September 14, 1998 - Gubernatorial candidates are thick on the ground and in the air today.... the last day of campaigning before the primary. We caught up with the major party candiates as to hear their last minute messages.
September 14, 1998 - A Northwest Airlines spokesman says the company will have all its daily flights back on schedule by early next week. But more labor negotiations are on the horizon. Northwest's operations could unravel again if there's no contract with the company's biggest union, the International Association of Machinists. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson reports. The 27,000 member Machinists union won't put a number to the pay increase members want. But spokesman Don Mayer says earlier this summer the Machinists rejected a fourteen percent wage increase over four years. Mayer says the union would restart talks with the company immediately if they get a call from Northwest. audio . . .for lack of a better word, we'
September 14, 1998 - n mn For use Monday M.E. (i also filed newscast tape re: poll reax sunday) ALL five DFL Gubernatorial candidates campaigned either by BUS or by PHONE over the weekend....hoping to get the votes needed to win tomorrow's primary. Minnesota Public Radio's Karen-Louise Boothe was on the trail with SOME of them and has this report: After logging HUNDREDS of miles around the state since Thursday---DFL Endorsed candidate Mike Freeman maintained his fire during a rally at the American Legion Club in downtown Virginia. He said It was his 18-th trip to the iron range, since he began this race. It's a region of the state that's a DFL stronghold--and a KEY to winning an election.
September 14, 1998 - The DFL candidates for Governor took aim at Attorney General Skip Humphrey last night in the final debate of the primary campaign. Humphrey is leading in the polls, but his lead has shrunk a little. Now the other four candidates are looking for opportunities to bring him down further. Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste reports: It's a rule of thumb in politics that if you're trying to identify the front-runner in a race, you should look for the candidate who's deflecting the most attacks. At the DFL gubernatorial debate sponsored by MPR last night, that person was Skip Humphrey. Ted Mondale threw the first punch by accusing Humphrey of being too ready to promise more tax cuts and programs than the state can afford.
September 14, 1998 - Northwest Airlines is asking all of its employees to redouble efforts to improve customer service now that the pilots strike is over. On Saturday leaders of the six thousand members pilots union approved a contract agreement ending their 15 day strike. The deal the pilots signed will likely set the bar for negotiations with Northwest's five other unions.
September 14, 1998 - As part of a series of stories following the path of the "Father of Waters,” aka the Mississippi River, Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen has this Mainstreet report on recreational growth on the river and the implications for industries that has traditionally used the water.
September 15, 1998 - The polls opened at seven on this primary morning, when only twenty-percent of the electorate was expected to show up to exercise the franchise. Minnesota Public Radio's John Rabe spoke with voters outside three polling places this morning: a library in Uptown Minneapolis, an apartment building in North Minneapolis, and a fire station at Snelling and Selby in Saint Paul. John asked them WHO they voted for, IF they're thinking of the Clinton scandal, and WHY they came to the polls in the first place. Twin Cities voters speaking with Minnesota Public Radio's John Rabe this morning. Sun 28-MAY 08:56:39 MPR NewsPro Archive - Wed 04/11/2001
September 15, 1998 - The farm crisis is about to enter a new phase as Minnesota farmers begin their corn and soybean harvests....the states largest cash crops. The price of those grains is so low most farmers plan to store the crop until prices improve. Farmers and grain elevators are scrambling to find enough space to hold the crop. Mainstreet Radio's Mark Steil reports: traffic sounds up Along highway 14 in Walnut Grove is an example of how one farmer beat the grain storage problem. On a corner is a turn of the century grain elevator. Along with some steel bins added later, the complex once was
September 15, 1998 - (FOR TUES M.E.) It's primary election day in Minnesota. The biggest prize at stake today is the DFL nomination for Governor, a five-way race that still seems very much up-for-grabs. But there are other races on the party ballots, some of them just as hard to call as the DFL gubernatorial nomination. Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste reports: A strategist on one of the leading gubernatorial campaigns recently complained that he's had a tough time getting the public to pay attention to his candidate. He says people seem too distracted by the Clinton scandal, the Northwest airlines strike and baseball's homerun record to pay attention to politics. But if a big-name candidate for gove
September 15, 1998 - Farm groups met with President Clinton today to urge quick action on what they're calling a crisis in the country's farm economy. Farm income is falling due to low prices as well as losses from drought, storms and plant diseases. Lawmakers want to provide a bail-out but have been unable to agree on how much to spend or how to distribute it. The House did vote today to use the budget surplus for farm aid rather than requiring politically impossible cuts in other government programs. Minnesota Farmers Union President Dave Frederickson flew to Washington today to urge the president and lawmakers to free up more money for loans: Minnesota Farmers Union President Dave Frederickso