December 15, 2000 - Governor Ventura traveled to Thief River Falls today to help Arctic Cat unveil a new snowmobile. The company says the machine is quieter and cleaner and will revolutionize the industry. Environmentalists call the new snowmobile window dressing, designed to convince the government to rescind a ban on the machines in national parks. Minnesota Public Radios Dan Gunderson reports.
December 18, 2000 - The Minnesota Vikings fell five points short of going undefeated at the Metrodome this year. The 33-28 loss to the Green Bay Packers yesterday means the Vikings are still trying to wrap up the division title. They'll also be trying to avoid heading into the playoffs on a three game losing streak when they travel to Indianapolis for their final game of the regular season Sunday. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen reports...
December 18, 2000 - For the second week in a row the Minnesota Vikings had a chance to clinch the NFC Central and home field advantage throughout the playoffs and once again were unable to do it. Yesterday's 33 to 28 loss to the Green Bay Packers at the Metrodome leaves the Vikings' playoff position uncertain. Sean Jenson covers the Vikings for The St. Paul Pioneer Press and he joins us now. Did the Packers play especially well or did the Vikings play especially poorly? Were we seeing a vintage Brett Favre performance? The Vikings defense has been a weakness all year. Is it more of a liability now? The Packers were successful in shutting down Robert Smith. Was that a big part of their game plan? What do they need to do to get back on track? Quarterback Duante Culpepper sprained his ankle. Will he be okay for next week's game? What are their chances next week in Indianapolis against the Colts.
December 18, 2000 - Everybody will be watching the Federal Government talking about finances. Chris Farrell talks about the meeting, Alan Greenspan, and what would be best for citizens.
December 19, 2000 - If you're in the midst of a cookie disaster or your fudge isn't looking so good, help is just a phone call away. For the past 11 years, thousands of frenzied cooks have called the Land O'Lakes Holiday Bakeline for tips on how to fix runny frosting, speed-thaw a frozen turkey, or jazz up mashed potatoes.
December 22, 2000 - This will be a very busy day at the airport and travelers should allow extra time if they're headed there. With an old-fashioned Minnesota winter on our hands, and some labor disputes, customers could also face flight delays or cancellations. George Wozniak is the president of Hobbit Travel in St. Paul. He advises against relying on electronic tickets.
December 22, 2000 - As evidence of an economic slowdown mounts, consumers are cutting back on spending. Retailers are reporting weak profits, and warning of difficult times ahead. But despite the downturn and the harsh winter weather, holiday shoppers are still flocking to stores and malls. Whether they spend enough to boost Minnesota retailers flagging prospects is another question altogether. Minnesota Public Radio's Andrew Haeg reports.
December 26, 2000 - NASDAQ is down 38% at the end of the year. Make sure your portfolio is up to date.
December 27, 2000 - Future Tense for December 27th looks at shopping bots. One of the most sought-after items this holiday season is the Sony PlayStation 2, the powerful game console that's been in short supply. Some of those lucky enough to find PS2s did so with shopping bots, software that crawls through the Web looking for product availability and price. Shopping bots allow consumers to comparison shop and hunt for bargains; they can cover more ground than a human shopper. Carrie Johnson with Forrester Research says bots are beginning to make their presence felt.
December 27, 2000 -