August 31, 1999 - Minnesota senators Paul Wellstone and Rod Grams appeared together last night to discuss the state's farm crisis. The two participated in a Minnesota Citizens' Forum where they were joined by representatives of the Ventura administration.
August 31, 1999 - If the results of a new genetic study underway at the University of Minnesota can be duplicated in humans, diseases such as sickle cell anemia and hemophilia may soon be a thing of the past. For the first time, U-of-M scientists say they have successfully repaired a gene that causes a deadly liver disease. Dr. Clifford Steer is leading the study. He says researchers developed a technique that allows them to go into a cell with a single defect and essentially re-write its genetic code.
August 31, 1999 - Sara Jane Olson, formerly Kathleen Soliah, was back in Los Angeles Superior Court today, more than a month after being released from custody on a million dollars bail. Her case has been assigned to a trial court judge. Olson's attorneys say there have been no plea bargain negotiations. They say they expect the case will go to trial this fall.
August 31, 1999 - Sarah Jane Olson is due back in Los Angeles County Superior Court this morning for a pretrial hearing on charges she conspired to blow up police cars in Los Angeles more than twenty years ago. Olson is the former fugitive "Kathleen Soliah". Her attorneys say prosecutors have no evidence she took part in the attempted bombings. And as her trial nears, they say there are NO negotiations toward settling the charges with a plea bargain.
September 1, 1999 - MPR sports analyst Jay Weiner will be in the studio to discuss Vikings Owner Red McCombs' demand for a new stadium or he'll move the team, and the proposal from Major League Baseball owners to drop the small market teams (like Minnesota). Jay is a sports writer for the Star Tribune newspaper.
September 1, 1999 - American RadioWorks presents the documentary “The Fertility Race,” a summary of compiled reports on series about the social implications of infertility and the advanced reproductive techniques designed to correct the condition.
September 1, 1999 - Shareholders of both Honeywell and AlliedSignal today approved the New Jersey based company's 15 billion dollar buyout of Honeywell. At the Honeywell headquarters, which the company has put up for sale, CEO Michael Bonsignore told shareholders the company had to do something dramatic to retain control of its own destiny.
September 1, 1999 - Minnesota schools begin a second year of classes this week under the graduation standards system, known as the Profile of Learning. The complex system of applied-learning requirements was expected to be dumped or dramatically altered during the legislative session, but neither happened. Now, school districts and teachers are expected to push ahead and make the Profile work. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire looked at how one district is coping and filed this report.
September 1, 1999 - At the start of another school year, officials in the Minneapolis school district are telling students to show up everyday. Superintendent Carol Johnson says her goals for the school year include a 95-percent attendance rate for all students. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire visited one Minneapolis school that's already surpassing the goal.
September 1, 1999 - Back to school is an expensive time of year. For some families hard hit by the farm crisis, even buying new sneakers for kids is a stretch. In the Moorhead area, 11 year old Britta Thomas noticed a friend had to sit out of gym class because she didn't have tennis shoes. Britta started a charity through 4H called "Happy Feet" that buys shoes for kids whose families can't afford them. Britta's mother, Noreen Thomas says Britta and 20 other kids supplied 550 pairs of shoes for back to school.