September 28, 1998 - Tim Penny, former Minnesota congressman, discusses his book, "The 15 Biggest Lies in Politics." Penny states that some of the things we think of as basics in American government are really lies, such as tax cuts, balanced budgets, the influence of money in elections, and more. Penny also answers listener questions.
September 28, 1998 - MPR’s Elizabeth Stawicki profiles Paul Molitor, who may have played his last ballgame. The Minnesota native has played in the major leagues for 20 years, raking up statistics that many analysts say make him a shoo-in for the MLB’s Hall of Fame.
September 28, 1998 - Country musician and novelist Kinky Friedman likes to irritate people. He grew up in a liberal Jewish family in Texas, but soon was making people wince if only through the name of his band "Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys." In time Kinky turned to writing novels: crime thrillers with a jewish Texan detective called, strangely enough, Kinky Friedman. His eleventh novel "Blast From the Past" was just published, and now he is touring the country reading from the book and irritating people some more. However when he came into the MPR studios today, brandishing his trademark cigar, it was his turn to be a little miffed when he heard how Garth Brooks sold out a series of concerts at the target Center in just hours last week. Friedman told Minnesota Public Radio's Euan Kerr he considers Brooks to be "the anti-Hank", the epitome of everything Hank Williams was not.
September 29, 1998 - Our September installment of the MPR "Voices of Minnesota" series is a special baseball edition, with profiles of Minnesota baseball stars Paul Molitor and Kirby Puckett. MPR’s Elizabeth Stawicki interviews Molitor and Jim Bickal interviews Puckett. Following interviews a conversation with sports commentator Howard Sinker and call-in from listeners.
September 29, 1998 - The Assassination Records Review Board which has spent the past four years pouring through classified documents on the assassination of President Kennedy, will present its final report to President Clinton tomorrow. The Board's main goal was to find and release as much information on the case as possible, to help restore Americans' trust in government following years of conspiracy and coverup rumors. U.S. District Judge John Tunheim of Minneapolis served as Chairman of the review board. He says the panelists succeeded in releasing more than 4 million pages on the assassination and learned a lot in the process.
September 29, 1998 - It's an unusual mystery for grown-up in which the pictures are as important as the text...but that's the case with the new book -- DIARY OF AN AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER -- by artist Graham Rawle . Rawle's provocative collages provide clues in solving the mystery while presenting a scathing critique on society's views of women, sex and consumer culture. Rawle was in town recently ----.MPR's Mary Stucky caught up the artist at an exhibit of his work currently on display at the College of Visual Arts in St Paul.
September 29, 1998 - The Federal Reserve cut a key short term interest rate today. The federal funds rate, one of the Fed's two benchmark short-term interest rates, was lowered by a quarter percentage point to 5.25 percent. The Fed calculates the move will cushion the US economy from a worsening global economic situation, and a domestic credit crunch. Jim Paulson, the Chief investment officer of Norwest Investment Management in Minneapolis , says the rate cut is extremely welcome news on many fronts.
September 30, 1998 - Robert Olson, Minneapolis police chief, talks with MPR’s Gary Eichten about the decrease in crime in Minneapolis, and the elements of effective police work. Topics include downtown nightlife and higher arrest rates. Olson also answers listener questions.
September 30, 1998 - "The World Turned Upside Down," an American RadioWorks documentary about deflation, with MPR's Steven Smith and Chris Farrell. Contains various interviews and commentary.
October 1, 1998 - Tom Emmert, Gustavus Adolphus history professor and Balkan scholar, discusses the background and update on the developments in Kosovo. Emmert also answers listener questions. Emmert is writing a book about the history of Serbia, for a forthcoming Stanford University series.