April 16, 2001 - We should be pretty worried about how easy it is to commit crime on the internet and computers, but we should be even more worried about how hard it is for the law enforcement to catch the criminals.
April 16, 2001 - As of today, the state law that prevents winter utility shut-offs stops protecting customers who have been unable to pay their bills. Heat and electric companies report a significant increase in unpaid bills, due in large part to the tripling of gas prices this season. And more customers are appealing to the state for help in paying their energy bills. John Harvanko is director of the Office of Energy Programs for the Minnesota Department of Economic Security. His office distributes federal grant money for heating assistance. He says it's possible that shut-offs will take place but he doesn't know of any:
April 18, 2001 - Members of the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association are gathering today to hear the details of their tentative contract with Northwest Airlines. If the union's almost ten thousand workers approve the deal it would end more than four years of acrimonious talks. But Northwest's separate announcement today .. that its loss in the latest quarter ..nearly tripled to 123 million dollars highlights the difficult conditions the airline continues to face. Minnesota Public Radio's Andrew Haeg reports.
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.