Monday, November 27

State officials expect to begin meeting soon with three Chippewa bands over hunting and gathering rights in northeast Minnesota. In 1996 a Federal court affirmed the band's rights to hunt, fish and gather from public lands in Minnesota's Arrowhead region. Now the DNR is preparing to meet with the bands to determine how the state and Ojibway will co-manage the region's resources. Minnesota Public Radio's Bob Kelleher reports.

Joining us now with his take on the situation in Florida is Steven Schier, chair of the political science department at Carleton College in Northfield.

The Twin Cities ramp meter experiment is winding down. While traffic experts pore over reams of data and develop recommendations based on the study, Minnesota transportation officials must decide what to do in the meantime: Leave the meters off? Turn them back on? Something in between? Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports.

A special committee of Minnesota educators is helping decide what, if any, changes should be made to the Profile of Learning graduation standards. Consultants hired by the state recently issued a critical analysis of the Profile system. A local panel meets this week to review that report and will soon send its own recommendations for legislative adjustments to the state's education commissioner. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.

Minnesota Public Radio's Chief Economics Correspondent Chris Farrell joins us with an update on the markets.

St. Paul mayor Norm Coleman's weekend announcement that he will not seek reelection raised expectations that he'll run for governor. Coleman's decision also changes the landscape of St. Paul city politics. Yesterday, former City Council Member Bobbi Megard entered a mayor's race that is certain to become more crowded by next fall. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen reports.

While political attention is being paid to the presidential race in Florida, one of Minnesota's congressional races still is in doubt. Democratic Congressman Dave Minge narrowly lost to challenger Mark Kennedy in the Second Congressional District. Minge is asking for a recount, because he lost by only about 150 votes. The Minge and Kennedy camps have been talking about how the recount should be carried out. Later today, they'll meet with Judge Bruce Douglas of Wright County to finalize plans for the recount. Joining us on the line is Tony Trimble, who's leading the recount effort for Mark Kennedy.

St. Cloud State University has made headlines over the past five years for at least a dozen discrimination lawsuits brought against the school. One of the longest standing cases, a sex discrimination class action lawsuit, has been in the courts for almost four years and is now entering settlement talks. Typically, plaintiffs in such actions are advised to not speak out about their case. But the latest discrimination case against St Cloud State is getting attention because the complainant is willing to speak out. Israeli-born Arie Zmora filed a federal complaint charging that he was denied the chance at a tenure-track position at St. Cloud State because he is Jewish. Taking his complaint public seems to be working for Zmora. St Cloud State officials are taking notice and promising changes on campus. Mainstreet Radio's Marisa Helms reports.

Later today, police patrol officers from around Hennepin County will be training for how to handle domestic violence calls. Officers often find it difficult to handle such calls because the family members involved may have conflicting views over what happened, and whether someone should be arrested. Joining us on the line is Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar who's office is hosting the training conference.

A new business will soon make it possible to watch funerals on the Internet. The Parkway Funeral Service is building a new funeral home in Bismarck, North Dakota and the building will have video conferencing equipment in every viewing room. That means loved ones who can't make the funeral could watch it online. Tom Weigel is a funeral director at Wiegel Funeral Home in Mandan, North Dakota, and will be the director of the new funeral home. He says some people just can't attend a funeral in person.

A panel of Twin Cities mayors says the way to build more affordable housing is to find more money, reform zoning codes, and reduce government red tape. The findings are part of a report released today by the Metropolitan Council. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson has more.

A new report on student performance shows the Minneapolis school district continues to make overall gains, but a handful of schools aren't doing as well as they need to. Under new accountability standards, eight elementary and middle schools could face strict district interventions and the possible reorganization of staff. School officials say additional efforts are also needed district-wide to address a troubling achievement gap for African American students. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.

The Mayflower church in southwest Minneapolis has sponsored Boy Scout Troop 187 for over 70 years, almost as long as the church has been in existence. The church also has one of the most liberal policies toward welcoming gay and lesbian members, and ordaining gay clergy. So in the months since the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the right of the Boy Scouts of America to ban gay scoutmasters, church members and others involved with the troop say their values are in conflict, and they're wondering how best to seek changes in the policy. Minnesota Public Radio's Amy Radil reports.

The University of Minnesota's Academic Health Center is asking the Minnesota State Legislature for almost $34 million in the next two year budget. If the health center does not receive the money, the school's director says the school will have to make "dramatic cuts" to some core programs and couldn't expand key programs to meet the state's future needs. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports.

Lisa Jordan, an economist at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management joins us to talk about the labor dispute between Northwest Airlines and its labor mechanics union.

Dr. Robert Kane, the director of the Center on Aging at the University of Minnesota.

A federal judge in Minneapolis has extended a temporary restraining order barring Northwest Airlines mechanics from any illegal work slowdowns. Judge David Doty heard evidence from Northwest that members of the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Assocaition are allegedly disrupting operations to protest stalled contract talks. Doty is scheduled to hear more from the airline and from the union on Monday. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports.

Urban sprawl will be topic number one at the "Growing Smart in Minnesota" conference taking place later today in St. Paul. Governor Jesse Ventura and Met Council Chairman Ted Mondale are expected to attend. So are urban growth experts from other parts of the country. They'll be talking about how to plan growth and control urban sprawl. Joining us on the line is Lee Ronning, the executive director of One Thousand Friends of Minnesota, which is sponsoring the conference.

Independence Party member James Gibson says he's considering a run for governor in 2002, even if the race would pit him against his party's most popular politician, Governor Jesse Ventura. Gibson, a software developer who failed in his bid for the U.S. Senate this year, says running against Ventura in the party primary would allow for a vigorous campaign including debates and other events to bring voters to the party. Minnesota Public Radio's Amy Radil reports.

Later this morning, we'll get an official word from the Ventura administration on just how big the projected budget surplus should be. Some lawmakers are saying it could top a billion dollars. The Govenor, meanwhile, is thinking about lowering the state sales tax. Right now, the sales tax is 6.5 percent: Ventura is thinking about lowering it to 5 percent, but broadening it out to various services. Republican Tim Pawlenty is the house majority leader.

It's going to be a big game for the Vikings tonight. The Vikes take their 10-2 record into the Dome against the Detroit Lions. If the Vikings win they'll clinch a playoff berth. If they lose, their lead in the NFC central will be cut to one game. This year, the Vikings are celebrating their 40th anniversary, and fans were asked to pick their all-time favorite Vikings team made up of former and current Vikings. That team will be on the field at halftime of tonight's game. One of those selected is Paul Krause, a hall of famer, and member of the storied Vikings teams of the 70s. Krause says the "Purple People Eaters" were successful because of the personality of the team.

People attending a conference in St. Paul yesterday were treated to a textbook case of sprawl and how to address it. The conference included a session called the Governor's Roundtable on Smart Growth. During that session a Twin Cities area farm owner who fears sprawl is about to gobble up her land got some pointed advice on how to handle the problem. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson.

Mark Seeley talks about the unusually bleak and foggy November.

Minnesotans are likely to get another round of rebate checks next year. State officials yesterday announced a projected revenue surplus of $3 billion over the next two and a half years. Legislators are already thinking about what to do with that projected surplus. Two of them join us on the line now: Senate Assistant Majority Leader John Hottinger and Speaker of the House Steve Sviggum.

Today is World AIDS Day and this year's message is, even with today's drugs, AIDS is still a major problem. Worldwide, experts estimate more than 34 million people are living with HIV and AIDS, and last year nearly 3 million people died from the disease. In Minnesota, most people with AIDS live in the metropolitan area, but there are about 400 people with AIDS living in other parts of the state. In rural areas, isolation and a lack of services can be major problems. Minnesota Public Radio's Stephanie Hemphill visited one man living with AIDS in a small northern Minnesota town.

St. Paul Mayor Norm Coleman is in Israel on a five-day visit sponsored by the U.S. conference of Mayors and the Isreali Ministry of Tourism. Coleman and several other U.S. mayors are getting a look at conditions in Israel and how they're affecting the peace process. They'll meet with the mayors of Israel's three largest cities, and urge leaders to redouble their efforts toward peace. Coleman is on the board of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and vice chairman of the conference's international affairs committee. He joins us now from Israel.

Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone is in Colombia where drug production is booming and the 36-year-old civil war is getting worse. The Colombian government is set to launch a massive anti-drug campaign. The United States is sending $1.3 billion to help the Colombian government. Most of the aid will go towards military hardware and training. Wellstone has been one of the few critics of the U.S. package in the Senate. He's particularly concerned that U.S. money is going to an abusive Colombian military and that herbicides designed to kill drugs might be harming people and the environment. From Colombia, Steven Dudley filed this report.

St. Paul Pioneer Press writer Sean Jensen discusses the Vikings win over the Lions last night.