July 24, 2006 - MPR’s Tom Scheck reports on the four DFLers seeking to replace retiring fifth district Congressman Martin Sabo. Keith Ellison, State Representative; Ember Reichgott Junge, former state senator; Mike Erlandson, former DFL Party chair; and Paul Ostrow, Minneapolis City Council member, appeared at an event hosted by KFAI Radio and Insight News. With less than two months before the September primary, the four DFLers agreed on several major national issues but tried to differentiate themselves based on their experience. The debate included topics of the war in Iraq, health care and poverty issues.
July 25, 2006 - MPR's Tom Scheck reports on the television ads of two candidates running for Minnesota's open U.S. Senate seat. Republican Congressman Mark Kennedy hit the airwaves today with a minute-long ad touting his background. His DFL opponent, Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar, focuses her ads more on her experience as a prosecutor.
July 26, 2006 - MPR’s Duluth bureau reporter Stephanie Hemphill visits some of the burned and blackened areas after the Cavity Lake wildfire. It was the largest fire in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in over a century, burning nearly 32-thousand acres. Hemphill toured the area with two forest service workers, Lissa Griver and Tim McKenzie. They find surprising signs that life there was not only surviving, but thriving.
July 27, 2006 - MPR’s Tim Post interviews meteorologist Mark Seeley about the reasons behind the “extreme” drought conditions in northern Minnesota. Seeley states main culprit is the jet stream.
July 28, 2006 - MPR’s Greta Cunningham interviews renowned Minnesota mandolin player Peter Ostroushko about his new album “Postcards.”
July 28, 2006 - MPR’s Greta Cunningham talks with baseball writer La Velle Neal about the winning-streak Minnesota Twins as they go up against the Detroit Tigers, the best team in Major League Baseball. Neal highlights Twins player Nick Punto and playoff chances for the team.
July 28, 2006 - A new theory called the "long tail" tries to explain how the Internet is changing the way the world does business. A new book by that title was recently published, and it has inspired some hearty criticism as well as praise. Chris Anderson: Author of "The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More." He is also editor of Wired Magazine.
August 1, 2006 - Hennepin County Sheriff Pat McGowan, a Republican, is endorsing former DFL Party Chair Mike Erlandson for Congress. Erlandson is one of seven DFLers running in Minnesota's Fifth District, which includes Minneapolis and several suburbs. McGowan says he's backing Erlandson because he's the best candidate on public safety issues. He says he's not endorsing Republican Alan Fine because he doesn't think anyone but a Democrat can win in the heavily DFL district. McGowan also criticized Keith Ellison, the DFL endorsed candidate, for not doing enough on public safety during his time in the state Legislature.
August 1, 2006 - Comments from Keith Ellison, the DFL endorsed candidate, regarding Hennepin County Sheriff Pat McGowan’s endorsement of Ellison’s congressional candidate opponent, Mike Erlandson.
August 2, 2006 - It's no secret that incumbency gives politicians certain advantages that many of their challengers can't match. Sometimes it's simply a higher public profile. But where to draw the line on using the advantages of office has become an issue in the Minnesota gubernatorial race, which includes two state officeholders - Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Attorney General Mike Hatch. The Republican Party today (Weds) asked for an investigation into Hatch's use of state letterhead on campaign materials, as well as his campaign's use of reports produced by the attorney general's office. Hatch says Republicans are trying to cover up Governor Tim Pawlenty's attempts to use his office for political gain. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports....