December 29, 2005 - Chris Coleman will be inaugurated Tuesday as St. Paul's 45th Mayor. In November, Coleman ousted fellow DFLer Randy Kelly from office with 69 percent of the vote. Coleman's family has deep roots in St. Paul and a strong commitment to public service. Chris's father Nick Coleman, was senate majority leader in the mid-1970s. But friends and family say Chris is not part of any political dynasty. They say hard work and a love for the city got him into the mayor's office. Minnesota Public Radio's Marisa Helms reports.
January 3, 2006 - Governor Tim Pawlenty is taking his push for slowing illegal immigration to a new level. The governor is expected to announce a major reform plan today in St. Paul and follow it up by flying around the state to repeat his message in cities across the state. The new proposal come a month after the governor released a controversial report on the costs of illegal immigration. Critics say the report ignored the benefits that immigrants bring to communities and the economy. One of the Governor's stops today will be in Worthington, where immigrants make up a big part of the work-force. Joining us on the line is the mayor of Worthington, Alan Oberloh.
February 2, 2006 - Bush gives speech at 3M. PresidentBush Thursday said Americans should not fear globalcompetition from rising economic powers like China and India,and called on Congress to allow more foreign workers to fillhigh-tech jobs in the United States. (In-sourcing?) In a trip to the Midwest Bush expanded on the election-yeartheme set in his State of the Union address that America mustmaintain its competitive edge in a global economy. He hasproposed a program to support research and development in newtechnologies, and improve science and math education. Bush is proposing a $5.9 billion "American CompetitivenessInitiative" that includes $1.3 billion in new federal fundingand an additional $4.6 billion in research and development taxincentives. The program aims to support science research andimprove math and science education. To fill vacant high-tech jobs in the United States, Bushcalled on Congress to lift the current limit on H-1B visas thatallow foreign workers to get jobs in the United States.
February 3, 2006 - When is a candidate for governor NOT a candidate for governor? Governor Tim Pawlenty and several of his potential opponents disagree on that question. The governor's rivals say Pawlenty is clearly running for reelction so he should cancel his weekly radio show. But the governor and the station that airs the program says legally Pawlenty is not a candidate...and his opponents should not expect to get equal airtime. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports...
February 13, 2006 - Governor Tim Pawlenty has changed his mind and says he's now ready to support plans to expand Duluth's convention center. Pawlenty had rejected the project from his initial bonding bill recommendations, saying he was concerned about Duluth's financial health, because of its outstanding retiree health care obligations. Minnesota Public Radio's Bob Kelleher reports.
April 3, 2006 - Patient safety incidents in American hospitals grew from 1.18 million to 1.24 million among the 40 million hospitalizations covered under the Medicare program, and incidents varied widely from state to state, and among the best and worst hospitals, according to a study released today by HealthGrades, the leading healthcare ratings company. "Overall we see the number of patient safety incidents in American hospitals continuing to increase, at an enormous cost, and we still see a large gap between the incidence rates at the nation's top-performing and worst-performing hospitals," said Dr. Samantha Collier, HealthGrades vice president of medical affairs. "But we do find the results of serious attempts to grapple with this issue in the success of top-performing hospitals and in progressive states like Minnesota."
April 10, 2006 - MPR’s Stephanie Hemphill reports on the growing pains in Grand Marais. Many Minnesotans make a pilgrimage to Grand Marais, where they enjoy the idyllic setting, the slow pace of life, and the friendly small-town feeling. But for some of the locals, life has been anything but calm lately.
May 3, 2006 - MPR’s Stephanie Hemphill reports from Grand Marais, where people in town are arguing about their harbor. Some want to rebuild the marina on a grander scale. Others say anything much bigger would destroy the cozy feeling of the waterfront.
May 30, 2006 - Pelican Rapids is still basically a farming community. But a decade-and-a-half of immigration has changed the town a lot. That's not just clear on Main Street - drive a few miles out of town, and life is even different on the farm. Producer Jeff Jones gives us one example.
May 30, 2006 - Drive through Pelican Rapids and it may well look like many other small Minnesota towns. But take a walk through the streets and you'll find some remarkable things about the past present and future of this place.