Monday, November 15

People interested in the design of proposed light rail stations in downtown Minneapolis have a chance tonight to add their two cents to the conversation. Participants at the Minneapolis Central Library meeting will also see how the three stations planned for South Fifth Street will change one of downtown's busiest thoroughfares. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson reports.

We tend to think of privacy as a universally-acknowledged right, enshrined in the Constitution. In truth, the Constitution doesn't specifically mention that right, and the very concept of personal privacy has risen to prominence only in the last thirty years. Historically, when the U.S. Supreme Court and Congress have taken privacy into consideration, it has usually lost out to other interests. But advocates have dubbed privacy "the civil rights issue of the information age." They believe consumers and constituents will soon create a groundswell of support for stronger privacy rights. Minnesota Public Radio's Amy Radil reports.

John Rabe reports on shopping cards and privacy.

Chris Farrell discusses the implications of letting China into the WTO.

Activist members of the Minnesota Reform Party spent the day Saturday discussing their political identity and rewriting their party's platform, one plank at a time. There were indications that the party's members are beginning to polarize into right and left wing camps. Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste reports.

Unlike last year when everything fell into place, nothing has come easy for the Minnesota Vikings this year and yesterday's game in Chicago was no exception. Kicker Gary Anderson missed a 20-yard field goal at the end of the fourth quarter that would have won the game for the game for the Vikings. He did get another chance in overtime and this time his 38 yard attempt just barely made it through the goal posts to give the Vikings a 27 - 24 win over the Bears, their fourth win in a row. Don Banks covers the Vikings for the St. Paul Pioneer Press and he joins us now from Chicago.

A new prison, 55 miles north of the Twin Cities, will be dedicated today. The prison in Rush City will open its doors as the state's prison population has nearly doubled in the last ten years. Governor Jesse Ventura will be on hand for the dedication. Joining us now is the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Corrections, Sheryl Ramstad-Hvass.

Local and national experts on urban sprawl will be at the University of Minnesota's Humphrey Institute today. They're attending a two-day conference called "Growing Pains: Making Sense of Sprawl." Urban sprawl has been hotly discussed in communities across the country, including the Twin Cities. Former US Congressman Tim Penny is co-director of the Humphrey Institute Policy Forum, and he's on the line now.

Across the globe the average temperature has been slowly but steadily rising. For years now scientists, citizens and industry experts have argued about the problem of global warming, first of all whether it exists, and then what to do about it. This week in Grand Forks people from around the region have gathered to talk about climate change in the Northern Great Plains and Rocky Mountain region and how people can change the global warming trend. Minnesota Public Radio's Bob Reha reports.

When the Federal government started issuing Social Security cards five decades ago, some people worried the Social Security number would evolve into an all-purpose, national identification system. They were right. These days, the number tracks everything from college students to video-store customers, and it's virtually impossible to get by without one. Still, many Americans resist it, believing the number has the power to unlock personal information. Privacy experts say people are right to guard their Social Security numbers, but they also warn that keeping the number secret is no guarantee of privacy. Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste reports.

Robin Marks reports on information brokers.

Skies are clear this morning over most of Minnesota. That's good news for people who got up early to see the Lenoid meteor shower. The meteor shower takes place every November when the Earth crosses the orbit of the comet Tempel-Tuttle. But this year, astronomers were predicting a better show than usual. Joining us now is Bob Bonadurer, director of the Minneapolis Planetarium. He's out at the Afton State Park in Hastings watching the skies.

The Senate is scheduled to vote today on Senator Paul Wellstone's proposal for a moratorium on agri-mergers. Wellstone wants to stop mergers or buyouts involving big companies for a year and a half, or until Congress passes agriculture anti-trust legislation. Alfred Marcus is a professor of Strategic Management and Organization at the Carlson School of Management. He's on the line now.

This week, MPR is reporting on threats to personal privacy in the digital age. In the workplace, the exploding use of computer networks, e-mail and the Internet, and other digital technologies have made it easy for companies to monitor their employees. And a growing number of employers are starting to keep tabs on workers. But the results can lead to serious problems for management and labor.

Several hundred IBM employees packed a Rochester school auditorium last night to discuss the company's recent change in pension plans, which many employees say hurts long serving workers. Senator Paul Wellstone attended to express his support for the workers, while Rod Grams was content to send an aide. Appearances by several other candidates demonstrated the likelihood that pensions will be an issue in upcoming campaigns. Minnesota Public Radio's Art Hughes reports.

Robin Marks reports on how easy it is for people to access info about you through your driving record.

A three-day agriculture summit in Fargo ended with farmers from the U.S. and Canada reaching consensus on areas where they can work together, and demanding action from politicians. The more than 250 farmers from Minnesota, the Dakotas, Manitoba and Saskatchewan also decided they will gather again in a year to see what has been accomplished. Minnesota Public Radios Dan Gunderson reports.

Europeans have more protection from intrusive commerce than we do here in the United States. If you lived in Europe, you could discover what businesses know about you. You could block marketers from filling your mailbox with junk, and stop them from selling your name to other companies. However, Europeans generally have limited privacy protection from their own governments. Minnesota Public Radio's Jon Gordon reports on the European way of privacy.

The Star Tribune is reporting this morning that University of Minnesota President Mark Yudof is considering demoting Vice President McKinley Boston and men's athletic director Mark Dienhart. That plan is expected to be discussed at a meeting of the Board of Regents today. Meanwhile, the U is expected to release a full report of the academic scandal tomorrow. It may impose additional sanctions on the men's basketball program. The U's findings will go to the NCAA, which will decide if still more penalties are warranted. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen reports.

Minnesota Public Radio's John Rabe and Robin Marks continue "The Surveillance Society" with a look at what happens when you pick up your prescription at the pharmacy.

It'll be a busy weekend for Gopher sports. The football team is playing in Iowa, hoping for their 8th win of the season, and a New Years Day bowl bid. The men's basketball plays its season-opener against Texas-Arlington. They'll play under coach Dan Monson, who took the job as men's basketball coach after Clem Haskins accepted a buyout offer during the academic scandal last spring. Joining us to talk about both teams is David LaVaque, sports reporter for the Minnesota Daily.

A hog processing plant built and owned by farmers may be in business by next spring near the southwest Minnesota town of Dawson. Ground was broken yesterday for the $6 million plant, believed to be the first of its kind in the nation. With the farm crisis tightening its grip on hog producers, some say the plant is their last chance to stay in business. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Steil reports.

Mediation talks appear to have broken down between the State of Minnesota, Minneapolis Public Schools, and the Minneapolis branch of the NAACP. Minnesota Public Radio's Lynette Nyman reports.

Its been a great season for deer, unless you are one - the season is still open in parts of Minnesota, but the numbers coming in show two things: first, the deer herd seems to have rebounded from the hard winters a few years ago; and second, Minnesotans like to hunt when its warm. Mainstreet Radios Leif Enger reports.

Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Roberts with the Word of Mouth Arts Roundup, a look at Minnesota arts.

University of Minnesota President Mark Yudof reportedly will announce today that he is ousting two top athletic officials: McKinley Boston and Mark Dienhart. The announcement will be made after a report is released on the University's investigation into the academic cheating allegations involving the men's basketball program. Professor Fred Morrison chairs the Faculty-Student Consultative Committee. He says that in order to get beyond the scandal, the program will need strong leadership.

Meteorologist Mark Seeley talked with Bob Potter about this week's weather news.