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.
September 7, 2000 - In addition to high-profile primaries for the Senate and Fourth District Congressional races, there are a handful of interesting legislative races on next week's primary ballot. Two long-time legislators face challenges from within their own parties, and another legislative primary pits a former pro wrestler against a former Miss Fridley. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports...
September 8, 2000 - An estimated seven million dollars has already been spent on ads in Minnesota's D-F-L Senate primary race, and the candidates are increasing their presence in the final days of the campaign. The three big spenders - Mike Ciresi, Mark Dayton and Rebecca Yanisch - are running new television spots touting their various endorsements, but the ads of all three contain some misleading elements, according to an ad analyst. In the latest in our series of Ad Watches, Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports...
September 8, 2000 -
September 11, 2000 - Differences in healthcare and farm policy were among the distinctions the four major D-F-L candidates for U.S. Senate drew as they met for one last debate before the primary elections. Onstage Sunday at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, the candidates voiced AGREEMENT on many issues, continuing a trend of consensus in this year's campaign that has made differences between the candidates hazy. Odds are long on Tuesday for the candidate with the least funding, Jerry Janezich, who used the debate to make an impassioned appeal for campaign finance reform. Minnesota Public Radio's Amy Radil reports.
September 11, 2000 -
September 12, 2000 - A new pest discovered in Minnesota in recent weeks is a significant threat for soybean farmers. An infestation of aphids previously seen only in Asian countries and Austrailia is spreading across the midwest. Farming experts are scrambling to learn what it means for a crop that has so far enjoyed a virtually pest-free existance in the United States. Mainstreet Radio's Art Hughes reports. (sound---soybeans, crickets)
September 12, 2000 - The Environmental Protection Agency is testing soil in Northeast Minneapolis for asbestos contamination. The W.R. Grace and Company once ran a plant in the area that produced vermiculite, a white fluffy material used for gardening and insulation. Vermiculite has been linked to several serious health problems including asbestosis, mesotheliaoma and lung cancer. Len Zintak, the E-P-A's on-scene coordinator, says that the agency has already identified a few sites that will need to be cleaned up soon.
September 13, 2000 - Betty McCollum, Linda Runbeck, and Tom Foley have advanced to the November general election in the race to succeed retiring Fourth District Congressman Bruce Vento. D-F-L endorsee McCollum won a hotly contested primary last night. But a couple of her party rivals are upset about negative campaigning in the primary and are not sure they'll work for McCollum. Meanwhile, Republican and Independence Party candidates see the D-F-L rift as a chance to take a seat the Democrats have held for fifty-two years. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen reports...
September 13, 2000 - Former state Auditor Mark Dayton captured more than 40-percent of the vote to win yesterday's (TUESDAY) competitive D-F-L Senate primary. The department store heir spent five-million dollars of his own money in the most expensive primary in Minnesota history, defeating Mike Ciresi, Jerry Janezich and Rebecca Yanisch. Dayton now faces Republican Senator Rod Grams, who came out swinging when he found out who his D-F-L opponent is. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports...
September 13, 2000 - The surviving candidates for U-S Senate wasted no time hitting the campaign trail after the primary election significantly narrowed the field. Republican incumbent Rod Grams, D-F-Ler Mark Dayton, and Independence Party candidate James Gibson are all promising clean campaigns focused on the issues. But as Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports, the rhetoric is already heating up.