December 19, 2003 - Veteran Twin Cities Acoustic Guitarist Billy McLaughlin has reached a turning point in his career. The five-time Minnesota Music Award winner has been diagnosed with Focal Dystonia. Focal Dystonia is neurological movement disorder. In McLaughlin's case, it was brought on by years of intricate finger movements. The disorder has forced him to dramatically alter the way he plays the guitar and caused him to cut back his live performances. After 15 years of almost constant touring, McLaughlin has only a handful of concerts scheduled (for the foreseeable future), including shows in Duluth and Minneapolis this weekend. I recently spoke with Billy about his music and his future as a performer.
December 19, 2003 - Three children's hospitals in the Twin Cities may consolidate into one, world-class facility if officials at the three organizations can work out a deal. Scott Smith joins Minnesota Public Radio to talk more on the subject.
December 22, 2003 - State officials are reporting an increase in the number of flu cases. Outbreaks are reported throughout the state and they appear to gaining ground in the Twin Cities, which hasn't tallied very many cases so far. The Minnesota Department of Health also announced today that relatively few children took advantage of free flu vaccinations, so the department is opening up the shots to all metro-area kids. Minnesota Public Radio's Lorna Benson has our flu update.
December 22, 2003 - Some of the biggest political speculation in Minnesota has nothing to do with the 2004 election. Instead, it's looking ahead to 2006 when DFL incumbent US Senator Mark Dayton is up for reelection. One of the names most often mentioned as a Republican who might challenge Dayton is 6th District Congressman Mark Kennedy, who was first elected to the House in 2000. Kennedy says he's proud of his accomplishments in Washington. He says voters appreciate GOP efforts to cut taxes, increase foreign trade and streamline government. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik sat down recently in Washington with Congressman Mark Kennedy to talk about his work in Washington and about his philosophy of government.
December 23, 2003 - The holidays often trigger the brightest of memories and the happiest of emotions. But, as writer Nanci Olesen explains, those memories can also bring on emotions that clash with the tenor of the season.
December 24, 2003 - "Extremely remote" is how one expert describes the risk humans face of contracting a brain wasting disease from eating beef. Yesterday's announcement of this country's first case of mad cow disease sent futures prices for beef into a plunge. Stock prices of food businesses are also down today. However, a University of Minnesota expert says the spread of mad cow disease in this country is unlikely. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson reports.
December 24, 2003 - Last week, the British equivalent of the FDA issued a warning about the over-use of antidepressants in children under 18. The agency said the benefits didn't outweigh the risks of drugs such as Paxil and Zoloft, which have been linked with suicidal thoughts. Prozac, which is in the same class as those other drugs, the so-called "selective seratonin re-uptake inhibitors," was excluded from the warning. Dr. Jon Hallberg is medical director of the Primary Care Center at the University of Minnesota. He says the advisory presents a real challenge for those who treat children.
December 24, 2003 - Minnesota ranchers are bracing themselves for reaction to the discovery of Mad Cow disease in the U.S. A holstein cow in Washington state was found to have the disease. Countries like Russia, South Korea, and Japan are suspending imports of beef from the U.S. The cattle industry in Minnesota ranks 7th in production. At prices set before the announcement of the discovery yesterday, Minnesota had beef worth almost 2-billion dollars. Joining us on the line is Steve Brake, president of the Minnesota State Cattlemen's Association.
December 26, 2003 - A veteran of the new economy, Yahoo executive Tim Sanders, says the new economy is causing millions of Americans to become anxious, isolated, lonely, fatigued and sleep-deprived. He's even coined a phrase for it New Economy Depression Syndrome, or "NEDS." Sanders recently teamed with Heartmath, a company that advises businesses on ways to reduce workplace stress, to survey Americans who use a lot of technology in their jobs.
December 29, 2003 - The Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy case in Washington state has Minnesota farmers and ranchers concerned about the future. Prices for cattle have been strong for several months, but fell sharply the past few days. Some farmers and ranchers are nervous as they wait to see how far the cattle market will drop. Others see an opportunity to buy more cattle while prices are down. Farmers say the future of the beef industry depends on the reaction of American consumers. Meanwhile, politicians are lining up to call for food safety reforms. Mainstreet Radios Dan Gunderson reports.