January 23, 1998 -
January 24, 1998 - MPR’s Greta Cunningham interviews Minnesota musician Peter Ostroushko about his new album “Pilgrims on the Heart Road."
January 24, 1998 - The fate of Vikings coach Dennis Green remains uncertain this morning. Green has one year left in his contract--but Green may be planning to quit next week. Vikings president Roger Headrick says Green's chances of staying with the Vikings are "failing" and "declining." At a Super Bowl party yesterday Green says he has "no comment" on the situation. In other football news, Former Minnesota Vikings defensive end Carl Eller, safety Paul Krause and offensive tackle Ron Yary are among the 15 finalists for induction in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
January 25, 1998 - Heartache and the minefields of dating are explored in Laura Zigman's humorous new novel ANIMAL HUSBANDRY. The premise of the book comes from a true scientific theory--the Coolidge Effect. This theory is based on the premise that bulls will only mate with a cow once--then they're off to seek a new cow. Zigman stumbled upon the theory as she flipped through science journals while nursing her broken heart. She jokes, if you bring things back to the animal kingdom--dating behavior makes sense. Zigman says her main character--Jane Goodall--is autobiographical.
January 25, 1998 - We've all seen sex and violence in recent films...but religion is a topic most filmmakers shy away from. Director Martin Scorsese may be the exception to this rule. In "The Last Temptation of Christ" Scorsese made a controversial film about Jesus and His Apostles. In his latest release--KUNDUN--Scorsese examines the life of the 14th Dalai Lama. Weekend Edition Film Critic Debra Alexander is here to discuss KUNDUN.
January 26, 1998 - Four years after Minnesota filed its lawsuit against the tobacco industry, opening statements in the trial begin this morning (Monday) at the federal courthouse in St. Paul. The state and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota are suing the major tobacco companies to recover the cost of treating smoking-related illnesses over the past two decades. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports...
January 26, 1998 - Rochester is the famed winter home for 30-thousand Canada geese. The wild birds stay mostly in the center of the city on Silver Lake, which does not freeze because of warm water from a nearby power plant. While the healthy flock is a source of some civic pride, their by-product is the bane of locals. One Rochester man, however, has found a use for the waste. Gary Blum (like plum) turns dried goose poop mixed with glue into art. He's found a niche creating pictures of geese, loons and even people. Minnesota Public Radio's spoke with Blum about his passion for goose poop art. Rochester artist Gary Blum talking with Minnesota Public Radio's Art Hughes.
January 26, 1998 - Recently there have been almost daily announcements of major gifts to various educational and charitable institutions in Minnesota. Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor gave Mankato State University 8-million dollars; the Ordway theatre received a 4-million dollar gift from Minnesota actress Ruth Easton to stage new shows in the future. Minnesota Public Radio's Gretchen Lehmann (lay-mun) examines the reasons behind this spurt of giving and it's implications for the future.
January 26, 1998 - Long time critics of the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District are taking another swipe at the agency. The Sierra Club and other environmental organizations are pushing a bill that would require the Mosquito Control District to notify individual property owners before spraying. The agency, one of the largest mosquito control programs in the nation, sprays some 120 thousand acres annually for adult mosquitoes. Minnesota Public Radio's Mary Losure reports.
January 26, 1998 - Minnesota became the first state to litigate a case against the tobacco industry, when attorneys made their opening statements today. The state and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota are suing major tobacco companies to recover the cost of treating smoking-related illnesses. The state's lead attorney called tobacco a greedy industry, while tobacco's lead attorney says even if the industry behaved badly, it didn't increase the state's health care costs. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports... The state's lead attorney Michael Cerisi said the tobacco companie