April 2, 2002 - MPR’s Cathy Wurzer interviews Steve Minn, former Minneapolis City Council member, about R.T. Rybak’s upcoming first State of the City address. It’s been three months since Rybak took office. After campaigning on issues like affordable housing, and restoring trust in City Hall, Rybak has had to handle a series of high-profile events, in addition to focusing on his stated agenda.
April 2, 2002 - Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak delivered his first State of the City speech, exactly ninety days after taking the political helm at City Hall. Rybak emphasized four issues that he says need special attention in the months ahead. He says Minneapolis needs to manage its money better, build more affordable housing and protect the environment. He also wants the city to be more welcoming to its various cultural groups. William Wilcoxen’s report also includes commentary about mayor’s speech from community activists and Minneapolis police chief.
April 3, 2002 - MPR’s Cathy Wurzer talks with historian Hy Berman about Nellie Stone Johnson, an influential leader in civil rights and labor movements, who passed away on April 2nd, 2002. Johnson was 96 years old.
April 4, 2002 -
April 5, 2002 -
April 8, 2002 - As part of our transportation series, "Are We There Yet," we asked YOU for your comments. Many of you called our comment line, or wrote to us on the Soapbox at Minnesota Public Radio dot org, to say the state's transportation system would work more smoothly, if people would simply drive better. Eric, who lives in Excelsior, says one solution is simple.
April 8, 2002 - If you're an average Twin Cites resident, you'll spend about thirty-seven hours this year sitting in an automobile idling in a traffic jam. During the 1990's only one city -- Atlanta -- saw traffic congestion grow faster. What's more, projections show the Twin Cities' population will keep growing over the next thirty years, putting more pressure on an aging road system that's already getting crowded to capacity. With transit options limited, getting around the Twin Cites is becoming a bigger and more expensive problem for those who live, do business in, or visit the area. This week, Minnesota Public Radio is taking a closer look at transportation issues in a special series of reports called "Are We There Yet?" William Wilcoxen opens our series with a look at some of the transportation challenges facing the region...
April 8, 2002 - Light rail supporters say this fall's scheduled test of Minnesota's first light rail transit system will start closing the lid on criticism of the project. But, if Minnesota's light rail project is similar to others, significant pockets of opposition will linger and threaten to short circuit development plans that could determine whether the system succeeds. As part of our series on road congestion "Are We There Yet?" Minnesota Public Radio's Art Hughes reports. Listen for more of our series "Are We There Yet? tomorrow on Morning Edition and on the Web at Minnesota Public Radio dot org. And tomorrow we'll have a story about a road that some say is the most dangerous in the state.
April 9, 2002 - A committee in the Minnesota House has approved a bill that would lower the cost of prescription drugs for some Minnesotans. The bill seemed unlikely to pass this year when a key committee chairman announced three weeks ago that the legislation was "dead" because of the state's finances. However, the bill's chief author said the stalement in budget negotiations allowed him to continue work on the issue and he is hopeful the bill will pass the House floor. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports.
April 9, 2002 - Almost everyone agrees the state's traffic congestion is worsening.. Some people think we should add new lanes to freeways. Others say widened roads will soon be clogged with traffic, and mass transit needs to be a major part of the solution. But regardless of who's right, Minnesota's system for funding transportation is heavily weighted in favor of more highways. Minnesota Public Radio's Mary Losure reports.