November 28, 2003 - Gary Eichten's studio guest is Hennepin County Chief Judge Kevin Burke, the 2003 winner of the William H. Rehnquist Award for Judicial Excellence. He was honored in Washington last week.
November 28, 2003 - Shoppers flooded shops and malls today , the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season. Retailers traditionally rely on holiday and year-end sales to offset slower sales in the remainder of the year. They're hoping that shoppers spend more than they did during the last holiday season. But shoppers remain cautious about the economy and are shopping for bargains. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports
December 1, 2003 - A gubernatorial task force is working to put new ideas on education funding before the Legislature early next year. The goals include determining the exact cost of providing a basic public school education in Minnesota. The panel wants to define the elements of an adequate instructional program before developing a plan to overhaul the state's complex funding system for schools. Task force members met today (Monday) in Roseville to discuss their latest findings. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports...
December 1, 2003 - The Minneapolis NAACP has begun a program called the "411 on the five- 0" , slang for the 'information on the police.' It's aimed at educating community members about how the police do their jobs. But the program is also designed to help people of color avoid contentious situations with police. Minnesota Public Radio's Brandt Williams reports
December 1, 2003 - California to offer paper receipts to voters
December 2, 2003 - Governor Tim Pawlenty today (TUESDAY) said he'll push for a Minnesota death penalty next year as part of a program to combat sex crimes. Pawlenty's statement comes a day after a recently released sex offender was arrested in Crookston in connection with the disappearance last month of 22-year-old Dru Sjodin. Minnesota hasn't had a death penalty case in more than 100 years -- and opponents say they'll fight to keep it that way. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo has more.
December 2, 2003 - Later today, citizens will be invited to weigh in on six solutions to the Stillwater bridge controversy. Traffic has been a growing problem on the historic bridge which crosses the St. Croix river, and despite years of debate, no acceptable solution has been found. Opposing groups have not been able to reach agreement in the past, but this time representatives from all interested parties are involved in the decision making. That includes federal, state and local officials, environmentalists and preservationists. Mike Hughes is a senior mediator for RESOLVE, a group that is working with interested parties to find a solution. He joins us now.
December 2, 2003 - Nine women and four men will decide the guilt or innocence in the felony manslaughter trial of South Dakota Congressman Bill Janklow. Janklow is charged with second-degree manslaughter, speeding, running a stopsign and reckless driving in the August collision that killed Randy Scott of Hardwick, Minnesota. The jury was seated yesterday (Monday) afternoon and immediately heard opening statements. Today (Tuesday) the prosecution begins calling witnesses. Mainstreet Radio's Cara Hetland reports:
December 3, 2003 - This year's World AIDS Day brought news that both the United Nations and the World Health Organization will step up efforts to combat the global AIDS epidemic. It also served as a reminder that, during the last two decades, over 22 million people have died of the disease and 40 million are now infected with H-I-V, the precursor to the disease. Dr. Jon Hallberg is medical director of the Primary Care Clinic at the University of Minnesota. He says, despite medical advances, three million people around the world still die of AIDS each year.
December 3, 2003 - Governor Tim Pawlenty yesterday called for the reinstatement of the death penalty in Minnesota for convicted sex offenders. Pawlenty's announcement came a day after the arrest in the Dru Sjodin case. While polls have shown the majority of Minnesotans support the death penalty, the governor may have difficulty winning over both houses of the Legislature. Steven Schier is a professor of political scientist at Carleton. He says this is a politically advantageous time to bring up the issue.