June 11, 2002 - NOTE: HOST OUTCUE) HOST: Governor Jesse Ventura is once again on the move. He'll head from Beijing, China, to Shanghai late tonight (TUESDAY) for the next leg of his week-long Chinese trade mission. Earlier today Minnesota time, Ventura sat down with top-level Chinese government officials to lay out a road map for further economic cooperation between Minnesota and China. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo is traveling with the governor and has this report.
June 11, 2002 - While the bailout of the airline industry after September 11th received a lot of attention, there is another less-publicized program that has been helping smaller business that suffered because of the terrorist attacks. The Small Business Administration has been making low interest loans to businesses across the country that can prove they were directly affected by the attacks. So far 62 small businesses in Minnesota have received nearly six million dollars through the program. Hector Barretto is the National Administrator of the Small Business Administration. He's in the Twin Cities today for the annual meeting of the Metropolitan Economic Development Association and he's come by the studio this morning. That is Hector Barretto, the National Administrator of the Small Business Administration. He's in the Twin Cities today for the annual meeting of the Metropolitan Economic Development Association.
June 13, 2002 - The Republican Party holds its state convention this week and the main order of business will be endorsing a candidate for governor. There are two candidates vying for the endorsement, Orono businessman Brian Sullivan and House Majority Leader Tim Pawlenty of Eagan. Both candidates say they'll abide by the parties endorsement which could make things interesting since recent straw polls show the two are in a virtual dead heat. This week we're profiling both candidates. Today we'll look at Tim Pawlenty, who says his experience and background are the main reasons delegates should choose him. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports..
June 13, 2002 -
June 13, 2002 - Hormel Foods is getting ready for the grand opening of its SPAM Museum. While SPAM has been a household word for decades, other Hormel brands have since emerged and become successful. Economists say Hormel is ahead of the marketing game. And industry analysts say a lot of Hormel's success is due to product development of brands that are known worldwide. Mainstreet Radio's Laurel Druley has this report. {
June 13, 2002 - (NOTE: HOST OUTCUE) Governor Jesse Ventura is about to begin the last day of his China trade mission. It's morning in Shanghai, where Ventura will wrap up his weeklong promotion of Minnesota products and services. And as the mission comes to a close the governor and the business delegates accompanying him got a word of encouragement from former Vice President Al Gore. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo has been traveling on week with Ventura -- and filed this report from Shanghai.
June 14, 2002 - The race for governor is, as predicted, extremely close. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum has been following the balloting, and joins me now. After three ballots, legislative leader Tim Pawlenty leads entrepreneur Brian Sullivan - by just 43 votes, out of nearly 22-hundred cast. On the first ballot, Sullivan led Pawlenty by 13 votes. On the second ballot, Pawlenty pulled ahead of Sullivan - but by just nine votes. Pawlenty says he thinks momentum is going his way...
June 14, 2002 - HOST: Governor Jesse Ventura is leaving China in the next few hours. Ventura and roughly 100 government and business leaders have spent the last week in Beijing and Shanghai drumming up support for Minnesota goods and services. The governor -- and members of the delegation -- are calling the trip an unqualified success, although most agree the dividends won't be immediately apparent. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo has been traveling with the trade mission. He prepared this report from Shanghai.
June 17, 2002 - MPR’s Eugen Cha reports on efforts by Minnetonka-based company Cargill and the University of Minnesota to turn corn into plastic. It may give the state a lead in an emerging area of biotech, where the finished products are not medicines, or even crops, but industrial materials like plastic.
June 19, 2002 - Minnesota's multi-million dollar tourism industry appears to be on track for an okay summer season. State officials say they're not expecting a gangbuster summer. At this point in the season, more than half of resort and hotel owners report they're doing the same or better than last year. Mainstreet Radio's Tom Robertson has the story... {