Today's Question Blog

October 1, 2013 11:34 AM

Have you tried to use the MNsure website? What was your experience like?

“MNsure, the state’s new health insurance marketplace, went live around 3:30 Tuesday afternoon with tools that allow consumers to search for a health plan, and create an account to purchase one,” writes MPR News reporter Catharine Richert. “Not all functions were available, but people are at least able to begin the process of exploring the…

by Michael Olson

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October 1, 2013 2:00 AM

Who do you blame for the government shutdown?

“For the first time in nearly two decades, the federal government staggered into a partial shutdown early Tuesday morning after congressional Republicans stubbornly demanded changes in the nation’s health care law as the price for essential federal funding and President Barack Obama and Democrats adamantly refused,” (AP). As Congress gridlocked, Obama said a “shutdown will…

by Michael Olson

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September 30, 2013 2:01 AM

What can be done to reduce the number of children killed accidentally by guns?

Photo by Gregory Wild-Smith via Flickr They die in the households of police officers and drug dealers, in broken homes and close-knit families, on rural farms and in city apartments. Some adults whose guns were used had tried to store them safely; others were grossly negligent. Still others pulled the trigger themselves, accidentally fracturing their…

by Michael Olson

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September 27, 2013 2:21 AM

What would you do if you lost your job tomorrow?

MPR News Ground Level reporter Jennifer Vogel writes from International Falls: 58-year-old Fred Rusch, who has worked at the Boise paper mill for almost 37 years, stood next to a cement pillar and a table holding two retirement party sheet-cakes. Both are frosted with Harley-Davidson logos, matching his t-shirt and reflecting his longtime enthusiasm for…

by Michael Olson

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September 26, 2013 2:22 AM

Does giving drug advice encourage use?

Since March “at least seven young people” at large dance festivals in the U.S. have died “of symptoms consistent with Ecstasy overdoses,” reports the New York Times. Promoters of TommorrowWorld, a three day dance music festival outside of Atlanta say the deaths could be avoided by better drug education. “A nonprofit drug education group will…

by Michael Olson

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September 25, 2013 2:53 AM

Do tattoo restrictions infringe upon free speech?

Image: Photo by Juan Vilas via Flickr The Army intends to tighten its restrictions on soldiers’ tattoos. Under a proposed rule change, new recruits would not be allowed tattoos visible below the elbow or knee or above the neckline. Current soldiers would be permitted to keep any tattoos not deemed racist, sexist or extremist. The…

by Michael Olson

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September 24, 2013 2:06 AM

Are you concerned that the government will shut down?

Photo: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) by Gage Skidmore via Flickr “Just a week before the federal government could shut down if no agreement is reached to fund it past the end of September, it’s anyone’s guess whether Democrats and Republicans will avoid plunging over this particular cliff,” writes NPR’s Frank James. “More certain, however, is…

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September 23, 2013 2:12 AM

What is one thing you would like to change about your commute?

“The number of people biking and walking to work in Minneapolis continued its steady increase again in 2012, according to a survey from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey that was released this week,” writes MPR News reporter Jon Collins. Biking continues to grow in popularity, with 4.5 percent of Minneapolis residents saying they…

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September 20, 2013 1:53 AM

Has your household recovered from the Great Recession?

Image by Brenda Gottsabend via Flickr “The tepid economic recovery in Minnesota is growing vigorous,” writes MPR News reporter Annie Baxter. Employers in the state added a whopping 12,200 jobs last month, and state economic officials say the surge in hiring indicates Minnesota has regained all the jobs lost in the Great Recession, and then…

by Michael Olson

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September 19, 2013 2:01 AM

Are allowances good for kids?

Photo by Matt McGee via Flickr What’s the point of an allowance? For Ron Lieber, personal finance writer for The New York Times, it’s a tool to help teach values and character traits like patience, moderation, thrift and generosity. And Lieber, who’s writing a book, The Opposite of Spoiled, about kids, money and values, tells…

by Michael Olson

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