January 27, 1999 - Graduate students are trying to form a union at the University of Minnesota. Organizers say they've collected signatures from more than half of the eligible students, setting the stage for a unionization vote this spring. Supporters say a union would mean better pay and working conditions for teaching assistants and research assistants. But many graduate students oppose a union.
January 27, 1999 - A Wisconsin Senator offered two suprise votes in President Clinton's impeachment trial today. Democrat Russ Feingold voted with the Republicans not to dismiss the case and to allow prosecutors to question three witnesses. He was the only senator to vote across party lines today. In a statement, Feingold said if the Senate were to dismiss the case before hearing from witnesses, it would improperly short-circuit the trial. But he said his votes should not be construed as a sign he's decided to convict Clinton. Feingold's action came as a shock to Wisconsin Democrats. Bill Dixon is a Madison attorney who's known as an elderstatesman of Wisconsin politics.
January 27, 1999 - The Minnesota Department of Economic Security predicts the state's economy will need to fill one million jobs by 2006. Some businesses are already reporting a "worker shortage" -- not enough skilled employees to fuel the economy's continued expansion. And policy experts expect the problem to grow.
January 27, 1999 - Remember lead poisoning? Years ago scientists delivered the ominous news that lead from peeling paint and polluted soil was poisoning millions of Americans children. Years later, after education and a lot of clean-up, the threat is greatly diminished. But not among poor people who live in America's inner city neighborhoods. A one-of-a kind program in Minneapolis ' Phillips neighborhood teaches people how to avoid lead poisoning and helps them clean up lead contaminated houses.
January 27, 1999 - Mainstreet Radio’s Amy Radil profiles Duluth musher John Stetson, who ran the 1999 Beargrease mid-distance race of 150 miles. He says he loves to race because it's the ultimate test for a musher and his or her dogs.
January 27, 1999 - Grand Marais has long been home to artists and art-loving tourists. But the area's theater and visual arts aren't just for summer guests -- several unique partnerships have made the arts integral to the local public schools as well. Students in the remote, sparsely populated area are kept busy dancing, drawing... and even venturing into theater of the absurd.
January 27, 1999 - A group of Minnesota hog farmers have been taking their case, and their pork-chops, directly to the people. Yesterday they held a truck sale in a Twin Cities suburb, offering prices as low as 60 cents a pound. The farmers want to draw attention to low hog prices that are hurting them, while supermarket prices stay high. As Minnesota Public Radio's Eric Jansen reports, shoppers braved wind and cold to get a deal, AND support farmers.
January 28, 1999 - It's a strange scene -- 500 pairs of shoes piled on stage, dancers crawling out from under the heap, while a woman in a leopard print pillbox hat sits in a chair trying on pair after pair. This is "The Lives and Death of Cinderella" a performance work being presented this weekend at the College of St Catherine. Performance artist Laurie Van Wieren created the piece which reflects her quirky style which in the past has included everything from shoes and wigs to fireworks.
January 28, 1999 - One of Minnesota's largest industries is getting a boost from the new governor. Jesse Ventura's budget includes increasing the Office of Tourism's advertising budget by five MILLION dollars. The former wrestler and actor says Minnesota can exploit HIS entertainment background to make the state a worldwide vacation destination.
January 28, 1999 - Governor Jesse Ventura today unveils his plan for spending the state's money over the next two years. Legislators and lobbyists have been eagerly awaiting this day, because Ventura's budget will give them a better sense of the new governor's priorities -- and his politics.