November 6, 1998 - Here's an American culture quiz. Everyone knows Francis Scott Key wrote the words to the national anthem. But do you know who wrote the words to 'Lift Every Voice and Sing,' often called the African American national anthem? The answer is James Weldon Johnson. You get extra credit if you can name another famous work by Johnson. Time's up. The answer is the poem 'Creation.' The poem is part of a choral piece called 'God's Trombones.' The works will be performed Friday night at First Baptist Church in Minneapolis. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson has more. audio . . . (creation 1) and God stepped out on space and looked around and said I'm lonely. I'll make me a world.
November 6, 1998 - Just two days after Jesse Ventura's surprise victory, Democrats are taking the first step toward reshaping the party. House D-F-L'ers met last night to elect a new MINORITY leader for the first time in more than a decade. D-F-L'ers are already focusing on how they can regain control of the House in two years, after losing the majority in Tuesday's election. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports... It took four ballots and a five-hour meeting that ran past midnight, but house D-F-L'ers finally chose Tom Pugh of South St. Paul to lead them for the next two years. The 49-year-old attorney was first elected to the House ten years ago, and says Democrats need to focus on suburban voters to try to regain the majority in the next election. Pugh says lawmakers can't
November 6, 1998 - The election of Jesse Ventura as Governor will have an impact on the school segregation debate that's been brewing in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. The Minneapolis N-double-A-C-P is suing the state, claiming segregated schools are shortchanging students. The state meanwhile is trying to end mandatory desegregation rules for school districts. Ventura supports mediation in the lawsuit, but he also supports neighborhood schools and an end to forced busing. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports... The Minneapolis chapter of the NAACP claims the state has denied Minneapolis public school students--especially poor and minority students --their constitutional right to an adequate education because of low funding and racial segregation. The Saint Paul school district has its own
November 6, 1998 - Governor-Elect Jesse Ventura dropped a few more hints today (FRI) about his transition team and what his governing style might be like. But Ventura says he's made very few concrete decisions because the news media is monopolizing his time. Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste reports: ((the capitol basement corridor, "Morning, Governor!")) When the Governor-Elect showed up for work at his capitol-basement office this morning, he was greeted by the same crush of local and national media that has been dogging him for the last 72 hours. Ventura says the media attention is a problem -- especially as he tries to get a handle on the huge task of appointing a new administration and drawing up a state budget. He says he finds it ironic that reporters try to spend every waking hour with him, and then ask him how his transition is going. Sti
November 6, 1998 - Governor elect Jesse Ventura addressed a statewide radio audience over Minnesota Public Radio today. Ventura covered a broad array of topics, took a few shots at the media and offered a bit of a preview of Governor Venture. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports.
November 6, 1998 - Farmers and producers around the nation are competing for more than one-billion dollars in cash payments for land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program... The program, created in 1985, protects fragile farmland by paying selected farmers to stop growing crops on highly erodible land...as Mainstreet Radio's Hope Deutscher reports, the program is particularly tempting to some farmers during the current farm crisis... Around the nation, thousands of farmers are sitting through meetings such as this one in Barnesville...they are learning the r
November 6, 1998 - On this Midday program, a Talk of Minnesota with callers sharing their thoughts about the election of Jesse Ventura to the office of Minnesota governor.
November 9, 1998 - Jesse Ventura begins his first full week of directing the transition to his administration. Minnesota's Governor-elect got more national airtime yesterday, appearing on N-B-C's Meet the Press and FOX T-V's coverage of the Vikings game. Ventura will also grace the cover of Time Magazine, on newstands today - but only in Minnesota. The rest of the country will see retiring House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who has stolen a bit of Ventura's thunder. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports... Jesse Ventura appeared gubernatorial on NBC's Meet the Press, wearing a suit and tie and talking about taxes, education and politics. But probably no other politician in the country would respond like this to host Tim Russert's challenge...
November 9, 1998 - (Saint Paul) Governor-Elect Jesse Ventura has named a transition chief for his administration. Steven Bosacker (bow-sacker) is the executive director of the Board of Regents at the University of Minnesota--and will lead Ventura's strategic planning. Minnesota Public Radio's Karen-Louise Boothe reports: When Governor-Elect Ventura announced Bosacker's appointment--he delivered to his new transition leader an open field. Ventura's style of leadership means he delegates duties, to those whom he trusts and then it's "hands off." Bite: 0891 :10-secs Bosacker currently provides analysis to the 12 member Board of Rege
November 9, 1998 - Senate Majority Leader Roger Moe says he's confident the DFL-controlled Senate can work with Reform Party Governor Elect Jesse Ventura. Speaking today on Minnesota Public Radio's Midday program, Moe said he thinks the two biggest issues in the next legislative session will be passing a tax cut, and deciding how to spend money from the tobacco settlement: Moe, who ran as DFL candidate Skip Humphrey's running mate in the governor's race, says he's still recovering from the DFL's bruising loss. But in looking over who voted for Ventura, Moe notes almost half the Reform Party supporters said they were not better off than they were two years ago. Moe says Ventura has tapped people who haven't shared in the nation's boom economy: