|
February 7 - 11, 2005
[ Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday ]
|
Monday, Feb. 7, 2005 |
Previewing the week at the State Capitol
Lawmakers at the State Capitol have been in session for about a month. This week, committees in both the House and Senate are expected to dive further into the details of the governor's budget which closes a projected $700 million deficit. Other ideas like a statewide smoking ban, and an increase in the use of ethanol in gasoline are also wending their way through the legislature. MPR's Cathy Wurzer spoke with Minnesota Public Radio's Capitol Bureau Chief Laura McCallum to preview the week ahead.
Six governors meet on managing the Missouri river
Six governors meet today in Sioux Falls at the invitation of South Dakota's Gov. Mike Rounds. Gov. Rounds wants the states along the Missouri river to pressure the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conserve water. It is a plan designed to prevent a crisis. The upper Missouri River basin is in the fifth year of a drought. Spring and summer rains have been below normal. Winter snowfall has been way down too. That means no big spring runoff. Gov. Rounds says if water is not conserved now, downstream states will see rolling electrical black outs and commercial barge traffic could come to a halt. Mainstreet Radio's Cara Hetland reports.
Airlines adjusting to Delta's "SimpliFares"
Airlines and passengers have had a month to digest and react to Delta Airlines dramatic new approach to air fares, called "SimpliFares." Delta slashed its most expensive fares by as much as half and eliminated the much-disliked Saturday night stay requirement. One Wall Street analyst says the change could cost airlines billions of dollars if it is adopted across the industry. But some experts say the effect may be minor and could even help the industry. Minnesota Public Radio's Bill Catlin reports.
Businesses around Xcel still hoping for Wild season
It was a quiet weekend for the National Hockey League and its players' association. There were no meetings or phone calls between the two sides after they parted ways on Friday. No further talks are scheduled in the nearly five-month lockout. The union is apparently standing firm and continuing to reject the league's latest salary cap proposal. Restaurant owners near St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center are hoping the lockout will soon come to an end. The Wild brings 18,000 hockey fans into St. Paul two to three times a week. Minnesota Public Radio's Greta Cunningham reports.
|
|
Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2005 |
St. Paul mayor officially seeks re-election
Incumbent St. Paul Mayor Randy Kelly has announced that he is seeking re-election. Yesterday, Kelly became the third candidate seeking the city's top spot. Ramsey County Commissioner Rafael Ortega and former city council member Chris Coleman hope to unseat Kelly. Minnesota Public Radio's Toni Randolph reports.
Social service advocates say Bush budget hurts
Minneapolis social service providers are wasting no time speaking out against President Bush's proposed federal budget. The spending plan increases defense spending and delivers tax cuts, but reduces or eliminates many popular programs to help poor people. Advocates for the poor held a press conference yesterday afternoon. Minnesota Public Radio's Art Hughes reports.
Farmers take a hit in Bush budget
Farmers take a hit in President Bush's proposed $2.6 trillion budget. The president released his proposal yesterday. He wants to cut farm support programs by almost $6 billion over the next ten years. The president says cuts in farm subsidies are needed to trim the federal deficit which is expected to hit a record $427 billion this year. MPR's Cathy Wurzer spoke with Doug Peterson, president of the Minnesota Farmers Union.
State behind in paying clinics for care
Officials representing 16 low income health clinics say the state of Minnesota owes them about $4 million for health care services performed on Medicaid patients. The Department of Human Services says it is working to fix the mistake, but the lack of funds has forced the clinics to take out loans to meet payroll and maintain other care services. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports.
Some talk about "The Talk"
"The talk," that infamous moment when parents inform their children about sex. It is the stuff of legend, but in reality kids learn about sex from a variety of often confusing sources. A show opening tonight at the Bryant Lake Bowl Theater in Minneapolis explores how young people learn about sexuality from their point of view. It is called "The Talk: An Intercourse on Coming of Age." Minnesota Public Radio's Jim Bickal stopped by a rehearsal and talked with the cast. He has this report.
|
|
Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2005 |
Listings not yet available.
|
|
Thursday, Feb. 10, 2005 |
Dayton won't seek re-election
The political dynamics of the 2006 Minnesota Senate race are very different now that incumbent Democrat Mark Dayton has announced that he will not seek re-election. During his surprise announcement yesterday, Dayton said that he was not the strongest candidate to represent the DFL -- and cited his dislike of political fund-raising. The one-term senator was widely considered vulnerable by Republicans. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo has more.
Dayton's political moments
U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton's unexpected announcement that he will not seek re-election in 2006 is not the first time Dayton has made a surprising decision. From the moment the former department store heir announced his Senate bid nearly five years ago, he has often been an unconventional politician. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.
Fundraising a major factor in Dayton decision
Minnesota U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton's decision not to run for re-election still has a lot of people in political circles talking this morning. Yesterday's announcement came as a surprise, and prompted political pundits to offer up a number of names as possible candidates to replace him. Among the DFLers considering a run, Minneapolis lawyer Mike Ciresi, Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar, and University of Minnesota General Counsel mark Rotenberg. Some DFLers not ruling out a run are State Sen. Majority Leader Dean Johnson, State Sen. Steve Kelly, and U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum. State Rep. Tom Rukavina, DFL activist Buck Humphrey are also not ruling out a run. Minnesota native, comedian, and radio host Al Franken is expected to make an announcement today on whether he is interested. On the Republican side, former U.S. Sen. Rod Grams says he is a candidate for Dayton's seat. Other Republicans considering a run in include U.S. Rep. Mark Kennedy, and U.S. Rep. Gil Gutknecht, businessman Brian Sullivan, Sec. of State Mary Kiffmeyer, and State. Sen. Michele Bachman. Sen. Dayton was high on the list of incumbents targeted by Republicans in next year's elections. In explaining his decision, Dayton cited his dislike of political fundraising. He spent about $12 million of his own money in defeating Republican Rod Grams in 2000, but struggled to raise money for his Senate re-election campaign. MPR's Cathy Wurzer spoke with David Schultz, a professor at Hamline University who specializes in election law and campaign finance.
Changes to eyewitness ID of suspects working
A few hundred law enforcement and legal professionals will gather today in Minneapolis to learn how to get more reliable eyewitness identification of suspects. The ultimate goal of the conference is to help law enforcement agencies be more accurate and prevent mistakes. Conference organizers say mistaken identification can be extremely costly to the system, to the wrongly accused, and to crime victims. Minnesota Public Radio's Brandt Williams reports.
Study says risky behavior affects academic performance
New information from the University of Minnesota's student health survey indicates that risky behavior can significantly lower a student's academic performance. Boynton Health Services officials present the data on student behavior choices today to the university's Board of Regents. Minnesota Public Radio's Marisa Helms reports.
Moose herd dying in northwestern Minnesota
A researcher says the moose population in northwestern Minnesota may not survive. This week, Texas Tech University professor Warren Ballard is presenting the results of a five year study of Minnesota moose mortality. The conclusions are not encouraging for wildlife managers. Mainstreet Radio's Dan Gunderson reports.
Hollywood comes to the Iron Range
Shooting is about to begin on the Iron Range for a movie about women iron miners who fought a landmark legal battle against sexual harassment. It is being directed by New Zealander Nikki Caro - whose "Whale Rider" movie attracted critical acclaim. Caro and some of the stars met with reporters at a news conference in Virginia last night. Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports.
