June 29, 2006 - Speaking in St. Cloud Wednesday, David Broder, the Washington Post's national political correspondent, said that the baby boomers have proved to be bad at governing the United States. Broder says boomer politicians are too focused at re-fighting the battles of the past. Given at League of Minnesota Cities conference.
June 29, 2006 - St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman has selected five community organizations to share a $20-thousand dollar crime prevention grant. The East YMCA, Hmong American Partnership, Save Our Sons and the District 6 and 7 Planning Councils will use the money to develop or expand programs city officials hope will reduce crime. Mayor Coleman says kids who want are looking for something to do this summer should have programs to participate in.
June 30, 2006 - The Reverend Jesse Jackson will be in North Minneapolis today to hold a rally for Keith Ellison, the DFL endorsed candidate in Minnesota's 5th Congressional District. If elected, Ellison would be the first African American Congressman from Minnesota and the first Muslim Congressman in the nation's history. But Ellison's past, in particular his relationship with the group, Nation of Islam, is causing some Jewish activists and others to question whether he's the best candidate.
July 5, 2006 - Governor Tim Pawlenty says he's sending 200 Minnesota National Guard troops to New Mexico to help patrol the U.S.-Mexico border. Pawlenty says he's activating the troops because the U.S. Departments of Defense and Homeland Security issued a request for help. President Bush said in May that he wanted 2,500 National Guard troops in the southwest by June to prevent people from crossing the border illegally, less than half the desired number of troops were in place along the border on June thirtieth. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports.
July 5, 2006 - An Iraqi and Paraguayan's unique collaboration is producing a play in the Twin Cities about the Iraqi experience before and after the war. The story is based on true experiences by one of the playwrights, who grew up under Saddam Hussein's dictatorship.
July 7, 2006 - MPR’s Tom Scheck reports on upcoming DFL battle for congressional seat. Ellison is the DFL-endorsed candidate for Congress in the Fifth Congressional District. Yesterday the former chair of the state DFL Party, Mike Erlandson, filed for the same seat. Erlandson is ignoring his party's endorsement and trying to beat Ellison in the September primary. Erlandson is getting help from his former boss, Congressman Martin Sabo, who is retiring at the end of the year.
July 11, 2006 - MPR’s William Wilcoxen visits the neighborhood around Randolph and Hamline Avenues in St. Paul. That's where Cretin-Derham Hall High School is located and locals will be cheering for one of their own during 2006 MLB All-Star Game…Cretin-Derham graduate Joe Mauer, of the Minnesota Twins, takes the field with his American League teammates.
July 11, 2006 - MPR’s Tom Scheck reports that Ford Bell has dropped out of the race for U.S. Senate. Bell intended to challenge Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar in a September primary. But he says difficulty raising money led to his withdrawal. Bell's announcement now clears the way for Klobuchar, the DFL endorsed candidate for Senate, to face Republican Congressman Mark Kennedy.
July 20, 2006 - MPR’s Stephanie Hemphill talks with Michigan author Anne Margaret Lewis about her children's picture book “Gitchi Gumee.” The book that takes readers on a journey across Lake Superior. In the process, they learn about respect and patience, taught by the spirit of the big lake itself, Gitchi Gumee.
July 20, 2006 - MPR’s Steven John interviews Carol Connolly, the first ever poet laureate of the city of St. Paul. Connolly talks about becoming a poet and reads her first poem ever finished, “Last Resort.”