Monday, December 3

Minnesota finance officials release the state's latest revenue forecast Tuesday. The forecast will show a budget shortfall that many legislators expect to be around $1 billion. The state's first deficit in nearly a decade will mean tough choices - and lots of finger-pointing - in the 2002 session. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports. FULL STORY

Sara Jane Olson will appear in a Los Angeles court later today for a hearing into whether she can withdraw her guilty plea. On Oct. 31, Olson pleaded guilty to charges of possessing explosives with intent to murder L.A. police officers in the 1970s, when she was part of the radical Symbionese Liberation Army. She told reporters outside the courthouse that she was really innocent, but was worried she couldn't get a fair trial after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The judge later asked her to reiterate her plea in court and she did. Then, about a week later, she filed papers with the court that said she wanted to withdraw her plea and face trial. Joining us on the line is Laurie Levenson, a law professor at Loyola University in L.A.

Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Farrell joins us with a look at the markets.

A fourth quarter comeback fell short yesterday as the Minnesota Vikings lost to the Steelers 21-16 in Pittsburgh. After starting quarterback Duante Culpepper left the game with a knee injury, backup Todd Bouman came in and threw two touchdown passes, but it wasn't enough to overcome a 21-3 deficit. The Vikings are now 4-7 and have virtually no chance of making the playoffs. Sean Jensen covers the Vikings for the St. Paul Pioneer Press. He says unlike other games this year, at least the Vikings didn't give up after falling behind.

It's been nearly a month since three patients died after receiving knee surgery in central Minnesota. While the Minnesota Department of Health is still investigating, state health officials now say it's unlikely there is any connection between the three deaths. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Post reports.

A Los Angeles Judge angrily rejected Sara Jane Olson's attempt to withdraw her guilty plea today, saying he believes she really is guilty. In a plea agreement, the alleged former member of the Symbionese Liberation Army said she helped plant nail bombs under two LAPD cars in 1975 with intent to kill police officers. KPCC's Frank Stoltze reports.

More than 100 Minnesotans are in Israel as part of a national five-day goodwill trip. The group, which includes local rabbis and representatives of Jewish agencies, will meet with Israeli government officials, journalists, and families. They are travelling at a tense time in Israel. Yesterday the Israeli government carried out retaliatory strikes in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, in return for suicide bombings over the weekend that killed more than two dozen people. Steven Silverfarb is the director of the Jewish Community Relations Council in Minnesota and the Dakotas. He is on the trip, and this morning his group is visiting two neighborhoods where there was fighting yesterday. He's on the line now.

Alabama businessman Donald Watkins, whom we talked to last week on Morning Edition, says he plans to contact the Minnesota Twins today to find out if the team is for sale. Watkins says he is interested in buying the Twins or the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Meanwhile, lawyers for baseball owners and the major league players union will meet later today for the start of hearings on the owner's plan to contract the league and eliminate two teams. An arbitrator will decide whether the owners contraction plans violate the collective bargaining agreement with the players' union. The Twins and Montreal Expos are considered the leading candidates for contraction. Andrew Zimbalist is an economics professor at Smith College and author of several books including The Economics of Sport. He says contraction is very unlikely before next season because of this action by the player's union and the temporary injunction issued last month by Hennepin County Judge Harry Crump.

The state releases its economic forecast today. After years of revenue growth and generous surpluses, the predicted deficit of over $1 billion is expected to take its toll on education, government services and perhaps taxpayers. Former State Finance Commissioner John Gunyou compares the current economic squeeze to the deficit 10 years ago during the Carlson administration.

The stage show Triple Espresso started humbly enough in a church basement in 1995. Since then, the production has become the foundation for a burgeoning business enterprise. Minnesota Public Radio's Andrew Haeg reports.
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That's Dan Salomone, the executive director of the Minnesota Taxpayers Association.

News of a potential $2 billion shortfall in the state budget has shifted the budget debate from apportioning surpluses to plugging leaks. Amid a fresh round of finger-pointing, state lawmakers and Governor Jesse Ventura are already defining a new debate over how to manage the projected deficit. Republicans say they'll fight to protect recent tax cuts, while DFLers say those reductions are a key part of the problem. Ventura says he'll keep all options open. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports.

The country's only literary journal with writing by Arab Americans is published in Minneapolis. It's called Mizna, an Arabic word for desert cloud, a symbol of shelter and hope. As Minnesota Public Radio's Mary Stucky reports, Mizna's editors hope the journal will create understanding across cultures. FULL STORY

November claims for jobless benefits in Minnesota posted a relatively moderate increase, compared to recent months. Initial claims for unemployment insurance rose 24 percent last month compared to November of last year. That's well below the much bigger increases posted since April, which mostly ranged from 70 to 90 percent or more. But state officials caution the latest figures don't signal an improvement in the state's job market. Minnesota Public Radio's Bill Catlin reports.

Tony Bennett, president of the Association of Minnesota Counties.

The state's tick population has soared because of the warmest fall in more than 100 years. Its a phenomenon any deer hunter, particularly in southeastern Minnesota, knows well. Typically ticks disappear for the winter before the start of hunting season. But this year, that's not the case. And it's prompting concerns that Lyme disease could be on the rise. Minnesota Public Radio's Erin Galbally has this Mainstreet report. FULL STORY

Last week, Duluth schools closed because of heavy snow. This week there's not enough white stuff left to run a snowmobile. But they'll be racing snowmobiles at Duluth's Spirit Mountain, thanks to the last piles of snow left scoured from area parking lots. Minnesota Public Radio's Bob Kelleher reports.

Governor Ventura and legislative leaders say there will be no special session to balance the budget. In a meeting Wednesday, all sides began talking about how to overcome the state's nearly $2 billion budget shortfall. Minnesota Public Radio's Marisa Helms reports.

St. Paul-based Lawson Software is expected to offer its stock for sale to the public tomorrow. It's been nearly six months since the privately held company first outlined plans for an initial public offering. Back then, the decision looked like a major gamble, with the economy in a downturn and investors still smarting from the dot-com debacle. But now market watchers say the outlook has improved. Minnesota Public Radio's Bill Catlin reports.

The fight to save the Minnesota Twins moves to Capitol Hill Thursday. The House Judiciary Committee will open hearings on baseball's protection from federal antitrust laws -- which critics say allows the league to operate as a cartel. Governor Jesse Ventura will offer testimony along with baseball commissioner Bud Selig. But observers say not to expect a quick resolution. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports. FULL STORY

The Twins are being considered for contraction in large part because the team has failed to secure public funding for a new stadium. A poll published this week by the Minneapolis Star Tribune shows 67 percent of Minnesotans are still opposed to the use of public money for a ballpark, even though the Twins might be eliminated next season. A statewide task force will hold a public hearing in Alexandria later today so rural Minnesotans can weigh in on the stadium debate. Minnesota's Director of Planning Dean Barkley is on that task force, and he's on the line now.

Data security specialists and federal law enforcement officials are intensifying efforts to combat cyberterrorism since Sept. 11. On Wednesday, a group gathered to discuss the security of corporate computer systems at an information technology conference held in Minneapolis. They offered advice to corporate security personnel on how to protect their data from hackers, terrorists and viruses. And they say new anti-terrorist legislation will make it easier for corporations to catch people who try to infiltrate their networks. Minnesota Public Radio's Brandt Williams reports.

The holiday season ushers in an explosion of holiday music, and this year concertgoers will be able to hear a special performance of Handel's Messiah at the Ordway in St. Paul.

Two months from Friday the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympics begin. But before athletes from 80 different countries can compete, they must make their respective nations' Olympic teams. All that's about to heat up in the United States. Through December and January, Minnesotans, who have been training for years for the Salt Lake Games, will get their chances to finally make the U.S. Olympic team. First sport on deck is the somewhat unknown, under-appreciated and quirky sport of curling. Minnesota Public Radio's Jay Weiner reports.

It's hard to believe, but they were playing golf Wednesday at River Oaks Municipal Golf Course in Cottage Grove and having thunder and lightning in northwestern Minnesota. Mark Seeley joins us with more about the winter that isn't.

In an exclusive interview with Minnesota Public Radio, Minnesota Twins owner Carl Pohlad confirmed that Major League Baseball has singled out the Twins and the Montreal Expos as the franchises that would fold if baseball contraction goes as planned. Pohlad has become the focal point of fan anger and criticism over the prospect the Twins will vanish. For Pohlad, owning the Twins has been a bittersweet pursuit late in his life as World Series Championship celebrations have given way to accusations of greed and misrepresentation. Pohlad wanted to be the man who saved baseball in Minnesota. Instead he's become one of the most vilified people in the state. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports. FULL STORY

Infected cartilage from a cadaver is what caused the of death a 23 year-old man who had knee surgery and later died. That's the finding from the state epidemiologist who says the cartilage was infected with Clostridium sordelli, a rare bacteria. The state epidemiologist also investigated two other deaths following knee surgery around that time. They found no link between the three deaths. Dr. Robert LaPrade, is an associate professor and orthopedic surgeon at the University of Minnesota. He says cadaver tissue is commonly used in these of types of procedures.

The state's tri-partisan stadium task force met in Alexandria Thursday. Task force members gathered outside of the Twin Cities for the first time to listen to what rural residents had to say about the stadium debate. Those at the hearing said they're as passionate about the state's professional sports teams as people in the metro area, and they hope their ideas will be included in a proposal to keep the Twins in the state. Mainstreet Radio's Tim Post has this report.

Twins owner Carl Pohlad has confirmed to Minnesota Public Radio that his team is one of two facing potential contraction. Baseball commissioner Bud Selig, however, still maintains no final decision has been made. Selig appeared with Governor Jesse Ventura before a Congressional hearing Thursday to discuss the future of the game. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports from Washington.

The Minnesota Twins have decided who their manager will be, if the team plays their 2002 schedule. Ron Gardenhire was the Twins' third-base coach, and a long-time assistant to former manager Tom Kelly, who retired this year after 15 years as the Twins' skipper. Joining us on the line is Ron Gardenhire.