December 12, 2003 - Hundreds of people lined up outside of the Minnesota Department of Health's office in St. Paul today in hopes of getting a flu shot. Demand for the vaccine has increased in the last week after the two manufacturers who make the vaccine said they've run out and won't be able to make any more in the near future. Twenty-four states to date have reported a widespread flu outbreak. The concern has also prompted some Minnesota health plans to reverse an earlier decision and start covering the cost of FluMist, a new, more expensive, nasal vaccine. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports....
December 16, 2003 - Governor Pawlenty's Bioscience Council is recommending that the state invest more than $234-million dollars in Minnesota's biotech industry. The group finalized the proposals it wants Pawlenty to present to the Legislature in February. The package also calls for guaranteeing up to 200-million dollars in venture capital investments. Backers admit parts of the plan will be a tough sell at the Capitol. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports...
December 16, 2003 - Senate DFLers are the latest group at the state Capitol to propose a plan to reduce the growth in health care costs. The proposal would restore some of the cuts to state subsidized health insurance programs, would cap health care premium increases and would invest more money in education for health care professionals. The rising cost of health care is likely to be a hot issue in the upcoming legislative session. House Republicans have proposed a dramatically different plan and a task force appointed by the governor is also working on the issue. I'm Tom Scheck, Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports...
December 17, 2003 - Late December brings with it a flurry of lists summing up the year. We took that opportunity to commission our regular medical analyst to take stock of the year's biggest medical stories. Dr. Jon Hallberg is the medical director of the Primary Care Center at the University of Minnesota. His chronological review of the year's top ten takes us back to late last year with the effort to prevent a small pox outbreak.
December 18, 2003 - Governor Pawlenty says he wants to discipline the state doctors who decided against recommending civil commitment for Alfonso Rodriguez Junior. Rodriguez was charged two weeks ago with kidnapping 22 year old Dru Sjodin. The convicted sex offender was released in May even though some evaluations say Rodriguez had a high likelihood of reoffending. Rodriguez has maintained his innocence in Sjodin's disappearance. While Pawlenty is considering punishment for the doctors who assessed Rodriguez, Minnesota's attorney general and other DFLers say they're concerned that budget cuts led to the oversight. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports.
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.