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January 31 - February 4, 2005
[ Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday ]
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Monday, Jan. 31, 2005 |
Rybak's running
Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak is officially running for re-election. He made that announcement Sunday near the place he started his first campaign for elected office four years ago. At that time, he was a grassroots candidate battling against an established incumbent. Now Rybak has a political track record that makes him the target for challengers. Minnesota Public Radio's Art Hughes reports.
Minnesota gets high grade and a warning on management
A new report gives Minnesota a B+ for government performance -- putting the state in the upper cluster of top-performers. But the non-partisan study also warns that recent gridlock at the Legislature could jeopardize that ranking and undo years of solid progress. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo has more.
Soldiers return home to northern Minnesota
A group of Minnesota soldiers is back home this morning, leaving Iraq just before the election began. About 75 members of the 477th Medical Company have been on active duty since 2003, ferrying medical supplies and transporting injured soldiers and civilians. Lt. Jeremy Doesken of Cloquet says the homecoming this weekend was unbelievable.
Lawmakers back at Capitol this week to wrestle with state budget
Minnesota lawmakers will be back at the Capitol this week, wrestling with the state budget. Last week, Gov. Tim Pawlenty released his proposal for solving the state's projected $700 million shortfall. He's pledged to close the gap without raising taxes, but his plan would make thousands of people ineligible for state-subsidized health care. Laura McCallum is Minnesota Public Radio's capitol bureau chief.
Monday Markets
Minnesota Public Radio's Chief Economics Correspondent Chris Farrell discusses the latest economic news.
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Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2005 |
Audit: Fairview generous to execs, but aggressive in collecting payments
Fairview Health Services is coming under harsh criticism from Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch. In a report released yesterday, Hatch is critical of Fairview's executive pay system. He also takes issue with Fairview executives for hiring collection agents to garnish bank accounts and wages if patients don't pay their bills. Fairview says it will examine the report and will consider Hatch's recommendations. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports.
Pawlenty revives proposed sex-offender crackdown
Gov. Pawlenty has outlined a series of proposals to lock up and track sex offenders. The budget he released last week includes nearly $80 million for sex offenders programs, and he also wants the state to borrow money for additional prison beds. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports on the plan which Pawlenty unveiled Monday.
Waseca schools break new ground in teacher pay
A group of state legislators travels to south-central Minnesota on Tuesday to see how a small school district is changing the way its teachers get paid. Members of the House Education Policy and Education Finance committees will be in Waseca, where the teachers could soon earn bonuses based on their classroom performance. Gov. Tim Pawlenty is pushing such incentives as the centerpiece of his education agenda. For teachers and administrators in Waseca, the new system has been a slow evolution. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.
Pawlenty calls for greater surveillance of released sex offenders
Gov. Tim Pawlenty is urging lawmakers to be tougher on sex offenders. The governor Monday released a proposal more exhaustive than the one he pursued last year. The governor wants lawmakers to adopt longer sentences for sex offenders, and he wants an automatic life sentence without the possibility of parole for certain sex crimes. The governor is also calling for greater surveillance of offenders released from prison. Harley Nelson is a deputy commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Corrections who oversees field services for released prisoners, including sex offenders. He talked with Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer.
Metro drivers already noticing potholes
If you've been driving around the metro area the past couple of days, you've probably noticed some potholes. The cracks and craters are a common problem in Minnesota. In fact, the State Patrol is threatening to ticket motorists near the southern Minnesotan town of Brownsdale if they keep driving on the shoulder to avoid potholes on Minnesota Highway 56. Kent Barnard is a spokesperson for the Minnesota Department of Transportation. He talked with Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer.
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Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2005 |
On Social Security issue, Minnesota delegation splits
The future of Social Security is likely to dominate this year's Congress. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik surveyed Minnesota's entire delegation about Social Security reform, and he has this report.
American Express to spin off financial advisors business
American Express is spinning off its Minneapolis-based money management arm to shareholders. The decision will give Minneapolis the headquarters of another Fortune 500 company, one with $7 billion in annual revenue. But the change also brings new uncertainty to American Express Financial Advisors, which has been trying to improve its investment performance. Minnesota Public Radio's Bill Catlin reports.
Clinic tries new approach to providing dental care for poor
Poor people in Minnesota have a tough time finding dental care. Most dentists in the state limit the number of Medical Assistance and Minnesota Care patients they see. That's because those programs don't fully reimburse dentists for the cost of treatment. A new dental clinic in Park Rapids is taking a new approach to dental access. The clinic is run by the local hospital and serves only public health patients. It integrates dentistry into a comprehensive public health program. Creators of the clinic say they believe it's the only one of its kind in the country. Mainstreet Radio's Tom Robertson reports.
Minnesota's new CWD strategy
Three years ago hunters and wildlife specials were panicked by the possibility that Chronic Wasting Disease could enter the Minnesota deer herd. For most people that fear has faded. But efforts to stop the spread of the disease are still underway. In fact, by the end of this week, University of Minnesota researchers will have completed tests on roughly 13,000 samples gathered from the fall deer hunt. Now after three years and no positive cases, the Department of Natural Resources plans to discontinue its wide scale surveillance program in favor of more targeted testing. Mainstreet Radio's Erin Galbally reports.
