Monday, January 28

The Tripartisan Task Force on stadium issues will meet later today to vote on final recommendations on building two new professional sports stadiums. The task force has already decided on informal draft recommendations on what the state's role should be in constructing stadiums for the Twins and a for the Vikings and Gophers. Those recommendations included support for publicly financing stadiums -- while staying away from directly subsidizing them. Joining us on the line is task force co-chairman Will Haddeland who is also a public affairs consultant to MPR. FULL STORY

The curtain rises Tuesday on the last legislative session of Governor Jesse Ventura's first term in office. It will also be the governor's first battle with a budget deficit -- projected to be a whopping $2 billion over the next year and a half. But Ventura has surprised many observers by negotiating politically tricky waters before. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reviews the high -- and low -- points of Ventura's past year and looks forward to the upcoming session. FULL STORY

When Minnesota lawmakers return to the Capitol Tuesday for the 2002 session, one of their top agenda items will be assembling a package of public works projects. Governor Ventura is recommending $845 million in projects, and some legislators want to borrow even more. Minnesota Pubic Radio's Laura McCallum analyzed the last 20 years of major capital investment bills to find out where the state has spent most of its money, and has this report. FULL STORY

An update on the economy from MPR's Chris Farrell.

The Chaska City Council is expected to vote tonight on whether to allow Mary Jo Copeland to build a $30 million children's home in the city. Copeland has already bought land, but needs the council's approval to move forward with her project. If it refuses, Chaska will become the fourth metro-area community to reject Copeland's proposal. Mary Jo Copeland first set out to build a home for 200 orphaned or displaced children in December of 2000. She has been looking ever since for a place to put the campus, where children would live in 20 supervised homes and attend a charter school. Copeland says she isn't sure how tonight's vote will turn out.

Minnesota lawmakers return to the Capitol for the 2002 session Tuesday with an unpleasant task ahead of them. The days of tax cuts and rebate checks are over, and now the Legislature must decide how to plug a nearly $2 billion hole in the state budget. Legislative leaders say they'll try to meet Governor Ventura's demand that they act quickly to solve the problem - and they're predicting they'll adjourn by the end of March. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports. MPR's SESSION 2002

A tripartisan stadium task force has given final approval to a report that calls for two new professional sports stadiums. The panel voted 16-1 Monday to recommend a new ballpark for the Minnesota Twins and a second stadium to house the Vikings and the University of Minnesota football team. The task force will now forwards its findings to the Legislature -- where stadium legislation could still face a tough fight. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports. FULL STORY

A federal judge in St. Paul ruled the law used to charge a Minneapolis developer with bribing a city council member is unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Richard Kyle dismissed the indictment against Basim Sabri who was scheduled to go to trial next month. As Minnesota Public Radio's Art Hughes reports, the ruling doesn't mean Sabri is off the hook.

There's another hearing today on how best to financially support the University of Minnesota's athletic programs. A recent report detailed how the University heavily subsidizes it's athletic programs and how the school wil have to subsidize the men's and women's athletic departments with $31 million more than was expected in the next five years. U of M president, Mark Yudof, says all options are in the table when dealing with the deficit. University baseball coach, John Anderson, says, at most schools, baseball isn't a revenue producer.

Security will be heightened at the Capitol today when Minnesota lawmakers return for the session. The Capitol building has been under tight security ever since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and last week a legislative commission approved funds to make it even tighter. Captain Fraiser is the director of security up at the Capitol. He's on the line now.

Students at Southwest State University in Marshall returned to a fire-damaged campus Monday as classes resumed nearly two weeks later than scheduled. For the past month, construction crews have been working to get the school ready after a Jan. 2 fire gutted a food service building. Several nearby structures were damaged by smoke. It's the latest headache for a school wrestling with the same budget and tuition issues affecting other state universities. Mainstreet Radio's Mark Steil reports. FULL STORY

Since September's terrorist attacks, scientists across the country have refocused their work. Many researchers, including those at the Mayo Clinic, are now concentrating on preventing or combatting terrorism. As a result, some say, they've put other worthy projects on hold. Minnesota Public Radio's Laurel Druley has this report. FULL STORY

Less the one day into this year's legislative session, Governor Jesse Ventura is repeating his call for quick action on the state's projected $2 billion deficit. In a speech Tuesday night to the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, Ventura also restated his desire to fix the budget hole in the short and the long term. But legislative leaders addressing the same forum appeared to position themselves to leave the more difficult, long-range problems for another day. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports.

The long debate over Minnesota's graduation rule is expected to resurface again during this year's legislative session. The education agenda facing lawmakers this year is primarily centered on school funding. But the state's top education official is also seeking some minor changes to the academic standards known as the Profile of Learning. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports. FULL STORY

President Bush was interrupted many times by applause from members of Congress last night during his first State of the Union message. Minnesota's Second District Congressman, Republican Mark Kennedy says he liked what he heard from the President.

That was Minnesota DFL Senator Paul Wellstone's reaction to the State of the Union address.

Voters on St. Paul's East Side have elected the world's first Hmong-American legislator. Thirty-two-year-old Mee Moua won Tuesday's special election to fill the state Senate seat vacated by Randy Kelly, who was elected mayor last fall. DFLer Moua defeated candidates from three other parties and will immediately go to work in the legislative session that started yesterday. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen reports. FULL STORY

Duluth area voters also have a new state senator this morning. DFLer Yvonne Prettner Solon beat out two other candidates to win the seat in a special election yesterday. She is the widow of Sam Solon, who filled the position for nearly 30 years. Ms. Solon is on the line now.

Longtime St. Paul newspaper columnist Don Boxmeyer is retiring tomorrow, after 36 years with Pioneer Press. The guy whom friends simply call "Box" has covered nearly every aspect of the city during his career, but is best known for his columns about regular St. Paul people. Boxmeyer says when he was younger, his father was not thrilled with his decision study journalism.

If there is a curling capital in Minnesota, it may well be the city of Bemidji. The winter sport took hold there in the 1930s, and the community has embraced it ever since. In the past two decades, Bemidji has produced 20 national championship teams. This year, two Bemidji sisters -- coached by their Dad -- will compete in Salt Lake City for Olympic gold. Mainstreet Radio's Tom Robertson has the story. FULL STORY

Donald Watkins, the Alabama businessman who says he wants to buy the Minnesota Twins, paints a picture almost too good to be true: if he buys the team he will not hold fans hostage by threatening to move the Twins. And he wants to build the Twins a new stadium without asking taxpayers to help foot the bill. How he would accomplish what so many other team owners say can't be done isn't clear. Since emerging as a potential buyer, Watkins has deflected most questions about his finances. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik has this look Watkins' background and what might be driving his interest in the Twins. FULL STORY

Governor Ventura will release the details of his antiterrorism plan this Thursday. The governor has said the state needs new equipment, training and communications for law enforcement who would respond to a terrorist attack. So far, he hasn't said how much he's prepared to spend. But his public safety commissioner says the plan will cost significantly less than the House and Senate proposals. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports. FULL STORY

The Minneapolis Institute of Arts has acquired a rare Chinese sculpture of a horse from the Han Dynasty in the first century. It's one of only 11 such works known to exist in the world, and will be the only one on public display in the United States. It's called the "Celestial Horse," and it stands almost four feet high. Joining us on the line is Dr. Robert Jacobsen, senior curator of Asian Art at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

The local phone company in Minnesota, Qwest, is pushing hard to get into the long-distance market. But first the company needs to convince the Federal Communications Commission, or FCC, that it has allowed enough competition in the local phone market which Qwest dominates. Qwest is also seeking the support of Minnesota's Public Utilities Commission, whose opinion could carry weight with the FCC. Qwest's efforts are the subject of an article published today in the Minneapolis-based journal City Business. Mark Reilly wrote the story and says the company claims they've done what's required to open the local phone market to potential competitors.

Minneapolis Mayor RT Rybak's effort to organize his office staff is encountering some opposition on the City Council. The council votes Friday on the plan that would see a $66,000 reduction in salaries in the mayor's office. But some council members complain the cuts are at the expense of those who are paid the least. Minnesota Public Radio's Art Hughes reports.

Following the warm pattern established in November and continued in December, January will go down as one of the warmest months in history. Will the trend continue? Mark Seeley reminds us that Minnesotans are used to weather extremes: tomorrow marks the sixth anniversary of the all-time record low in the state.

Fingerhut's demise could potentially leave 6,000 people without jobs, 4,700 of them in Minnesota. If Federated Department Stores can't find a buyer, it says it will close Fingerhut. But analysts and former employees say Fingerhut's business model is still sound. Those who watched Fingerhut falter and fail say Federated mismanaged Fingerhut. Minnesota Public Radio's Andrew Haeg reports. FULL STORY

The Minnesota Historical Society says it will be forced to lay off 120 people and close three facilities, including Historic Fort Snelling, if Governor Ventura's budget proposals go forward. The Society's director says the cuts represent 7.5 percent of the group's state appropriations. Lawmakers are forced to deal with balancing the state's projected $2 billion shortfall and say the Historical Society's threat to close Fort Snelling isn't making their jobs any easier. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports.