April 19, 2001 - Israel came to a standstill today to remember the victims of the Nazi Holocaust. Sirens wailed for two minutes across the Jewish state to commemorate the six million Jews killed during World War Two. In the United States, President Bush spoke at ceremony in the Capitol rotunda where he described the Holocaust as one of history's great crimes. The word holocaust is never mentioned in N.M. Kelby's new novel "In the Company of Angels," but the horrific event is clearly the backdrop her young jewish character, Marie Claire, is trying to escape.
April 19, 2001 - Three tiny unmanned airplanes are flying over Alaska to study arctic warming. They will be surveying the coasts for warming effects. It looks similar to a model airplane.
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.
April 20, 2001 - If you're driving around Minnesota, you're likely to see a good number of old barns... some dating back to the late 1800s. Tomorrow the Minnesota Historical Society will present a workshop on fixing up old barns. Mary Humstone is the founder of Barn Again!, a national program designed to promote barn restoration. She says interest in restoring old barns is increasing, because fixing up a barn can be cheaper than building a new one... and because people feel a connection to these buildings.
April 24, 2001 - MPR’s Patty Marsicano reports that a key House committee approved a higher education spending bill; one that proposes more spending than Governor Ventura, but less than the Senate plan. The House Higher Education Finance Committee passed its spending bill after some debate over whether it provided enough money.
April 24, 2001 - NASA's mission control responsibilities were transferred briefly today while high school students in Isle, Minnesota simulated a rocket launch to Mars. Junior and senior science students in central Minnesota have spent the past few months learning about space exploration using curriculum designed by NASA. Junior Chris Anderson says the students only experienced a couple of minor computer glitches.
April 25, 2001 - Minnesota is known around the country for its medical device companies. But the state lacks a vibrant biotechnology industry that many say could be vital to future economic development. Now state officials are joining the University of Minnesota in launching a public-private partnership they hope will encourage small companies and make the state a center for biotech business activity. Minnesota Public Radio's Andrew Haeg reports.
April 26, 2001 - MPR’s Marisa Helms that the Minnesota House and Senate are about $100 million apart in education spending. Both the Senate and House K-12 finance committees approved their main education funding bills shortly before final committee deadline. The main difference between the two bills is the amount of new spending and how each addresses fiscal inequity among school districts.
April 26, 2001 - As part of Mainstreet Radio series Broken Trust: Civil Rights in Indian Country, MPR’s Bob Kelleher reports on the obstacles for American Indian children within the education system.
April 26, 2001 - MPR’s Patty Marsicano reports that higher education budget would fare much better under the senate's budget than the Governor's budget. Of the 2.9 billion dollars of total spending, the package contains 283 million dollars in new spending. That's nearly three times the new spending proposed by Governor Ventura.