June 5, 2003 - Some 10 million Americans are considered severely obese. That means they're at least 100 pounds overweight. A growing number of severely obese people are turning to gastric bypass surgery as a last-ditch solution to their weight woes. The procedure is controversial. It can lead to serious health complications. But supporters say the surgery helps shed pounds and save lives. Mainstreet Radio's Tom Robertson has this next installment in our weeklong series "The Fight Against Fat."... {
June 5, 2003 - A growing number of Americans are turning to gastric bypass surgery to help them lose weight and improve their long-term health. In the next installment of our series, "The Fight Against Fat," Minnesota Public Radio's Nikki Tundel talks to a Saint Paul woman who had the operation a year ago. She found losing half her body weight altered much more than her waistline.
June 6, 2003 -
June 10, 2003 - Alaska's diphtheria epidemic of 1925 is well-documented in the 1995 animated movie Balto. The film's namesake, a fluffy black husky, and his sleddog team brave an Arctic blizzard to bring life-saving serum to hundreds of dying kids. While the story is true, the popular children's tale reveals just a fraction of what really happened. Cousins Laney and Gay Salisbury (SAHLS-bury) have written the first complete account of the diphtheria serum run in their new book "The Cruelest Miles." Gay Salisbury says the outbreak first appeared in Nome which, at the time, was the north-westernmost town in Alaska.
June 11, 2003 -
June 13, 2003 - The state's current employee contracts expire at the end of this month -- and negotiations between Governor Tim Pawlenty's administration and state workers are just heating up. The discussions are taking place under a tight budget, ratified as part of a $4.3 billion deficit reduction package last month. State officials say it's no secret they have limited resources to put on the bargaining table -- but public employees say that doesn't mean they'll back down. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo has more.
June 16, 2003 - St. Paul gym teacher and hockey coach Jon Westby spent yesterday's Father's Day holiday with two rambunctious 7 year-olds -- his twin sons, Henry and James. It was a remarkable day for Westby because there was a time when he wasn't sure his sons would overcome the difficult odds they faced. Westby writes about that experience in his new book, "They Will Know They are Loved: A Family's Life with Premature Twins." He says when he first found out his wife Catherine was having twins, he was elated. But that excitement soon turned to fear.
June 17, 2003 -
June 18, 2003 - Northwest Airlines is laying off another 150 aircraft mechanics, most of them in the Twin Cities. The airline is technically eliminating nearly 700 positions in response to a drop in travel caused by the SARS virus. But most of those mechanics will still have work as a result of new jobs Northwest is creating at Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport. Minnesota Public Radio's Jeff Horwich reports on the airline's latest effort to cut costs.
June 19, 2003 - MPR’s Lorna Benson interviews Jim Quackenbush, a pork producer, about fast-food giant McDonald's asking its meat suppliers to phase out the use of antibiotics which promote animal growth. The company is responding to concerns that antibiotics given to animals in feed reduces the effectiveness of antibiotic medicines in humans. The announcement is likely to have a profound effect on beef and pork producers in Minnesota.