Monday, March 9

As Minnesota's tobacco trial enters its seventh week, attorneys representing the state and Blue Cross Blue Shield are armed with some 200-thousand pages of formerly-secret tobacco company documents. But even the state isn't sure how much the memos will help its case. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.

El-Nino and acorns may increase the potential for Lyme Disease in Minnesota. Researchers say a warm spring and bountiful acorn crops might increase the odds of people coming into contact with the ticks that spread the disease. Minnesota Public Radio's Bob Kelleher reports from Duluth.

On Future Tense: Anne Green says more artists need to create work for the Internet, for their own sake, and the net's. Green is project manager of Open Studio, a joint project of the NEA and the Benton Foundation. Open Studio trains artists and art groups how to create and post art online. It also provides public Internet access at arts organizations around the country. Green says artists are behind the curve on the Internet.

The stock market opens this morning with the Dow Industrails at 8566, close to its all time record. This is in spite of some expected earnings disappointments in the high tech industry. Here's how Chris Farrell sees the mood on Wall Street.

Tuesday, March 10

Jurors in Minnesota's tobacco trial stepped back to the 1960's when cigarette companies were allowed to advertise on television. State's attorneys showed clips of Philip Morris' Marlboro Man and Reynold's Winston ads featuring the Flintstone cartoon characters. The State and Blue Cross Blue Shield contend cigarette companies used those ads to appeal to teenagers and children. Minnesota public radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports.

The Minnesota House has voted to ban a kind of late-term abortion sometimes known as "partial birth abortion." Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste reports.

On Future Tense: We've heard a lot about the browsers wars, probably too much. Which is better, Netscape, Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer? Which will dominate? Well, here's a wrinkle. A Norwegian company, Opera Software, has quietly developed a nice little browser that is leaner, meaner and faster than either of the two giants. Future Tense's Bill Loving downloaded the Opera browser, and likes it.

Just as momentum seems to be building behind a constitutional amendment to preserve hunting and fishing in Minnesota... the chief author is considering pulling it. Minnesota Public Radio's Eric Jansen reports from the capitol.

Wednesday, March 11

This Spring's warm weather coupled with low interest rates and a booming economy have jump started home sales around Minnesota especially in the Twin Cities. From existing homes to new construction, home buyers are finding they can get SIGNIFICANTLY more for their money than just a couple of years ago. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports.

Some state lawmakers say Northwest Airlines misled the Legislature last year when it asked for a change in a Minnesota law. The change could save the Airline from paying out millions of dollars in a lawsuit. Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste reports.

The Minnesota Senate has approved a graduated drivers license system for teen-age drivers, but it doesn't have nearly the bite its author wanted. Eric Jansen reports from the state capitol.

On Future Tense: Browsers from Netscape and Microsoft are NOT the only way to surf the web. Future Tense's Bill Loving says the Opera browser from Norway's Opera Software, on the web at operasoftware.com, is in many ways superior to the competition. It loads web pages faster, takes less disk space and memory, and includes some innovative features. Loving says Opera will remain a fringe player, but that Netscape and Microsoft will include some of Opera's features in future browsers. But don't expect Navigator and Internet Explorer to be small and sleek like Opera.

Thursday, March 12

The Minnesota House has approved $740 million dollars in residential property tax rebates, along with a permanent cut in tax rates for businesses. Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste reports.

Minnesota's House of Representatives is expected to take up its largest bonding bill ever today or tomorrow. The package of capital projects weighs in at just under a billion dollars, but it doesnt contain key items the governor wants. Minnesota Public Radio's Eric Jansen reports.

Two of Minnesota's largest health plans say they will file a lawsuit this week against the tobacco industry to recover costs of treating smoking-related illnesses. HealthPartners and Medica Health Plans, part of Allina Health System, said Wednesday that new evidence in Minnesota's lawsuit against the tobacco industry persuaded them to take legal action now. Meanwhile, defense attorneys at the tobacco trial have asked the judge to remove himself from the case or declare a mistrial. Tobacco attorneys say Judge Kenneth Fitzpatrick has dstroyed their right to a fair trial because he's biased. State's attorneys reject the defense assertions. Minnesota Public Radio Reporter Elizabeth Stawicki reports.

On Future Tense: The first Freenet was built in Cleveland in 1985. The idea was to offer an online service where people could dial in with their modems to get information about civic life, and exchange messages with other members. Cleveland Freenet was a big success, and it spawned imitators, such as the Twin Cities Freenet 1993. But before Twin Cities Freenet could really get off the ground, along came the Internet. The Internet does what a Freenet does, and a lot more. But Twin Cities Freenet is still around. Acting Executive Director David Wooley says the Freenet's mission is changing.

Huge images of young immigrants will dominate the atrium of the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis for the next two days. They are part of a video installation by artist Laurie Phillips who says she wants to give visibility to the powerless and allow them to tell some of their own stories. Minnesota Public Radio's MARY STUCKY REPORTS.

Friday, March 13

On Future Tense: Earlier this week we heard about an alternative Interent browser for PC users, called "Opera." We received several emails, beseeching us to look into "Cyberdog," a suite of Internet applications for MacIntosh computers. You can get Cyberdog for free at cyberdog.apple.com, although Apple no longer develops the software. Software vendors are still offering updates to the package. One listener we heard from is Lou Hom of the San Francisco Bay area.

Across Minnesota many county jails are overflowing, and officials say is only going to get worse. County officials blame stricter laws and the state for shifting more inmates from state prisons to county jails, but not helping pay for new jails. State lawmakers say counties haven't asked for help. Mainstreet Radio's Dan Gunderson reports.

Meteorologist Mark Seeley on frazil ice, alfalfa in peril and ice-jacking.

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