All Things Considered is a comprehensive source for afternoon news and information provided by various MPR hosts in St. Paul and NPR hosts in Washington over the decades. The program contains interviews, reports, speeches and breaking coverage.
March 21, 2001 - Governor Jesse Ventura said he's strongly considering asking the Legislature to change state law to bar teachers from striking. At an education forum in St. Louis Park, Ventura suggested putting teachers in the category of Essential State Employees, same as policemen and firefighters.
March 26, 2001 - MPR’s Bob Kelleher reports on the effects low water levels in Lake Superior are having on shipping. Great Lakes freighters will be loading lighter than ever to stay above the bottoms of harbors and rivers between the lakes.
March 26, 2001 - The state's largest non-profit, which helps children who have autism or mental retardation, wants to shorten its waiting list by expanding. Experts say Minneapolis-based Fraser offers some of the most comprehensive programs in the country for children with mental disabilities, but waits of a year to get Fraser services are common. The organization is raising money to build a center officials say will shorten the delays.
March 27, 2001 - MPR's Laura McCallum reports that just days before the first legislative committee deadline, abortion bills are gaining strength at the Capitol. Bills to create a special "Choose Life" license plate and to create a 24-hour waiting period before a woman could get an abortion passed their first legislative hurdles, but Governor Ventura says he'll veto both bills if they land on his desk.
March 29, 2001 - MPR’s Art Hughes reports on 2000 U.S. Census data that shows people of Asian decent now outnumber African Americans in St. Paul. Nearly nine percent of Ramsey County's population is Asian. Many of the counties surrounding the Twin Cities also had significant growth in Asian populations in the past decade.
March 29, 2001 - Mainstreet Radio’s Chris Julin talks with Lee Murdock, a folk singer who sings about Lake Superior and the Great Lakes. Murdock has made his career singing songs of the Lakes, from 200-year-old sailors' work songs, to his own compositions based on Great Lakes folklore.
March 29, 2001 - MPR's Michael Khoo reports that the move to build a new Twins stadium with partial state funding cleared a crucial legislative committee. The favorable vote comes just one day before the first deadline for committee action, but the legislation still faces significant obstacles. A number of lawmakers and citizens' groups remain staunchly opposed to public funding for a new ballpark.
April 5, 2001 - Governor Jesse Ventura told the Willmar Chamber of Commerce that he's committed to his plan of property and income tax cuts while expanding the state's sales tax to include services. The governor says he won't bargain with the Legislature, which hasn't been enthusiastic about his plan. He says if lawmakers don't follow his proposals, including on education, he'll be very difficult to deal with.
April 9, 2001 - MPR’s Lorna Benson interviews author and Minnesota Twins fan Mick Cochrane, who grew up watching team during one of the their winning streaks in the late 1960's. His love for the team inspired his latest novel, Sport. In the book, 13-year-old Harlan uses the regular rhythm of baseball and his beloved Twins to anchor his increasingly chaotic life.
April 13, 2001 - Mainstreet Radio's Dan Gunderson reports that Governor Jesse Ventura wrapped up his two-day flood tour in East Grand Forks. The governor says he's pleased with how the flood fight is going all across the state. The lower flood crests predicted at most locations on the Red, and the Minnesota rivers, are allowing many communities a break for the Easter weekend.