Monday, May 10

Ten years ago, the Minnesota Legislature approved $6.5 million for an arts high school. The late Governor Rudy Perpich pushed long and hard for the school, and the proposal nearly died several times in the legislature. But after its controversial start, the state-run facility has quietly schooled nearly 1,000 students in visual and performing arts. The school is now building a $7 million addition. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.

It's now the season for high school students across Minnesota to gear up for prom, graduation, and summer vacation. Not coincidentally, it's also a time when teen alcohol-related traffic fatalities rise. A recent poll suggests part of the problem of underage drinking is adult complicity and the lack of a consistent message from many parents. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports.

The farm economy in much of the United States is in a tailspin, and nowhere are conditions worse than the upper Midwest. The price farmers get for crops has fallen 20 percent in the past two years. Thousands of farmers have been forced out of business in Minnesota and the Dakotas, and some say this area is two years ahead of a crunch that's going to hit the rest of the U.S. agricultural economy. Minnesota Public Radios Dan Gunderson reports.

Many news organizations have mission statements that call for accurate, fair reporting and stories that engage citizens and help strengthen communities. How well does the Twin Cities media perform that role? The Twin Cities Project on Media and the Public was founded to examine that question. It's holding a community forum today at the Mall of America to look at how the media shapes perceptions of our region. Steven Brill is founder and editor-in-chief of Brill's Content, a magazine that reports on the quality of what we watch and read. He'll speak at today's forum.

The final full week of the legislative session begins today without an agreement on the biggest issue remaining: tax cuts. Governor Jesse Ventura tried to give negotiations a boost yesterday by agreeing to go along with House Republicans and trim the top income tax rate by a half-percentage point to eight percent. Negotiations are likely to pick up today. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum covers the Capitol, and has an update.

Stocks surged higher late in the session on Friday. The Dow Industrials are currently at a new high despite an increase in interest rates. MPR's senior economics correspondent says fears of inflation are making Wall Street nervous.

Each day, 12 people die in the United States waiting for an organ transplant. Solving the organ shortage will require more than just additional donors. Demand will still far outstrip the supply. So researchers at the Mayo Clinic and elsewhere are developing a new source of organs: animals. Pigs, actually. Organs transplanted from animals - known as xeno transplants - are a challenge for medical researchers. They present several problems including rejection by the human host and the possibility that viruses will jump from pigs to people. Minnesota Public Radio's Brent Wolfe reports from Rochester.

When it comes to tax cuts, Governor Ventura has generally been on the side of the DFL-controlled Senate, that is, he was until last Sunday afternoon, when he made a surprise offer to back a Republican plan to cut the rates on all income tax brackets, including the highest one. Ventura was hoping his concession would inspire House and Senate negotiators to follow suit and reach a compromise in their budget talks. Instead, the Governor's offer has become a case study of the tricky nature of Minnesota's new three-party government. Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste reports.

This week Minnesota house and senate conferees are expected to take up legislation that would loosen regulation of hydrogen sulfide emissions from feedlots. Opponents say the proposed changes will benefit big, factory-style farms that aren't complying with air quality standards. The bill's senate says it will not exempt chronic violators of the law. Minnesota Public Radio's Mary Losure reports.

General Colin Powell will join Governor Ventura and Supreme Court Justice Alan Page today in a rally to encourage more private sector support for scholarships. The rally kicks off National Scholarship month and will take place at South High School in Minneapolis. Justice Page has established the Page Education Foundation which gives out about $470,000 each year in scholarships for students of color. He'll offer a straightforward message at today's rally.