Monday, October 1

The Minnesota Vikings got their first win of the season, defeating division rival Tampa Bay 20-16 at the Metrodome. Viking Quarterback Daunte Culpepper came up with a clutch performance throwing for one touchdown, and running for another. The win kept the Vikings from going 0-3 for the first time in 34 years. Joining us on the line is Sean Jensen, who covers the Vikings for the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

MPR's Chris Farrell.

Driving past state offices this morning, you'll notice workers out in front carrying picket signs. Members of ASFCME Council 6 and the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees are on strike. They walked off the job at 6:00 this morning after contract talks broke down over the weekend. Governor Ventura says his administration made a fair offer to the unions. John Wodele is the governor's spokesman.

State workers are on strike, and picketing has started this morning. Talks between the state of Minnesota and its two biggest unions broke down over the weekend. AFSCME Council 6 and the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees represent up to 28,000 employees combined. Joining us from the picket lines outside the Department of Transportation building in St. Paul is Minnesota Public Radio's Patty Marsicano.

Thousands of state employees went on strike at 6:00 this morning after rejecting the state's latest contract offer over the weekend. A last-minute mediation session produced no agreement between the state's two largest unions and state administration. Minnesota Public Radio's Patty Marsicano reports.

In April 1942 Japanese troops force marched 10,000 Americans and 65,000 Fillipinos in blazing heat with little food and water to a prisoner of war camp. Thousands died on the 65-mile-long trail, which became known as the Bataan Death March. An exhibit of drawings by one of the survivors is currently on exhibit in Moorhead. As Mainstreet Radios Bob Reha reports the show is not just a reminder of the past, but contains clues about what may be ahead as the world battles terrorism.

Today we begin a series of reports examining the economic fallout in Minnesota from the terrorist attacks last month. Even before hijackers flew commercial aircraft into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the weakening U.S. economy had shed one million manufacturing jobs over 13 months. Minnesota officials are bracing for rising layoffs, but say it's too soon to gauge the attacks' full impact in the state. Minnesota Public Radio's Bill Catlin has the first report in our series, Economy on the Edge.

Technology business led the way in the long boom of the 1990s. But the long boom is now looking like a big bust. The dotcom collapse and the broader economic slowdown have taken their toll on the tech economy, and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks seems likely to make a bad situation worse. Economists say even though some Twin Cities firms might benefit from a war on terrorism, the area's tech sector will suffer if consumer and business confidence falls. Minnesota Public Radio's Jon Gordon has the second report in our series, Economy on the Edge.

Minnesota farmers are facing the lowest prices they've ever seen on the lamb and wool market. Sheep ranchers have dealt with low prices in the wool market for more than five years, but this summer the bottom dropped out of the meat market as well. Some sheep producers say they want the Government to investigate low lamb prices. They also hope for a subsidy to prop up the wool prices when Congress discusses the new Farm Bill this fall. Mainstreet Radio's Tim Post reports.

The financially troubled Stockwalk Group appears to have staved off financial ruin. Clients of the Minneapolis based brokerage may regain access to their accounts as early as Wednesday morning. Customers were locked out of their accounts last week after Stockwalk fell short of funds. A Texas-based company has agreed to take over the accounts. Minnesota Public Radio's Andrew Haeg reports.

State workers began their second day of picketing this Tuesday as part of the largest state employee strike in Minnesota history. Leaders from the two striking unions, the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, and the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees, say their combined membership, as many as 28,000 workers, will stay off the job as long as it takes to get an acceptable contract. Minnesota Public Radio's Marisa Helms reports.

More than a quarter of the workers in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system walked off the job when the state's two largest public employees unions went on strike Monday. The 34 schools in the system are entering largely uncharted territory. The Minnesota Council of State, County and Municipal Employees last went on strike in 1981 -- before McSCU existed. Mainstreet Radio's Jeff Horwich reports from the biggest school in the system, in St. Cloud.

It's day two of the largest strike of state wrokers in Minnesota's history. Nearly 28,000 state workers walked out to protest what union leaders call unsatisfactory salary and health benefits. The disagreement between the administration and two unions came as a surprise to lawmakers who say they were not aware of any problems during the last session. Joining us on the line is Republican Congressman Bruce Anderson, vice-chair of state government finance committee.

Many state agencies are coping with the loss of workers. The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension labs have scientists who are members of the Minnesota Association of Profession Employees. The scientists typically run tests on evidence gathered at crime scenes. David Peterson is an assistant lab director at the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. He says, at this point, the strike hasn't affected the labs yet.

State lawmakers Tuesday heard testimony from airline executives and government officials about the state's troubled aviation industry. Meeting in Eagan's city council chambers yesterday, legislators from two House committees began considering ways the state could help locally-based airlines through a time of crisis. Minnesota Public Radio's Andrew Haeg reports.

Minnesota mining is at a crossroads. A slump in the nation's steel industry has hammered the state's taconite producers. One Minnesota mine has closed, others have cut production and jobs. Now, fallout from the terror attacks threatens to push the industry, and the nation into recession. Minnesota Public Radio's Bob Kelleher has the next installment of the MPR series, Economy On The Edge, a report on how different parts of the state are faring in the slowdown.

In Washington, the House of Representatives is expected to begin debate this week on a new farm bill. The bill contains a dramatic increase in funding for a program that helps livestock farmers cut pollution. But critics say most of the money would go to big, factory-style farms. Minnesota Public Radio's Mary Losure reports.

Governor Jesse Ventura heads back to Minnesota later this morning after spending yesterday in New York City. During his visit yesterday, Ventura met with a bond rating agency and toured the area of the World Trade Center disaster, where he handed out memorial cards written by Minnesotans to relief workers. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports.

