Monday, November 13

On election day St. Paul voters approved a school levy which earmarked money for improving technology in the public schools. Voters around the country have been asked to spend money on computers in education. Minnesota Public Radio's Mary Stucky reports that, at one time, computers were seen as a cure for America's educational ills, but now some experts are calling for a moratorium on computers in the classroom.

Both the Green Party and the Independence Party say Tuesday's election showed the continuing strength of the third party movement in Minnesota. The Green Party gained major party status in the state, after presidential candidate Ralph Nader got more than 5 percent of the vote, and the Independence Party maintained its major party status, after Senate candidate James Gibson got about 6 percent of the vote. But some political observers say third parties will have to start winning elections before they'll be taken seriously. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.

Sam Modderman is the county auditor and treasurer in Kandiyohi county.

MPR's Chief Economics Correspondent Chris Farrell looks at how uncertainty in the presidential election results translates into uncertainty in the markets.

More than 300 government officials and business leaders were in St. Cloud yesterday to give Governor Jesse Ventura feedback on budget proposals he will take before the Legislature in January. Minnesota Public Radio's Marisa Helms reports.

Many Serbians are now hearing the first detailed account of the atrocities committed by the government's security forces against ethnic Albanians in Kosovo. A documentary produced by two MPR journalists detailing the war crimes aired on an independent radio station in Belgrade yesterday. American RadioWorks correspondents Stephen Smith and Michael Montgomery spent 10 months investigating a mass killing in an ethnic Albanian village called Cuske. Their documentary already aired in the United States on National Public Radio, but the Serbian government had censored such reports. Yesterday, Serbians heard a translated version of the documentary, which includes testimony from Serb fighters and traces the chain of authority for the killings to senior generals under former President Slobodan Milosevic.

While the recount in the presidential election in Florida continues, two of our neighboring states are potential targets for recounts of their own. In the battle for Iowa's seven electoral votes, Vice President Al Gore defeated Texas Governor George Bush by about 5,000 votes. In the race for Wisconsin's 11 electoral votes, Gore won the state by a slim 6,000 vote margin. The two states could be part of a strategy for Governor Bush to win the White House even if he loses Florida's 25 electoral votes. Joining us on the line to talk about a potential Iowa presidential recount is David Yepsen, political reporter for the Des Moines Register.

Joining us from Milwaukee to help us understand the situation in Wisconsin is Dave Umhoefer, political reporter for the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

The 25-year-old question of what to do with the vacant and historic Grain Belt brewery in northeast Minneapolis is being answered. A Minneapolis architectural firm says it plans to move its headquarters to the brewery building that Ryan Construction is redeveloping. The long-delayed rehabilitation is getting a big financial boost from the city, which is glad to be relinquishing ownership of the property. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson reports.

Former Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader appeared in St. Paul Tuesday, pledging to continue his challenge to the two-party system and big money in politics. He said the situation in Florida could lead to promising election reforms around the country. But he said the system, from campaign finance to media coverage, will likely remain hostile to third parties. However, a standing-room crowd of supporters attended his talk at St. Thomas University, and said his presidential run laid the groundwork for change. Minnesota Public Radio's Amy Radil reports.

Smart Growth is the buzz phrase in vogue these days at the Metropolitan Council. Officials there use the expression to describe how the Twin Cities can accommodate more than half a million new residents expected in the next 20 years. The strategy turns on encouraging more people to live in areas already served by roads, sewers, and schools. But a chorus of voices says the Met Council's plans are too restrictive and help drive up the cost of housing. Met Council chairman Ted Mondale addresses those issues today at the Midtown YWCA on Lake Street in Minneapolis at his state of the region message. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson has a preview.

The U.S. Surgeon General's office and other federal health agencies say the rising rates of HIV and AIDS cases among Native Americans signal a possible epidemic. It's long been known that HIV and AIDS have been a problem within other minority communities, most notably African Americans and Hispanics, but officials worry the disease could spread more quickly in the country's small American Indian population. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports.