Monday, April 23

Bob Kelleher from Minnesota Public Radio's Duluth bureau joins us with an update on the icy weather.

Most Earth Day celebrations around the Twin Cities yesterday were cancelled because of the heavy rain which hit the area. But an interfaith group of environmentalists had fortuitously scheduled their event to be held indoors, at the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul. About 500 people showed up to learn more about global warming and climate change from a group seeking to combine their political, environmental and religious beliefs . Minnesota Public Radio's Marisa Helms reports.

MPR's Laura McCallum has this look ahead at the coming week in the Legislature.

The first XFL season is over. On Saturday night the Los Angles Extreme defeated the San Francisco Demons 38-6 to win $1 million. After disappointing broadcast ratings, it looks like NBC will drop the league from its schedule next year, but it may continue on UPN. Dave Meltzer is the editor of the Wrestling Observer. He says the league was not able to attract wrestling fans.

Chris Farrell, MPR chief economics correspondent reviews what's happening in the markets.

State safety officials say the extra rain that has drenched Minnesota the last few days will force rivers to crest again. These second crests are expected to be even higher than last week in the metro area and southern Minnesota. The good news is second crests in the hard hit areas like Montevideo and Granite Falls will probably not reach previous crest levels. Minnesota Public Radio's Marisa Helms reports.

All seven St. Paul mayoral candidates went to the governor's residence last night, but not to meet with the governor. One of the first candidate forums of the mayoral campaign was hosted by a historic preservation group based on Summit Avenue, where the governor's mansion is located. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen reports.

Transportation spending bills are taking shape in the Minnesota Legislature. A proposal crafted by House Republicans is expected to clear a House committee today. It would ask Minnesota voters to permanently increase highway funding, but contains less money for transit and one-time projects than the Senate transportation bill. The Senate version, which cleared the tax committee last night, no longer includes a gas tax increase. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.

Minnesota Senate Republicans are the first out of the gate in the redistricting race. Caucus members unveiled a new map of congressional districts yesterday which they say accounts for the explosive growth in Twin Cities suburbs. The proposal combines Minneapolis and St. Paul in one urban district, creating a new district in the suburbs. The plan also splits northern Minnesota into a far-north district and a central district, rather than the current northeast-northwest divide. Opponents of the plan say it's unfairly crafted to favor Republican candidates. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports.

It's been more than a year since a U.S. Commission on Civil Rights report blasted race relations in South Dakota. Hundreds of Native Americans testified about abuses in law enforcement. The testimony echoed complaints brought before the commission in the mid-'70s, causing many to ask why there's been so little change. In our continuing Mainstreet Radio Series Broken Trust- Civil rights in Indian Country, Minnesota Public Radio's Cara Hetland reports.

Affordable housing, downtown development and policing issues are among the main topics debated by the three candidates for Minneapolis mayor who are vying for the DFL endorsement. Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton and challengers Lisa McDonald and R.T. Rybak faced-off in their first public forum last night. Minnesota Public Radio's Art Hughes reports.

The spring snow melt and recent rains have done more than cause flooding across Minnesota. All that water creates the perfect breeding ground for mosquitos. Or does it? Joining us on the line is Mike McClain, public affairs officer with the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District.

Minnesota lawmakers will reconsider next week how the state spends the 1998 tobacco settlement. Teens involved in Target Market, the state's largest anti-smoking campaign, are concerned about maintaining the money they received from the lawsuit. Mainstreet Radio's Laurel Druley has this report.

Census numbers show most people who move to the Twin Cities settle in outlying suburbs. The pressure that trend puts on fringe communities for roads, sewers and schools is a hot topic among people interested in managing Twin Cities growth. Developers say the only way to accommodate the expansion is open up more land faster for housing. Metropolitan Council officials say more of the growth needs to happen in areas where services are already in place. People attending a meeting in Bloomington today will hear three views of how to respond to the trend. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson reports.

Federal funds are one of the major sources of wealth in the agricultural economy, accounting for nearly half of farmers income last year. When farmers can't get access to that money, it can put them out of business. That's what a group of American Indian farmers say happened to them and they're suing for damages. As part of out Mainstreet Radio Series Broken Trust: Civil Rights in Indian Country, Mark Steil reports they allege they were denied federal help because of discrimination. Many say it's just the latest in a long history of abuse by the federal government.

