December 24, 2003 - All the flavors of e-commerce, from banking to auctions to music downloads, are the fastest growing activities online, according to a new survey from the Pew Internet and American Life Project.
December 24, 2003 - Depending on whom you ask, Minnesota's new tax free zones are either strong medicine for the state economy -- or a slow-acting poison. In the coming years, it will fall to state officials and outside economists to measure which prediction comes closer to the truth. Even then, adversaries may never agree on just how much benefit we're getting from the zones -- and what they're costing us. Minnesota Public Radio's Jeff Horwich reports.
December 24, 2003 - Minnesota ranchers are bracing themselves for reaction to the discovery of Mad Cow disease in the U.S. A holstein cow in Washington state was found to have the disease. Countries like Russia, South Korea, and Japan are suspending imports of beef from the U.S. The cattle industry in Minnesota ranks 7th in production. At prices set before the announcement of the discovery yesterday, Minnesota had beef worth almost 2-billion dollars. Joining us on the line is Steve Brake, president of the Minnesota State Cattlemen's Association.
December 26, 2003 - Stephanie Hemphill profiles John Munter, a man in northern Minnesota who is growing hazelnuts. It's part of his attempt to live off the land. He says hazelnuts are the perfect crop for a future of global climate change.
December 26, 2003 - For many Minnesotans, today is a day for relaxing and taking advantage of after Christmas sales. Retailers cut prices for bargain-hunters and are waiting to see whether shoppers with gift cards can help meet promising Christmas spending forecasts. In downtown Minneapolis today, government offices and many businesses are closed so traffic is relatively light. All the better for the few who decided to walk around the IDS Crystal Court and Nicollet Mall.
December 26, 2003 - MPR’s David Molpus interviews Don Blyly about a peculiar Christmas Day surprise at his Minneapolis bookstore.
December 26, 2003 - The Greater Minneapolis Convention Center and Visitor's Association is developing a plan to have a major new hotel constructed in Downtown Minneapolis. It would be a 1200 room hotel built near the Minneapolis Cinvention Center. Reporter Scott Smith wote about the project in this week's edition of The Business Journal, and he joins us in studio.
December 26, 2003 - A veteran of the new economy, Yahoo executive Tim Sanders, says the new economy is causing millions of Americans to become anxious, isolated, lonely, fatigued and sleep-deprived. He's even coined a phrase for it New Economy Depression Syndrome, or "NEDS." Sanders recently teamed with Heartmath, a company that advises businesses on ways to reduce workplace stress, to survey Americans who use a lot of technology in their jobs.
December 29, 2003 - The Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy case in Washington state has Minnesota farmers and ranchers concerned about the future. Prices for cattle have been strong for several months, but fell sharply the past few days. Some farmers and ranchers are nervous as they wait to see how far the cattle market will drop. Others see an opportunity to buy more cattle while prices are down. Farmers say the future of the beef industry depends on the reaction of American consumers. Meanwhile, politicians are lining up to call for food safety reforms. Mainstreet Radios Dan Gunderson reports.
December 29, 2003 - Chris Farrell, Minnesota Publuc Radio's Chief Economics Correspondent and the co-host of Sound Money, talks about the year from a market and economic viewpoint. In general, it appears it was not a bad year at all, with both the Dow Jones and NASDAQ up as 2003 comes to a close.