August 6, 2007 - MnDOT says the 35W bridge was totally capable of carrying the some 140,000 a day that used it at the time of its collapse last week. At a briefing today, transportation officials wouldn't speculate on whether the amount of traffic somehow contributed to the failure of the bridge. However, the head of the University of Minnesota engineering department says increased traffic on a bridge experiencing fatigue will shorten its life span. When it collapsed, the 35W bridge was 40 years old, but its life span was predicted to be 50 years. Minnesota Public Radio's Sea Stachura reports.
May 28, 2007 - 24 Minnesota soldiers have been killed around the world since last Memorial Day. Tom Crann gives the names and a brief remembrance of all 24.
April 11, 2007 - The City of Minneapolis is restructuring its revolving loan fund program to accommodate Muslim business owners. The program offers low-interest loans to small business owners whose ventures would help revitalize targeted areas of the city.
April 2, 2007 -
March 20, 2007 - The mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul are hoping that people all around the country will begin thinking about these Twin Cities as a single destination. Last night, Mayors Rybak and Coleman announced that they are going to work together to re-brand Minneapolis and St. Paul. The hope is, by creating a shared brand, the cities may be able to stop competing against each other to attract businesses and events. The plan is, to use the best of both cities to lure people to the metro area. MPR’s Tom Crann interviews Karyn Gruenberg, vice president of marketing and communications for Meet Minneapolis, formerly known as the Minneapolis Convention and Visitors Bureau. She talked about the launch of the cities' branding campaign with the mayors last night.
March 13, 2007 -
February 21, 2007 - The United Nations unanimously approved an act which allows African Union troops to enter Somalia. The troops, who will be replacing Ethiopian soldiers that originally set up the interim government, will work to maintain the government and stabalize Somalia as a whole.
January 23, 2007 - Later tonight, we'll bring you live coverage of President Bush's seventh State of the Union Address. In the speech, the President is expected to highlight a healthcare plan that would provide Americans with a tax deduction to help cover insurance costs. Some Democrats are already saying the President's plan doesn't do enough to help the nation's 47 million uninsured. Health economists like the University of Minnesota's Steve Parente have been talking about this plan for a while now. We asked him to help explain the anticipated proposal. Parente Directs the Medical Industry Leadership Institute at the Carlson School of Management.
January 9, 2007 - As you know, Minnesota is home to the largest population of Somalis in the United States. Most of them live in Minneapolis. To hear how some of them feel about the U.S. airstrikes in their home country, Minnesota Public Radio News reporter Toni Randolph visited the Karmel Mall on Pillsbury Ave near Lake Street. We'll hear from four Somalis who weighed in on the issue.
November 21, 2006 -