. MPR is sponsoring debates with the leading candidates on September 4 and 5. Between now and the primary, you can hear the other candidates for mayor of St. Paul in the afternoon on All Things Considered. The candidates for Minneapolis mayor can be heard right here on Morning Edition. One of those candidates is Rodney Johar. Johari has lived in Minneapolis for over 30 years, and currently lives in the Hawthorne neighborhood of North Minneapolis. He is a Republican, and while he has a background in law and financial services, he's now a writer trying to publish his first book. Johari says there's a void of leadership in Minneapolis, and he'd be more like the current mayor of St. Paul.

On September 11, primary voters in Minneapolis and St. Paul will narrow a large field of mayoral candidates to two in each city. Here on

Gas prices have surged again, just in time for the long Labor Day weekend. A gallon of regular unleaded now costs an average of $1.82 in Minnesota, up 26 cents a gallon from this time last week. The recent price spikes have caught the attention of one member of the Minnesota Legislature. Rep. Greg Davids R-Preston, plans to hold a House Commerce Committee hearing in September to investigate the sudden prices changes. Officials say a fire at an Illinois refinery is partially to blame for increases this past week. Representative Davids joins us now.

A man facing sex crime charges in Minneapolis is asking that his confession be tossed out because police failed to inform him of his rights under international law. Under the 1963 Vienna Convention, police must tell arrested foreign nationals that they have a right to have their home consulate notified without delay. The Minneapolis case is significant not only for foreigners in this country but for the four million U.S. citizens who travel abroad. Minnesota Public Radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports.

St. Paul voters will soon narrow the field of candidates hoping to succeed Mayor Norm Coleman, who is not running for re-election. The two candidates emerging from the September 11 primary will likely come from a group that includes Jay Benanav, Randy Kelly, Jerry Blakey, Bob Long, Bob Kessler, and Bobbi Megard. Today, in the first of two stories taking a closer look at the leading contenders, William Wilcoxen has this report on candidates Megard, Long, and Kessler.

New data released by the U.S. Census Bureau Friday show a continuing decline in the poverty rate across the country. The study indicates Minnesota is doing especially well in comparison to other states. Since the data estimates are used to administer federal programs for the poor, some Minnesota poverty experts worry the latest figures could end up hurting Minnesota's most vulnerable populations. Minnesota Public Radio's Marisa Helms reports.