Monday, December 21

Low crop prices, a decrease in land values and poor export markets are creating a new farm crisis. In the 1980s, Congress added a chapter to the bankruptcy code giving farmers more negotiating tools with lenders and more options to stay in business. By April, lawmakers will decide whether to keep the bankruptcy code's Chapter 12 provision alive. In this first of three reports, Mainstreet Radio's Cara Hetland looks at farm bankruptcy provision and whether Chapter 12 works, or delays the inevitable.

Sober and somber. That's how members of Minnesota's congressional delegation described the historic impeachment vote against President Clinton over the weekend. The delegation split along party lines as the House voted to impeach the president for his actions in the Monica Lewinsky affair. Emily Harris reports from Washington.

For a sampling of public opinion about Saturday's impeachment vote, Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo visited the Mall of America.

A protest camp in the path of the planned rerouting of Highway 55 in Minneapolis is empty now. Bulldozers have demolished condemned houses that had been occupied by squatters opposed to the highway. Nearly 600 law enforcement officials made a predawn sweep of the camp early Sunday and arrested 33 people. Officials are calling it the largest concerted law enforcement effort in Minnesota history. Minnesota Public Radio's Mary Losure reports.

The Minnesota Vikings' best-ever season got even better last night with their fifty-to-ten thrashing of the Jacksonville Jaguars. With only one regular-season game remaining, the Vikings are now assured of finishing the year with the best record in the national football conference, and that means they will enjoy the home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen has this report.

The Minnesota Vikings annihilated the Jacksonville Jaguars 50-to-10 last night at the Metrodome. The win gives the Vikings a 14-and-one record, ensuring a home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Quarterback Randall Cunningham threw for three touchdown passes despite an injured left hand. Don Banks has been covering the Vikings for the Star Tribune throughout this remarkable season and he joins us now.

The impeachment of Clinton is only the second presidential impeachment by the House of Representatives. In 1868 the House impeached the seventeenth president, Andrew Johnson. He later was acquitted by the Senate. As with President Clinton's case, Johnson was a southern Democrat besieged by hostile Republicans. James Stewart is a history professor at Macalester college. He joins us by phone.

It's pretty clear that the two things not driving the financial markets these days are impeachment and Iraq. Here's what the markets are watching, according to Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Farrell.

Tonight at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, storyteller Kevin Kling will perform his one man show Tales from the Charred Underbelly of the Yule Log. First performed in 1994, the show is quickly becoming a holiday tradition. He talked to Minnesota Public Radio's Kara Fiegenschuh about the show, which originated from his idea of ghosts.

In the next couple of months, farmers around the region will be asking bankers for money to plant next year's crop. This year, the Farm Credit System reports more than $1 billion in bad farm loans across the nation. Some experts say 60 percent of farmers in northwestern Minnesota may not qualify for financing. That's causing sleepless nights for farmers and lenders. Minnesota Public Radios Dan Gunderson talked to one lender on the front line.

The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis is taking steps to broaden its mission beyond its longtime role as purveyor of the classics. The Guthrie has appointed a well known figure in the New York theater world as "artistic advisor," to help it focus on living writers and contemporary work. Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Roberts has more.

The gathering of balsam boughs for twisting and weaving into evergreen holiday products is a long-standing tradition in Minnesota. What was once a family activity has grown to be a $30 million a year wreath-making industry. But increased harvesting has made usable boughs harder to find, and it has forced the industry to take steps to protect balsam trees. Mainstreet Radio's Tom Robertson reports.

The frigid weather is expected to stick around for most of the week, which means it's a good idea to take the time to winterize your car. Paul Brand is the automotive columnist for the Star Tribune. He says sometimes it's simply too cold for cars to start.

At Christmas time it seems an epidemic of toy hysteria spreads, almost like a seasonal outbreak of the flu. First, the Beanie baby strain. Then type Tickle-Me-Elmo. This year: the Furby virus. What makes kids go crazy for certain toys and what inspires parents to take extraordinary measures to buy them? Deborah Roedder John is a professor of marketing at the Carlson School. She says three factors help explain why kids go crazy for certain toys. The first is advertising.

The U.S. was once, a nation of farmers. But now, we're a country full of people who's families once farmed, so the story of foreclosure, bankruptcy and the letting go of a lifestyle is not uncommon. One South Dakota family experienced all of that a decade ago. Their story is still an open wound filled with anger, defeat, revenge and hope. Mainstreet Radios Cara Hetland reports.

In these days of plastic, tinsel and even aluminum Christmas trees, many people prefer the smell of a real tree. An increasing number of Americans are returning to the tradition of cutting their own Christmas tree. But as Minnesota Public Radio's Hope Deutscher reports, this surge in sales comes as many Christmas tree growers are getting out of the business.

Elk once roamed much of Minnesota, but unregulated hunting in the 1800s reduced the elk population to a handful in the northwestern part of the state. A herd of about 30 animals lives near the town of Grygla, a product of an elk reintroduction program in 1935. Since then, the herd has been the subject of controversy because of the damage it has caused to local crops. As Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Robertson reports from Bemidji, the Department of Natural Resources is seeking public comment on a draft management plan for how best to deal with Minnesota's elk.

As sub-zero temperatures have settled across the state in the past few days, lakes have finally iced over. But ice fishers and other winter sports fans may have to wait just a bit longer before its safe to venture out onto the ice. Kim Elverum is coordinator of boat and water safety for the Minnesota DNR.

In their last meeting of the year, Federal Reserve policy makers decided yesterday to leave short-term interest rates where they are. The Fed helped calm Wall Street with three rapid interest-rate cuts this fall. Even though the U.S. economy has remained strong in the face of a global economic slump, no one knows what to expect in the New Year. Dr. Sung Wohn Sohn is Senior Vice President and Chief Economist at Wells Fargo and Company. He talks to us about the possibility of a global recession in the coming year.

Author, commentator, and website owner James Lileks gives another lesson on how to build a really bad website.

Residents of Austin, Minnesota celebrated Christmas this week in their downtown Paramount Theatre. The old movie house is in the midst of a $2 million renovation, and city leaders hope just as it will provide a venue for performing arts it will also provide an economic boost for downtown. Minnesota Public Radio's Brent Wolfe has this Mainstreet report.

For residents in rural parts of the country, finding medical care can be a challenge and it often comes at a high price. But a program based in St. Cloud is helping put an end to this dilemma. A group of amateur pilots volunteer their time to fly patients to hospitals in larger cities; they call themselves Wings of Mercy and they do all their work for free. Mainstreet Radio's Gretchen Lehmann reports.

The clock is ticking, but a few hours still remain to wrap up that last-minute Christmas shopping. Many malls and stores will stay open until five o'clock this afternoon. Retailers have tried numerous strategies to draw in customers this season and undoubtedly a few deals can still be found. John Ewoldt writes the Dollars and Sense column for the Star Tribune.

National and Holiday Programming