June 12, 2001 - Many of you have thoughts on the nurses strike. Here are some of the comments that were left on our Soap Box feature at Minnesota Public Radio dot o-r-g. Frank from Minneapolis writes-- This strike isn't about patient care, it is about greed. Nurses are not the only people who work in hospitals who have stressful jobs. There are many people who work for far less money, and their jobs are just as stressful. The difference is, patient care is their number-one concern, not union solidarity. Kate from St. Paul writes-- I'm just sick of a system that forces nurses to strike in order to be heard. I realize that the people I contact most often in the health-care system are nurses. I might see a doctor for a two-minute diagnosis, but the nurses have to provide the bulk of ongoing emotional and physical care. I think they should make more money.
June 13, 2001 - House and Senate negotiators today (WEDNESDAY) made budget offers during a public meeting of the tax working group. The two proposals, however, exposed the wide differences separating the two caucuses. But all sides say they're encouraged to have the discussions back in the public eye. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports.
June 14, 2001 - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has approved a request from Minnesota that allows the state to participate in a federal program that helps cover uninsured children. For the past 3 years, Governor Ventura and officials with the state's Department of Human Services have been lobbying the federal government to approve the funding. Ventura said the federal government was penalizing Minnesota for establishing a program for uninsured children before Congress created its own program in 1997. State officials say the new money will help insure more Minnesotans, but some lawmakers in the state Legislature don't have the same expectations. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports..
June 14, 2001 - Several dozen scholars, attorneys, policymakers, and law enforcement personnel put their heads together at the University of Minnesota today (Thurs) to take a closer look at the issue of racial bias in Minnesota's criminal justice system. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen reports...
June 18, 2001 - Census 2000 reports there are almost six-hundred-thousand Minnesotans over the age of 65 . More than half of them live outside the seven county metro area. Of the 85-thousand people over age 85 in the state, 60 percent live in rural counties. Today we begin a weeklong series from our Mainstreet reporting team, "Aging Gracefully". As the region's population makeup shifts, more Minnesotans are choosing to retire to the the rural towns of their childhood. Retirees see the towns as quiet and affordable destinations, where they're closer to relatives and old friends. But as Tim Post reports, this trend may put pressure on rural communities.
June 21, 2001 - Demographers and state planners are worrying about dramatic shifts in Minnesota's population, with younger workers moving to the Twin Cities metro area and older people concentrating in rural areas. Are small towns ready for an aging population? Will there be enough young people to take care of the older people? Scenic Cook County, along the North Shore of Lake Superior, has only about 5000 year-round residents. Nearly a thousand of them are older than 65. And many summer visitors are moving there to retire. As part of our "Aging Gracefully" Series Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill visited Grand Marais recently and found people are coming up with creative ways of meeting the needs of older residents.
June 21, 2001 - St. Paul based Lawson Software is preparing to go public, despite a dramatic decline in initial stock offerings of late. The privately held software company outlined its plans in a regulatory filing. Minnesota Public Radio's Bill Catlin reports.
June 22, 2001 - This week Mainstreet Radio has been examining the challenges facing rural areas as the population ages. Healthcare is a major issue, and in many rural areas the care available through the Veterans Administration is a mainstay. When the men and women who were called to serve joined the armed services they were promised medical care for life. But as veterans age and medical costs skyrocket, how that promise is fulfilled is changing. Mainstreet Radios Bob Reha reports. {
June 26, 2001 - The Minnesota Department of Human Services is sending out notices to people who receive state health care benefits informing them that payments for some services will be delayed if the government shuts down. That means people who receive Minnesota Care, Medical Assistance, or General Assistance Medical Care could find their doctors won't be paid by the state. Lawmakers are still meeting at the capitol, but have lots of work to do in order to reach a budget agreement in time to prevent a shutdown. Michael O'Keefe is the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Services. He's on the line now.
June 26, 2001 -