March 23, 1998 - Minnesota's gubernatorial candidates will be stepping in to tricky territory when they try to outline their education proposals, judging by comments at a recent Minnesota Public Radio/Star Tribune/KTCA TV citizens forum on education. Citizens complained that the state's education system isn't meeting the needs of today's children and demanded the next Governor do something about the problem. But many said the problem with schools is that theyre being micromanaged by the state. Minnesota Public Radio's Brent Wolfe reports on the mixed messages and candidate questions that came out of the forum. TAG: Tune in to Midday this morning at 11 for more on education and the governor's race. We'd like to know what education qu
March 23, 1998 - At the Academy Awards tonight, the odds-on favorite to win best picture and possibly set the record for winning the most awards is Titanic. $200-million film about the great ship that struck an iceberg is now the biggest grossing film of all time. Thomas Pope, a local screenwriter who's out with a new book called Good Scripts, Bad Scripts says Hollywood would probably like to see a money-maker rewarded with the industry's highest honors: Thomas Pope is the author of Good Scripts, Bad Scripts. His screenwriting credits include "The Lords of Discipline" "FX" and "Someone to Watch Over Me."
March 24, 1998 - For an assessment of this first phase of the trial, we called Hamline University law professor Joe Daly. He's been a frequent observer in the courtroom, and says he's been impressed with the way the state laid out its case: Joe Daly teaches at Hamline University School of Law in St. Paul. Sun 28-MAY 11:55:02 MPR NewsPro Archive - Wed 04/11/2001
March 24, 1998 - MPR’s Euan Kerr interviews Minnesota poet Susan Carol Hauser about her book “Sugartime: The Hidden Pleasures of Making Maple Syrup with a Primer for the Novice Sugarer.”
March 24, 1998 - With the announcement yesterday that Minnesota Public Radio is selling its for-profit catalog company, the Rivertown Trading Company, to the Dayton Hudson corporation, MPR's financial footings become substantially stronger. The 120 million dollar deal means that MPR's endowment fund will become the largest in all of public broadcasting. MPR officials say the event is good news for network and its listeners, but there may be a risk to its fundraising.
March 24, 1998 - Saint Paul for Tuesday March 24-th. plus, news cuts for news!!!!! Minnesota's welfare recipients are quickly being moved into a system that's VERY different from the one to which they have become accustomed to. The state's new welfare law emphasizes WORK and penalizes those who do not comply with the new rules. State's were mandated by the federal government to reform the welfare system as we have known it. THIS month, about one thousand of the state's 50-thousand welfare recipients had their checks reduced by ten percent for failing to show up to orientation sessions which explain how the new system works. They are being given a second chance to attend, but as Minnesota Public Radio's Karen-Louise Boothe reports, if they fail to show up AGAIN, their benefits will be cutback even FURTHER: Let's say you receive welfare payments.
March 25, 1998 - SAINT PAUL MAYOR NORM COLEMAN USED YESTERDAY'S STATE OF THE CITY SPEECH TO HIGHLIGHT SOME WAYS THE CITY CAN HELP RESIDENTS WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH POVERTY DURING THESE COMPARATIVELY PROSPEROUS ECONOMIC TIMES. PREVENTING TEEN PREGNANCY AND OVERCOMING DRUG ADDICTION WERE AMONG THE THEMES INCLUDED IN COLEMAN'S SPEECH. MINNESOTA PUBLIC RADIO'S WILLIAM WILCOXEN REPORTS... COLEMAN, WHO WAS RE-ELECTED MAYOR IN NOVEMBER, IS NOW CAMPAIGNING FOR THE REPUBLICAN GUBERNATORIAL NOMINATION. HE OPENED HIS STATE OF THE CITY SPEECH BY REVIEWING SOME OF THE MEASURES BY WHICH SAINT PAUL IS SUCCEEDING: RECORD-LOW UNEMPLOYMENT, A RESURGENT TAX BASE DOWNTOWN, MORE BUILDING PERMITS BEING ISSUED, AND MORE MONEY IN THE CITY'S BANK ACCOUNT. LATER HE ACKN
March 25, 1998 - A state senator has withdrawn a proposed ban on so-called partial birth abortions, after he says opponents hobbled it with an unfriendly amendment today on the Senate floor. Minnesota Public Radios Eric Jansen reports from the state capitol: The author, Republican Senator Tom Neuville, says he withdrew his proposal to ban what are commonly called partial-birth abortions because an amendment by another senator changed it so drastically it would have been ineffective: "I dont want to put anything on the books any laws
March 25, 1998 - Today, in the first full day of defense testimony, the tobacco companies' witness in the state's trial discussed the volume of information on smoking and health available to Minnesotans. A key defense argument is that the dangers of smoking were well-known, therefore tobacco companies didn't mislead the public about health risks...as the state and Blue Cross Blue Shield claim. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports... Yesterday, University of Minnesota historian Hy Berman ended his testimoney with a Christopher Columbus' quote on the vice of tobacco. Today, he picked up his history lesson where he left off, moving int
March 26, 1998 - State's attorneys in Minnesota's tobacco trial are expected to begin cross-examining a historian who testified yesterday that Minnesotans have long known about the health risks of smoking. University of Minnesota history professor Hy Berman told jurors the public has known cigarettes were hazardous more than 100 years ago. Minnesota public radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports: The tobacco companies are trying to poke holes in the State's contention they lied, covered-up and deceived the public about the dangers of smoking. History professor Hy Berman told jurors Minnesotans have known smoking is hazardous to health for decades from their schoolbooks, teachers and press coverage. He said Minnesota school teachers have taught students about the h