New documentary celebrates black political oratory
There is a rich tradition of black political speechmaking in this country which includes great orators such as Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, Barbara Jordan and Martin Luther King Jr. A new documentary from Minnesota Public Radio's American RadioWorks celebrates some of the best speeches of the 20th century. It's called "Say it Plain."
Minnesota dentists offer free services for low-income kids
Hundreds of dentists across Minnesota will offer free services this Friday and Saturday to kids who can't afford dental visits. It's called "Give Kids a Smile." Dr. Scott Lingle is the former president of the Minnesota Dental Association. He spoke with Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer.
Mark Seeley explains this week's weather warmup
University of Minnesota Climatologist Mark Seeley usually joins us on Fridays to discuss the weather, but we called him a couple of days early for an explanation of what's behind this week's warmup. Seeley spoke with Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer.
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Thursday, Feb. 3, 2005 |
Bad air days
This is the fourth day of an air pollution alert for much of southern and eastern Minnesota. In the Twin Cities, air quality is still considered unhealthy for sensitive people. In other parts of the state, like Duluth and Rochester, pollution levels are also high. The good news is that winds are beginning to blow some of that bad air away around Duluth. By late today or tomorrow, the Twin Cities should see an improvement too. State officials say this pocket of unhealthy air is a rare occurrence for Minnesota, which has relatively clean air most of the year. But environmental and health groups worry that pollution alerts may not be so rare in the years to come. Minnesota Public Radio's Lorna Benson reports.
President Bush begins five-state tour to promote Social Security plan
President Bush today begins a five-state tour to sell his pitch for adding private investment accounts to Social Security. His first stop, later this morning, is in Fargo, North Dakota. Larry Jacobs is a political scientist at the University of Minnesota's Humphrey Institute who's been watching the debate over Social Security and public response to it. He spoke with Morning Edition's Cathy Wurzer.
"Politics in Minnesota" ceases publication after 23 years
Lawmakers, lobbyists, policy wonks and party activists know a must-read publication in these parts is the newsletter "Politics in Minnesota." The final issue of the newsletter was published yesterday, after 23 years of covering state politics and the key players. The two founding editors, Wy Spano and D.J. Leary, decided they could no longer devote enough attention
to the newsletter. D.J. Leary spoke with Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer.
Opera takes on bullies
You might think melodrama, angst and tragedy of operatic proportions are part of being a teenage girl. An opera opening today in Fargo focuses on the emotional pain of girls who are ostracized and bullied. The opera composer says it's a very serious subject that's too long been ignored. Mainstreet Radios Dan Gunderson reports.
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Friday, Feb. 4, 2005 |
Despite calls for bipartisanship, bickering rules the day
Lawmakers at the Minnesota Capitol have spoken often this year about working together in a spirit of bipartisanship. That spirit took a hit yesterday during debate over a resolution honoring the late President Ronald Reagan. Republican Sen. Michele Bachmann of Stillwater proposed to honor Reagan - who would have turned 94 on Sunday - with a resolution noting his accomplishments. The former Republican president died last June. Bachmann praised Reagan on the floor of the Senate.
Atrazine under fire from environmentalists
Atrazine, a common weed killer used by corn and sorghum farmers, is under attack in Minnesota. Environmental groups and several state lawmakers want to ban or restrict the chemical because some scientists have linked it to reproductive deformities in frogs. But the company that makes atrazine says it has not been able to duplicate any of those results. Minnesota Public Radio's Lorna Benson reports.
Flu hits Minnesotans
Feel achy? Have a fever? You may have the flu. Cases have been popping up across the state, and health officials say the flu season has not yet hit its peak. Kris Ehresmann is the Chief of the Vaccine Preventable Disease and Tuberculosis Unit at the Minnesota Department of Health. She says a certain pocket of the state has been particularly hard hit recently.
American Express Financial Advisors looking for new name
American Express Financial Advisors will soon be looking for a new name. American Express announced this week that it will spin off its Minneapolis-based money management arm to shareholders sometime in the third quarter of 2005. The decision will give Minneapolis the headquarters of another Fortune 500 company, one with $7 billion in annual revenue. And while the division can keep its name for a transition period, it will eventually have to come up with something else. Nicole Garrison-Sprenger covered the story for this week's edition of The Business Journal. She spoke with MPR's Cathy Wurzer.
Climatologist Mark Seeley's weather comments
University of Minnesota Climatologist Mark Seeley discusses the poor air quality alerts that hit many parts of the state this week. Trapped particulates known as soot blanketed the southern half of the state, making the air bad for even healthy people. The area was trapped between two high pressure systems with little wind to blow the pollution out.
Timberwolves fall puzzling to followers
What is wrong with the Minnesota Timberwolves? That is a question basketball fans have been asking all season. After losing to Phoenix by 29 points on Wednesday night, the Wolves record for the season dropped to 24 and 22. If the playoffs began today, Minnesota would not have a good enough record to qualify. And this is a team which made it to the conference finals last year and features the league's most valuable player. When we talked to City Pages writer Brit Robson before the season, he predicted the Wolves would not do as well this year as they did last year. He spoke with MPR's Cathy Wurzer.
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