Most E-mailed Stories from Minnesota Public Radio

1,200 janitors fired in 'quiet' immigration raid

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:11:00 -0600

One of the largest immigration crackdowns under the Obama administration to date took place in the Twin Cities last month, when 1,200 undocumented janitors were fired from their jobs, according to immigration lawyers.

Lack of fever in some H1N1 cases complicates prevention effort

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:10:00 -0500

It appears a lot of people with the H1N1 flu do not experience a fever, and the absence of a fever could mean they are not taking enough precautions to prevent transmitting the virus to others.

Cat in Iowa tests positive for H1N1 flu virus

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:11:53 -0600

State officials in Iowa have confirmed a case of H1N1 in a cat, the first known instance of a cat contracting the virus from people.

Corroding Williams sewage treatment plant concerns town

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:11:09 -0600

A sewage treatment plant in a small northern Minnesota town is failing and threatens to dump thousands of gallons of raw sewage into Lake of the Woods.

New concerns raised over blacktop sealant runoff

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 03:11:00 -0600

A long-standing ritual of homeowners - sealing their blacktop driveways - is getting new scrutiny from the state of Minnesota because sealant from driveways and parking lots may be washing off into ponds and streams as hazardous waste.

Bemidji: A tale of two economies

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:11:00 -0600

Getting a read on Bemidji's economy depends on where you look these days. You can find both ongoing struggle and boom times. It's a tale of two economies.

St. Paul takes emerald ash borer battle to the streets

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:11:00 -0600

It was a taste of what's to come for other neighborhoods, as the city fights back against the Emerald ash borer, when people on a street in St. Paul, not far from the Fairgrounds, watched their ash trees coming down Wednesday.

Senate votes to extend first-time homebuyer tax credit

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:10:45 -0500

Senators have agreed to extend a popular tax credit for first-time homebuyers and to offer a reduced credit to some repeat buyers.

Kaiser Permanente CEO on the flaws in health care

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:11:00 -0600

One of the most influential people in the health care business says medical care in the U.S is inefficient, wasteful and even dangerous.

Red Wing home to unique violin repair program

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:11:52 -0600

Red Wing is home to one of the most comprehensive violin repair programs in the country and for nearly two decades, the courses have attracted hundreds of students from around the world who want to learn the delicate craft and preserve the violin's cultural and musical heritage.

Albert Lea: The manufacturing meltdown

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:11:00 -0600

In Albert Lea, the pain of the manufacturing slump is acute. That sector has lost nearly 43,000 jobs in Minnesota since the start of the recession -- more than any other major industry. With a heavy reliance on factory jobs, Albert Lea's jobless rate topped 11 percent earlier this year.

Local lab makes Tamiflu for kids

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:11:56 -0600

A pharmacy lab in Minnesota is helping address the shortage of H1N1 medicine for children, by making kid-sized doses of Tamiflu from adult-sized capsules. MPR's Lorna Benson visited the lab to see how it's done.

Novel explores the legacy of Indian boarding schools

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:11:00 -0600

Bemidji-based writer Kent Nerburn writes fictional narratives based on the real stories of people he has met on reservations in Minnesota and the Dakotas. Nerburn's latest book, "The Wolf at Twilight," explores the sad legacy of the Indian Boarding schools.

'The Man Who Loved Books Too Much'

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:11:00 -0600

A journalist tracks the mind and motivation of a notorious book thief who regularly eludes capture, one of many thieves making rare books the art form most sought after by criminals.

H1N1 vaccine for hogs aims to prevent mutated virus

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 06:11:03 -0600

The race to vaccinate humans against H1N1 is the principal focus of health leaders, but a second vaccination effort is about to begin.