Monday, January 26

Four years after Minnesota filed its lawsuit against the tobacco industry, opening statements in the trial begin this morning at the federal courthouse in St. Paul. The state and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota are suing the major tobacco companies to recover the cost of treating smoking-related illnesses over the past two decades. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.

Recently there have been almost daily announcements of major gifts to various educational and charitable institutions in Minnesota. Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor gave Mankato State University 8-million dollars; the Ordway theatre received a 4-million dollar gift from Minnesota actress Ruth Easton to stage new shows in the future. Minnesota Public Radio's Gretchen Lehmann examines the reasons behind this spurt of giving and it's implications for the future.

Rochester is the famed winter home for 30-thousand Canada geese. The wild birds stay mostly in the center of the city on Silver Lake, which does not freeze because of warm water from a nearby power plant. While the healthy flock is a source of some civic pride, their by-product is the bane of locals. One Rochester man, however, has found a use for the waste. Gary Blum turns dried goose poop mixed with glue into art. He's found a niche creating pictures of geese, loons and even people. Minnesota Public Radio's spoke with Blum about his passion for goose poop art.

Chris Farrell looks at how the poltical crisis in Washington and the financial problems in Asia may affect US markets.

Naturalist Kathy Heidel looks beyond the surface of a common Minnesotan tree, the aspen.

Lawmakers come back to work at the state capitol today. It's only the second week of the legislative session, but a sense of urgency is already setting in to get a head start on some ambitious agendas. Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste takes a look at the week ahead.

Northwest Airlines is forming a global alliance with Continental Airlines. The alliance will stitch together the route networks of the nation's fourth and fifth biggest airlines. Northwest is paying 519 million dollars for 14 percent of Continental and 51 percent of the voting power in the airline. We talk to Northwest spokesman Jon Austin about the deal.

On Future Tense: Commentator Laura Gurak explains why she gets so annoyed at virtual pets.

Tuesday, January 27

Attorneys for tobacco companies are expected to finish their opening arguments this morning in Minnesota's landmark tobacco trial. The state's attorney told jurors yesterday the tobacco industry deceived the public about the dangers of smoking and put profits before health. The State and Blue Cross Blue Shield are suing the industry for nearly two-billion dollars in smoking-related health care costs. Minnesota Public Radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports.

Asian students studying in Minnesota are facing an educational crisis as a result of the economic turmoil in South Korea, Indonesia, and other countries. Plunging currencies overseas mean many students cannot pay their bills here, and some Asian students are dropping out. Others are desperately seeking ways to stay, and the University of Minnesota is trying to help. Minnesota Publuc Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.

Jesse Ventura, former mayor of Brooklyn Park, is known to MANY sports fans from his days spent competing in the pro-wrestling circuit. But as Minnesota Public Radio's Karen-Louise Boothe reports, Ventura is back in the POLITICAL ring with his decision to run for governor on a Reform Party ticket.

President Clinton will spend the day polishing his State of the Union Address which he'll deliver tonight, even as the rest of Washington keeps it's attention focussed on the scandal at the White House. Like the rest of the nation, people in our area are talking about the goings-on in Washington. We asked folks in Bemidji, St Paul, and Sioux Falls for their opinions on the scandal and whether the President ought to talk about it in tonight's speech.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation has finished testing an automated system for detecting and photographing traffic violations. MN-DOT posted cameras at several intersections in St. Paul, Minneapolis and Bloomington, and used them to track red light runners. The system was also used to monitor the incidence of speeding in work zones and driving around railroad crossing gate arms. We talk with Bob Weinholzer, assistant commissioner at MN-DOT, who prepared the report.

On Future Tense: Houston based Compaq Computer is buying Digital Equipment for nine-point-six billion dollars in stock and cash. It's the largest acquisition ever in the computer business, and, depending on how you interpret the numbers, will create the world's second or third-largest computing company. Dwight Silverman covers Compaq for the Houston Chronical. He says Compaq has long wanted to be more of a full-service computer company like IBM or Digital, but lacked the ability to provide service and support to corporate customers.

Wednesday, January 28

The first day of testimony begins today in Minnesota's tobacco trial. The State will call a Mayo clinic researcher as its first witness. Dr Richard Hurt is expected to testify about nicotine and addiction. Minnesota Public Radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports.

Several metro area black community leaders are planning a march on the State Capitol next week to call attention problems with "hate" crimes. Last night, about 200 people gathered at a church in St. Paul. There were REPEATED calls for more aggressive prosecution of perpatrators of "bias" motivated crimes. The meeting was response to the alleged RACIALLY motivated beatings of two black women in St. Paul on Martin Luther King Day. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports.

