Science from Minnesota Public Radio

Utilities try to persuade consumers to conserve

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Minnesota's utilities face a daunting task: the state has told them to cut their sales of electricity and natural gas by 1.5 percent a year.

Physicians question giving cholesterol drugs to children

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:38:58 -0500

Some doctors are still skeptical of news headlines that recommend some children be given cholesterol drugs.

Thundershowers move through eastern, central Minn.

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 10:33:00 -0500

A cold front cutting across Minnesota today is triggering showers and thunderstorms around much of the state.

Minn. family sues for access to muscular dystrophy drug

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 09:47:25 -0500

A Minnesota family has filed a lawsuit seeking to force a drug company to let their son have access to an experimental drug for a terminal form of muscular dystrophy.

Distracted

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:10:57 -0500

Between cell phones and BlackBerries, iPods and iMacs, we have numerous gadgets to occupy our every second. But author Maggie Jackson worries that having all this technology at our fingertips is chipping away at our ability to focus, and could ultimately lead to an age of cultural decline.

Ranchers face deadline for bovine TB buyout program

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:58:00 -0500

Today is the deadline for cattle ranchers in northwestern Minnesota's bovine tuberculosis zone to decide whether to participate in a state buyout. The state will pay producers $500 per animal, plus $75 a year until the state regains its TB-free status.

Aging athletically

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 15:53:58 -0500

Forty-one-year-old swimmer Dara Torres is heading for the Olympics in August, but how rare is she? Researchers say that while high levels of physical activity can't stop the aging process, Torres and other 40-something athletes are defying the rules.

Hmong farmers suffer crop losses in storms

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 08:35:40 -0500

Acres of tomatoes, beans and other produce are rotting in fields south of the Twin Cities after last week's severe storms. Many of the farmers are Hmong Americans, and a meeting at the state Capitol today will address how to help them recover.

New regulations for Minn. feedlots

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 07:52:15 -0500

Minnesota feedlot regulations will be changing soon. When a feedlot changes ownership the MPCA will need to re-approve the permit to the new owner and winter manure spreading will no longer be allowed.

Minn. health professionals want changes to Medicare

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 07:38:46 -0500

Some Minnesota health care providers are calling for changes in the way Medicare payments are made. Advocates say the payment system, which was created in the 1960s, is outdated.

Austin to field test public wi-fi

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 06:29:31 -0500

The City of Austin will have municipal wi-fi by October. The $1.2 million project is being run through the Austin Utilities Board and has been in the works for several years.

PolyMet land deal upsets environmental groups

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Opponents say Congressman Jim Oberstar's bill to allow the sale of Superior National Forest property would circumvent environmental laws to benefit a special interest.

EPA plans for stopping Great Lakes invaders debated

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 09:00:00 -0500

Environmental groups say the Environmental Protection Agency's plan to prevent exotic species from from slipping into the Great Lakes in the ballast tanks of oceangoing cargo ships doesn't go far enough.

At least 2 injured by severe storms

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 21:40:50 -0500

A tornado touched down near Willmar on Friday, injuring at least two people and damaging a turkey farm, a mobile home dealership, and some homes south of town.

Tornados sighted in northern Minnesota

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 17:44:14 -0500

The National Weather Service is reporting tornado touchdowns in the northwest and north central part of the state this afternoon.