Monday, June 28

Organizers of a petition drive in St. Paul say they have more than twice as many signatures as necessary to put a new ballpark-funding question on the ballot this fall. But many questions still surround the subject, including the finances of Major League Baseball and the viability of small market teams like the Minnesota Twins. Mayor Norm Coleman, who is spearheading the stadium push in St. Paul, says without some reform in professional baseball, building a ballpark doesn't make sense. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports.

Summer months are typically the time of year area blood banks have a low supply and a great demand. For 75 years scientists have been working to develop a blood substitute. They're looking for something to supply oxygen to the body's organs and prevent the risks of using donated blood. Several bio-medical companies are getting closer to the perfect solution. Mainstreet Radio's Cara Hetland reports one product using processed cow blood is in final trial stages and already in use in veterinarian clinics.

The financial markets are on Fed watch this week, waiting to see if the Federal Reserve raises short-term interest rates. Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Farrell explains why the Fed will act.

Minnesota tenants advocates say some landlords are ripping off prospective tenants by mis-appropriating rental application fees. They say in today's tight rental housing market, some landlords take many more applications than they need to rent an apartment, or even take applications when no apartment is available, pocketing the fees. A new law will make these practices illegal, but tenants groups say the law has no teeth. Minnesota Public Radio's Eric Jansen reports.

In his first interview since resigning as University of Minnesota men's basketball coach, Clem Haskins told the Star Tribune he wouldn't have stood for academic fraud in his program if he had known about it. Haskins himself was hired in the wake of a scandal. In 1986, three Gopher basketball players were arrested in connection with alleged rape and then a Big Ten study revealed that Minnesota's male athletes had the lowest graduation rate in the conference. At that time, a task force was named to recommend how to select a new coach and improve the graduation rate of student-athletes. Minnesota Senator Ember Reichgott-Junge served on that committee, and she's on the line with us now.

The United States plans to release documents compiled by the former Soviet Union about the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Russian President Boris Yeltsin recently turned over the records to President Clinton. They may contain new information about Kennedy's assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, who lived in the former Soviet Union for several years. Federal Judge Jack Tunheim is former chair of the Assassination Records Review Board. He says the U.S. has sought the release of the records for a long time.

The Federal Reserve is expected to increase short term interest rates by a quarter percentage point today. It would be the first increase in more than two years, with the goal of slowing the economy and keeping inflation in check. Longer-term mortgage rates have also been changing lately. Roger Harrington is a mortgage broker, and he's on the line with us now.

Governor Ventura wants the Reform Party to distance itself from its founder, Texas billionaire Ross Perot and Ventura is weighing in on internal party politics to help make that happen. Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste reports.

The Minnesota Timberwolves selected a couple of sharp shooters with their two first-round draft picks last night. The team picked forward Wally Szczerbiak out of the University of Miami of Ohio with the sixth pick in the draft and Duke guard William Avery with the 14th pick. Timberwolves vice-president Kevin McHale says Szcerbiak and Avery are two of the three best outside shooters in the draft. Joining us now is Brit Robson who covers the Timberwolves for City Pages.

A new poll commissioned by Minnesota Public Radio, the St. Paul Pioneer Press, and KARE-TV shows significant opposition to ballpark plans in both Minneapolis and St. Paul. Stadium supporters on both sides of the river say they are not surprised by the findings, but they still believe a stadium package could be crafted in the public interest. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports.

Reports in the British press say Twin Cities based Control Data Systems is being sold to British Telecommunications, Britain's largest telephone company. There has been no official confirmation of the buyout. But an announcement is expected at a news conference scheduled for this afternoon in Minneapolis. Control Data Systems is the smaller of two companies resulting from the split of the original Control Data corporation in 1992. The old firm was a world leader in the manufacture of mainframe computers and was central to Minnesota's evolution as a center of high technology. Minnesota Public Radio's Bill Catlin reports.

The Minnesota Zoo has announced plans to build a $4.5 million exhibit honoring the family farm. Zoo officials say the farm will help city kids better understand the importance of agriculture. Critics say it looks like another money-losing venture for the state facility. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.

As Bob Dylan returns to his native Minnesota to play concerts in the Twin Cities and Duluth this weekend, a group of residents from his hometown, Hibbing, says they want to set up a Bob Dylan cultural center in the town. Taskforce member Ed Beckers told Minnesota Public Radio's Euan Kerr the group has been meeting in private for a number of months but now wants to go public.

Don Masterson, Director of Operations for the Minnesota State Lottery, discusses the Powerball winning ticket that was purchased in Minnesota.

President Clinton is expected to announce today that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is planning to take the bald eagle off the endangered species list. The Service would then have a year to gather public feedback and could actually remove the bird from the list around this time next year. Mark Martel is the Coordinator of Conservation Programs at the University of Minnesota's Raptor Center, and he's on the line with us now.

The University of Minnesota has extended a deadline for investigators to report on the handling of sexual harassment complaints against student athletes. U of M President Mark Yudof spoke about that report and the academic fraud scandal involving the men's basketball team during an appearance on MPR's Midday program yesterday. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen has this report.

The Fourth of July is a mere four days away - that means small-town parades, back-yard barbecues, and...yes...fireworks. Fireworks have been illegal in the state since 1941, but each year Minnesotans flock to Wisconsin and return with bottle rockets, sparklers, and firecrackers. Governor Jesse Ventura says they should be able to make those same purchases here at home. But others warn legalizing fireworks will only lead to more accidents and injuries. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports.

Even as cost estimates for a proposed light rail transit system rise, Minneapolis and St. Paul residents continue to show strong support for the idea. A new poll commissioned by Minnesota Public Radio, the St. Paul Pioneer Press, and KARE-TV shows well over two thirds of those responding to the survey support light rail. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson reports.

Austin, Minnesota celebrates its famous canned meat this weekend. The SPAM Town USA festival runs through Sunday with musical entertainment, a five-mile run, and a fireworks display. SPAM was developed by Austin's Hormel Foods in the late 1930s to utilize meat that would otherwise go to waste. Since then it's become a cultural icon. Carolyn Wyman is the author of SPAM, A Biography, and she stopped into the studio to share her experiences with the canned meat.

If you're looking for something a little different to celebrate the Fourth of July, House of Hope church on Summit Avenue in St. Paul is holding an Independence Day concert at 4 p.m. on Sunday featuring music played on its carillon. MPR's John Bischoff reports.

There are plenty of arts events going on around the state this holiday weekend: You can find Bob Dylan and Paul Simon in the same place. The two singer-songwriters will perform tonight at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, and tomorrow night at Bayfront Park in Duluth.

There will be food, fireworks, and free entertainment when "Taste of Minnesota" begins tonight. Minnesota's biggest free festival continues through Monday with over 50 performances by regional and national musicians on the State Capitol grounds in St. Paul.

Three local choreographers team up tonight and tomorrow to present "Jump," a series of original dance pieces. They'll be joined by music composer Drew Gordon at the University of Minnesota's Barbara Barker Center for Dance in Minneapolis.

Mark Seeley predicts a stormy weekend.

Lynn Warfel-Holt previews Sommerfest.