|
July 25 - 29, 2005
[ Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday ]
|
Monday, July 25, 2005 |
Unions plan to announce departure from AFL-CIO
Labor officials say the Service Employees Union and the Teamsters will announce today that they are leaving the AFL-CIO. Two other unions are boycotting the federation's Chicago convention. It is an indication that they may also disaffiliate. The four unions represent nearly one-third of the federation's 13 million members. Professor Peter Rachleff teaches labor history at Macalester College. He says this rift is part of a bigger phenomenon.
Hospitals try to eliminate surgical mistakes
A group of Minnesota hospitals is finally sharing the results of a project they've been quietly testing for four years. CEOs from ten hospital systems have agreed to set aside their competitive instincts and do something virtually unheard of in the medical world. They share details of their embarrassing surgical mistakes with each other. The goal is to eliminate devastating errors that put patient's lives at risk. Minnesota Public Radio's Lorna Benson reports.
McLaughlin murder trial update
Closing arguments in the second phase of the Jason McLaughlin murder trial are expected to be delivered tomorrow afternoon. Judge Michael Kirk has already ruled that McLaughlin shot and killed fellow students Seth Bartell and Aaron Rollins on September 24, 2003 at Rocori High School in Cold Spring, Minnesota. In this phase of the trial, McLaughlin's attorneys are attempting to prove that the 16-year-old is not guilty because of mental illness. Tim Post has been covering the trial for Minnesota Public Radio News and reports with an update.
Talks still possible between NWA and mechanics union
In the contract battle between Northwest Airlines and its mechanics, each side claims the other is out-of-step with reality. Northwest says it must slim down and restructure to match the rest of the industry. Mechanics say the airline is demanding cuts that go far beyond those put in place at major competitors like United and US Airways. We asked Minnesota Public Radio's Jeff Horwich to check out that claim.
Resort owners try to preserve way of life
There is a new effort in St. Louis County to help keep resorts in business. The number of Minnesota resorts has dropped by half since the 1970's, and there is little evidence the trend is slowing. Resort owners blame things like the high value of lakefront property, and stringent waterfront regulations. Minnesota Public Radio's Bob Kelleher reports.
|
|
Tuesday, July 26, 2005 |
Former astronaut discusses planned Discovery launch
The shuttle Discovery is on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral, set to blast off later this morning. NASA officials decided to bend the rules and go ahead with the launch despite lingering problems with a fuel sensor that caused officials to scratch a launch almost two weeks ago. If Discovery makes it into space today, it'll mark a return to orbit for the shuttle program for the first time since Columbia broke up when returning to earth. Joining us on the line is Dan Brandenstein, a native of Watertown, Wisconsin and former astronaut who's flown 4 shuttle missions. He's now a vice president with Lockheed Martin.
Schools get more money for gifted and talented children
Public schools in Minnesota are getting a long-awaited boost in state funding to better serve exceptionally bright students. Lawmakers earmarked $11 million in this year's education funding bill to help school districts identify gifted and talented students, and provide them with academic challenges. With most of the focus these days on students who've fallen behind, educators say the money will benefit an often overlooked group of kids. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.
Impact of smoking bans under scrutiny
An anti-smoking advocacy group has released the results of a survey which it says shows overwhelming support for a new anti-smoking law in Hennepin County. According to the survey, a majority of county residents say they are going to bars and restaurants as much, or more often, since smoking was banned in those establishments earlier this year. But some say the ban is having a negative impact on bars and restaurants. The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners will discuss Tuesday how to measure the impact the smoking ban is having on those businesses. Minnesota Public Radio's Brandt Williams reports.
Terrorism cases: Highly complex and a bit bizarre
In January 2004, a federal grand jury indicted a Minneapolis community college student with conspiring to provide material support to al Qaeda. Since then, a federal grand jury lodged four new terrorism-related charges against Mohammed Warsame. It's likely he won't go to trial before the end of the year. For both prosecutors and defense attorneys, terrorism cases like this one are so complex and secretive, they border on the bizarre. Minnesota Public Radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports.
MPCA votes on Mesabi Nugget plant
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency will decide today whether to issue permits for a proposed iron nugget plant in Hoyt Lakes on Minnesota's Iron Range. The Legislature put the controversial project on a fast track last year by exempting Mesabi Nugget from a full-scale environmental review. Critics are skeptical the proposed permits will do enough to protect the environment, and they'd like more time to study the issues. But the company that wants to build the plant has threatened to take its new technology to some other location where it could get permits faster. Minnesota Public Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports.
|
|
Wednesday, July 27, 2005 |
Judge rejects insanity argument in Rocori shooting trial
A judge ruled yesterday that Jason McLaughlin was not insane when he shot and killed fellow students Seth Bartell and Aaron Rollins at Rocori High School nearly two years ago. Judge Michael Kirk decided that McLaughlin knew that what he was doing was wrong. Since McLaughlin is now criminally responsible for the shooting, he faces a life sentence in prison. Minnesota Public Radio Tim Post reports.
MPCA approves expedited permits for new iron ore plant
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency unanimously approved permits for an iron nugget plant in Hoyt Lakes, on Minnesota's Iron Range. The plant uses new technology developed in Japan, to make a more pure form of iron ore than the taconite that has been the staple of the Range for 50 years. Environmental activists say they are concerned about the approval of the permits because the project did not go through the normal review process, but it is another piece of good news for a part of the state that seems to be on the rebound. Minnesota Public Radio Stephanie Hemphill reports.
Hennepin Co. to study economic effects of smoking ban
The stage is set in Hennepin County for a debate over the future of its smoking ban. The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners voted yesterday to authorize a study that would measure the economic impact of the smoking ban on restaurants and bars. Some commissioners say the ban has especially hurt small bar owners and expressed a desire to change the county's law in order to allow for exemptions. Minnesota Public Radio Brandt Williams reports.
