April 24, 1998 - As Minnesota's tobacco trial ends its thirteenth week of testimony, the case continues to attract out-of-town observers. Watching today's proceedings were the attorneys general of two other states suing tobacco companies - Iowa and Michigan. They say Minnesota's case is paving the way for other states' lawsuits, but tobacco companies counter some of those suits are being tossed out of court. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports... Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller and Michigan Attorney General Frank Kelly watched today's testimony with interest, as Minnesota attorney Richard Gill tried to get former Philip Morris CEO James Morgan to admit hi
April 22, 1998 - Formerly-secret tobacco company documents that have started trickling out in Minnesota's trial are now flooding onto the internet. A congressional committee today posted nearly 39-thousand internal documents on its web site, two weeks after tobacco companies were forced to turn them over to attorneys for the state and Blue Cross Blue Shield. It's a move that has upset both the judge, and attorneys for the state in the Minnesota trial. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports... Tobacco companies went all the way to the U-S Supreme Court to keep the documents secret, claiming attorney-client privilege, and are still seeking a protective order from the judge in Minnesota's tobacco tria
April 21, 1998 - A scientist with top cigarette maker Philip Morris today testified his company invested hundreds of millions of dollars in alternative cigarette ideas. Tobacco companies are trying to refute claims by the state and Blue Cross Blue Shield that they agreed not to develop less hazardous products. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports... Clifton Lilly, vice president for technology for Philip Morris, has spent more than three decades working for the maker of Marlboro cigarettes, and said he smokes them himself. Speaking methodically, the white-haired 63-year-old detailed the company's research into alternative products, ranging fro
April 15, 1998 - A special Mainstreet Radio report from East Grand Forks, a year after the severe spring 1997 flood. MPR’s Laura McCallum interviews current and former residents of Lincoln Drive about their experience in the aftermath of disaster. Some have rebuilt; others have moved away.
April 15, 1998 - More documents indicating tobacco industry lawyers directed the companies' smoking and health research emerged in Minnesota's tobacco trial today. The handful of documents is among some 39-thousand turned over to the state and Blue Cross Blue Shield last week, when the U-S Supreme Court refused to halt their release. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports... While the defense is currently presenting its case... a first-time courtroom visitor might suspect that the state and Blue Cross were still working on their witness list. Lead plaintiff attorney Michael Ciresi introduced one internal company memo after another over defense objections. He grilled a
April 15, 1998 - As part of the series Remembering and Rebuilding - The Great Flood of 1997, a special Mainstreet Radio program from East Grand Forks, one year after the flood. Host Rachel Reabe interviews several business people and families who were affected by the flood…some who rebuilt, and some who moved away.
April 14, 1998 - The first of the much-anticipated tobacco company documents began trickling into Minnesota's tobacco trial today. Attorneys for the state and Blue Cross Blue Shield introduced several of the 39-thousand formerly-secret documents they obtained last week. Tobacco lawyers fought their release all the way to the U-S Supreme Court. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports... Over the objections of tobacco lawyers, lead plaintiff attorney Michael Ciresi introduced about a half-dozen formerly-privileged documents as part of his cross-examination of Brown and Williamson toxicologist Scott Appleton. One was Appleton's handwritten notes from a 1991 meeting at the Kansas City law firm of Shook, Hardy and Bacon. Appleton had just been hired by B
April 8, 1998 - The plaintiffs in Minnesota's lawsuit against the tobacco industry today urged Congress to pass legislation regulating the industry - without big tobacco's approval. The nation's top four tobacco companies now say they will fight a proposed national agreement settling states' lawsuits. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports... Minnesota Attorney General Skip Humphrey says tobacco companies' support for a national settlement crumbled, because the industry didn't get the sweetheart deal it wanted. He urged Congress to approve even tougher legislation cracking down on the industry...
April 6, 1998 - The United States Supreme Court today refused to halt the release of nearly 40-thousand tobacco industry documents. Tobacco companies fought to keep the papers private under attorney-client privilege, but now the state and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota can use them in their case seeking $1.77 billion from tobacco companies. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports... Tobacco companies handed over more than one-hundred boxes of formerly-secret memos this afternoon to the Minneapolis law firm representing the state and Blue Cross Blue Shield, and attorneys have started poring through them for use in the state's trial. The move ends three years of legal battles over
April 2, 1998 - A United States Supreme Court justice has refused to block the release of nearly 40-thousand confidential tobacco industry documents to Minnesota lawyers. But the issue may not be over - tobacco companies will likely appeal to the rest of the high court. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports... The judge in Minnesota's trial ordered tobacco companies to release the documents in question almost a month ago - but the companies took their case to the Minnesota Court of Appeals, the Minnesota Supreme Court and finally the United States Supreme Court. Justice Clarence Thomas, who handles emergency requests for Minnesota, today refused to intervene, but gave the companies until