June 9, 1998 - Norman Ornstein, Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and respected political analyst, addresses Minnesota Meeting. Ornstein’s speech was titled, " Getting Big Money Out of U.S. Politics: What We Can Do Now." Speech is followed by a question and answer period. Minnesota Meeting is a non-profit corporation which hosts a wide range of public speakers. It is managed by the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota.
June 9, 1998 - Midday presents a Mainstreet Radio special broadcast on what's being called the "New Midwestern Farm Crisis." The program contains reports on farming issues, including insurance, scab plant disease, government programs, global markets, and Freedom to Farm Act.
June 8, 1998 - MPR's Senior Business and Economics Editor Chris Farrell talks about the banking industry's latest merger, Norwest Corporation of Mpls, and Wells Fargo of San Francisco. It's a 34-billion-dollar deal and follows on the heels of the First Bank-US BankCorp takeover. Farrell also answers listener questions.
June 1, 1998 - The Twins want a new stadium...the Vikings need a new owner...in the midst of these battles over the future of professional sports in Minnesota, the Sports Facilities Commission needs to renegotiate leases on an arena neither team likes...the Metrodome. Sports commentator Jay Weiner joins me now.
May 14, 1998 - MPR’s Perry Finelli looks at Minnesota cropland. While not an endangered commodity, some contend it's being lost too quickly in places where farming has been a way of life. The United States Agriculture Department says even though urban areas are growing, Minnesota's cropland has not been reduced. That's because the urban landscape is still only a tiny fraction of the state's total amount of land.
May 7, 1998 - Fishing enthusiast Chet Meyers answer listener questions about fishing techniques, in advance of fishing opener. Topics include fishing for specific species, fishing lines, new regulations, shore fishing, and weather indicators.
May 6, 1998 - St. Paul trial attorney Ron Rosenmbaum helps sort through the legal questions on whether the lawyers in the tobacco trial should settle the case, or let the jury decide. Rosenmbaum also answers listener questions. Program begins with MPR reporter Laura McCallum presenting latest from the federal courthouse.
May 5, 1998 - On the day of the North Carolina public vote on baseball subsidies, MPR sports analyst Howard Sinker discusses it and the future of the Minnesota Twins. Sinker also answers listener questions. Programs begins with report from MPR's Martin Kaste in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
April 22, 1998 - Today's the last day of a special legislative session at the state capitol -- at least, that's the hope of most House members. The Senate wrapped up its special session work and went home two days ago, but the House has been caught up in a three-day partisan squabble over a $12-million-dollar social programs bill. Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste joins us from the capitol bureau.
April 21, 1998 - Yesterday, a Chicago jury ruled that two of the nation's most militant anti-abortion groups violated anti-racketeering laws by staging protests that used fear and violence to shut down two abortion clinics. Last weekend in the Twin Cities, protesters staged a violent demonstration in order to prevent a group of neo-Nazis from holding a press conference. The nature of political protests have changed over the past 30 years according to Jeffrey Broadbent, a professor of sociology at the University of Minnesota. He says compared to the 1960's, today's protests are considered a more legitimate way of participating in democracy...but they also carry a greater potential for violence.