Almanac Producer's Blog

Almanac Highlights March 27, 2009

This Week's Monologue
Bick Smith heads out on a modern adventure.

Flooding in Fargo
Paul Douglas with WeatherNation joins us live with the latest weather and flooding forecasts for the ravaged Red River valley.  Paul also walks us through a list of helpful websites to check this weekend.  Here they are:

• National Weather Service: Current Precipitation
• National Weather Service: River Observations
• National Weather Service: Hydrograph
• Report from MN Public Radio's Dan Gunderson
• Road closures from the City of Moorhead (PDF)
• Fargo Flood Map from FEMA (PDF)
• Valley Flood Watch Web site
• Street Closures from the City of Fargo

Budget Cuts and Prison Sentences
Should Minnesota adjust prison sentences in light of the state budget shortfall?  Should some be adjusted anyway?  We hear from Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman and former Hennepin County Attorney Tom Johnson.

Did You Know?
That Tim Pawlenty is carrying a high seed in NPR's political version of March Madness?

Mystery Writers Galore
More than sixty regional mystery writers will descend upon the Once Upon A Crime bookstore in Minneapolis on Saturday March 28.  Find out how to come meet them as we talk to bookstore co-owner Gary Schulze.

Mid Legislative Session Update
Mary Lahammer says our state lawmakers are getting a bit chippy as the session enters its second half.

Home:  Tom Arndt's Minnesota
For more than forty years Tom Arndt has quietly captured images of the people of Minnesota on his camera.  And they've been collected in a new book by the U of M Press.  Tom joins us to talk about his craft and show us some of his favorite photos.

Former Lawmakers Panel
Ex legislators give us their sense of the goings on in St. Paul.  Republicans John Berns and Dan McElroy sit down on the couch with Democrats Ember Reichgott Junge and Andy Dawkins.

The Wrapup
We explain to you the tricky right answer to last week's Index File question... toss a new question your way and then play a music clip of Korean violinist Chee Yun who performed in Studio B ten years ago this very week. 

 

Almanac Highlights March 20, 2009

The Monologue
The AIG mess has Sheletta Brundidge thinking...

Fargo Flooding
Fargo residents have started putting down more than one million sandbags in a race to keep the city from flooding next week.  We hear the latest from Fargo Mayor Dennis Walaker, Steve Buan with the National Weather Service and U of M Meteorologist Mark Seeley. 

An Otters Tale
It's a clip from "Tales of the Road: Highway 61"... the Cathy Wurzer documentary that will first air on tpt and WDSE-TV on Monday March 23 at 8 pm. 

Sports with Fitzy
Larry Fitzgerald Senior stops by to chat up NCAA basketball, Twins baseball and a bit of Wild hockey.  Larry reports for the Minnesota Spokesman Recorder newspaper and the National Radio Programming Network.

Did You Know?
Did you know that children are often part of news conferences at the state capitol?  Our Mary Lahammer brings us more.

McKnight Supports Climate Change Work
This week the McKnight Foundation said it would kick in 100 million dollars over the next five years to combat Climate Change.  Foundation head Kate Wolford explains why.

Budget Plan Bonanza
No, there's not lots of money at the state capitol.  But there are lots of plans to deal with the money woes.  Mary Lahammer tries to sum up the many different capitol budget plans.

This Week's Political Panel
Our panel of politicos will talk budget and the Senate trial.  Republicans joining the discussion are David Strom and Gregg Peppin and the Democrats are Mike Hatch and Rep. Diane Loeffler. 

The Wrapup
Who was the object of Bart and Lisa Simpson's joke back in 2006?  And what Minnesota county changed its name in the Civil War because the county namesake fought for the Confederacy?  All that and a closing tune from Rockie Lynne who performed for Almanac this week back in 2008. 

Almanac Highlights March 13, 2009

The Monologue
Jim Ragsdale is happy to be working.

Star Tribune Bankruptcy Woes
David Brauer has been covering the Strib's money problems like no one else.  David writes for MinnPost.com and we debrief him on Friday's developments in the Star Tribune case.

The DFL Senate Budget Proposal
Our Mary Lahammer lays out this week's budget plan out of the Senate.  

Legislative Leaders Live!
All four top legislative leaders join Cathy and Eric on the Almanac couch to talk budget.  House Speaker Margaret Anderson Keilliher, Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller, House Minority Leader Marty Seifert and Senate Minority Leader Dave Senjum are our guests. 

Outdoor Heritage Council Fight
There's tension over what lawmakers may do with the recommendations by the Outdoor Heritage Council.  At stake is 80 million dollars of new sales tax money targeted for outdoor habitat.  State Senator Ellen Anderson, a council member, matches wits with Gary Leaf with the group Sportsmen for Change. 

Did You Know?
Did you know that the House Speaker had some equipment issues this week?

Political Panel
We end the show with this week's version of the political panel as we talk about the Senate trial and the state budget.  Democrats Wy Spano and Ember Reichgott Junge meet up with Republicans Phil Krinkie and Laura Brod. 

The Wrapup
We answer last week's history question about the Gallup Poll and then tease you about what Minnesotan was the butt of Bart Simpson's joke.  Then we end the show with some resophonic guitar music. 

Almanac Highlights March 6, 2009

The Week's Monologue
A mountain lion in Western Wisconsin has captured Dominic Papatola's attention. 

Timber Wolves De-listed Again
Timber or gray wolves in our region are once more off the Endangered Species List. Dan Stark manages wolf issues for the DNR and explains Friday's news out of Washington.

Did You Know?
Did you know that Governor Pawlenty is quick on his feet and likes to have fun at news conferences?

New Way to Stop HIV?
Two U of M Scientists are conducting promising research that could halt the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.  Ashley Haase and Pat Schlievert joins us talk about their work. 

What a Card!
That's the name of a new book about Clellan Card, better known to a generation of Minnesota kids as TV's Axel.  Book author Julian West is joined in the studio by Don Stolz.  Don was the puppeteer who played the parts of Towser and Tallulah on Axel's show.

State Budget Woes
It's deja vu all over again for Governor Pawlenty.  Our Mary Lahammer explains. 

Senate Trial Reporters
A big week in the Senate trial as Franken moves to have the case dismissed and the State Supreme Court weighs in on the election certificate issue.  Our panel of reporters returns with Rachel Stassen-Berger from the Pioneer Press, Pat Doyle from the Star Tribune and MinnPost's Jay Weiner. 

The Wrapup
No fewer than two Minnesota history questions and a classic 1992 clip of Trip Shakespeare performing in the Channel 2 studios.