Monday, June 2

This month, Northern States Power and 9 other utilities will apply for a federal license to store high-level nuclear waste in the Utah desert south of Salt Lake City. If the project goes ahead, the Skull Valley band of Goshute will receive millions of dollars for storing the spent fuel on their reservation, but opposition to the project is building. Minnesota Public Radio's Mary Losure reports.

The Minnesota Zoo's Discovery Bay exhibit opened yesterday in Apple Valley. The grand opening of Discovery Bay had been put on hold after six sharks died. Minnesota Public Radio's Jon Gordon reports.

Even before the snow melted this spring... the harsh winter was expected to cause problems for farmers in the Red River Valley. Now, following the widespread flooding, farmers are getting back into the fields... and many are finding they are actually on schedule. However as Minnesota Public Radio's Hope Deutscher reports... some farmers say they will still take a beating.

Scholars and educators from across the country are in Minneapolis this week to examine the merits of standardized testing. Minnesota schools will be relying more on standardized tests to measure how well students - and how well schools perform. But many people argue the tests are biased against minorities, denying them equal access to higher education and good jobs. Claude Steele, a professor of social psychology at Stanford University, says stereotypes help determine how well some groups do on standardized tests.

The financial markets will be watching both for clues on the economy and corporate earnings this week. A couple of bad earnings indications jolted the stock market late last week. MN Public Radio's Chris Farrell says some companies are simply being punished by Wall Street's high expectations.

And on Future Tense: Aseem Javed runs a company called ABC Namebank. He advises corporate America on how to come up with good names for their products and ventures. He's critical of high-tech companies for creating names that sound too much alike, such as "Netcom," "Netday," and "Netheads." He explains his three golden rules for naming...

Tuesday, June 3

Labor activists in Duluth say it's a matter of fairness. If a business gets financial help from the city, the company should return the favor in the form of good-paying jobs. The Duluth city council is considering an ordinance that would REQUIRE businesses that get help from the city to pay a wage that will support a family -- a wage supporters calculate to be $7.25 an hour. But some economists argue that a living wage ordinance is an inefficient way to help poor people. And Duluth mayor Gary Doty says the ordinance would be economic suicide for Duluth. Mainstreet Radio's Catherine Winter reports.

Most of us have been enjoying this recent spell of summer weather by donning tank tops and shorts and throwing the windows open wide. And best of all, we haven't had to worry much about mosquitoes. That's because the dry, cool spring has kept mosquito broods from hatching. That's sure to change soon after we get a good dousing from an early summer thunderstorm... according to Roger Moon, a professor of entomology at the University of Minnesota.

And on Future Tense: Two internet trade groups have endorsed a congressional proposal to ban unsolicited advertisements through e-mail. The Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial E-mail and the Internet Service Providers Consortium are backing new jersey congressman Chris Smith's quot;netizens protection act" of 1997. Internet Service Providers Consortium president Deb Howard says Smith's bill would block junk mail without restricting commerce.

Wednesday, June 4

Farm drainage ditches help keep thousands of acres of Minnesota cropland dry enough to produce crops each year. Some say the ditches do their job too well and are such efficient water movers they contribute to downstream flooding. During this year's floods one county engineer said ditches became "raging rivers," with their own distinct flood plains. Economic gain versus environmental damage....that's the arguement behind a dispute between two southwest Minnesota counties over the reconstruction of a farm drainage ditch. Mark Steil of Mainstreet Radio reports.

The Minneapolis school district is trying to pursuade a New York-based foundation to renew a one-million dollar grant. Minneapolis began receiving money from the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation in January 1996 to develop and implement education standards for middle schools. The foundation is warning that the grant will lapse at the end of this year unless the district moves more quickly to reform its middle schools. But reforms could be delayed by the sudden shakeup last week in the district's leadership according to Hayes Mizell, director of the Program for Student Achievement at the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation.

Beginning July First, motorists will be able to legally drive faster on many Minnesota highways. Governor Arne Carlson signed a bill yesterday that will increase speed limits on rural interstates from 65 to 70 miles per hour. Speeds on divided four-lane highways will go from 55 to 65 miles per hour. It's still unclear whether limits on metro-area freeways will change. Captain Steve Mengelkoch, commander of the west metro district of the State Patrol, says he's concerned about the consequences of raising speed limits.

A committee of National Hockey League team owners today is expected to recommend that four cities be awarded expansion franchises. St. Paul officials are hoping that an arena funding package passed this week will be enough to convince the league that it's time to put a team back in the Twin Cities. It's been four years since The North Stars moved to Dallas and a lot has changed in the league during that time. For one thing, the league has become a lot more wealthy according to Al Adam of the Toronto Star.

And on Future Tense: A major internet trade group this week announced support for a bill authored by New Jersey Congressman Chris Smith that bans unsolicited e-mail ads. At the same time the Internet Service Providers Consortium, or ISPC, came out against two other bills that take aim at reducing junk e-mail. ISPC Deborah Howard says a bill by Senator Frank Murkowski is unaccpetable.

Thursday, June 5

Getting enough sleep at night is as important to your body as food. Those who regularly cut down on sleeptime risk being less alert and energetic. You may be so chronically in sleep debt that you don't even remember what it feels like to have your body at full capacity. This afternoon, Minnesota Public Radio presents a new documentary, "Working Nights," about people who work overnight and the scientists who are working to make snoozing easier for that growing segment of workers. In this excerpt, producer Stephen Smith explains why staying up all night and sleeping all day runs counter to your body's internal clock.

When the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks abruptly canceled the remaining weeks of spring semester because of flooding... some of the l4 hundred seniors felt it was an early graduation present. They could proceed directly to the job market without taking finals or turning in papers. But it hasnt been as easy for others... especially those facing state examinations in the medical field and a tight local job market. Rachel Reabe of our Mainstreet Radio team has the story.

An effort is underway in the small north-central Minnesota community of Staples to restore a hidden theatre. Built in 1908, Batcher's Opera House is located above a department store-turned-antique shop. History buffs say it provides a rare glimpse into theatre in the early 20th century. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.

Bill Anthony is a self-proclaimed "napologist" and author of "The Art of Napping." Despite the fact that napping is healthy and enjoyable, he says many Americans are unfairly biased against it. He argues that naps should be allowed at work - and anyplace else - and tells stories about some famous nappers.

While managed care plans appear to be holding down health care costs, they're not doing a very good job delivering basic preventive care to patients. That's the conclusion of a survey of 44 Twin Cities-area clinics conducted by the Mayo Clinic. The study says that financial pressures are leading clinics to fall short on delivering preventive services. We talk to Dr. Thomas Kottke who led the study.

And on Future Tense: If you are a member of America Online or Microsoft Network, you know first hand the frustration of being without your email for a time. Both online services have struggled wtih well-publicized email outages. Most internet providers in fact occasionally have trouble processing email, and it's becoming more common as the net creaks uner its own weight. Future Tense's Bill Loving says email is the one internet service that users demand work reliably.

Friday, June 6

With alumni such as Lou Brock and Gaylord Perry, the St. Cloud Rox is a tough act for any baseball team to follow. The former minor league team was a sports staple in Central Minnesota through the 40s, 50s and 60s and sent on more than 60 players to major league teams such as the Chicago Cubs and the New York Giants. A new amateur team . . . the St. Cloud Riverbats . . . has decided to try and build on memories of the Rox . . . and maybe give them a run for their money. Minnesota Public Radio's Gretchen Lehmann reports.

Grand Forks officials say the delay in passing a federal relief bill is holding up the city's recovery. Eliot Glassheim is a member of the Grand Forks city council. He says the city can't begin planning home buyouts and business relief until they know just how much money they'll have to work with. In the meantime, people faced with pressing decisions are deciding to leave.

Mark Seeley discusses condition for crop and livestock farmers so far this year, explains why weather stations are often located at airports, and gives a glowing forecast for the next few days.

And on Future Tense: US West has awarded a 50 thousand dollar grant to pay for programs that will use the internet and other technologies to extend classrooms to homes in southeast Minnesota. The grant was awarded to the Southeast Service Cooperative. School districts can apply for some of money. The program will include electronic education materials students can take home and chat rooms for homework help. We hear from cooperative executive director Dean Swanson.

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