November 17, 1999 - The US population is expected to grow by some 50 percent in the next 50 years. Cities around the country are trying to decide what they want the landscape to look like as the number of people swells. Many are concerned about the spreading development critics call "urban sprawl." But some experts say the best way to stop it is NOT neccessarily new government policies. Instead, they say it's time to get rid of some old ones.
November 17, 1999 - Minnesota today became the first state to sue the federal government over Medicare payments. The lawsuit filed by Attorney General Mike Hatch and the Minnesota Senior Federation alleges the system the government uses to reimburse HMO's is unconstitutional.
November 18, 1999 - The University of Minnesota is expected to impose additional sanctions against its men's basketball team this week following a seven month academic fraud investigation. The new punishment will come on top of the probation and ban on post-season play university President Mark Yudof announced last month. It won't necessarily be the last round of sanctions against the U of M. The U's findings go to the NCAA, which will decide if more penalties are warranted.
November 18, 1999 - Minneapolis , the state's largest public school district, is dropping the DARE anti-drug program. DARE, which stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education, is a program that brings police officers into 5th grade classrooms to teach about them dangers of drinking and drug use. The program has been popular with children and parents, but some critics have questioned its effectiveness. Minneapolis school officials plan to replace DARE with a new comprehensive K-12 health program that covers drug resistance, as well as everything from first-aid to exercise. We asked Carol Falkowski, a researcher with the Hazelden foundation, about the limitations of the DARE approach.
November 18, 1999 - A three day ag summit in Fargo ended with farmers from the U-S and Canada reaching concensus on areas where they can work together, and demanding action from politicans. The more than 250 farmers from Minnesota, the Dakota, Manitoba and Saskatchewan also decided they will gather again in a year to see what has been accomplished.
November 18, 1999 - The Surveillance Society. Many people consider information about their body and medical history to be their most private, personal data. They expect it to be locked away in their medical records until a doctor needs it to make a diagnosis or prescribe a cure. But those who want to protect privacy rights say plenty of other people want access to health data. The Clinton administration is moving to protect electronic medical records but those who worry about privacy warn the computerization of health data could lead to large scale invasions of privacy.
November 19, 1999 - Its been a great season for deer, unless you are one -- the season is still open in parts of Minnesota, but the numbers coming in show two things: first, the deer herd seems to have rebounded from the hard winters a few years ago; and second, Minnesotans like to hunt when its warm.
November 19, 1999 - A suburban Twin Cities school has won national recognition for its "cutting edge" approach to learning. At a White House ceremony today, officials with the U-S Department of Education named the School of Environmental Studies in Apple Valley as one of 13 winners of this year's "New American High Schools" awards.
November 19, 1999 - Results of an eight month investigation released by the University of Minnesota today confirm widespread academic fraud and other rule violations in the men's basketball program. U of M President Mark Yudof announced top administrators in men's athletics are leaving the University as a result of the probe.
November 19, 1999 - A judge in California has denied a series of motions to dismiss charges against accused Symbionese Liberation Army pipe bomb conspirator Sara Olson of St.Paul The court did agreed to postpone the trial, to her attornies more time to review evidence.