Two perspectives on CAFTA
The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote this week on whether to ratify the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). CAFTA would eliminate most tariffs and other trade barriers between the U.S. and six Central American and Caribbean countries. Sugar producers in the United States have been lobbying against CAFTA because they feel it would allow too much low-priced sugar into this country. One of the House members who has been lobbied heavily is Republican Rep. Mark Kennedy. He represents the state's 6th District, and is also a candidate for the U.S. Senate. MPR's Cathy Wurzer spoke with Kennedy who supports CAFTA, and with sugar beet farmer Mark Olson who is against the agreement.
Minnesota law targets foreclosure scams
Minnesota officials are watching to see if a state law is helping protect people from mortgage foreclosure scams. They are optimistic the one-year-old law is discouraging unscrupulous real estate agents and lenders from preying on people about to lose their homes. Nationally, consumer advocates say Minnesota's law is a model, and they have lobbied Congress unsuccessfully for more than a decade for similar protections. Minnesota Public Radio Dan Olson reports.
Outsourcing looms large in mechanics and Northwest dispute
Northwest Airlines and its mechanics union are scheduled to resume labor talks next week in Washington, D.C. They gather with a cooling off period due to end on August 19, when the union could call a strike. Outsourcing is one of the key issues in the dispute. The union has criticized the company's use of outside maintenance shops. While some people say outsourcing is the way of the future, the Northwest mechanics union fears it could lead to the union's demise. Minnesota Public Radio Annie Baxter reports.
Canadian Mad Cow has mixed effects on consumers
Canadian beef cattle are back in the United States. Shipments of them have been coming in for the past week. They are the first since the border was closed two years ago when Mad Cow disease was discovered in a diary cow. Some people fear opening the border increases the risk of spreading Mad Cow disease in the U.S., but it appears those concerns are not making much of an impression on some consumers. Minnesota Public Radio Bob Reha reports.
Open Ears: Wendy Lewis
It is time for another installment of our series, "Open Ears." We are asking local musicians to describe a favorite piece of music from a genre other than their own. Wendy Lewis, leader of the local rock band Redstart, talks about her favorite classical piece, "Adagio For Strings" by Samuel Barber. Our Open Ears series is produced by Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Roberts.
|
|
Thursday, July 28, 2005 |
MPCA increases air monitoring
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is bringing some new air monitoring stations on-line this summer. The new sites in Marshall, in the southwestern part of the state, and in Detroit Lakes in northern Minnesota will provide the agency a better picture of the state's overall air quality. The new stations will also help predict the air quality in the Twin Cities metro area. Minnesota Public Radios Dan Gunderson reports.
The slow pace of a lightning fast shoot
St. Paul's current brush with Hollywood ends today as filming wraps up on the "Prairie Home Companion" movie. For the last month famed director Robert Altman and a star-studded cast have been shooting a fictionalized version of Garrison Keillor's weekly show. Minnesota Public Radio's Euan Kerr spent a day on the set this week, and he filed this report.
New study finds doctors with free samples prescribe more expensive drugs
A new study, conducted in the Twin Cities, finds that doctors who have access to free samples from drug companies end up prescribing more expensive drugs than doctors who don't get the free samples. The study, which is published in the American Journal of Medicine, is one of the first to look at the impact of free samples on how doctors make treatment decisions. Doctors often give free samples of otherwise expensive drugs to low-income patients. When the sample runs out, the patient will typically request a prescription for the same drug. Dr. Richard Adair, who conducted the study at an Alina Clinic in South Minneapolis, says the doctors who had access to the free samples behaved differently than the other doctors at the clinic.
|
|
Friday, July 29, 2005 |
State, unions reach tentative contracts
Minnesota's largest public employee unions reached tentative contracts with state negotiators early this morning. The deal still needs to be ratified next month by the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees and the American Federation
of State, County and Municipal Employees Council Five. Cal Ludeman is the commissioner of the Department of Human Relations for the state of Minnesota. He says he's pleased with the settlement.
Supreme Court ruling could affect retail development
A ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that local governments can condemn private property for more profitable private uses could have a big impact on the way retail space is developed. But it's unclear whether the decision last month is good or bad news for Minnesota-based big box retailers: Target and Best Buy. Ellen Gabler looked at the potential impact of the decision in an article published today in the Business Journal.
Mayor R.T. Rybak presents 2006 budget proposal
If Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak has his way, 71 more police officers will be on the city's streets by next spring. That's just one of several public safety initiatives Rybak announced yesterday in his 2006 budget proposal. Public safety is a key issue because this is an election year and violent crime has gone up in the state's largest city. Several city council members say Rybak's budget will reduce crime while others say he should have addressed the city's public safety concerns earlier. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports.
Osmo Vanska returns to the clarinet
For many conductors it's not enough to just wave their arms in front of an orchestra. They also need to play an instrument. Minnesota Orchestra Music Director Osmo Vanska played the clarinet for many years until a busy life as a conductor made it difficult for him to continue. Now after after several years away from the instrument Vanska makes his Orchestra Hall debut as a clarinetist this weekend. Minnesota Public Radio's Karl Gehrke has more.
Latvian man gets new eye, new outlook
A young man from Orge, Latvia, leaves Minnesota this weekend a changed person. Andis Narovskis lost his left eye to cancer when he was a toddler. As he's grown up, he's covered his missing eye with dark tinted sunglasses. And while it's worked, his family has been hoping something else could be done for him. Now, through the efforts of a paramedic and a doctor Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, Andis has a new, very realistic, prosthetic left eye. Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer reports.
|
| Morning Edition Archive |
|
|
|
© 2024 | Home : Terms of Use : Your Privacy Rights