January 21, 2002 -
January 22, 2002 - The mayor of St. Cloud will meet with state legislators later today to see what the state can do to save Fingerhut. The parent company of Fingerhut -- Federate Department Stores -- said last week that it plans to shut Fingerhut down if a new buyer isn't found. Two businessmen have emerged saying they're thinking about bidding for the struggling catalogue retailer. St. Cloud has 2700 Fingerhut jobs. Joe Opatz (OH-pats) is a DFL member of the Committee who represents part of St. Cloud. He says there are a number of things the state can do to help Fingerhut.
January 22, 2002 - BENSON: The state Court of Appeals has upheld a lower court's temporary injunction forcing the Minnesota Twins to play at the Metrodome this year. The Metropolitan Sports Facility Commission sought and was granted the injunction shortly after baseball owners voted to eliminate two teams. The Twins are widely considered a top candidate for contraction. The commission is praising the decision, but attorneys for the team and the league say the fight isn't over yet. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo joins us now. Michael, what's the significance of today's ruling? KHOO: Lorna, in a nutshell it means the Twins -- as things stand now -- will have to play the 2002 season in the Metrodome. It lets the temporary injunction stand which effectively prevents the team and the league from eliminating the ballclub. Bill Lester is the executive director of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission -- which owns and operates the 'Dome. Lester says the Appeals Court ruling makes it unlikely that the league can move forward with contraction this year.
January 23, 2002 - A report entitled All Kids Count, shows that African American, American Indian, Asian American, and Latino youth in Minnesota are much more likely than white children to experience violence, live without health care insurance, and live in poverty. The report was compiled by the Children's Defense Fund and Minnesota Kids Count, a research organization that releases reports on the welfare of the state's youth.
January 28, 2002 - When Minnesota lawmakers return to the Capitol tomorrow (TUESDAY) for the 2002 session, one of their top agenda items will be assembling a package of public works projects. Governor Ventura is recommending 845-million dollars in projects, and some legislators want to borrow even more. Minnesota Pubic Radio's Laura McCallum analyzed the last twenty years of major capital investment bills to find out where the state has spent most of its money, and has this report...
January 30, 2002 - MPR’s William Wilcoxen reports voters on St. Paul's East Side having elected the world's first Hmong American legislator. Thirty-two year old Mee Moua won special election to fill the state Senate seat vacated by Randy Kelly, who was elected mayor.
January 30, 2002 - Today (WEDNESDAY) a federal board gave a green light to the most ambitious railroad project since the Civil War. The Dakota Minnesota and Eastern Railroad now has official endorsement to proceed with its 1.4 billion-dollar expansion plan. DM&E intends to haul coal from Wyoming through South Dakota and Minnesota. However, before construction even begins, the project's next hurtle is expected to be in the courtroom. Minnesota Public Radio's Erin Galbally reports.
January 30, 2002 - That was Minnesota DFL Senator Paul Wellstone.
February 1, 2002 - MPR’s Art Hughes reports on Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak’s effort to organize his office staff, and the opposition move is encountering on the City Council. The council votes on the plan that would see a sixty-thousand-dollar reduction in salaries in the mayor's office. But some council members complain the cuts are at the expense of those who are paid the least.
February 4, 2002 - Mee Moua, a Hmong woman in St. Paul, makes history when she's sworn in as the nation's first Hmong legislator. The Southeast Asian hill tribe people started arriving in the U.S. more than 20 years ago. Yet, for many Hmong, their true date of arrival in this country starts with this political moment.