Minnesota plays a unique role in the arena of health, with impactful political/cultural moments, and important contributions from institutions such as Mayo Clinic, Hazelden, UCare, among others. Over the decades, MPR News and American RadioWorks have produced a breadth of reports and programming specifically dedicated to the subject of health. This collection includes interviews, debates, speeches, and documentaries that provide greater detail to the many facets of healthcare, from both a local and national perspective.
August 21, 2000 - Agriculture changed forever in 1946 when the first herbicide, 2-4D, was introduced. Easy weed control meant higher yielding crops and less work for farmers. Many thought the endless battle against weeds was over. But in a growing number of cases, *54 years later* the weeds are winning. Minnesota Public Radios Dan Gunderson reports.
August 23, 2000 - With less than three weeks left until the September primary, D-F-L Senate candidate Rebecca Yanisch is out with a new television ad. She joins DFL'ers Mike Ciresi and Mark Dayton, whose campaigns have gobbled up huge chunks of television airtime over the past few weeks. In the latest in our series of Ad Watches, Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports...
August 24, 2000 - A state study shows that half of Minnesota's low-income children in medical assistance programs aren't recieving primary or preventative care from their H-M-O's. Federal law requires certain developmental checkups for the kids, too, yet only 6-percent of the children and teens in these publicly funded programs are recieving such treatment. Mary Kennedy is assistant commissioner with the Department of Human Services. She says the children enrolled in these programs tend to be the ones who need preventative care most:
August 24, 2000 - The chief executive of Medtronic is retiring. Bill George made the announcement at the company's annual stockholders meeting today. George has been instrumental in turning the company into the world's largest manufacturer of medical devices. Since he became c-e-o in 1991, the company's stock price has soared nearly 14 hundred percent. Art Collins has accepted the substantial job of filling George's shoes. He says he's looking forward to the challenge:
August 25, 2000 - D-F-L Senate candidate Mark Dayton spent nearly three million dollars on his campaign in the past seven and a half weeks. That's nearly twice the spending of his nearest financial competitor among the D-F-L Senate candidates. Dayton used the bulk of the money on television ads that have been saturating the airwaves and may have led to his recent bump in the polls. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports...
August 28, 2000 - The four major DFL Senate candidates squared off at the State Fair in one of the few remaining opportunities for them to try to distinguish themselves before the September 12th primary. Only a handful of differences emerged, and the four seem more willing to attack Republican Senator Rod Grams than each other, despite the fact that one of them has emerged as the leader in the race.
August 28, 2000 - When Minnesota's Reform Party broke away to become the Independence party last spring, self-employed software developer and political newcomer Jim Gibson seemed assured of being its lone candidate for U.S. Senate. But in the meantime a more competitive primary race materialized within the party. Environmental activist Leslie Davis has joined the fray, as has Buford Johnson, a former party official and military veteran. And while the candidates in the D-F-L have similar views on many of the issues, the Independence party candidates have run more idiosyncratic -- if low-profile -- campaigns. Minnesota Public Radio's Amy Radil has this report.
August 28, 2000 - A new state law that takes effect next year will make Minnesota the first state to require welfare and health care case workers to report illegal immigrants to the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Legislators who wrote the bill say the policy will discourage immigrants from entering Minnesota illegally and gaining access to state welfare services. Critics say the law targets all immigrants, including those in Minnesota legally. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports
August 28, 2000 - Minnesota voters say education is the most important issue facing the state, but they generally feel public schools are already on the right track. Results of a new Minnesota Public Radio, Saint Paul Pioneer Press, KARE-TV poll also show mixed feelings about statewide testing and graduation standards. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports...
August 28, 2000 - The high cost of prescription drugs is becoming a key issue not only for Congress, but also for the Minnesota Legislature. House and Senate Democrats say passing a bill that lowers drug costs for Minnesotans without drug coverage is their top legislative priority, and Republicans say they're also concerned about the problem. But the drug industry is certain to oppose a state solution. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports...