November 19, 2001 - Three unexplained deaths have prompted the Minnesota Health Department to ask all hospitals in the state to suspend elective knee surgery. Three men died earlier this month of septic shock within days of undergoing the same type of knee surgery. Two of the men had surgery at St. Cloud Hospital, and the third at a hospital 70 miles away in Alexandria. The Health Department is asking the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta to assist in the invesitgation. State epidemiologist Doctor Harry Hull says the case is unprecedented:
November 16, 2001 - Congress sent President Bush its aviation security bill today, after it passed overwhelmingly in both the House and Senate. The bill federalizes all airport screeners, requires fortified cockpit doors and ask airports to maximize the inspection of all checked bags within 60 days. Jim Welna is Director of Public Safety at Twin Cities International Airport. He says he thinks the legislation goes a long way towards reforming airport security but adds, passengers shouldn't expect to see any immediate changes:
November 16, 2001 - Any government coming to power right now in Afghanistan is going to fail 100% because everything is gone. Any government that is coming in should get help from the rest of the world. He also discusses the effect the war has on him and his family.
November 12, 2001 - There are no known survivors of the 255 people aboard American Airlines flight 587 that crashed into the Queens borough of New York City this morning. Six people on the ground are missing and 35 others were treated for minor injuries. Early investigations point to mechanical failure as the most likely cause of the crash. Northwest Airlines is back to its normal schedule, after canceling 15 to 20 flights bound for New York-area airports. Hotel and airline stocks fell across the board today and Northwest was no exception, its stock fell six percent. Northwest spokesperson Kathy Peach says it's too early to tell if today's crash will cause a rush of cancellations or a drop off in bookings:
November 8, 2001 - You should be able to keep your winter coat tucked away a little longer. Kare-11 Meteorologist Ken Barlow says storms moving through central Canada are pulling unseasonably warm weather north over Minnesota. He says there's no meteorological excuse for the unusual weather pattern.
November 2, 2001 - Officials have completed environmental anthrax tests at a St. Paul mail facility. Lab results are expected back within a week. The mail recovery center is one of three in the nation that handles undeliverable mail. It takes in millions of letters and parcels, some of them from the East Coast, where anthrax has been found in mail-sorting machines. Michael Osterholm is director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy. He spoke on MPR's Midday program today, where he told Gary Eichten the company hired to do the testing knows very little about anthrax. He says the St. Paul postal workers should feel safe anyway, because a few anthrax spores that might be lying around do not pose a significant threat.
October 31, 2001 - Federal officials detained two Northwest airlines flights from Japan when they arrived on the west coast today, one in Seattle, the other in San Francisco. Two men on the Seattle flight were taken off the plane for questioning. Northwest officials say their baggage was cleared and eventually the planes were returned to service. Associated Press reports quote a San Francisco airport spokesman saying federal officials were concerned someone MAY HAVE BEEN carrying anthrax on the aircraft. FBI officials would only say they'd received some public safety information which was of concern. Northwest Spokeswoman Kathy Peach says airline officials are not aware of any anthrax concerns.
October 30, 2001 - Anthrax and postal workers.
October 26, 2001 - For the first time ever a woman will lead the largest Jewish congregation in the Midwest. Marcia Zimmerman will be installed tonight as Senior Rabbi at Temple Israel in Minneapolis. Over five thousand members attend the reform synagogue. Zimmerman has served as Temple Israel's associate rabbi for the past 13 years. Since September 11th she's tailored her sermons to address questions about current events, but she says there aren't any easy answers.
October 18, 2001 - Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson today asked Congress to add one-point-five billion dollars to the fight against bioterrorism. Most of the money would go toward stockpiling antibiotics and smallpox vaccine. The request comes as another network news employee in New York reported exposure to anthrax. Elsewhere, public health officials are dealing with countless reports of potential exposure to anthrax or other toxins. Mike Osterholm is the director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease, Research and Policy. Today on MPR's Midday program, he told host Gary Eichten that state and local health departments have done a good job responding to the crisis... but he's worried they've been strained.