December 6, 2000 - Morning Edition’s Cathy Wurzer interviews Dave Meltzer about new football league, the XFL, which is coming to Minnesota and Governor Jesse Ventura is going to be a sports announcer. The league is considered a raunchy version of the NFL.
December 6, 2000 - retires. McNerney's challenge will be to apply General Electric's decisive, profit-centered management philosophy to 3M's culture of innovation. Minnesota Public Radio's Andrew Haeg reports.
December 7, 2000 - Minnesota's Iron Range is bracing for an economic down turn when LTV Steel closes it's Hoyt Lake taconite mine in February. The company announced yesterday the plant is shutting down several months sooner than earlier announced, putting more than a thousand people out of work. Economists say the closing may strengthen Minnesota's six remaining taconite companies - but any benefits may be diminished by a softening national economy. Minnesota Public Radio's Bob Kelleher reports: {The timing couldn't be worse for the workers of LTV Steel Mining, who expected another eight months on the job. Instead, the company's Iron Mine and taconite pellet production will end February 24th - with a few hundred workers staying on into the summer to ship pellet stockpiles. Laid off workers are faced with Christmas expenses and predictions of soaring winter heating bills.
December 7, 2000 -
December 7, 2000 - Minnesota-based Best Buy today announced major expansion plans that will significantly extend its reach into U.S. and Canadian markets. Best Buys plans to purchase Music Land, in a deal valued at nearly 700-million dollars. It also plans to buy Seattle-based Magnolia Hi-Fi for about 90-millions dollars. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports...
December 8, 2000 - Packing technology workers will produce more productivity.
December 8, 2000 - The University of Minnesota football program and the Minnesota Vikings are considering working together to build a new stadium. Minnesota Public Radio sports commentator Jay Weiner believes that's a bad idea... unless the Gophers can get something really big in exchange from Red McCombs.
December 8, 2000 - General Mills shareholders overwhelmingly approved the company's plans to buy Pillsbury from London-based Diageo (dee-AHZH-ee-oh). Combining the two oldline Minneapolis firms will produce the nation's third largest food company, with combined revenues of roughly 13 billion dollars. While most analysts think the merger makes sense, some are still worried General Mills is making a risky bet. Minnesota Public Radio's Andrew Haeg reports.
December 8, 2000 -
December 8, 2000 - Environmental groups are calling on Congress to reform the Army Corps of Engineers in the wake of a Pentagon report confirming the Corps doctored numbers in a feasibility study of expanded locks on the Mississippi River. Critics say the Corps of Engineers is too quick to back massive engineering projects. But farm groups say they NEED bigger locks on the Mississippi to reduce their shipping costs. Minnesota Public Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports. For more information about the controversy over expansion of locks and dams on the Mississippi go to minnesotapublicradio.org to see our series called "Changing Course: The Future of the Mississippi." {