Monday, June 12

No presidential saxophones were played, but President Clinton and the band Soul Asylum helped raise about half a million dollars for Democrats at a fund-raiser over the weekend. Clinton appeared to a sold-out crowd at the Fine Line music cafe in downtown Minneapolis following his commencement address at Carleton College on Saturday. Minnesota Public Radio's Amy Radil reports.

South Dakota is said to have among the highest rates of babies born with fetal alcohol syndrome in the nation. A new federally funded four-state consortium, which includes Minnesota and the Dakotas, begins this fall. It will experiment with different educational and service-oriented programs aimed at women to slow the rate of this preventable and costly illness. Mainstreet Radio's Cara Hetland reports.

Voters in Grand Forks will choose a mayor and city council members tomorrow. Two challengers are criticizing the leadership of Mayor Pat Owens, who gained national attention and acclaim when Grand Forks was devastated by flooding in 1997. The next mayor will face the challenge of paying for a massive dike project to protect the city from the Red River and rebuilding the population and jobs lost after the flood. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Gunderson reports.

MPR's Chief Economics Correspondent Chris Farrell discusses the slowing economy.

The Duluth city council decided late last night to ban smoking in all restaurants in the city. The council allowed some exemptions to the ban, but decided not to make an exemption for restaurants that use "air curtains" until it is scientifically proven that technology is effective. An air curtain is a series of vents and fans that keep smoke-filled air inside a certain area of a restaurant. The only restaurant in Duluth that's installed it is the Duluth Grill. Kay Biga is the owner of the restaurant, and she joins us now.

This afternoon, retired U.S. general Colin Powell will introduce a new community development project planned for South Minneapolis. The Colin Powell Youth Leadership Center is designed to hold four basketball courts, a learning lab, an arts facility, a fitness center and a Central Hall. And while the center will have the general's name, the idea for the facility comes from Urban Ventures Leadership Foundation, a Minneapolis-based economic development corporation. Minnesota Public Radio's Brandt Williams has this report.

Governor Jesse Ventura said in California yesterday he will not be a candidate for president, even though he could get on the ballot in all 50 states and win even if he waited until the last minute to enter the race. Minnesota Public Radio's Jon Gordon reports on the first leg of Ventura's trip to California.

The Minnesota chapter of the Alliance for Better Campaigns says voters deserve more than sound bites and attack ads. The Alliance is asking TV stations to set aside nightly airtime for candidate and issues coverage in the weeks leading up to this year's elections. So far, no Minnesota stations have agreed to do it, and some are concerned about an interest group trying to dictate coverage. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.

It's estimated there are a half million polio survivors in the U.S. Of those, 20% are expected to develop Post Polio Syndrome, or PPS. It's not a recurrence of polio, but rather an effect of the disease that usually appears 30 years later. Post Polio sufferers complain of sore joints, problems breathing, weak muscles and extreme fatigue. Another challenge they face is finding adequate care for their condition. Mainstreet Radio's Tim Post takes a look at how a St. Cloud group is trying to help PPS patients and their doctors deal with the disease.

Governor Jesse Ventura is set today to add soap opera acting to his varied list of experiences. Ventura, who's in California this week, will be taping an episode of The Young and the Restless this morning. Yesterday, the Governor focused on promoting Minnesota tourism and announced preliminary plans for another foreign visit. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik has a report from Los Angeles.

A Minnesota Senate Committee is gathering information on the problem known as racial profiling. The Senate Judiciary Committee is holding a hearing today on racial profiling which is the practice of suspecting minorities of criminal activity simply because of their race. Joining us on the line to talk about the hearing is the chair of that committee DFL Senator Jane Ranum.

The U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee took a critical look yesterday at United Airlines proposed $11.6 billion acquisition of US Airways. Congressmen voiced their skepticism while the Chairmen of both airlines defended their plans. The airlines say the deal would bring better, more extensive service to consumers, but they'll have to convince federal regulators, who could stop the deal if they think it will stifle competition. MPR's Andrew Haeg is in Washington to cover the hearings.

According to a spokesman, The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe have elected a new leader. Incumbent Chief Executive Marge Anderson lost to challenger Melanie Benjamin in yesterday's tribal elections. Vote totals are not yet available. A key issue in the election was the distribution of profits from the Mille Lacs band's casinos. Benjamin had called for a redistribution of casino profits that could mean profit-sharing payments to members. Spokesman Ron Maddox says Anderson's policy of spending casino profits on reservation infrastructure cost her the election.

Another prominent leader also lost an election yesterday. Grand Forks Mayor Pat Owens lost a close election to Doctor Michael Brown. Owens was in charge of rebuilding that city after the flood of 1997. She says memories of the flood cost her the election.

Governor Jesse Ventura today is scheduled to appear on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Yesterday, Ventura dabbled in daytime drama, taping an upcoming episode of the Young and the Restless. Ventura says the CBS soap has long been a favorite of his. He says he had a wonderful time taping the episode and hinted acting is what he'd like to concentrate on when he's finished with politics. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports.

The Minnesota Republican Party's move to endorse judicial candidates is coming under fire from leaders in both the DFL and Independence parties. Critics say Republicans are politicizing the judicial process, while Republican officials defend the endorsements as a way to give voters more information about candidates they know little about. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.

Crime Prevention committees Wednesday, Twin Cities minorities described repeated traffic stops which they believe resulted from so-called racial profiling. They said something must be done in order for minorities to have any confidence in the law enforcement and justice systems. Metro-area police departments have begun collecting information on racial profiling, but legislators say stronger efforts are needed. Minnesota Public Radio's Amy Radil reports.

