June 2, 2003 -
May 28, 2003 - The Minnesota Personal Protection Act takes effect today . The law requires sheriffs to issue handgun permits to anyone who meets standardized criteria. top with new information.... Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports...
May 16, 2003 - Jesse Ventura made a brief prime time appearance on MSNBC last night as the cable network readies Minnesota's former governor for his own TV talk show. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports...
May 12, 2003 - Law enforcement officials and representatives from the transportation and shipping industries told a US Senate panel meeting in the Twin Cities today they are much better prepared for terrorism now than they were on September 11th, 2001. Republican Senator Norm Coleman convened a hearing of the Senate's permanent Subcommittee on Investigations in Anoka to discuss terrorism preparedness. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports.
May 12, 2003 - The recent signing into law of Minnesota's "Personal Protection Act," marks a gun lobby victory in a years long battle to make it easier to carry handguns in Minnesota. But even some lawmakers who voted yes on the concealed carry legislation say the process by which the bill became did not best serve voters. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports...
April 28, 2003 - Minnesotans will soon begin seeing more fingerprinting at banks. Hundreds of financial institutions across the state are expected to start requiring new account applicants to provide them with thumb prints. Banks hope fingerprinting will help law enforcement crack down on the growing problem of identity theft. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports...
April 21, 2003 - State lawmakers return to St. Paul from the Easter recess tomorrow . They'll spend most of the next month focusing on addressing Minnesota's $4.2 BILLION dollar budget shortfall. Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty is adamant the budget should be balanced WITHOUT raising taxes. Pawlenty campaigned heavily on a no new tax pledge...a pledge originally promoted by an organization called the Taxpayers League of Minnesota. In just a few years, Taxpayers League has become a major force in Minnesota politics.
March 17, 2003 - Officials with the Department of Homeland Security have been canvassing the nation urging Americans everywhere to take precautions in preparation for possible terrorist attacks. The message is simple: stock pile a few days worth of food, medicine and water and make a emergency plan. But most Americans are NOT following the government recommendations. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports...
March 3, 2003 - The recent release of hundreds of pages of National Transportation Safety Board documents still leaves many unanswered questions about what happened to the flight that killed Paul Wellstone and seven others last October. It will likely be months before the NTSB issues a final report on the crash. Although no clear cause has yet emerged, several areas stand out as possible factors. They include weather, pilot incompetence and problems with navigational equipment at the Eveleth- Virginia Airport. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports.
February 21, 2003 - The National Transportation Safety Board report in the plane crash that killed Senator Paul Wellstone last October says the Chief pilot initially decided not to fly after receiving a weather briefing that morning. After talking to a scheduler for the Wellstone campaign, however, he reversed his decision and took off for Eveleth with Senator Wellstone and 7 others aboard. The hundreds of pages of investigatory information made public today seems to lessen the likelihood that airframe icing was a significant factor in the crash, and seems to increase the role an airport navigation beacon played.