September 12, 2000 - The Environmental Protection Agency is testing soil in Northeast Minneapolis for asbestos contamination. The W.R. Grace and Company once ran a plant in the area that produced vermiculite, a white fluffy material used for gardening and insulation. Vermiculite has been linked to several serious health problems including asbestosis, mesotheliaoma and lung cancer. Len Zintak, the E-P-A's on-scene coordinator, says that the agency has already identified a few sites that will need to be cleaned up soon.
September 13, 2000 - Betty McCollum, Linda Runbeck, and Tom Foley have advanced to the November general election in the race to succeed retiring Fourth District Congressman Bruce Vento. D-F-L endorsee McCollum won a hotly contested primary last night. But a couple of her party rivals are upset about negative campaigning in the primary and are not sure they'll work for McCollum. Meanwhile, Republican and Independence Party candidates see the D-F-L rift as a chance to take a seat the Democrats have held for fifty-two years. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen reports...
September 13, 2000 - Former state Auditor Mark Dayton captured more than 40-percent of the vote to win yesterday's (TUESDAY) competitive D-F-L Senate primary. The department store heir spent five-million dollars of his own money in the most expensive primary in Minnesota history, defeating Mike Ciresi, Jerry Janezich and Rebecca Yanisch. Dayton now faces Republican Senator Rod Grams, who came out swinging when he found out who his D-F-L opponent is. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports...
September 13, 2000 - The surviving candidates for U-S Senate wasted no time hitting the campaign trail after the primary election significantly narrowed the field. Republican incumbent Rod Grams, D-F-Ler Mark Dayton, and Independence Party candidate James Gibson are all promising clean campaigns focused on the issues. But as Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports, the rhetoric is already heating up.
September 14, 2000 -
September 14, 2000 - Delegates to the Minnesota Medical Association meeting in Duluth this week are taking on several controversial health care issues including payment for obesity treatment and proposed additional federal regulation of painkillers. Minnesota Public Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports. { The MMA is in the process of deciding its policy goals for the coming year. Some have to do with the nuts and bolts of medical practice, like whether LPN's should be giving innoculations and whether a national data bank on malpractice actions should be made public. Others address public health and medical ethics issues. Quite a few advocate for better access to health care. This last category includes two resolutions on obesity, which some experts say is verging on a national epidemic. By one estimate, just over half of Americans are overweight. Obesity is linked to serious medical problems including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and arthritis. But most insurance companies don't cover treatment for obesity. St. Paul endocrinologist Dr. Michael Gonzales CamPOY says insurers still see obesity as a moral failing and are skeptical of the available treatments.
September 14, 2000 - The price of prescription drugs has emerged as a big issue in this year's political races. Senate candidate Mark Dayton has even taken groups of seniors on a ride to Canada, where they can buy drugs at cheaper prices than they can get here. Those price differences are the topic of a news conference later today in Washington D-C where Senator Paul Wellstone, a Democrat, and congressman Gil Gutknecht, a Republican, will call for the passage of the Prescription Drug RE-importation bill. Joining us on the line is Minnesota's first district congressman, Gil Gutknecht.
September 18, 2000 - The three candidates for US Senate square off today in a Minnesota Chamber of Commerce Debate. Business organizations say on issues important to them Rod Grams stands out the best choice. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports...
September 18, 2000 - US Senate candidates Rod Grams, Mark Dayton and James Gibson discussed health care, taxes and Social Security at the first post-primary debate today (MONDAY). Grams and Dayton were at odds on nearly every issue. Gibson - the Independence Party candidate - often found himself agreeing with Grams, although the two differed over tax relief. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports...
September 18, 2000 - Community activists and legislators at the state capitol today (Monday) registered their outrage at the inadequacy of spending on treatment programs for adolescents addicted to drugs and alcohol. They blamed state and federal governments ... as well as health insurance providers ... for what they call the immoral neglect of youth in need of treatment. The hearing was part of a nation-wide campaign focused on substance-abuse services for teens. Minnesota Public Radio's Lynette Nyman reports.