August 2, 2007 - At least seven people are confirmed dead (WATCH FOR UPDATES) and dozens are injured or missing after last night's collapse of a freeway bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. The Interstate-35 bridge spans some 500 feet of the river as it winds past downtown Minneapolis. The search for victims was called off as darkness fell. And rescue workers say they will continue what they're now calling a recovery operation today. Minnesota Public Radio's Lorna Benson reports.
April 25, 2007 - Minnesota has long prided itself on its high-achieving students. The state has the highest A-C-T scores in the nation and it historically has had one of the highest graduation rates too. But when you talk to employers about Minnesota's talent pool, you hear a lot of concern. They say there aren't enough workers with math and science backgrounds to fill many of the state's newly-created knowledge jobs. These careers, in engineering, technology and science, are expected to be an increasingly significant part of the state's economy in the future. The jobs-trend troubles employers, who are in turn driving the debate over whether high schools are obsolete. Minnesota Public Radio's Lorna Benson has the next installment in our series.
April 17, 2007 - MPR's Lorna Benson reports that public health officials have issued new fish consumption advisories after finding elevated levels of a 3M perfluorinated chemical in bluegills from a Minneapolis lake and in Mississippi River fish as far south as Winona.
January 11, 2007 - A day after Senate Democrats touted their plan to cover to more uninsured Minnesotans, Governor Pawlenty unveiled his health care agenda for the session. Like the Democrats, the Governor proposes covering more uninsured people. But Pawlenty's approach to the problem is quite different. Minnesota Public Radio's Lorna Benson reports.
July 28, 2006 - What would it cost to cover Minnesota's approximately 383-thousand uninsured people? On the low end, about $663 million dollars a year, state officials say. On the high end, the bill could jump to more than $850 million. The estimates come from a new background paper issued by the Minnesota Department of Health. The Governor's Healthcare Cabinet requested the numbers as it considers ways to develop healthcare coverage in the state. Minnesota Public Radio's Lorna Benson reports.
August 4, 2005 - Dr. Andrew Portis, a Twin Cities physician, is trying to figure out why the Hmong patients he sees appear to be more prone to kidney stones than his patients who are not Hmong. Portis also is hoping his research will shed light on why many Hmong patients refuse treatment until they have reached a crisis.
December 16, 2004 - As part of the series A Mirror on Morality, MPR’s Lorna Benson talks with six parishioners from Macalester Plymouth United Church in St. Paul about the 2004 elections. Five are gay, the other a lesbian. Exit polls suggest that many Christians cast their ballots based on moral concerns, including strong opposition to gay marriage. The six discuss that "moral values" influenced their voting too - just in a different way.
December 14, 2004 - MPR’s Lorna Benson reports on a panel discussion at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute designed to debunk misperceptions about immigrants. The panel of Twin Cities community leaders say they're discouraged by the attitudes of Minnesotans who are fed up with immigrants. A new study has found that many Minnesotans believe immigrants are a drain on public services and that they shun assimilation. The opinions were strongest among people living in the outer-ring suburbs.
December 10, 2004 - Recent elections have hinted at it, and now a new study backs up the notion that Minnesota's legendary progressive politics have changed. The report by the "Minnesota Community Project" found that many Minnesotans are deeply skeptical about state government and think the state wastes their hard-earned tax dollars on programs that don't benefit them personally. Instead, they want government to get back to the basics like roads and education. These views are strongest in the state's fastest growing counties - the so-called exurbs that make up the outermost ring of the Twin Cities suburbs. Minnesota Public Radio's Lorna Benson reports.
November 24, 2004 - In the weeks since the election, we've been checking in with congregations around Minnesota to find out what parishioners in this state were thinking as they cast their ballots. The Bush campaign openly courted Conservative Evangelical Christians during the Presidential race, believing their votes could make the difference in an extremely close election. The strategy worked. Minnesota Public Radio's Lorna Benson met recently with four members of the Albion Evangelical Free Church near Cokato and talked to them about why they voted the way they did.