Monday, January 1

Another year means a new set of New Year's resolutions for many of us. But doesn't it seem like you make resolutions every year, but never really stick to them? Do you need to lose some weight or get some exercise? What about quitting smoking this year? Well, here to help us understand why we haven't stuck to our resolutions in the past, and how we can fulfill our resolutions this year is Dr. Steve Levinson, director of mental health at Northwestern Medical Center in Thief River Falls, and principle author of Following Through: A Revolutionalry New Model For Finishing Whatever You Start.

Many parts of Minnesota face a crisis in affordable housing. Some communities outside the metro are growing fast, and creating a huge demand for housing. That makes for a tight market, and higher rents and house payments. Minnesota housing officials say something needs to be done to create more affordable housing in outstate Minnesota, but there is disagreement on how best to do it. Mainstreet Radio's Tim Post reports.

The Minnesota state lottery is booming. In the last fiscal year, people bought almost $400 million worth of tickets, a record year in sales. Minnesota Public Radio's Patty Marsicano reports on where the money goes.

Sixteen students who may have faced life without high school diplomas will finish high school this year because of The City Inc. For 33 years, the social service agency has offered alternative education for young people unable to make it in public schools. The City Inc. is arguably best known for street gang outreach efforts that came under scrutiny following the murder of a Minneapolis policeman by gang members. Agency officials say they've come a long way since that 1992 incident by refocusing on their education mission. Minnesota Public Radio's Jae Bryson reports.

The new year brings with it a new Congress, a new president, and a new State Legislature, all of which will have an affect on Minnesota's health care industry. A number of concerns, including prescription drug prices, Medicare reform, and a patients bill of rights were major issues during the election, and health care costs have gone up sharply the last few years. Joining us to talk about the state of the health care industry in Minnesota is Dr. John Christianson, director of the University of Minnesota's Carlson School Center for the Study of Healthcare Management.

Education issues are expected to dominate much of the debate when the 2001 Minnesota Legislature convenes this week. Lawmakers will tackle proposals on classroom funding, alternative pay systems for teachers and school accountability. They could also end up going back to the drawing board on the Profile of Learning graduation standards. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.

Anti-smoking activists are going out for lunch today in Duluth. A city ordinance went into effect yesterday banning smoking in restaurants, or at least restricting it. Today at lunchtime, representatives of an anti-smoking group are checking dozens of restaurants to see if the businesses are obeying the new law. Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Julin reports from Duluth.

For the past couple of years, the University of Minnesota men's basketball team has garnered more attention for its academic fraud scandal than for its play on the court. But that may be changing. With most of the fallout from the scandal behind them, this year's Gophers have quietly gone about winning 12 of their first 13 games. Tonight they begin Big Ten Conference play, and the competition is sure to be tougher. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen reports.

President-elect George W. Bush may have to fight hard to win approval for his choice of attorney general. Some civil rights groups plan to pressure Senate Democrats to vote against John Ashcroft for the position. Ashcroft is a Missouri conservative who lost re-election to the Senate in November. He's been criticized by Democrats for his opposition to abortion and his position on some civil rights issues. Ashcroft is also a friend of Minnesota DFL Senator Paul Wellstone. Senator Wellstone is on the line now.

As the 2001 legislative session gets underway today, the one topic on everyone's mind is money. In particular, what to do with the $3 billion budget surplus projected for the next two and a half years. Spending requests are streaming into the Capitol, while the Governor, House and Senate have their own ideas about spending the surplus. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.

It's a busy day for politics in Washington, too. Minnesota's three new members of Congress will be sworn in today. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo is out in Washington for the ceremony. He's on the line now.

The 2001 Minnesota State Legislative session begins today. Legislators are expected to tackle some sticky issues, such as what to do with a projected $3 billion surplus, along with campaign finance proposals, and the high price of prescription drugs. This is Minnesota's third year trying to do all that with a tripartisan government: A Republican House, a Democratic Senate, and an Independent governor. Joining us now for a look at the session ahead are two state legislators. Democrat John Hottinger is the Assistant Majority Leader of the Senate, and Tim Pawlenty is the Majority Leader of the House.

If you're out looking at the sky this evening, you may be able to see the Mir space station. The 15-year-old Russian station is passing by Earth tonight in a path that will make it easier to see than usual. Russian officials lost control of Mir for about 20 hours last week; they now say they'll use an unmanned cargo ship to drop the space station into the Pacific Ocean in late February. Bob Bonadurer is the director of the Minneapolis planetarium. He's on the line now.

Governor Ventura will give the State of the State speech at 3:00 p.m. this afternoon in the house chambers. The event is always a big one at the Capitol. It's a rare time when both the House and Senate meet in a joint session. Ventura didn't give a State of the State last year, so legislators say they'll be listening carefully to hear the governor's agenda for the 2001 session. Joining us is Cindy Brucato: she was chief of staff for former Governor Arne Carlson.

The U.S. Congress has welcomed three new members from Minnesota. During the official swearing-in ceremonies yesterday, Senator Mark Dayton and Representatives Mark Kennedy and Betty McCollum each took the oath of office. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo has this report on their first day on the job.

Reliant Energy Minnegasco is warning its customers to expect significantly higher gas bills over the next few months. The company says it expected rates to go up this winter, but the increases are even higher than they originally thought. Joining us on the line is Joe Klenken, regulatory specialist for Reliant.

The Federal Reserve's decision to reduce interest rates yesterday came as President-elect George W. Bush began an economic forum. Bush invited three dozen high-ranking business executives to Austin, Texas to discuss the state of the economy. One of those executives is from Minnesota: Michael Wright, who is the chairman and CEO of Supervalue. Wright says most of the business leaders in Austin yesterday expressed concern over a slowing economy.

By his own account, DFLer Mark Dayton's bid for his Senate seat began with his unsuccessful run in 1982. After defeating Republican incumbent Rod Grams last November, Dayton is finally setting himself up in Washington as Minnesota's junior Senator. As Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports, finding his voice in the Senate could be a tricky business.

Governor Jesse Ventura used his second State of the State address to call for major tax cuts and government reform. The Governor now has his work cut out for him to sell a bold agenda. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.

Hours after Governor Ventura delivered his State of the State address, the governor and legislative leaders joined members of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce as the organization laid out its top priorities for the coming legislative session. Most notably, state businesses who number among the chambers' members hope the Legislature can cut taxes and ease the pressure of rising health care costs. Minnesota Public Radio's Andrew Haeg reports.