Today marks the 80th anniversary of the lynching of three young black men in Duluth. The men were working in a traveling circus and were arrested after being accused of raping a white woman. On the evening of June 15, 1920, a mob pulled the men out of jail and hanged them from nearby light posts. Duluth native Michael Fedo is the author of The Lynchings in Duluth. He says racial tensions were running high in the city due to a wages dispute involving United States Steel workers.

Both sides are saying a strike is imminent in the labor dispute between Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union Local 17 and the nine Twin Cities hotels where they work. A strike would be a major disruption to a number of conventions that are planned, including the International Alcoholics Anonymous convention which is expected to attract 50,000 people at the end of this month. Jay Rykunyk is spokesperson for the 1,500 hotel workers.

Mike Colloton is an attorney who represents the nine hotels. He says the union has broken a promise it made to Mayor Sayles Belton.

Today on Morning Edition we're doing something a little different. Part of the show will be coming to you from here at the Twin Cities International Airport. We've set up a little makeshift studio on the mezzanine level above the ticketing area where we'll be discussing a number of issues relating to air travel. We'll also take you to some of the more interesting places that are generally off limits to the general public.

One thing that any visitor to the airport notices these days is the amazing amount of construction that is going on. The airport is in the middle of a major expansion. Most of the activity is happening where the main terminal meets the gold and green concourses. That part of the airport forms a giant U. The two concourses are the sides of the U, with the main Lindbergh terminal joining them together. One of the biggest projects is a connector bridge. It's like a skyway, that will connect the open ends of the U. I went to take a look at that part of the construction with the Airport's Facilities Manager Steve Wareham. He says this is where a mini-terminal will be located so some travelers can avoid checking-in at the main terminal.

The construction around this U shaped building is only part of the airport's expansion plans. They're also building a new Humphrey Terminal that will be three times as big as the current one. A new north/south runway should be completed by 2003 and preparations are underway for a connection to the light rail transit line being planned from downtown Minneapolis. The person in charge of over-seeing this construction, plus all the other operations at the airport is Jeff Hamiel, Executive Director of the Metropolitan Airports Commission. He says while the airport may look pretty torn up right now, soon it will all come together.

Commercial air traffic in this country is expected to nearly double in the next decade. That means a lot more aircraft noise for many more people living around airports. In the Twin Cities the tab for insulating homes from jet noise could approach $400 million. One Minneapolis couple with a newly soundproofed home likes the result. But others say the remodeling doesn't address their concern that the Twin Cities airport is too small to handle the growth in traffic. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson reports.

Meteorologist Mark Seeley speaks with host Perry Finelli about the history of airport weather and more.

Passengers checking in for flights at the Twin Cities International Airport probably don't realize that in a building about a quarter of a mile away there's a room full of Northwest meteorologists, dispatchers, operations planners, and other airline personnel. It's called the Strategic Operations Center and the goal is avoiding delays and cancellations. Perry Finelli had a chance recently to look around. Bob Muse is one of the directors. He says they try to keep things on time, but have to consider the weather, and that's not always predictable.

The Strategic Operations Center is here because this is where Northwest is based. It dominates the Twin Cities International Airport with over 75% of the market. Northwest started as an air mail carrier in 1926. Now, it's the fourth largest airline in the country. But Northwest's future is in doubt because the nation's largest airline, United, wants to buy US Airways. That caused American Airlines and Northwest to begin talks about a buyout, or a merger. Joining us now is Doug Steenland, Executive Vice President and Chief Corporate Officer for Northwest.

Congress has wrapped up three days of hearings on the proposed $4.3 billion merger of United Airlines and US Airways. Most testimony before both House and Senate committees called on federal regulators to give the deal their closest scrutiny. Many witnesses said it could set off a wave of consolidation in the airline industry. Minnesotans fear preliminary talks between Northwest Airlines and American Airlines could lead to a takeover of the Twin Cities based carrier. That would mean the loss of another major corporate headquarters and the possible downgrading of the Twin Cities airport's status as a hub. MPR's Andrew Haeg has been in Washington this week tracking the hearings and he has this report.

Have you ever wondered how your luggage gets to the airplane after you check it? Because it's a hub, almost 80-thousand pieces of luggage move through this airport every day from Northwest alone and the airline has an automated system to move them. The airport's facilities manager Steve Wareham took me into the mysterious world where your bags go after you hand them to the ticket agent.

Until relatively recently about all you could buy at most airports was a newspaper, a tacky souvenir or an overpriced hot dog. But that is no longer the case. Here at the Twin Cities Airport, for example, the main terminal resembles a shopping mall where you can buy everything from cafe latte to a leather coat. The businesses here now generate $100 million a year in revenue. Joe Dubaun is a General Manager for HMS Host, the company that manages most of the space at the airport. He says research has shown that this airport is an excellent spot for retailing.

It seems there's a high tech way of doing everything at the airport these days... even calling a cab. Taxi cabs make about 1800 trips from the airport every day. Cab traffic is managed by a computer system developed by Metropolitan Airports Commission employees about ten years ago. It makes getting a taxi more convenient for passengers... and for drivers. Minnesota Public Radio's Julie Siple reports.

Sun Country Airlines began scheduled service out of the Twin Cities airport a little over a year ago, which put it in direct competition with Northwest Airlines. Sun Country flies from the Twin Cities to destinations ranging from Seattle to Florida and even Mexico and the Caribbean. But the airline has been losing money over the past year. Joining us now is Sun Country's president and C-E-O Bill LaMacchia