July 9, 1999 - Agriculture experts from around the world gathered in St. Paul to talk about the future of farming. The University of Minnesota conference comes at a time when farmers are facing unprecedented pressures resulting from plunging prices, rapidly changing technologies, and increasingly stiff competition in world grain markets. The challenge For US policy makers is equally tough, for taking care of farmers at home may clash with equally important objectives -- one of these is inducing Foreign countries to open their markets more fully to American agricultural exports. ANOTHER is get them to end or lower subsidies for their own farmers that may crowd American farmers out of other export markets.
July 9, 1999 - MPR’s Art Hughes reports on a tornado that hit the southeastern town of Lewiston, Minnesota. Hughes talks with residents about their experiences as the storm passed through.
July 12, 1999 - The Guthrie Theater's 1998-99 season broke attendence and subscription records, drawing 360-thousand people last year. With nearly 28-thousand subscribers, it's got one of the largest subscription bases of any non-profit theater in the country. Following the Guthrie's annual meeting today, Artistic Director Joe Dowling told Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Roberts the success reflects the community's investment in the Guthrie.
July 12, 1999 - The Minnesota Twins' pledge to deal with St. Paul only hasn't stopped Minneapolis leaders from working on plans to build the baseball team a new stadium in their city. They claim their plan is much more likely to win state approval, if they can get local constituents -- and their council colleagues -- to buy it.
July 12, 1999 - The St. Paul Companies announced it's getting out of the personal insurance business and cutting hundreds of jobs at its downtown headquarters. The insurance giant is selling its personal insurance divisions to Metlife because it thinks it can make more money focusing on commercial insurance products. 17 hundred people work in the company's personal insurance operation -- 500 in Minnesota. . Metlife says it will retain all of them through the end of the year and that after that it will keep as many as possible.
July 12, 1999 - MPR’s Amy Radil reports on Governor Jesse Ventura viewing storm damage in northeast Minnesota. Includes excerpts of Ventura speaking and comments from residents.
July 12, 1999 - MPR’s Sasha Aslanian interviews 8th District Democratic Congressman Jim Oberstar regarding aid for Boundary Waters disaster. Oberstar flew over the Boundary Waters to view the damage from blowdown, then returned to Washington D.C. to seek federal aid for the area, meeting with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
July 13, 1999 - Baseball analyst Kevin Hennessy talks about the Minnesota Twins, who at the All-Star break are in last place in their division and have the third worst record in the American League. Despite that, Hennessy says the Twins have done much better than he thought they would in 1999, especially considering the young pitching staff.
July 13, 1999 - Mayor Norm Coleman says the loss of hundreds of St. Paul company jobs hurts, but he also says the cuts come while the city is on the upswing. The St. Paul companies announced yesterday it will cut 500 to 600 jobs as a result of selling its home and automobile insurance businesses to MetLife of Rhode Island. The deal also may jeopardize an additional 530 Minnesota jobs which are being transferred to MetLife Auto and Home.
July 13, 1999 - The Minnesota Department of Finance today revised its estimate of the revenues collected by the state during the last fiscal year -- increasing it by almost $300 Million dollars. That means slightly bigger sales tax rebate checks for Minnesotans later this summer... with money left over for next year. That left over money has Governor Ventura and legislative leaders already jockeying over NEXT year's tax relief package.