July 24, 2002 - The tradition of Grain Belt beer will live on in Minnesota. August Schell (shell) Brewing Company in New Ulm has bought the brand from the bankrupt Minnesota Brewing Company. Minnesota Brewing closed last month, cutting more than 100 jobs and ending nearly 150 years of brewing tradition in St. Paul. Grain Belt was first introduced by the Minneapolis Brewing Company in 1893, and has since become one of the state's most popular homegrown beers. Jeff Lonto is the author of, "Legend of the Brewery: A Brief History of the Minneapolis Brewing Heritage."
July 24, 2002 - Republican U.S. Senate candidate Norm Coleman plans to spend the next two days traveling throughout Minnesota criticizing incumbent DFL Senator Paul Wellstone's record on national defense. Coleman says had Congress gone along with Wellstone's past anti-defense spending positions, more US soldiers would have been killed in Afghanistan. The Wellstone campaign is accusing Coleman of politicizing the tragedy of last fall's terrorist attacks and is calling Coleman's remarks sad and innappropriate. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports...
July 25, 2002 - Though it's still relatively early on the campaign calendar, Minnesota's U.S. Senate race has had the kind of high profile that many races don't attain until closer to November. That's largely because the campaigns of DFL incumbent Paul Wellstone and Republican challenger Norm Coleman took to the airwaves with ads months ago. We're likely to see even more of both Senate candidates showing up in television spots through the fall, and that's begun to concern campaign strategists for some of the state's gubernatorial candidates. As the election nears, airtime will become scarcer and the gubernatorial campaigns worry they'll get squeezed out of the picture. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports:
July 29, 2002 - Former presidential candidate and longtime Minnesota U.S. Senator Eugene McCarthy visits the MPR studios to talk about politics and literature. McCarthy also answers listener questions.
July 29, 2002 - In this short documentary, Narrator Earl Leaf presents various insights on the history of the “poorhouse,” as well as a look into how society treats poor people today, compared to the era of the poorhouse.
July 30, 2002 - (DATE REFERENCE IN LAST GRAPH) On the day President Bush signed into law new corporate accountability legislation, the issue is heating up Minnesota's political landscape. DFL Senator Paul Wellstone and GOP challenger Norm Coleman today (TUESDAY) traded charges that each is accepting contributions -- directly or indirectly -- from firms under investigation for accounting irregularities. The finger-pointing comes as Coleman begins a two-day swing through northern Minnesota to promote his views on natural resource management. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports.
August 2, 2002 - St. Paul Pioneer Press sports reporter Gordon Wittenmyer provides commentary on the Minnesota Twins bullpen. Wittenmyer says Eric Milton has been especially strong since the middle of June, but he's always been a dominant player.
August 2, 2002 - MPR’s Brandt Williams reports on some of the best singers in the world heading to Minnesota, as the Twin Cities hosts the triennial World Choral Symposium. It's the first time the event has ever been held in the U.S. For a week, over a thousand singers, from more than 50 countries will attend workshops and perform numerous free concerts.
August 5, 2002 - Richard Florida says that Husker Du, Jimmy Jam and the Gay Men's Choir have a lot more with economic development in the Twin Cities than you may think. He is the author of The Rise of the Creative Class: And How It's Transforming Work, Leisure, Community and Everyday Life. He's a professor of Economic Development at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Florida spoke recently at the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce.
August 7, 2002 - Pasadena, California may conjure up an image of suburban smog and sprawl these days, but the unique physical and social landscape of the city has been a lure since the beginning of the 20th century. Citrus groves provided employment for thousands, and it was the perfect setting for resorts for the wealthy. Writer David Ebershoff told Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Crann that it was also the perfect setting for his latest novel, named for his hometown, "Pasadena."