November 19, 2001 - Minnesota Public Radio's Chief Economics Correspondent, Chris Farrell, joins us now for a look at the financial markets. Housing construction is down 1.3%, taking a pause after September 11th. Dow is 16 points away from a bull market.
November 19, 2001 - The most ambitious railroad expansion since the Civil War is one step closer to approval. A report thousands of pages long was released today (MONDAY) on the Dakota Minnesota and Eastern Railroad's one and a half billion-dollar plan. The DM&E hopes to haul coal from Wyoming through Minnesota and South Dakota to eastern power plants. DM&E officials are pleased with the federal report. But Minnesota Public Radio's Erin Galbally reports not everyone's celebrating.
November 19, 2001 - Half of the members of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees went to polling sites around the states last week. 82% of those who voted supported the contract.
November 19, 2001 - Twins fans are breathing a cautious sigh of relief following a court order barring Major League Baseball from eliminating the Twins before the end of 2002, when the team's Metrodome lease runs out. Both the Twins and Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig say they plan to appeal the ruling. Former Twins slugger Kirby Puckett, now an executive vice president with the ballclub, says he's waiting for something a bit more concrete than the injunction, but he says there's no doubt the ruling helps baseball fans.
November 19, 2001 - Hennepin County District Judge Harry Crump ruled that the Minnesota Twins must play baseball in the Metrodome next season. In an order filed yesterday (Friday), Crump ruled in favor of the injunction request filed last week by the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission. The commission filed suit hours after Major League Baseball's owners announced that they plan to eliminate two teams before next season. The Twins are a top candidate for contraction, but Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports that yesterday's ruling may give the team another year in the big leagues.
November 20, 2001 - The future of 80 family farms in southwest Minnesota rest on the fate of a new kind of hog processing plant set to open next month. It is farmer owned and controlled and seen as an alternative to the corporate philosophy dominating the industry. The farmers will soon find out if consumers will pay more for pork raised the old fashioned way. Mainstreet Radio's Mark Steil reports:
November 20, 2001 - The Minnesota Twins say they will make an appeal to the Minnesota Supreme Court in hopes of reversing a Hennepin County ruling that the Twins' lease requires that the team play the 2002 season in the Metrodome. Major League baseball owners have voted to eliminate two teams from the league and the Twins are considered a prime candidate. The Twins are being considered for contraction in large part because the team has failed to secure public funding for a new stadium. A new task force will meet for the first time today to discuss ideas for funding sports stadiums in Minnesota. Republican Representative Kevin Goodno of Moorhead is a member of the stadium task force. He's on the line now.
November 20, 2001 - MPR’s Michael Khoo talks with All Things Considered’s Lorna Benson about what came out of a first meeting of a tri-partisan task force looking at various ballpark proposals, including one for the Minnesota Twins. Khoo breaks down some of the testimony at meeting.
November 20, 2001 - The Thanksgiving holiday is one of the busiest air travel times of the year and this year will be no exception. Twin Cities based Northwest Airlines, the nation's fourth largest carrier, says its planes will be fuller this year than last. The big difference is airline security: with new rules and more searches, there are a number of things YOU can do to make Thanksgiving air travel easier. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports...
November 20, 2001 - That's a sample of the music from a new album by the artist once again known as Prince. "The Rainbow Children" goes on sale in stores today. It is the first album he has released in ten years using the name Prince. The Minneapolis native stopped using that name after a dispute with his former label, Warner Brothers. "The Rainbow Children" is being released on the Redline Entertainment label, which is a division of Eden Prairie-based Best Buy. Minnesota Public Radio's Jim Bickal reports. Best Buy started the Redline Entertainment label two years ago. It has released a handful of CDs by artists ranging from Who guitarist Pete Townsend to Sprung Monkey. Marketing Manager Cindy Springer says the collaboration with Prince was a big step for Redline.