Despite losing to the Boston Red Sox 9-4 last night, the Minnesota Twins still have the second best record in the major leagues. Their 14-4 start is the surprise story in baseball so far. Tonight, at Fenway Park in Boston, the Twins best pitcher Brad Radke will put his 4-0 record on the line as he faces the best pitcher in baseball, Pedro Martinez. Joining us from Boston is LaVelle Neal who covers the Twins for the Star Tribune.

The descendants of the Lakota leader Crazy Horse have settled a defamation lawsuit over the use of his name in the marketing of Crazy Horse malt liquor. Crazy Horse's descendants filed suit eight years ago trying to stop beer makers from using the chief's name on an alcohol product that was distributed to 32 states. The opposition to Crazy Horse malt liquor came in part because Crazy Horse had denounced the introduction of alcohol to American Indians. Minnesota Public Radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports.

Minnesota counties are concerned about a legislative proposal to cut off cash welfare payments to thousands of Minnesotans starting next summer. County officials fear they will be responsible for paying the cost of caring for those who lose state assistance and advocacy groups say many of Minnesota's working poor will be forced to seek charity to survive. But the author of the House bill says those concerns are largely unfounded. Minnesota Public Radios Dan Gunderson reports.

Prospects for a major state income tax cut appear dim. House Republicans who previously championed the idea of across-the-board income tax cuts say they're now leaning towards substantial property tax reform and relief. Governor Jesse Ventura and Senate DFLers are also promoting property tax cuts, but some conservative groups say House leaders are compromising their principles. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports.

Both the Senate and House K-12 finance committees approved their main education funding bills shortly before yesterday's final committee deadline. The main difference between the two bills is the amount of new spending and how each addresses fiscal inequity among school districts. Minnesota Public Radio's Marisa Helms reports.

Most people take for granted the right to pray or worship as they choose. But for many years Native Americans were denied that right. In 1890, as part of the U.S. Government's assimilation policy, American Indian religious practices were outlawed. Eighty-eight years later, in 1978 Congress passed the American Indian Religious Freedom Act restoring religious freedom to Indian People. But even now some Indians, those in jail, are denied their religion. Mainstreet Radios Bob Reha has the next installment in our series Broken Trust; Civil Rights in Indian Country.

The Minnesota Senate has approved a higher education bill worth nearly $3 billion. Most of the money would be split between the University of Minnesota and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. The bill includes an amendment designed to reduce the number of students who arrive at college unprepared to do course work. Data released by the state's public colleges and universities shows nearly one-third of students from the class of '99 had to take remedial classes in college. DFL Senator Tony Kinkel is behind the amendment.

Mark Seeley is here to review this extraordinary April.

The Minnesota Nurses Association and 13 Twin Cities Hospitals are negotiating new contracts for nearly 9,000 nurses. The current contract is up on May 31 and both sides say they need to create a system that will attract and keep nurses in the field. The nursing union says a shortage of nurses has increased workloads, causing some to retire and others to seek new jobs. They say local hospitals have to increase pay levels dramatically to keep nurses working. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports.

The physician-assisted dying movement began taking shape about 30 years ago with laws allowing patients to refuse medical treatment, including life-prolonging therapy. Over the past decade some doctors, most notably Jack Kevorkian, have argued for a more active role in assisting patients who want to die on their own terms. The Center for Bio-ethics at the University of Minnesota is co-sponsoring a conference today and tomorrow, looking at the issue of physician-assisted dying. There are complaints however, that the conference doesn't include some of the most likely candidates for euthanasia. Minnesota Public Radio's Marisa Helms reports.

Press freedom is a constitutional guarantee for most American journalists. But many who work on Indian reservations do not enjoy the same freedom, because the first amendment to the U.S. Constitution does not apply to them. Their protection comes from the Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968 which guarantees free speech, but leaves the enforcement to tribal governments that own most reservation media outlets. Mainstreet Radio's Dan Gunderson has the final report in our series, Broken Trust: Civil Rights in Indian Country.

A Lutheran church in St. Paul is about to break the rules of its governing body. St. Paul-Reformation Lutheran Church will ordain Anita Hill tomorrow. Hill is a lesbian woman in a committed relationship, and that puts the church out of line with the ELCA, the governing body of about 10,000 Lutheran churches across the country. The St. Paul Area Synod, which oversees Lutheran churches in the St. Paul area, has not yet decided what action to take. Bruce Forbes is a professor of religious studies at Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa, and an ordained United Methodist Minister.