More than a hundred Minnesota National Guard members are training for security duty at the state's three largest airports. At the recommendation of President Bush, Governor Jesse Ventura called on the Army National Guard this week to help with security at airports in the Twin Cities, Duluth, and Rochester. After two more days of training for their new assignment, Guard members will begin airport duty on Friday. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen reports.

It's the third day of the state worker's strike, and thousands of workers are walking the picket lines. State officials said about six out of every seven of the workers who were eligible to strike didn't show up for work yesterday. No new talks are scheduled. State officials also said that the state government is still functioning, although at a reduced level of service. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum has this report.

Not only have there been no new talks, but the two labor unions and the state don't even agree on some basic issues like how much money the state has available to pay in wages and benefits. That makes the mediator's job even more difficult. John Remington, of the University of Minnesota Industrial Relations Center, is a mediation expert and joins us on the line.

Airport security was on the minds of the listeners who called our Morning Edition comment line. Jay from Eagan called about his firsthand experiences with tight security.

Manufacturing operations in small towns throughout Minnesota thrived during the long boom of the 1990s. But the slowdown that's been working its way through the state for the last year has prompted thousands of layoffs by companies in Greater Minnesota. Now, the economic fallout from the Sept. 11 terror attacks appears likely to push the economy into a full recession, and that's certain to mean more Minnesotans will lose their jobs. Minnesota Public Radio's Erin Galbally has the latest installment of our series, Economy on the Edge.

The city of Minneapolis has released piles of documents subpoenaed by the U.S. Attorney's office relating to the bribery and extortion scandal of former City Council Member Brian Herron. This first round of documents details the city's dealings with three Minneapolis businessmen involved in the scandal. Minnesota Public Radio's Art Hughes reports.

The Minnesota Supreme Court heard arguments last Wednesday on whether Prior Lake officials violated the state's open meeting law when they met privately to discuss a potential lawsuit. The newspaper, The Prior Lake American, sued the officials arguing that the council and mayor used a meeting with their attorney as a pretext to keep the public out of a discussion on a controversial issue. Minnesota Public Radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports.

Minneapolis residents have a chance Thursday to interview the three architectural design finalists for the new Central Minneapolis Public Library. Last year, voters approved a $140 million referendum to fund a new library and make improvements to neighborhood branches. Minnesota Public Radio's Marisa Helms reports.

State lawmakers say the weakening economy, rattled by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, will set a new tone when the State Legislature reconvenes early next year. After almost a decade of substantial surpluses, state officials now say revenues are likely to fall short of projections -- forcing the state to dip into its reserves and perhaps beyond. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports.

One of the most eagerly anticipated and critically acclaimed books of the year is Jonathan Franzen's new novel, The Corrections. It's an insightful and funny story about a family breaking down in the modern age. The father is suffering from Parkinsons Disease; the mother wants nothing except a picture-perfect Christmas at home with the whole family. But their three adult kids aren't cooperating. On a recent visit to the Twin Cities Franzen spoke with Minnesota Public Radio's Stephanie Curtis. He talked about how Gary, the eldest son in the novel illustrates what Franzen means by "the corrections."

Muslim women in Minnesota say they've been targets of discrimination and backlash since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11. Many women who practice Islam wear the heijab, or head scarf, to demonstrate their belief in modesty. This show of faith makes them easy to single out for personal harassment and many Muslim women say they are afraid to leave their homes. Magda Saikali is a spokeswoman for Teaching and Learning Islam, a community outreach group.

Even before the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, concern over the nation's electricity supply as a potential drag on economic growth was on the rise. Some Minnesota business leaders have been warning that power production in the state may not keep up with demand over the next 10 to 15 years -- and that could harm Minnesota businesses' future competitiveness. Since Sept. 11, there's a new worry: maintaining the security of the power grid against potential terrorist attacks. In the final installment of our series, Economy on the Edge, Minnesota Public Radio's Marisa Helms reports on the intersection between economic growth, public safety, and energy.

As many as 22,000 state workers remain on the picket lines Friday with no new talks scheduled and little prospect for a quick resolution to contract negotiations. Governor Ventura, who has maintained a low profile up to and during the strike, is repeating his warning that the state simply doesn't have additional resources to put on the table -- but union members believe otherwise. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports.

While almost every school has a band, only a small number of schools in Minnesota offer children the chance to learn stringed instruments. The situation is the same around the country. A new grant awarded in central Minnesota will be a small first step to put more violins, violas, and cellos in the hands of children in smaller school districts. Minnesota Public Radio's Jeff Horwich has this Mainstreet report.

National Guard troops are present in full uniform at the Twin Cities International airport, as well as airports in Duluth and Rochester this morning. Governor Jesse Ventura called the troops to duty in response to President Bush's recent request to boost security at airports across the country. Lt. Col. Denny Shields is the Minnesota National Guard's communications director. He's at the Twin Cities airport this morning and says everything is running smoothly so far.

National Guard troops begin their duty at the Twin Cities International Airport this morning. Their presence part of the federal government's new security plan to get people flying again. One part of that plan that was changed is to allow Sky caps to check-in bags at the curb. Sky caps thought they lost their jobs after the FAA eliminated the curbside baggage check-in service in a safety precaution following the recent terrorist attacks. The Skycaps at the Twin Cities airport were temporarily redeployed to other positions. But this week, 28 skycaps are returning to their jobs, just as airline travel has started to pick up. Anthony Nunn is a Skycap for Northwest. He says he's glad to be back.

The Twin Cities Marathon is this Sunday, and entrants are getting ready, both physically and mentally, for the 26.2-mile run. The route winds through Minneapolis, and then down Summit Avenue in St. Paul, and finishes at the State Capitol. Joining us on the line is Mustafa Qutub, a first-time marathoner who's been preparing for the race for months.