October 1, 1999 - A new Census Bureau report shows American median household income is at an all time high. The income gains occured at every earning level AND in every region. Minnesota had the sixth highest household income in the nation... at about 45,500 dollars for 97-98, a jump of almost 3,000 from the previous year. Tom Stinson is the state economist. He says the new household income numbers are not suprising, given the current economy.
September 29, 1999 - The nurture vs. nature question is not new... but a study at California State University has found a different way to try to get at the answer. Twins researcher Nancy Segal, known locally for her work on the Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart, has turned her attention to Psuedo twins. Segal says siblings that share exactly the same environment but none of their genes can help us understand how humans develop.
September 29, 1999 - Its a good time to be a non-profit in Minnesota. A new study shows foundations and companies in the state increased their charitable giving by 57 percent between 1994 and 1997. That rate is nearly double the national average. Jakie Reis is the President of the Minnesota Council on Foundations, the organization that released the report. She says its not surprising Minnesotans are so eagar to give.
September 28, 1999 - The Hennepin county report on child injury and violence also shows alarming rates of self-inflicted poisoning among adolescents... especially girls. Rene Wixon is a data analyst at the Hennepin County Community Health Department and the majority author of the study. She says the new figures are alarming.
September 27, 1999 - To close out the millennium, Minnesota Public Radio's All Things Considered presents a look back at Minnesota life in 1900 via a 12-part series, entitled “A Minnesota Century.” This segment is the the story of a woman who had mixed success as a novelist but eventually found her voice in the character of Betsy, whose antics and adventures mirrored Maud's real-life childhood in Mankato at the turn of the century.
September 21, 1999 - Minnesota has about two weeks to appeal a preliminary federal decision to punish the state for failing to do enough to prevent teen smoking. Last week, Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala recommended the state lose about eight million dollars in chemical abuse money because it hasn't met goals it set for itself to reduce teen smoking. Tom Moss is Deputy Commisioner of the State Human Services Department. He says Minnesota has a good long term anti-smoking campaign in place, but just hasn't seen the quick results the federal government is looking for:
September 16, 1999 - The federal Centers for Disease Control is giving the state Health Department 1.2 million dollars to begin preparations for the possibility of a biological weapons attack. The grant is part of a national program that will distribute money to 40 states to improve lab technology and design early warning sytems that will be able to quickly detect an outbreak. Former state epidemiologist Mike Osterholm is Chairman and CEO of the Infection Control Advisory Network. He says the new grant will still leave the state a long way from being fully prepared for a biological attack.
September 15, 1999 - A US Census Bureau report released today shows a dramatic increase in the number of minorities that choose to make Minnesota home. The state's minority population increased an estimated 43 percent between 1990 and 1998. Minnesota is still one of the whitest states in the U-S... but the new figures show the state's population is gradually starting to look like the rest of the country. John Powell is the executive director of the institute on race and poverty at the University of Minnesota. He says the recent increase isn't surprising.
September 14, 1999 - Many Minnesota farmers may find their fall harvest caught up in growing consumer concern over the safety of genetically altered crops. Corn and Soybean growers in the state have invested heavily in the technology... but the European Union has said it won't buy gene-altered crops and some U-S buyers have followed suit. Mike Yost is past president of the Minnesota Soybean Association and a Soybean grower himself. He says he's not sure how the latest uproar will affect the price he gets for his soybeans.
September 13, 1999 - A national interest group in favor of lower taxes is wading into next year's Senate Race in Minnesota. The group, "Americans for Tax Reform" is running 600 thousand dollars worth of television ads to give Republican incumbant Rod Grams some early exposure. Campaign finance laws don't allow the ads to actually ask the public to vote for Grams and a spokesman from Grams campaign says they had nothing to do with the ads. Larry Jacobs is associate professor of political science at the University of Minnesota. He says the ads are one way for this particular interest group to shape the election agenda.