November 27, 2001 - Major League Baseball's Commissioner Bud Selig and team owners are expected to meet today (Tuesday) in Chicago to discuss the League's contraction efforts. Selig announced in early November owners planned to eliminate two teams before next season. No teams have been identified yet but the Twins and Montreal Expos are the top candidates. Selig says contraction will help the economics of the game. But others say the plan is ill advised and will harm the game. They also question why the Twins are considered over other clubs. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports...
November 28, 2001 - All Things Considered’s Lorna Benson talks with Steven Wagner, one of three St. Cloud professors who released results from a St. Cloud State University poll that shows Governor Ventura's approval rating has dropped sharply. 44% of respondents rated Ventura's overall performance as "excellent" or "pretty good." That's down from 63% the year prior.
November 28, 2001 - Pam Wheelock, finance commissioner, told government not to get into contract agreements with non-profits. It is a matter of combatting a deficit in the budget.
November 28, 2001 - Amnesty International is issuing an urgent call for its one million members to write letters to President Bush to protest the detention of Zacarias Moussaoui, (Moo-SOW-ee) a French citizen allegedly connected to the September 11th attacks. Moussaoui was arrested in Eagan last August, but has not been formally charged by the Justice Department. Shortly after September 11th, the FBI labeled Moussaoui the twentieth hijacker. But government officials backed away from that claim earlier this month.
November 29, 2001 - The United Nations is appointing former U.S. Senator George McGovern as the U.N.'s first global ambassador for hunger. McGovern will organize relief efforts in Third World countries and help people there improve food production techniques. He just finished serving as ambassador to the United Nations Food and Agricultural program in Rome. McGovern grew up during the Great Depression. He says he never personally knew real hunger, but his family provided food to young men in need:
November 29, 2001 - MPR’s Michael Khoo reports on new task force that will discuss various plans in building a new stadium for the Minnesota Twins. Financing options will be the main point of the meeting.
November 29, 2001 - MPR’s Laura McCallum reports that while it is too soon to tell if extending taxes to services will be a major component to Ventura's financial recommendations, he may revive his plan. The response to the idea from Legislature has not been favorable and they are being vocal about it.
November 30, 2001 - Could a new stadium keep the Minnesota Twins up and running? The team is being threatened with shut down because of low salaries and low rankings…but local political and business efforts in creating a task force to look at options for new stadium in state are providing hope that there is still a chance to avoid losing professional baseball in Minnesota.
November 30, 2001 - The Minnesota Twins and Major League Baseball will get an expedited hearing on whether they must play ball in the Metrodome next season. Though they lost their appeal to take the matter directly to the state Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals has agreed to hear the case before the end of the year. The team and league are asking for the expedited hearing so they can go ahead with their contraction plans before next season. The Twins are a considered a top candidate for contraction. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports... ___________________________ Earlier in the day, the Minnesota Supreme Court issued an order that attorneys for Major League Baseball and the Twins have not demonstrated that this case requires extraordinary procedures. The court also ordered the Court of Appeals to expedite a hearing and decision on the case. At 5 this evening, the Court of Appeals adhered to that order and scheduled briefing dates for mid December and asked all involved parties to appear in court on December 27th. Roger Magnuson, an attorney for Major League Baseball and the Twins, says he's pleased the courts are moving ahead with the case.
December 3, 2001 - Minnesota finance officials release the state's latest revenue forecast tomorrow. The forecast will show a budget shortfall that many legislators expect to be around a billion dollars. The state's first deficit in nearly a decade will mean tough choices, and lots of fingerpointing, in the 2002 session. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.