May 7, 2001 - Tibetans are excited for the Dalai Lama's visit to Minnesota.
May 7, 2001 - FOR MONDAY MORN Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton suffered a major defeat at the Minneapolis DFL convention over the weekend. Sayles Belton was the favorite going into the convention for the party's endorsement in her bid for a third term. Instead delegates adjourned without endorsing anyone for the city's top elected post. Minnesota Public Radio's Art Hughes reports.
April 25, 2001 - MPR’s Art Hughes reports on first public forum of three mayoral candidates. Affordable housing, downtown development and policing issues are among the main topics debated by the three candidates for Minneapolis mayor who are vying for the DFL endorsement. Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton debated challengers Lisa McDonald, Minneapolis City Council member; and R.T. Rybak, community activist/internet consultant.
April 11, 2001 - The Mississippi River is among more than a dozen waterways on an environmental group's list of the nation's most endangered rivers released today (Wednesday). Washington D-C based American Rivers ranks the Mississippi as the sixth most threatened river in the country. Environmentalists in Minnesota say the threats posed to the Mississippi are also helping exacerbate flooding. Minnesota Public Radio's Art Hughes reports.
March 29, 2001 - The 2000 Census shows the Twin Cities gained population in the past ten years. It's the first significant population rate increase for Minneapolis and St. Paul in decades. At the same time, the census indicates much larger increases in the suburban counties around the Twin Cities. In addition, many smaller cities saw dramatic increases. The census also documents Minnesota's growing diversity, with strong gains among ethnic Hispanics, Asians, African Americans and American Indians. Minnesota Public Radio's Art Hughes reports.
March 29, 2001 - MPR’s Art Hughes reports on 2000 U.S. Census data that shows people of Asian decent now outnumber African Americans in St. Paul. Nearly nine percent of Ramsey County's population is Asian. Many of the counties surrounding the Twin Cities also had significant growth in Asian populations in the past decade.
March 28, 2001 - The US census bureau released information on Minnesota's population and racial make-up today (Wednesday). Minority populations---particularly Hispanics---are growing. The 2000 census figures show the number of people indentifying themselves as Hispanic grew more than two and a half times in the past ten years. The census also shows growth in MInneapolis and St. Paul, but the growth was far outpaced by increases in the surrounding suburbs. Minnesota Public Radio's Art Hughes reports.
March 26, 2001 - FOR MONDAY MORNING The U-S census bureau will release the first set of data for Minnesota this week. The census is expected to reflect significant increases in many minority populations. States bordering Minnesota and many others report substantial gains among Hispanics and Asians. Many groups in Minnesota are encouraged by the efforts to count minority populations, but they say the process has a long way to go. Minnesota Public Radio's Art Hughes reports. (scene: music, noise)
March 20, 2001 - When the Minnesota Twins last made a major push for a new ballpark, team officials argued they needed the facility to make them financially competitive with the rest of the league. In the four years since that effort failed at the Legislature, player salaries have risen so high that the team now concedes that revenue from a new ballpark alone won't balance their books. That concession is reflected in a ballpark bill announced yesterday that would require a panel of judges to rule on whether Major League Baseball fixes such problems sufficiently to make a new stadium viable. Minnesota Public Radio's Art Hughes looks at the advisability of such a plan.
March 19, 2001 - Legislators announcing a Twins stadium at the Capitol today (MONDAY) promise no public money would go into the 300-million dollar proposal. Even so, opponents are already lining up, objecting to a substantial state loan that wouldn't require the team to pay interest. The plan also lifts the sales tax burden for all businesses in and around the park. Minnesota Public Radio's Art Hughes reports.