Disney hand drawn animator shows movie about layoffs
A film about the Walt Disney company's hand drawn animation unit will be shown in downtown Minneapolis later today, a day before the Disney Company opens its annual shareholder meeting in the city. But the movie is not a celebration of Disney's hand drawn animation unit that created box office hits like "The Lion King." Rather, it is a film about the company's decision almost three years ago to lay off its entire team of 300 animation artists, and kill a movie-making art form that Disney pioneered. The film is called "Dream on Silly Dreamer" and was made by Dan Lund, one of artists that was laid off. Lund stopped by our studio to talk about his film with MPR's Cathy Wurzer. He says he started thinking about making it as rumors of layoffs circulated among co-workers.
|
|
Friday, Feb. 11, 2005 |
U looks to cut some programs as part of strategic plan
The University of Minnesota is taking a long look at its mission and its position in Minnesota's higher education landscape. University officials are putting together a strategic plan that they say represents the most intense review of the U in nearly 15 years. University president Bob Bruininks and Provost Tom Sullivan presented the most advanced incarnation of the plan Thursday to the Board of Regents. Minnesota Public Radio's Marisa Helms reports.
New transportation plan calls for gas tax increase
The top Democrat and Republican members of the Senate Transportation Committee are out with their plan for improving the state's transportation, and it includes an increase in the gas tax. DFL Sen. Steve Murphy and Republican Sen. Mark Ourada Thursday proposed a dime-per-gallon tax hike as part of their plan to raise about $1 billion in new money for roads, bridges and mass transit. Sen. Murphy is the chair of the Senate Transportation Committee. He spoke with Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer.
Potential candidates deciding whether to run for Sen. Dayton's seat
Sen. Mark Dayton's announcement earlier this week that he's not running for re-election has kicked off plenty of discussion about who might run for his seat. One of the most talked about potential candidates, Republican Rep. Mark Kennedy, has a press conference scheduled for Friday. Former U.S. Sen. Rod Grams, who lost his seat to Dayton in 2000, has already said he'll run. Liberal talk show host Al Franken has officially said he won't. Plenty of other possible candidates may still be deciding. Ann Wynia was once in that position. She's a former state representative from St. Paul and was the DFL candidate for U.S. Senate in 1994, when she lost to Rod Grams. She talked with Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer.
Does the world really need another Beethoven's 5th?
It's perhaps the best-known opening in classical music, the crashing chords of Beethoven's 5th Symphony. The Minnesota Orchestra has recently recorded that symphony. On Friday, orchestra officials are releasing details of the 2005-2006 season, and they're also kicking off a 10-day "Beethoven Blitz" to mark the CD's release. Yet at a time when many orchestras are recording less because of economic concerns, some people in the music business are asking if there's really a need for another rendition of Beethoven's 5th. Minnesota Public Radio's Karl Gehrke went to get some answers.
Biotech opportunity may be passing Minnesota by
Gov. Tim Pawlenty and other state officials have said for the last two years that Minnesota is well-positioned to become a leading center of biotechnology. A panel of business, academic and political leaders looked at that question Thursday in Minneapolis. Instead of the enthusiasm often heard at such events, they said Minnesota faces challenges that are keeping the state from becoming a biotech leader. Minnesota Public Radio's Jeff Horwich reports.
Story of Gordon Parks told at Ordway Theater
African-American photographer, composer, writer and Hollywood filmmaker Gordon Parks didn't buy his first camera and roll of film in Minnesota, but he had his first photographic show here. The Twin Cities is also where Parks got his first job playing piano and where his first musical compositions were performed. Parks is a Kansas native who spent his teen and early adult years in Minnesota. His remarkable life story is told Sunday afternoon at the Ordway Theater as part of the VocalEssence Witness series. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson reports.
Weather with Mark Seeley
University of Minnesota Climatologist Mark Seeley discusses Minnesota weather and looks ahead to the weekend forecast.
St. Paul Saints want a renovation for Midway Stadium
The St. Paul Saints minor league baseball team and the City of St. Paul are moving forward on a plan to upgrade Midway Stadium. The Saints play their home games in the stadium, which is now 23 years old. Sam Black wrote about the renovation in this week's issue of The Business Journal. He spoke with Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer, and he says the Saints have scaled back their original ideas.
|
| Morning Edition Archive |
|
|
|
© 2024 | Home : Terms of Use : Your Privacy Rights