July 13, 2001 - A new M-P-R/Pioneer Press poll shows the majority of Minnesotans believe their family's financial health is about the same as it was a year ago -- DESPITE the economic slowdown . Minnesota Public Radio's Andrew Haeg reports.
July 16, 2001 - There's a new round of mineral exploration in Northeastern Minnesota. The region best known for iron-bearing taconite could soon produce precious minerals like gold, silver and platinum - maybe even diamonds. New developments are making the prospects of prospecting more appealing. Minnesota Public Radio's Bob Kelleher reports: {A barge, floats on an island studded lake near Ely. It's actually several barges strung together; one equipped with a rotating drill - another stacked with dozens of rusty steel pipe-sections. Dick Backstrom's drilling company is looking for riches under Birch Lake.
July 16, 2001 - This time of year, biologist Jim Lind looks forward to sleeping in his own bed. Lind has spent two months living in motels, like a musician out on the road. He's been across northern Minnesota, and into Wisconsin. But Lind isn't *making* music -- he's *listening* to it. He's part of a team from the University of Minnesota in Duluth that's tracking songbird populations in the north woods. It's almost impossible to see birds deep in the forest, so these biologists count birds by ear. Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Julin reports.
July 18, 2001 - Minneapolis-based American Express Financial Advisors has announced it will lay off up to 1000 workers in Minneapolis. The move is part of a larger workforce reduction at the company's parent, American Express. And economists say it's a sign that the economic slowdown is spreading from manufacturing to financial services. Minnesota Public Radio's Andrew Haeg reports.
July 18, 2001 - Almost everyone has a hobby or two. Occasionally, people's hobbies grow into consuming passions. That's what happened to Mark Mattison after he bought his first elk. Minnesota Public Radio's Mary Losure recently visited him at his elk farm in Wisconsin, and filed this report.
July 19, 2001 - (to follow catlin) Northwest Airlines is not alone. Hundreds of Minnesota companies have announced layoffs in recent months, including American express Financial Advisors, Honeywell, 3M and ADC Telecommunications. The state dislocated workers office has counted more than 20,000 mass layoffs in the past year... a number officials say represents only SOME of the total jobs lost. John Fossum is the Director of the Industrial Relations Center at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. He says despite those dramatic numbers- at this point- the ecomonic downturn in Minnesota is mild:
July 19, 2001 -
July 20, 2001 -
July 20, 2001 -
July 20, 2001 - We reached Attorney General Mike Hatch a few minutes ago, and he says he doesn't really have a reaction, but he says his investigation is ongoing. outcue '... get into."