Monday, April 19

While the Minnesota anti-smoking campaign is still being planned, there are already anti-smoking public service announcements showing on television in the state. Those ads, which show teenagers talking about why they choose not to smoke, were funded and produced by the Philip Morris tobacco company. Recently, the American Cancer Society and a coalition of 17 states, including Minnesota, called on Philip Morris to drop the campaign and instead fund an independently-produced anti-smoking campaign. Jan Malcolm is the Minnesota Commissioner of Health and she joins us now.

Two top federal officials visiting Minnesota heard the complaints of farmers concerned about increasing consolidation in agri-business. At yesterday's hearing in South St. Paul, the farmers argued mergers and acquisitions are strangling competition for their products, and driving down commodity prices. They say its forcing them to struggle just to break even. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports.

While farmers are preparing their fields for spring planting, homeowners are getting their lawns ready as well. University of Minnesota Extension Horticulturist Deb Brown has some advice on that subject.

Florida plowed $70 million of tobacco settlement money into a program that in one year showed the largest drop in the state's teen smoking rate in nearly 20 years. A year ago, Minnesota settled its case with tobacco and six months later created an anti-smoking panel which is still in the formative stages of its work. Minnesota Public Radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports.

Some big changes are underway in the stock market. Although the Dow Industrial Average continues to set new highs, the red-hot technology stocks have cooled off dramatically. Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Farrell suggests why.

Tomorrow Northwest Airlines will report its financial performance for the first quarter of 1999. Last year, for the year, Northwest lost $300 million after record profits the year before. Industry analysts say Northwest did not get off to a good start in 1999. Many analysts are anticipating a nearly $60 million loss for the first three months of the year. Some predict even higher losses. All seem to agree Northwest is still having trouble winning back customers after last fall's strike. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports.

Minnesota lawmakers have just four full weeks left until the end of the legislative session. This week, much of the action shifts from committees to long floor sessions in both the House and Senate, as the two consider major spending bills. House Republicans will also roll out a major tax bill this morning. Laura McCallum covers the Capitol for Minnesota Public Radio, and joins me now with a preview of the week ahead.

The 90's have been tough for independent bookstores. They've lost customers to big chains such as Barnes & Noble and Borders. The newest threat is Amazon.com and other Internet superstores, but as Minnesota Public Radio's Jon Gordon reports, independent booksellers are starting to fight back.

When Republicans took control of the Minnesota House, they talked about cutting government spending, and appointed one of their most fiscally conservative colleagues to chair the committee in charge of funding certain state agencies. Republican leaders then told State Government Finance Committee chair Phil Krinkie to spend $100 million less than Governor Ventura proposed in his budget. Krinkie has gone even further, chopping another $40 million, and ruffling some feathers in his own caucus in the process. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.

A bill that passed the Minnesota Senate Monday would make it a crime to promote, advocate or take responsibility for any criminal act. The measure is aimed specifically at an underground animal-rights group that broke into two research labs at the University of Minnesota earlier this month, vandalizing equipment and releasing lab animals. A spokesman for the Animal Liberation Front took responsibility for the attack while denying any knowledge of the individuals who participated in it.

Governor Jesse Ventura says a tax cut package proposed by House Republicans would put the state's financial well-being in jeopardy. Republicans are calling for a total of about $3.5 billion in tax relief over three years including permanent income and property tax cuts and a sales tax rebate. Republicans are running a statewide radio ad campaign to promote the plan and pressure the Governor and Senate DFLers to accept it. House Speaker Steve Sviggum joins MPR now.

The killings in Littleton, Colorado yesterday are sure to cause people around the country to re-examine what's going in their schools and try to find out ways to prevent something similar from happening again. Last year, after the school shootings in Arkansas, a Minnesota Senate sub-committee held hearings on school safety. Senator Len Price, who teaches at Woodbury High School, chaired the hearings.

The St. Paul school board will allow high school clinics to begin dispensing contraceptives to students. Last night, the board voted to undo a compromise that would have left the decision up to individual schools, but the board added a provision requiring parental consent. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports.

The year 2000 will mark the 20th anniversary of the AIDS epidemic. Since the disease first made headlines, there have been numerous advances in AIDS research and treatment. But AIDS educators say fear and stigma surrounding AIDS continues to be one of the greatest obstacles in AIDs prevention and education. That's especially true in rural Minnesota where state funding for HIV awareness is limited. Minnesota Public Radio's Kathryn Herzog has this report.

Students and teachers in Minnesota are among those struggling to understand Tuesday's shooting rampage in a Littleton, Colorado high school. The violent attack was a topic of conversation yesterday in many classrooms. In the Minneapolis suburb of Richfield, school officials and students were talking about the latest school tragedy and reflecting on their own preparations for a similar incident. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.

The school shootings in Littleton, Colorado, has re-opened a debate here in Minnesota over permits for concealed weapons. Governor Jesse Ventura is speculating so-called "concealed-carry" laws could have prevented the violence in Colorado. Opponents say more guns only lead to more bloodshed. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports.

Last September, Minneapolis Public Schools set up a hotline for students to call if they have concerns about classmates or feel threatened. The "Save A Friend" hotline guarantees callers will remain anonymous. But few students have used the service, so far. Jack Nelson is coordinator of safety and security for Minneapolis Public Schools. He says the hotline has received about a dozen calls so far.

With no Reform Party members in the legislature, Governor Ventura has no party allies, so he's turning to technology to lean on lawmakers. The latest project of "JesseNet" - the Ventura administration's online network of supporters - is Legislature Watch Teams, volunteers who will try to pressure lawmakers to support the Governor's policies. The first team is being organized in the district of a key lawmaker opposed to Ventura's light rail proposal. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.

There's something irrefutably big-city about the advertising industry. Think Madison Avenue, Thirtysomething, the Gap. But the urban nature of the business is changing, and nowhere faster than in Minnesota. This weekend in Florida, the Whatever It's Called Ad Association will name its Agency of the Year. Among the nominees - the David amongst giants from New York and Birmingham - is the Russell and Herder agency from Brainerd, Minnesota. Mainstreet Radio's Leif Enger reports.

Former Packer star Reggie White may have disappointed his critics last night in a speech to a conservative group in Minneapolis. As Minnesota Public Radio's John Rabe reports, the Reverend White stayed away from the kind of comments that generated lots of controversy when he addressed the Wisconsin legislature just over a year ago.

Hennepin County Board chairman Randy Johnson says Hennepin County Medical Center may have to begin refusing all but emergency care to residents of other counties who have no way of paying their bills. Johnson says he'll propose the change unless the Legislature forces other hospitals to accept more indigent patients. The costs of uncompensated care are increasing about 10 to 15 percent a year at the hospital. Randy Johnson joins me now.

Vegetable lovers have good reason to celebrate this weekend. The Minneapolis and St. Paul farmers markets open for the season tomorrow. But vegetables are only part of the pickings. The markets also sell dairy and baked goods, honey, flowers and plants, and some meats - even exotic cuts like ostrich and buffalo. Kevin Edberg heads the marketing section of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. He says farmers markets comprise a small but significant part of Minnesota's almost $7 billion agricultural economy.

Northwest Airlines shareholders hold their annual meeting this morning in New York. For the second year in a row, the meeting is expected to be marked by employee protests from flight attendants who are still trying to negotiate a contract. Mark Zdechlik will be at the meeting and he joins me now.

Climatologist Mark Seeley talks about the surprising amount of snowfall this April in southern Minnesota and how weather forecasters are tracking the eruption of a volcano this week in the Aleutian Islands.