March 19, 1999 - The Academy Awards ceremony takes place this weekend, and Governor Jesse Ventura is heading to hollywood to lure more movie production to Minnesota. Minnesota landscapes and crew members have played a supporting role in a number of successful hollywood productions, and Jack Nicholson and Sean Penn recently met with the governor as part of a scouting trip to Minnesota. But some of the 5 thousand people who work in the industry here say Minnesota's film business is in a downward spiral.
February 25, 1999 - The hearing into fraud allegations against Piper Jaffray took up some of the central charges in a Minneapolis courtroom yesterday. The Securities and Exchange Commission is accusing Piper and several employees of artificially propping up the price of a fund whose value was sinking because of derivative securities.
February 17, 1999 - The government's fraud case against Piper Jaffray got underway in a Minneapolis court room yesterday. The securities and Exchange commission is suing Piper and 5 current or former employees for their handling of a mutual fund whose value plunged because of investments in derivative securities.
February 11, 1999 - Federated Department stores, the company that operates Bloomingdales, Macy's and other retailers is buying Minnesotaetonka based Fingerhut. The transaction is the latest evidence of the internet's affect on Minnesota's retailing industry. Fingerhut is the nation's number 2 catalog retailer after JC Penney, and sells products ranging from clothing to appliances. The deal is valued at 1-point-7 billion dollars.
January 29, 1999 - The St. Paul companies today reported its profits for 1998 declined 93 percent compared to the year before. The company's bottom line was victim to fierce industry competition and heavy losses from catastrophic storm damage.
January 25, 1999 - Twin cities based 3M today reported 4th quarter and year end profits that represented a decline from last year's results. Even so, the profits were better than Wall Street analysts expected, and 3M's stock closed up 5 percent after trading even higher during the day.
January 15, 1999 - Sun Country Airlines says it will go head to head with Northwest Airlines. Sun Country plans to offer low-fare, daily non-stop service in June to ten popular destinations. Sun Country is tiny compared to Northwest, the dominant airline in the Twin Cities market. But their announcement follows a year in which Northwest's dominance has been broadly criticized, and government regulators have stepped up their scrutiny of competitive practices in the twin cities air travel market.
January 7, 1999 - The St. Paul companies this week announced it has filled its number two job. James Gustafson takes over as president and chief operating officer of the largest private employer in downtown St. Paul. He arrives after a tough year for the state's oldest corporation. The large property and liability insurer has been buffeted by bad weather and brutal competition in the insurance industry.
December 24, 1998 - FADE IN CROWD SFX # 6122 (AUDIO IS HOT!) More than 2 thousand people waited for hours in long lines to pick up Christmas toys and clothes at Sharing and Caring Hands in Minneapolis. The doors opened at 8, but some had been waiting outside since the wee hours of the morning. There were as many as 100 thousand toys on hand, including dolls, basketballs, skateboards and street-hockey sticks. Volunteers picked out gifts, based on a child's age and gender, and handed them over in black plastic bags. Minnesota Public Radio's Bill Catlin prepared this snapshot of a charitable program that organizers say keeps getting bigger every year. --------------------------------------------------------- | D-CART ITEM: 6120 | TIME: 2:19 plus :05 sfx (fades) | OUTCUE: "... thank you." ---------------------------------------------------------
November 27, 1998 - FOR FRIDAY M.E. Retailers are anticipating what one industry group says is an extremely positive picture for holiday sales. Today, of course, is traditionally the busiest shopping day of the year. For retailers it's the start of the all-important christmas shopping season. Minnesota Pubic Radio's Bill Catlin reports. SFX, INTERIOR HUBBUB Just before opening time earlier this week, a crowd of shoppers quickly swells to fill a hallway at one entrance to t