Bob Collins
Tuesday January 15, 2019
(Subject to change as events dictate. This page is updated throughout the day.)
9 a.m. – Live coverage of the Barr hearing
Amidst headlines that the FBI was investigating whether President Trump worked on behalf of Russia and ongoing tension over the length and scope special counsel’s investigation, U.S. senators will take up the nomination of former Attorney General William Barr to take that post once again. Barr will take questions from the Senate Judiciary committee on Tuesday and MPR News will broadcast part of those proceedings live on the radio.
11 a.m. – MPR News with Angela Davis
Federal employees deemed “essential” are still showing up to work despite not receiving a paycheck last Friday. That’s one of several ways the partial shutdown of the federal government is affecting Minnesota financially. Loan documents are on hold for businesses that are waiting for signatures from the Small Business Administration. Farmers aren’t receiving the aid they were promised in response to trade tariffs.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue says the Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program, commonly known as food stamps, will be funded through February. The Minnesota Department of Human Services reports that more than 400,000 Minnesotans receive benefits from SNAP every month.
11:15 a.m. – Over the past two weeks, we’ve been talking on the show with some of Minnesota’s new commissioners about their plans and hopes for the state.
This hour, we’ll broadcast a conversation with four newly-appointed members of the Walz administration about issues affecting the business community and workforce. The four state commissioners gathered last week at a panel hosted by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. It was moderated by Chris Farrell, economics contributor for Marketplace.
Guests: Steve Kelley, Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Commerce; Margaret Anderson Kelliher, Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Transportation; Nancy Leppink, Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry; Steve Grove, Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED)
12 p.m. – MPR News Presents
An APM Reports documentary, “Beyond the Blackboard: Building Character in Public Schools.”
1 p.m. – The Takeaway
A look at the fate of the Kurdish fighters on the frontlines against ISIS, if and when US forces draw down. Who is the U.S. leaving on the battlefield in Syria?
2 p.m. – BBC NewsHour
Many predict that UK Prime Minister Theresa May faces a crushing defeat in a vote over Brexit.
3 p.m. – All Things Considered
The Barr hearing; Kansas turns blue; the pain and bits of gratitude for TSA workers; more Jaymie Closs details.
6:00 p.m. – Marketplace
What the state of the junk bond says about the state of the economy. High-risk junk bonds haven’t been selling and economic uncertainty may be to blame.
6:30 p.m. – The Daily
William P. Barr, President Trump’s nominee for attorney general, is set to go before senators today for the beginning of his confirmation hearings. What would it mean for the president and the special counsel to have an attorney general who is in charge of the Russia investigation?
Guest: Katie Benner, who covers the Justice Department for The New York Times
7 p.m. – The World
The militant group al-Shabab is claiming responsibility for explosions and gunfire at a hotel complex in Nairobi, Kenya, and The World is planning a report from the scene. Our Nairobi reporter says the attack’s proximity to the Westgate mall, the scene of another al-Shabab terrorist attack in 2013, has Kenyans feeling alarmed.
Meanwhile, both the US and the UK are engrossed in pivotal moments in their domestic politics that have international implications. The World will examine how confirmation hearings for the US attorney general could impact the ongoing investigation into connections between the Trump administration and President Putin of Russia. And, we’ll be following the crucial vote in the UK Parliament on Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit plan, expected to be held just a few hours from now.
Anger in the Rust Belt. The mayor of a former steel town in Pennsylvania welcomed the Trump campaign, and its promise to bring back jobs. Now he’s losing patience.
8 p.m. – Fresh Air (Dave Davies hosts)
John C. Reilly talks about playing Oliver Hardy and bringing some classic Laurel & Hardy comedy routines to life in the new film Stan & Ollie. Reilly also produced and costars in the film The Sisters Brothers, about two contract killers in the old west.
