June 19, 1997 - ** TOP WITH LATEST ON TOBACCO SETTLEMENT ** The chief negotiator for states in talks with cigarette companies on a settlement of lawsuits said tremendous progress had been made today... but there's still no announcement of an agreement....although some anti-tobacco attorneys says a deal is imminent. Minnesota Attorney General Hubert Humphrey the Third says negotiators should slow down the rapid pace of the talks. Humphrey says tobacco companies are hoping for a speedy agreement, so they won't have to release incriminating documents that could work against them in the courts. Some of his colleagues have criticized Humphrey for his hard-line position on talks....but Humphrey says he's just trying to make sure that some 33-million documents Minnesota has collected for its case....see the light of day: | WATCH LEVELS...A BIT HOT IN SPOTS ****
June 20, 1997 - Midday discussion with the heads of Minnesota's two main political parties. Guests are Bill Cooper, newly elected chair of the state's Republican Party, and Dick Senese, chair of the state DFL Party.
June 25, 1997 - MPR’s Bill Wareham reports that Mayor Sharon Sayles-Belton says Minneapolis will put its money where its mouth is when it comes to keeping the Twins. Throughout the Twins quest for a new ballpark, Sayles-Belton has often said she wants the baseball team to remain in the city…bur much to the consternation of stadium supporters. Sayles-Belton has never committed city resources to the project. That changed when she announced a plan for acquiring and preparing a riverfront site for a stadium.
June 25, 1997 - Midday previews the special session of the Minnesota Legislature with guests Senate Majority Leader Roger Moe and House Minority Leader Steve Sviggum. Education funding is the main topic. Listeners also call in with questions.
June 27, 1997 - The Minneapolis city council has voted 7-to-6 to eliminate the position of head of the Civilian Review Authority and fold the police oversight panel into the City Coordinator's department. The move comes over the strong objections of civilian review supporters who say it amounts to the first step in dismantling the agency. Minnesota Public Radio's Bill Wareham reports: It's undisputed among councilmembers that the 6-year-old Civilian Review Authority has some problems and is in need of its own review and possible changes. But they are sharply divided over how much overhaul the agency needs, or even what constitutes change.
June 30, 1997 - Midday discusses welfare reform and jobs with guests Bill Brumfield, director of training and employment assistance for Hennepin County; Ann Sessions, director of assistance payments for the State Department of Human Services; and Mimi Molina of the Minnesota Welfare Rights Coalition. The guest also answer listener call-in questions.
July 2, 1997 - It was a bit of nostalgia and a bit of wide-eyed curiosity for the people who got the chance to try out a commuter train yesterday (TUESDAY). The train ride was one of several demonstration trips travelling between Minneapolis and St. Cloud. As Minnesota Public Radio's Gretchen Lehmann (lay-mun) reports, riders are eager to see if commuter rail may be the answer to easier travel in and out of the Twin Cities.
July 3, 1997 - MPR’s Bill Wareham reports that local officials expect cleanup from the July 1st storm to last weeks, as several of the city's schools sustained heavy damage. One of the most damaged was Edison High School in Northeast community of Minneapolis.
July 4, 1997 - State Senate Majority Leader Roger Moe will become the latest white Minnesotan to be adopted by the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians on Saturday. Like several others prominent Minnesota politicians before him, Moe will become an honorary member of the band. Red Lake leaders say they feel a real sense of friendship and kinship with Moe and the other white people who've been adopted by the tribe. Minnesota Public Radio's Christina Koenig (KAY-nig) reports.
July 10, 1997 - Midday discusses issue over health care and public sector salaries with guests Michael Osterholm, member of the Minnesota Department of Health; and former State Senator Gene Merriam, who is now chief financial officer of ECM Publishers. The two share their views on topic and answer listener call-in questions.