May 24, 2002 - MPR’s Marisa Helms presents this report after attending a Minnesota News Council forum to hear complaints about how Twin Cities news media are doing an inadequate job covering women's sports at the University of Minnesota.
May 28, 2002 - A retired I-B-M employee says he has cancer caused by breathing toxic chemical vapors during the 22 years he worked at the IBM plant in Rochester. He's suing several chemical manufacturers in what his lawyer says has the potential to be the first of several similar suits in Minnesota. Minnesota Public Radio's Laurel Druley has this report. 65-year-old Ron Porter filed his lawsuit Friday in Dakota County District Court in Hastings. Porter alleges his exposure to more than 40 toxins at the I-B-M facility is directly related to his battle with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Porter is asking for reasonable compensation in excess of 50,000 dollars.
May 29, 2002 -
May 29, 2002 - MPR's Tom Scheck reports that the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission has delayed a vote on a proposed settlement that would keep the Minnesota Twins in the Metrodome through the 2003 season. In exchange, the commission would drop its lawsuit against the team and league. Commission members say they're committed to keeping the Twins in the state but say they want the settlement in writing before they vote.
May 30, 2002 - After the attacks on September 11th, the Minnesota Department of Trade amd Economic Development applied for special federal funds to help airline workers who lost their jobs as a result of the tragedy. The U-S Department of Labor responded with an eight (M)million dollar grant. But since that money became available, only two-thousand dislocated airline workers have applied for the money, about one-fifth of what the department originally anticipated. Last week, the state received permission to re-direct the money to dislocated Fingerhut workers. Trade and Economic Development Commissioner Rebecca Yanisch says her original estimates were based on information available from the airlines at that time:
June 1, 2002 - An American RadioWorks special report presents the documentary “Fast Food and Animal Rights: McDonald's New Farm,” which looks at how McDonald’s has launched the first campaign of its kind to pressure slaughterhouses that provide their meat to dispatch the animals more humanely…and executives say they couldn't have done it without Temple Grandin.
June 4, 2002 -
June 5, 2002 - Despite all the talk of market based agriculture, the new farm bill means most farmers are dependent on government subsidies for their living. But there are exceptions. Organic farmers for one. Most organic growers receive far less money than conventional farmers. Some don't receive any subsidies. They say there's a message in their mission. Mainstreet Radio's Mark Steil reports:
June 6, 2002 - The Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission has approved a settlement with the Minnesota Twins and Major League Baseball that ensures the team will play the 2003 season. The settlement completes a seven-month legal battle between the commission and Major League Baseball which started when the league announced that it wanted to eliminate two teams. The Twins weren't named specifically but were considered a top candidate. Commission and league officials say this will help the Twins in their quest for a new ballpark. But one player says it's only one step in making sure baseball is played at all next season. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports...
June 6, 2002 - New U.S. Census figures released this week, show South Dakota had the largest increase in the nation for household median income. The latest census information is for the ten year period between 1990 and 2000. South Dakota still has the poorest county in the nation, even though it had a 57 percent growth in median income. Mainstreet Radio's Cara Hetland has this report: