March 12, 1998 - Two of Minnesota's largest health plans say they will file a lawsuit this week against the tobacco industry to recover costs of treating smoking-related illnesses. HealthPartners and Medica Health Plans, part of Allina Health System, said Wednesday that new evidence in Minnesota's lawsuit against the tobacco industry persuaded them to take legal action now. Meanwhile, defense attorneys at the tobacco trial have asked the judge to remove himself from the case or declare a mistrial. Tobacco attorneys say Judge Kenneth Fitzpatrick has destroyed their right to a fair trial because he's biased. State's attorneys reject the defense assertions. Minnesota Public Radio Reporter Elizabeth Stawicki reports.
March 13, 1998 - A new government reports shows new cancer cases among Americans are decreasing, despite increases in some cancers such as melanoma. Between 1992 and 1995, cancer rates dropped nearly three percent each year, meaning some seventy-thousand fewer people were diagnosed with cancer each year. Preliminary results from 1996 show the decrease continuing. Dr. John Kersey who directs the University of Minnesota Cancer Center says the numbers are encouraging.
March 16, 1998 - There's the "Old Farmers' Almanac," "Almanac of American Politics," "Golf Almanac" and now: the "HARP Almanac." It's the brainchild of a Saint Paul couple Fred Schlomka and Sunita Staneslow that lists just about everything imaginable about harps -- from concerts, performers and music, to carved music stands and harp insurance . As Minnesota Public Radio's Todd Moe reports, this new harpists "Who's Who" could make Saint Paul the hub of the harp world.
March 16, 1998 - Martin Kaste previews the week ahead at the Capitol.
March 17, 1998 - What makes a friendship? Many are based on shared values, interests, sometimes simply living in a shared space. But Peace Corps volunteer Marianne Combs finds it difficult to make friends among the women in her new home...a village in the west African nation of Ivory Coast. She's just seems too alien. Here is Marianne's most recent "Letter from Africa."
March 18, 1998 - This MPR special report, titled The World Turned Upside Down: An End to Inflation, examines the potential end of a long period of inflation and the growing focus and concerns of possible deflation. Program includes various interviews and commentary and is hosted by Chris Farrell, MPR's senior economics and business editor.
March 19, 1998 - Minneapolis playwright Kim Hines tells the story of three prominent African American women of the time who are largely unknown to most Minnesotans. Hines has written monologues portraying the life of businesswoman Amanda Lyle, social worker Gertrude Brown, and attorney Lena Smith.
March 19, 1998 - Surrogate motherhood has been a controversial practice in the United States ever since the widely-publicized "Baby M" case in 1986. That's when surrogate mother Mary Beth Whitehead fought an unsuccessful court battle for custody of a child she was paid to bear for another couple. Since then a quiet and fundamental change has swept through the business known as "commercial surrogacy." Most surrogate mothers today are not genetically related to the children they carry. That fact may increase both the number of babies born through surrogacy and the legal security of the arrangements. Minnesota Public Radio's Stephen Smith has more in the next part of our ongoing series, "The Fertility Race."
March 23, 1998 - As part of the Minnesota Citizens’ Forum on education, in partnership with the Star Tribune, KTCA-TV, and the Minnesota Journalism Center, this program reports on forum and presents MPR listeners' views on education and the Gubernatorial campaign. “Profile of Learning” was a key topic.
March 23, 1998 - Capitol reporter Martin Kaste previews the week ahead at the Legislature.