Monday, October 25

A billion-and-a-half-dollar increase for housing is being hailed by officials as a victory. The new money for the federal Department of Housing and Urban development was signed into law by President Clinton. It is the largest expansion of affordable housing funds in seven years. The bigger picture is less encouraging. The country's supply of affordable housing is shrinking. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson reports the problem is spreading to outstate communities.

Pat Buchanan is announcing today that he's leaving the Republican party to seek the Reform party's nomination. The national leaders of the Reform Party are welcoming Buchanan, saying he shares much of the party's fiscally conservative, anti-free trade philosophy. But Minnesota Reform Party leaders say Buchanan is too conservative on social issues, and may end up ripping the party apart. Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste reports.

Voters in the state's third largest school district will decide next week whether they want to spend millions of dollars on new classrooms. Officials in the Anoka-Hennepin district are trying to solve a space problem by seeking approval to build a new high school, middle school and two elementary schools. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.

The Minnesota Vikings finally appear to have regained last year's winning form. The Vikings defeated the San Francisco 49ers 40-16 at the Metrodome yesterday. Jeff George threw three touchdown passes in his first start of the season, and Leroy Hoard ran for more than 100 yards and a touchdown. That puts the Vikings at 3-4.

Chris Farrell stopped by the studio for a look at the financial market.

A documentary on war crimes in Kosovo will air tonight on National Public Radio's All Things Considered. "The Killers of Pec" documents the planned killing of ethnic Albanian communities in Kosovo. It's based on interviews with both the victims and the killers. Correspondent Michael Montgomery and Producer Stephen Smith for the American RadioWorks spent seven months investigating attacks on civilians around Kosovo's second largest city. Stephen has come by the studio this morning.

Los Angeles County Prosecutors plan to call Patty Heart Shaw as a witness in their pipe bombing conspiracy case against Sara Jane Olson, formerly Kathleen Soliah. The trial of the alleged former Symbionese Liberation Army Terrorist is set to begin in January. Olson's attorneys say she does not have enough money to pay for her defense. Today in Minneapolis Olson supporters are planning a news conference to talk about the case against her and her legal defense fund. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports.

Indian tribes throughout the Upper Midwest are continuing a steady expansion of their gaming facilities. While some of the profits are being used to improve life on the reservations, millions of dollars are being pumped back into building bigger and better casinos, with plans for a number of off-reservation facilities. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Robertson reports from Bemidji.

Conservative Republican presidential candidate Pat Buchanan yesterday announced his long-anticipated switch to the Reform Party. Reform party leaders attended the Buchanan news conference in Virginia, saying they "welcome" him into the race for their party's presidential nomination but others in the party, most notably Governor Ventura, say Buchanan's right-wing views don't fit their understanding of what it means to be a Reformer. Meanwhile, Ventura has been courting New York real estate developer Donald Trump as a possible candidate for president. Critics say the situation proves the party doesn't really have a consistent political belief system. Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste reports.

Golf fans throughout the country are remembering Payne Stewart today. Stewart died yesterday after his plane flew nearly 1,000 miles without a pilot and finally crashed in South Dakota. Stewart touched fans in many places, including Minnesota. He won the first of his two U.S. Open Championships at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska. Joining us now is Reed MacKenzie who was general chairman of the club the year Stewart won in 1991, and is now Vice President of the U.S. Golf Association.

Governor Jesse Ventura will unveil the fourth part of his Big Plan today. Today's topic is international trade and it comes less than a week before Governor Ventura heads off on a trade mission to Japan. After outlining the plan, Ventura will visit a farm near Pipestone. It is owned by Randy Spronk. He is the president of the Minnesota Pork Producers Association and he will be joining the governor on his trip to Japan. He says pork producers want to market several products in Japan.

The college basketball season hasn't started, but the University of Minnesota Gophers already know they won't make the Final Four next spring. University officials are prohibiting the men's basketball team from post-season play for one year. The decision comes in anticipation of an independent investigation into charges of academic misconduct in the program.Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports the results of the investigation could prompt even stiffer penalties from the University and the NCAA.

Lawson Software is moving the first of 1,000 employees into its new downtown St. Paul headquarters. The thirteen-story Lawson building, which cost more than $100 million to build, was financed entirely by the city of St. Paul. Minnesota Public Radio's Andrew Haeg reports.

The Minnesota Court of Appeals heard arguments yesterday on a case that could determine whether Northern States Power's Prairie Island Nuclear Plant shuts down as early as the year 2002. Minnesota Public Radio's Mary Losure reports.

Governor Ventura has unveiled the fourth and final part of his "Big Plan" for Minnesota. This installment is called "Minnesota: World Competitor," and in it Ventura outlines the ways he plans to strengthen the state's economy. Like the previous three installments, this part of the Big Plan is short on specifics and Ventura's critics say it's all just feel-good rhetoric until the Governor starts making specific policy decisions. Ventura and his commissioners defend the Plan, saying it's meant to be a broad road map, and that the specifics are in the works. Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste reports.

Tonight, public television will broadcast a documentary entitled Jane Goodall: Reason for Hope. It is a biography of Goodall that not only looks at her work in Africa studying chimpanzees, but also her more recent crusade to preserve the environment. Twin Cities producer Emily Goldberg put together the documentary for KTCA and she joins us now in the studio.

Next week, St. Paul voters will decide whether to approve Mayor Norm Coleman's plan to build a new Minnesota Twins ballpark in the city's downtown. Supporters and opponents argue back and forth on the economic impact a stadium could provide but both sides seem to agree the finances of Major League Baseball are in disarray, leaving small market teams like the Twins at a competitive disadvantage. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo examines the prospects for reforming the league.

The battle for control of the Reform Party is in full swing. Presidential candidate Pat Buchanan, who switched from the Republican to the Reform Party earlier this week, will be in the Twin Cities today for a book signing. Meanwhile, leaders of the Minnesota Reform Party have proposed a platform for the party that includes universal health care and legalizing marijuana. Steven Schier is Chair of the Carleton College political science department and he joins us now.

A recent study by a Dutch university finds that drinking at least one cup of tea a day could cut the risk of heart attack by 44 percent. That's good news for Tony Rugairo. He is the owner of a specialty tea shop in Minneapolis called La Societe du the. He says there's more to the tea experience than dropping a tea bag in a cup of hot water.

This weekend the art community in St. Paul will celebrate the long-awaited return of the bronze sculpture of Norwegian playwrite Henrik Ibsen. The bust of Ibsen was stolen from Como Park 17 years ago. Five years ago, it was found in a Robbinsdale video store, who's owner said he bought it from an antique dealer in California. Public Art St. Paul, which preserves and promotes art in the city, led a restoration effort. That effort will culminate in the rededicated of the Ibsen sculpture this Saturday. Joining us is Christine Podas-Larson, president of Public Art St. Paul.

The U.S. Forest Service has unveiled new planning regulations which emphasize public participation, long-range planning, and sustainability as priorities for national forests. Agency officials visited Duluth Thursday seeking public comment on the rules. Conservation groups have greeted the proposal with cautious enthusiasm, while members of the timber industry and motorized recreation groups are skeptical. Minnesota Public Radio's Amy Radil reports.

The pro-stadium tax Yes! St. Paul campaign committee has released a television ad in support of Mayor Norm Coleman's plan for a new Minnesota Twins ballpark. But you won't see it unless the campaign mails a video tape directly to your home. Rather than blanket the metropolitan airwaves with its message, the organization is running a targeted campaign designed to reach undecided St. Paul voters. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports.

Testimony is now underway in the federal firearms trial of Donald Blom. Blom is accused of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Authorities say they found guns on his property while searching for evidence in the investigation into Katie Poirer's disappearance. Federal and state laws bar convicted felons from owning guns. Minnesota Public Radio's Patty Marsicano reports this is a fairly common offense.

Two young men from Minnesota will start a year-long bicycle journey through Africa today. Starting at the mouth of the Nile River in Alexandria, Egypt, S.R. Nithy and Steve Whalen will cycle down to Cape Town, South Africa, where their journey will end sometime in the fall of 2000. The men say their expedition is not just a bicycle trip, it's a journey of hope, peace and education. Minnesota Public Radio's Marisa Helms reports.

It promises to be a weekend of goblins, fun-sized candy bars, and quite a bit of activity in the Minnesota arts world. To find out more we turn to Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Roberts and the Word of Mouth arts roundup.

Governor Jesse Ventura is preparing for his trip to Japan next week. Part of his preparation is learning protocol, or how to behave properly to avoid mistakes at his appearances. Avoiding a social faux pas in a country with complex social rules like Japan can help foster trust and a good trading relationship. Evan Williams is a former President of Cargill's North Asia division and he advised the governor on Japanese protocol. He joins us now.

Meterologist Mark Seeley stopped by the studio for a look at the Halloween weather, and daylight savings.