April 18, 2001 - Minnesota's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to three-point-four percent in March. That's the highest it has been in four years. The Minnesota Department of Economic Security says the rate was up from three-point-two percent a month earlier. It is still below the national average. Tom Stinson is the Minnesota State Economist, and he's on the line now.
April 18, 2001 - As a child of the 1950s, Cheri Register remembers being caught up in the culture of the times. South Pacific was playing at the Albert Lea movie theater and American Bandstand dominated weeknight television. But even at the tender age of 14, Register recognized there was another side to her life that was deeply rooted in working-class values. Albert Lea was a meatpacking town and Register's father was one of the 56-hundred employees who worked for the Wilson and Company Packinghouse. In 1959, the workers demanded better wages which the company didn't want to pay. The dispute intensified and work at the plant stopped... whether it was a lockout or a strike is still debated. In her new memoir "Packinghouse Daughter" Register describes how the event divided her town. She says at first, the community supported the packinghouse workers:
April 19, 2001 - The late thaw of the rivers and then the high crest of the rivers slowed down businesses dramatically because they were not able to ship and handle their ordered supplies.
April 19, 2001 - A bill working its way through the Legislature would make Minnesota the first state to mandate the sale of biodiesel, an alternative fuel made from vegetable oil or animal fat. The bill, which gets a hearing in the House Transportation Finance committee this morning (THURSDAY), pits farmers against the trucking industry. Opponents say there are too many unanswered questions about biodiesel, while supporters say the proposal is something the state can do to help farmers. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports...
April 19, 2001 - This is the first fare increase since 1993. The hope would be to double the size of the transit system in the Twin Cities. What factors work into this situation include rising gas prices and full-time drivers versus part-time drivers. They are in a good situation to expand their system because there is a high demand for buses.
April 20, 2001 - A vast trade area from Canada to Chile is the vision of negotiators meeting in Quebec City this weekend. Establishing the FTAA or Free Trade Area of the America's is the ultimate objective for 34 heads of government .. including President Bush ... at the talks. A final agreement is still years away. Many Minnesota companies welcome the prospect of easier access to customers in South America. But skeptics say the deal benefits mostly big companies and their investors at the expense of workers. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson reports.
April 20, 2001 - Gustavus Adolphus sells Fair Trade Coffee and students are supportive. Buying a cup of Fair Trade Coffee helps Guatamalean farmers and cuts out the middle man.
April 20, 2001 - Honeywell International is laying off 6500 workers, or about five percent of its total workforce. The move came after Honeywell said its first quarter net profit plunged more than 90 percent. The announcement was not just the latest sign of the economic slowdown. It also reflected continuing problems at a firm that used to be one of the Twin Cities most successful corporations. Minnesota Public Radio's Carl Goldstein reports.
April 20, 2001 - A predicted a $1.5 billion estimate for the 2002-2003 fiscal year, but it could shrink to a $500 million if the budget stays as is.
April 20, 2001 - Tech-driven new economy is the strongest on the west coast. Progressive Policy Institute, a think tank, found that the west coast in first, second, and third in the new economy.