January 26, 1998 - Muslims in Rochester are observing the holy month of Ramadan in a new mosque. A group of Muslims purchased the unassuming three-story brick building on the city's main thoroughfare and renovated it with some 650-thousand dollars. The new mosque's leaders say the larger space will acommodate Rochester's growing resident and visiting Muslim population. But they also hope it bridges a philosophical gap among Rochester Muslims that began more than four years ago. Minnesota Public Radio's Art Hughes reports. Muslims never know the exact day during Ramadan that commemorates the Night of Majesty, when God revealed himself to the prophet
January 27, 1998 - Attorneys for tobacco companies are expected to finish their opening arguments this morning in Minnesota's landmark tobacco trial. The state's attorney told jurors yesterday the tobacco industry deceived the public about the dangers of smoking and put profits before health. The State and Blue Cross Blue Shield are suing the industry for nearly two-billion dollars in smoking-related health care costs. Minnesota public radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports: The state's attorney Mike Ciresi told jurors minnesota's case comes down to what the industry knew about the dangers of smoking; when it knew it and what it did about it. He stood at a podium, spoke deliberately for about two hours and never veered far from his notes. The courtroom was packed with attorneys, public officials such as the attorney general and the u-s attorney and local and national media including the wall street journal and the LA times.
January 27, 1998 - Tobacco companies say smokers won't buy safer cigarettes. Attorneys representing tobacco companies today denied claims they've made cigarettes more addictive, and say they've supported research into the health risks of smoking. Opening statements in Minnesota's case against the tobacco industry wrapped up today. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.
January 28, 1998 - Sandy Keith retires as Minnesota's Chief Justice tomorrow (Thursday). The Rochester native is one of the few who've helped shape Minnesota from all three branches of government--as state senator, lieutenant governor and supreme court justice. Minnesota Public Radio's Elizabeth Stawicki has this profile of the outgoing chief justice. In 1946 Sandy Keith tried to shake off the dirt from what he called the hick town of Rochester and move on to bigger and better things. Keith, the son of a mayo clinic physician, headed east and obtained degrees from Amherst and Yale. After a stint as a Marine lieutenant during the Korean war, Keith returned to Rochester taking a job as an attorney in Mayo Clinic's legal department. His boss was Harry Blackmun who would later become a U-S Supreme Court Justice. Politics was always a topic of discussion in his parents' household but Keith's interest flared in the 1950's when he won a seat in the state senate. Don
January 28, 1998 - The first witness in Minnesota's tobacco trial says nicotine is an addictive drug, and a cigarette is the most efficient way to deliver nicotine to smokers. Doctor Richard Hurt's testimony is key to the state's contention that tobacco companies manipulated nicotine content to make cigarettes more addictive, and suppressed information about the health risks of smoking. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports...
January 28, 1998 - The first day of testimony begins today in Minnesota's tobacco trial. The State will call a Mayo clinic researcher as its first witness. Dr Richard Hurt is expected to testify about nicotine and addiction. Minnesota public radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports.
January 30, 1998 - Tobacco attorneys will cross examine a Mayo Clinic physician today in Minnesota's trial. Internal memos released yesterday paint a picture of an industry that capitalized on a smoker's craving for nicotine even though tobacco companies knew smoking caused lung cancer 40 years ago. They also show the industry led a campaign to reassure smokers that smoking wasn't harmful. Minnesota public radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports: The papers reveal how British American Tobacco or batco scientists in the 1950's visited numerous individual researchers in the U-S and Canada to find out what they knew about smoking and cancer. From those meetings BATCO concluded smoking caused lung cancer. That was 1958... 36 years before a group of tobacco company C-E-O's testified before congress that smoking was not addictive and did not cause cancer.
February 3, 1998 - A chemical engineering professor is set to testify about the ingredients in cigarettes today at Minnesota's tobacco trial. Minnesota public radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports: The State's lead attorney is expected to call Channing Robertson--a Stanford University Chemical Engineering professor. Robertson has testified as an expert witness in a number of other trials including a southern California toxic waste case and lawsuits involving I-U-D birth control devices. Later in the week attorneys are expected to call to the stand Walker Merryman who directs the tobacco industry's public relations and lobbying group--The Tobacco Institute. Also set to testify--Bennett LeBow who heads Liggett tobacco Liggett has settled its case with the State of Minnesota but not
February 3, 1998 - The top athletes in the sport of curling will compete for an Olympic medal for the first time this year in Nagano, Japan. Among those vying for a medal with the American men's team are two curlers from St. Paul and two from Wisconsin. One of those is Mike Peplinski (puh-PLIN-ski). He lives in Eau Claire and teaches seventh grade in Alma along the Mississippi River. This summer he faces another battle. Minnesota Public Radio's Brent Wolfe reports. Sound of Peplinski practicing- sliding along the ic
February 4, 1998 - Governor Carlson delivered his final state of the state speech today and in it, outlined some of his dreams for the future. Lawmakers say the price tag for the legacy Carlson hopes to leave may be too high. From the capitol, Minnesota Public Radio's Eric Jansen reports: Politicians of both major parties agree Governor Carlsons noon-hour speech was strong. DFL Senator Doug Johnson has been a frequent critic of the Republican governor but today: