April 14, 1999 - MPR’s Eric Jansen reports on Minneapolis’ Amazon Bookstore Collective taking internet giant Amazon.com to court, claiming trademark infringement and deceptive practices. Jansen interviews book shop owner and an Amazon.com spokesman.
April 30, 1999 - MPR’s Elizabeth Stawicki reports on Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig’s comments that Minnesota's Supreme Court ruling on the Minnesota Twins means the team can now focus on getting a new stadium built in the Twin Cities.
May 5, 1999 - MPR’s Bob Kelleher reports on the diminishing population of rainbow smelt in Lake Superior. Years ago, the smelt run drew huge crowds to Lake Superior beaches, where fish were netted by hand and cooked over open fires. Raucous all-night beach parties fueled by generous doses of alcohol achieved mythical status around the big lake. But now, the big smelt runs are history.
May 7, 1999 - A special Midday broadcast from the IDS Crystal Court in downtown Minneapolis. MPR’s Gary Eichten interviews Minneapolis Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton. Topics include downtown development planning, proposed light rail, and crime prevention. Sayles Belton also answers audience and listener questions.
May 7, 1999 - A focus on Downtown with Sam Grabarski, of the Downtown Council; Greg Ortale, of the Convention & Visitors Association; and Council President Jackie Cherryhomes. Featuring interviews about downtown with Barbara Flanagan, Neil Justin and "CJ" of the Star Tribune.
May 19, 1999 - On this Midday, a look ahead to light rail transit in the Twin Cities. With the legislature having approved funding, what will we see, and when? Guests Peter McLaughlin, the chair of the Metropolitan LRT Joint Powers Board; and John Byrd, assistant general manager for Rail Operations at Metro Transit provide details on plans.
May 25, 1999 - St. Paul Mayor Norm Coleman is floating an idea for a new outdoor ballpark for the Minnesota Twins. The mayor argues a stadium in St. Paul would help revitalize the city's downtown core. He hasn't offered any specifics yet, but already the proposal is drawing some criticism.
May 26, 1999 - A Mainstreet Radio special broadcast from Lake Benton. Rachel Reabe hosts a discussion about deregulation of the electric industry with guests Steve Minn, Minnesota Public Service commissioner; Jim Nichols, Arlene Lesewski, Republican state senator from Marshall; Michael Noble, executive director of Minnesotans for an Energy-Efficient Economy; and Rick Lemonds, general manager of Lyon-Lincoln Electric Cooperative.
May 26, 1999 - The merger between US West and Global Crossing announced last week has met with skepticism from investors and questions about whether the deal might even fall through. Shares of both companies have posted significant declines since the largest phone service provider in Minnestota announced its marriage to a high flying telecommunications upstart. Minnesota Public Radio's Bill Catlin reports. The merger combines US West's local telephone business with Global Crossing's under-sea fiber optic cable business. Another piece of the deal involves the national long distance and data transmission operations of Frontier corporation of Rochester New York, which is also merging with Global Crossing. Diane Wells with the Minnesota PUb
May 26, 1999 - Before leaving for California to promote his autobiography, Governor Ventura closed the books on the 1999 legislative session by vetoing almost $110 MILLION dollars worth of state spending and borrowing. He cut most of the money with line-item vetoes in larger bills, affecting a wide range of programs and projects. Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste reports.