Monday, December 22

On Future Tense: The Washington Post Company has acquired Newsbytes News Network of Stillwater. Newsbytes reports on developments in hardware, software, the Internet, telecommunications and more. Its writers are spread around the country and world. Editor in Chief, and former majority owner Wendy Woods runs Newsbytes from her home office in Stillwater.

Infertile couples often spend years trying to conceive a child, but most of them will never try to adopt. Instead, many choose high-tech fertility treatments such as infertility drugs, surgery, and in-vitro fertilization. These procedures can be painful, risky and expensive. Some techniques are more likely to fail than succeed. Given the risks and expense, why will people work so hard to have genetically related children? Our occassional series, "The Fertility Race," continues today with a report by Minnesota Public Radio's Catherine Winter on whether human beings are driven by a biological imperative to conceive genetically-related offspring.

As the holiday shopping season enters its final days, it's crunch time for procrastinators who've put off gift-buying. Minnesota retailers say they're not seeing much evidence of last-minute panic spending yet, but many are reporting increased sales this year. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum talked to shoppers and retailers, and has this report.

The wood-products industry is a Minnesota giant. There are hundreds of sawmills in the state, creating thousands of jobs -- and thousands of tons of slabwood, sawdust and refuse each year. Now, a practice called "green dimensioning" is gaining proponents in the state; they say it conserves wood, saves energy, and moves jobs to the outstate area. Leif Enger of Mainstreet Radio reports.

Worries about Asia had Wall Street on the run last week. Here's how MN Public Radio's Chris Farrell sees the situation this morning.

Judy Cook of the MN Retail Merchants Asssociation discusses the holiday shopping season and the worker shortage.

Greg Owen, Project Director of the Wilder Foundation Research Center, discusses a new study that show homelessness has risen 10% in Minnesota since 1994.

Tuesday, December 23

One of the changes in St. Paul during the new year will be construction of a new downtown office tower for Lawson Software. The thirteen story building will bring St. Paul 800 new jobs and a sevenfold increase in property tax revenue from the site. But to make way for the project, 14 small businesses must move. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen reports owners of some of those businesses are finding the re-location process frustrating and expensive.

On Future Tense: John Gunyou is leaving his post as Director of Minneota's new office of Technology. On January first, Gunyou will start his new job as head of the state's largest Internet service providerm M-R Net, which was recently acquired by the telecommunications company Means. I asked Gunyou why he's leaving government.

MPR's Chris Farrell discusses the crash of the South Korean stock market.

Rabbi Moshe Feller of the Lubavitch Movement discusses why his group feels it is so important to put menorahs in public places.

Wednesday, December 24

The American consumer loves fresh-from-the-factory merchandise. But many shoppers are facing up to financial realities and turning to a growing market in second hand goods. From kids clothes to sporting gear, computers, musical instruments, and CD's, a Minnesota company is buffing up the "previously owned," image and making A LOT of money. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports.

On Future Tense, advice on buying a computer for less than $1000.

Lt. Colonel David Grindl of the Salvation Army discusses this year's fundraising efforts.

Suzann Nelson and Janet Martin, authors of Growing Up Lutheran: What Does this Mean? discuss Lutheran Christmas traditions.

Thursday, December 25

Merry Christmas! No local programming today.

Friday, December 26

On Future Tense... In the beginning of THE WORLD WIDE WEB, people marveled at the glory of being able to access so much information and so many people--people with common interests who could share ideas. Future Tense commentator Laura Gurak says we soon realized that all of this unbridled information comes at a price.

Hard on the heels of the acrimonious public debate over a new stadium for the Twins in Minneapolis comes another controversial proposal for a multi-million dollar sports and events center in Central Minnesota. While feelings aren't quite as strong as the debate over the baseball stadium...local residents are wary...and planners admit they will have to proceed very carefully if they want a new facility in Central Minnesota. Minnesota Public Radio's Gretchen Lehmann reports.

Twenty five years ago Shagawa Lake near Ely was so polluted it spawned a national demonstration project on ways to remove damaging phosphorous from wastewater and keep it out of the lake. Now, officials say Shagawa is theatened again and this time there's little money for what may be an expensive fix. Minnesota Public Radio's Bob Kelleher reports.

Meteorologist Mark Seeley looks back at the year in weather.

Duluth City Planner Darrell Lewis discusses Rev, Fred Phelps, who is bringing his anti-gay message to Duluth because Lewis blamed Phelps for an anti-gay atmosphere in Topeka, Kansas.

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