Monday, November 5

Minneapolis Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton is forcefully fighting for her political career in the final days before the election. Squaring off against challenger R.T. Rybak at a Minnesota Public Radio forum Sunday night, Sayles Belton questioned Rybak's promise to shun campaign donations by those with business interests in City Hall. She also strongly defended her administration against Rybak's accusation that the city is mismanaged. Minnesota Public Radio's Art Hughes reports.

Voters in St. Paul will choose a new Mayor Tuesday. With Norm Coleman not seeking a third term, the race to succeed him has been a hard fought contest between Randy Kelly and Jay Benanav. The candidates met at the Fitzgerald Theatre downtown Sunday for one of the final debates of the campaign. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen reports.

A new poll shows most Twin Cities residents believe the St. Paul and Minneapolis police departments have established fairly good relations with minority groups. But the survey, conducted for Minnesota Public Radio and the St. Paul Pioneer Press, shows a sharp gap in how white and black respondents rate the cities' police officers. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports.

The Arizona Diamondbacks came from behind in the ninth inning last night to defeat the New York Yankees 3-2 and become champions of baseball for the first time. In the series the home team won each of the seven games. The last time that happened was 1991 in the memorable series in which the Minnesota Twins beat the Atlanta Braves. The 1991 Twins have a place in baseball history and now the franchise itself could be history. There are reports that the baseball owners could vote this week to contract their league by eliminating the Twins and the Montreal Expos. Minnesota Public Radio sports commentator Jay Weiner has these thoughts.

If the Twins are dropped from the league, that would leave leave the Metrodome with 81 open dates a year. The Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, which runs the Metrodome, will hold a special meeting today to discuss the situation. Executive Director Bill Lester says the meeting will look at what options the commission has to try and prevent the Twins from being dropped from the league.

A look at the markets with MPR's Chris Farrell.

A vote to dissolve the Minnesota Twins franchise could come as early as Tuesday when Major League Baseball owners meet in Chicago. Owners are reportedly considering folding the Twins along with the Montreal Expos, but some in the Twin Cities are promising a fight. The Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission says the team has a binding agreement to play at the Metrodome next season. Governor Jesse Ventura,l a critic of public subsidies for sports teams, says he'd support gambling revenues to pay for a new stadium. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo has more.

Communities in northern Minnesota are gearing up for another season of cold-weather testing. This is despite the loss of a state funded program promoting such testing. The automotive test industry pumps millions of dollars annually into the state's economy, but some are worried Minnesota is losing its share. As Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Robertson reports, the industry is being hurt even further by a sluggish national economy.

A new poll from Minnesota Public Radio and the St. Paul Pioneer Press looks at the attitudes about the Twin Cities from the people who live there. Minnesota Public Radio's Jim Bickal talked to people around the Twin Cities about the poll results.

As long as the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul have existed, people who live in one have had strong feelings about the other.

F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote the great American novel. We know him as the author of The Great Gatzby, and Minnesotans take pride in his Minnesota roots. But the inspiration for many of his stories comes from a largely uncredited source: his wife Zelda. In a new book titled Sometimes Madness is Wisdom, author Kendall Taylor examines Zelda's talents and her marriage to one of America's great literary giants of the 1920s. Taylor says the marriage between Zelda and Scott was complicated.

Major League Baseball's 30 owners are scheduled to meet in Chicago today. They could discuss eliminating the Twins. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck is on the line from Chicago.

Researchers at Rochester's Mayo Clinic have developed a new DNA test that can detect anthrax spores in a letter, a building or a person - in under an hour. Right now, tests can take up to several days. There are plans to begin shipping test kits to some laboratories later this week. Michael Osterholm is the director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy. He's says the test could be an important advance.

Alleged former Symbionese Liberation Army member Sara Jane Olson was back in court yesterday. The judge compelled Olson to reaffirm her guilty plea to charges that she helped plant bombs under two LAPD cars in 1975. The judge forced Olson to admit her guilt a second time because after her original plea last week, she later claimed outside of court, that she was innocent. From our sister station KPCC in Los Angeles, Frank Stoltze reports.

Minneapolis and St. Paul have both elected a new mayor. State Senator Randy Kelly apparently won the St. Paul mayor's race by about 400 votes. Unofficial results from all 119 precincts show Kelly beating St. Paul City Council member Jay Benanav. In Minneapolis, Internet consultant R.T. Rybak overwhelmingly defeated Sayles Belton, even though the incumbent outspent her challenger 3-1. In a surprise upset, one of Sayles Belton's staunchest allies on the City Council, Jackie Cherryhomes, was also defeated. That's not the only change on the Council: when the group meets in January, it will have seven new members. Wy Spano is co-editor of the newsletter Politics in Minnesota. He says these are big changes for the city.

A record number of Minnesota school districts asked local taxpayers for additional financial support Tuesday. An unofficial tally showed about three-fourths of the measures passed, but voters in several big suburban districts answered with a resounding "no." Of the 341 school districts in Minnesota, 183 held excess levy referendums. The results will likely set the stage for even greater debate over school funding levels. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.

Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig says baseball's owners have overwhelmingly voted to continue the process of contracting two teams before the 2002 season starts. Selig says he isn't sure which two teams he'll cut from Major League Baseball. The Twins are one of four teams mentioned in contraction talks before the owners meeting took place in Chicago yesterday and will still be considered as Selig looks at baseball's struggling franchises. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports.

It's unclear how much time local boosters might have to try to save the Twins from elimination. It's even less clear whether there's a consensus on strategy or even the will to prevent Major League Baseball from folding the Twins. Minnesota Public Radio's Marisa Helms reports.

As we just heard, baseball owners have voted to eliminate two teams before the start of next season, but they haven't said which teams will go. The Twins are one of four teams mentioned as the likeliest candidates. Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch says he's looking at legal moves that may keep the Twins in Minnesota.

Minneapolis attorney Mike Ciresi is among a group of business executives who have discussed trying to buy the Twins. He thinks Major League Baseball is targeting the Twins, and he says the league has put Minnesota in a tough position.

Minneapolis voters overwhelmingly picked challenger R.T. Rybak for mayor of Minneapolis. Rybak beat two-term incumbent Sharon Sayles Belton in yesterday's election. He leads a pack of new faces on the City Council that signals a significant change of direction. Minnesota Public Radio's Art Hughes reports.

Randy Kelly claimed a narrow victory over Jay Benanav in the St. Paul mayor's race. Unofficial final returns show Kelly winning by 403 votes out of more than 60,000 ballots cast. Kelly was endorsed by outgoing Mayor Norm Coleman. He says his win shows St. Paul residents want a continuation of Coleman's leadership style. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen has more.

Duluth area residents would like local government to do more to attract jobs. But they want those jobs to pay a livable wage. Many in the region expect their kids will eventually move away for jobs somewhere else. Those are among the key findings of a new poll commissioned by Minnesota Public Radio, Murphy McGinnis Newspapers, and News 6 in Duluth. Minnesota Public Radio's Bob Kelleher reports.

Come January, not only will there be a new, first-term mayor in Minneapolis, many new Council members will be assuming their first elected office. The result will be a City Hall led by a group with little real experience in running a city. However, the new members say that's okay, the voters showed Tuesday they want new progressive leadership. Minnesota Public Radio's Marisa Helms reports.

The smoking ban in Duluth has been kind of like the weather -- just when you get used to it, it changes. The City Council passed a ban a year ago, but then kept changing the rules. Now it looks like the debate over smoking in Duluth's restaurants is finally settled. Voters reaffirmed the ban this week, and even made it a little tougher. Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Julin reports.

Most Minnesota farmers are finished with this year's harvest. But was a tough year for some farmers. A wet spring forced many to plant late in the season. And there was not enough rain in some areas during summer. That means crop yields will run below average this fall. That's bad news from farmers who are facing low prices again this year. Mainstreet Radio's Tim Post reports.

As layoffs rise and the job market weakens, church-based support groups for job hunters are growing in number and size in the Twin Cities. The groups typically offer job seekers emotional support, job leads, and the opportunity to expand their network of contacts. Minnesota Public Radio's Bill Catlin reports.

Will the delightfully unseasonal weather continue? Mark Seeley joins us with his weekly weather update.

Tasha Turk got her start singing to livestock. She's come a long way - this weekend she'll be in Boston recording for a national radio show. Tasha Turk is the best classical soprano in the town of Two Harbors, and she's the youngest. In fact, she's the only classical soprano in Two Harbors. Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Julin reports.

Sun Country Airlines is up for sale. The Twin Cities-based airline announced yesterday that it is in immediate need of cash. Sun Country is the biggest local competitor to Northwest Airlines, but it has not made a profit since it came under new ownership in 1998. The sole owner of Sun Country, Milwaukee-based entrepreneur Bill La Macchia, has personally been underwriting the losses. Now La Macchia has removed himself from the board of directors and given full decision-making power to president and CEO David Banmiller. Mr. Banmiller is on the line now.

Darryl Jenkins is executive director of the Aviation Institute at The George Washinton University.

Last night in Minneapolis a crowd of more than 200 gathered to support Minnesota's Somali community. It's been hit hard by the federal crackdown on financial organizations allegedly linked to terrorism. Minnesota Public Radio's Mary Losure reports.

Since 1922, Major League Baseball has enjoyed a unique exemption from antitrust laws -- but that distinction may be in danger. In the wake of the league's decision to eliminate two of its 30 franchises, members of Minnesota's U.S. congressional delegation want to revoke that exemption. But they acknowledge they face an uphill battle. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports.

Minnesotans will celebrate Veterans Day this weekend. Ceremonies and celebrations will honor veterans across the state. But a group of Vietnam veterans in St. Cloud is trying something different. They plan for American veterans and South Vietnamese veterans to meet face to face. Some veterans say it's controversial. But organizers hope it helps Vietnam vets help heal their emotional wounds. Mainstreet Radio's Tim Post reports.