April 6, 1998 - MPR’s Bob Potter talks with Reverends David Johnson and Ronald Smith. The pastors say they've been trying to lead a joint church - and the broader community - in a difficult process called racial reconciliation.
April 7, 1998 - Ken Morris, president of the State Board of Education, discusses education and state's "Profile of Learning" graduation standards. Morris also answers listener questions.
April 7, 1998 - MPR's Mary Losure talked to kids at an afterschool daycare program for a child's eye view of the severe storm and tornado that hit St. Peter, Minnesota.
April 7, 1998 - Under terms of a tentative deal reached late last night by DFL leaders, Minnesotans would receive about 500 million dollars in property tax rebates. They would get another 400 million dollars in permanent property tax rate reductions. The plan also would have the state pay cash for capital projects rather than borrow since it has a one-point-nine billion dollar surplus. House Speaker Phil Carruthers joins us now.
April 8, 1998 - Joseph Daly, law professor at Hamline University, discusses progression of the tobacco trial in Minnesota. Daly outlines lawsuit that the State of Minnesota and Blue Cross have filed against the tobacco industry. Daly also answers listener questions.
April 8, 1998 - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing that states have more freedom in killing Canada geese to keep the birds' growing population in check. About 25 thousand Canada geese are on their way back to the Twin Cities for the summer. Thanks to the early spring, many have already arrived. Goose hunting is not allowed in the metro area, so the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has to intervene to control the population. Last year more than five thousand geese were captured and either relocated out of state or processed for local food shelves. Still, urban geese are numerous and they can get on the nerves of homeowners. Tom Landwehr is the DNR's wetland wildlife program leader.
April 8, 1998 - President Clinton led a discussion yesterday in Kansas City on how to fix Social Security. Clinton warned against completely privatizing Social Security although he didn't rule out the idea of allowing some private investment. He also said the program could be saved without increasing payroll taxes. Social Security is expected to come under increasing strain as the baby boom generation retires from the workforce. Yesterday's forum was the first in a series intended to spark a national debate over the program's future. But political science professor Larry Jacobs at the University of Minnesota says that debate is already well underway. He joins me now.
April 8, 1998 - In 1993, Reno Air began offering low-cost flights from the Twin Cities to Reno Nevada. Northwest Airlines quickly responded by introducing cheaper fares on overlapping routes. Within months, Reno Air pulled out of the Twin Cities...and Northwest hiked its fares once again. Small airlines say that's an example of predatory pricing that Northwest and other large airlines use to stifle competition at their hub airports. The US Department of Transportation this week proposed a set of new rules that would penalize airlines for doing that. Mike Boyd is an airline industry analyst and head of the Boyd Group based in Colorado. He doesn't think the rules will make it any easier for small airlines to gain a toehold in markets like the Twin Cities.
April 9, 1998 - Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin, who also chairs the Seven County Rail Authority; and Art Leahy, general manager of the Metropolitan Council Transit Operations, discuss legislative passage of light rail project in the Twin Cities. McLaughlin and Leahy also answer listener questions.
April 9, 1998 - Tom Gravelin, a cafe owner in St. Peter, shares his experience during and after a tornado hit the Minnesota town.