MPR News Features are news segments created for various long-form programming, including Morning Edition and All Things Considered, amongst others. Features run the gambit of interviews, reports, profiles, and coverage.
November 8, 1974 - Canadian doctor, Dr. Robin Bagley, talks about problems with Canadian health insurance plan. Says it doesn?t reward people equally on the basis of training or work. People on welfare would be written off. National Health has preserved this imbalance, How doctors are paid has little relationship to work and training, sharpens income gap between different types of health workers. Increases gap between those who are under national health insurance and those who aren?t. Assumption is that services are available to everybody; subtle distinction between availbility and accessibility. The question is if you?re sick are the services there. Unresolved dilemma, some provinces have more doctors, people in cities get more health services. How does a country decide how much it wants to spend on something? Caanadian government has not set money guidlines about how much money should be spent, obvious crunch coming. If you spend more in one area have to cut back other priorities. Speaks at press conference.
November 10, 1974 - MPR’s Dulcie Lawrence interview Janet Clark, DFL endorsed candidate for legislative office in 1974; and Beatrice Blair, vice-chair of Women's Lobby Inc. of Washington, DC.
November 12, 1974 - MPR’s Bob Potter reports on comments at hearing where women athletics at the University of Minnesota was discussed.
November 21, 1974 - MPR’s Dick Daly reports on protest in downtown Minneapolis over handicap inaccessible skyways.
November 22, 1974 - The Minnesota Soil Association promotes low-energy/organic farming. Energy shortage may influence farmers to take organic farming more seriously.
November 29, 1974 - MPR’s Gary Eichten reports on how layoffs are bringing about charges of sexual and racial discrimination. Civil rights group explain that laying off employees with least seniority mean laying of minorities and women.
November 29, 1974 - Clyde Bellecourt has been invited to participate in an international meeting of the World Council of Churches at Montreux, Switzerland, the first WCC to invite representation by Native Americans. He says the principal goal is to elicit support for American Indian treaty rights. Bellecourt also looks to ask for financial support.
December 2, 1974 - A teen girl died from sniffing Pam, a spray vegetable coating used in cooking, consisting of 98 percent Freon and 2 percent vegetable oil. North Dakota State Toxicology Lab scientists Dr. N.G. Raugh and Dr. Alphonse Bocklus explain what Freon is and the dangers involved in sniffing it to get high. Freon, a brand name now used generically for a fluorocarbon, is found in spray product propellants in various concentrations.
January 6, 1975 - Spear talks about the need to make a distinction between moral and non-moral issues in making legislative decisions. He says a legislator is supposed to represent independent judgment, particularly in cases of human rights issues. He speaks about voting for gay rights in the legislature, gays holding public office, and why he makes a public statment on being gay.
January 10, 1975 - MPR’s Kim Hodgson reports from Worthington as a blizzard begins to wreak havoc on the area. The positive is that the snow brings much needed moisture; the negative is more literal…a minus 27-degree wind-chill.