President Clinton tried to lay controversy aside last night as he delivered his State of the Union Address in the face of swirling allegations he had an affair with a White House intern. The president's speech was greeted cordially if not warmly by Democrats and Republicans on both sides of the aisle in Minnesota's Congressional delegation. Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Roberts reports.

President Clinton will speak in Lacrosse Wisconsin today as a follow-up to his state of the Union address. The President is likely to discuss the education initiatives he proposed, including a plan to hire 100-thousand new teachers. That was welcome news to at least one family in Lacrosse. Minnesota Public Radio's Brent Wolfe reports.

Mass transit trains for the Twin Cities will be in the spotlight today at the state capitol. Committees in both the House and Senate plan to consider light rail and commuter rail projects, and a coalition of interest groups are announcing their support for a bill to raise the gas tax and put some of the money into mass transit -- possibly, RAIL mass transit. Urban lawmakers say they think this may the year for rail transit at the Capitol, but as Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste reports, they've been optimistic before.

While most of the nation's focus is centered on Washington and what will happen to the Clinton Presidency, here in Minnesota the Legislature is busy considering hundreds of bills. Lobbyist Judy Cook with the Minnesota Retail Merchants Association says election year politics is behind the heavy load of legislation.

The St. Paul Winter Carnival gets underway Saturday. This year, it includes the traditional display of ice and snow sculptures and the torchlight parade - as well as some new twists, like an ice skating rink on the Capitol Mall. According to the legend of the Winter Carnival, King Boreas reigns over the festivities until Vulcanus Rex and his crewe force them from their winter stronghold to herald the coming of spring. Robert Lavenda is an anthropologist at St. Cloud State University and an expert on town festivals in Minnesota. We talk to him about the origins of the carnival legend.

On Future Tense: A handful of America Online members are staging a quiet protest over the treatment of a Navy officer, Timothy R. McVeigh. The Navy is trying to discharge McVeigh for violating the "don't ask/don't tell" policy on homosexuality. The Navy says McVeigh clearly stated he's gay in his AOL member provile. McVeigh's lawyers say he never stated his full name in his profile, and that the Navy obtained his name by illegally pressing AOL for private information. Now, some AOL members are expressing their support for McVEigh in their own member profiles. AOL member Paul Olson says a member profile is the perfect place to protest.

Thursday, January 29

Potter discusses freezing trees with Naturalist Kathy Heidel.

President Clinton spoke at rallies in Champaign, Illinois and La Crosse, Wisconsin yesterday in an effort to keep the nation focused on the agenda he laid out in his State of the Union speech. Rather than unveiling new initiatives or giving more detail on his plans, the President used the rallies to reiterate his proposals and try to build enthusiasm for them. He got a rousing welcome in La Crosse which may belie the challenges he faces in working with a Republican Congress and getting past the latest scandal. Minnesota Public Radio's Brent Wolfe reports.

On Future Tense: San Jose Mercury News computer columnist Dan Gillmor on stories to watch out for this year.

A national expert on smoking and addiction resumes his testimony today in Minnesota's trial against the tobacco companies. Dr Richard Hurt of the Mayo Clinic told jurors yesterday the industry has concealed from the public information about the addictiveness of nicotine. He told the jury smoking kills the equivalent to three fully loaded 747's crashing every day of the year. Minnesota Public Radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports.

A state lawmaker says Minnesota should get rid of some of its tobacco investments and redirect the money to a fund that helps small Minnesota technology firms. The bill will be heard in committee this morning. MPR's Eric Jansen reports from the capitol.

Dave Moore, one of Minnesota's best known television news anchors, has died. Moore, who spent nearly his entire career at WCCO-TV in his hometown of Minneapolis, had heart surgery last year and had been seriously ill for six months. Moore's friends and former colleagues say he lasted a long time in TV news because of his credibility with viewers. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson prepared this report.

At the Capitol this afternoon the Senate Agriculture Committee will hear public testimony on what may be the most divisive issue in rural Minnesota: the future of large livestock operations and the environmental problems they cause. The Legislature will consider whether the impose a moratorium on these "factory farms." The next feedlot might be just south of Saint Peter, in Nicollet County. Many area residents oppose construction of the dairy feedlot, a place for feeding and holding livestock. Farmers and non-farmers alike are fighting the state's potential approval of it. Supporters counter that big dairy is the only way to save Minnesota's dairy tradition. Minnesota Public Radio's Lynette Nyman has this report.

If you're thinking about pyramids and marching elephants right now, you've probably seen one too many productions of the opera "Aida." But the Minnesota Opera's new production includes few of the familiar trappings associated with the work. At a cost approaching one million dollars, "Aida" is the Minnesota Opera's most expensive production ever. It's still the same story, but Artistic Director Dale Johnson told MPR's Bob Potter that the Minnesota Opera tried to breathe new life into the production by going back to the written page.

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