March 8, 2001 - INTRO-- An exhibit showcasing the art of Yoko Ono opens this weekend at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. Ono, who is best known for her marriage to John Lennon, has pushed the boundaries of art during her 40-year career. The Walker exhibit features more than 150 pieces of her work, including many she did in collaboration with Lennon. Barbara Haskell is a curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, and co-author of a book about Yoko Ono's work. Haskell says Ono began in the early 1960s with performance art, which was cutting edge at the time.
March 5, 2001 - That's Minnesota Public Radio's Chief Economics Correspondent Chris Farrell. You can hear more from Chris today at 9:00 on Mid-morning.
February 27, 2001 - A new revenue forecast is due to be released tomorrow. Once lawmakers see that forecast, they'll have a better idea of how much money is available for state spending. One of the things that Governor Ventura would to allocate money for is improvements to the Governor's mansion on Summit Avenue in St. Paul. In his bonding bill, the governor is asking for four million dollars to fix up the residence. I visited the 90-year-old mansion with Residence Manager Dan Creed, to see what needs to be done. Creed says Ventura isn't the first governor to ask for money to fix up the place... and some of the needed repairs go back many years.
February 15, 2001 - Singer Stephen Salters sings songs that represent African American heritage.
February 2, 2001 - MPR's Morning Edition, Friday, Feb 2, 2001 Topic Groundhog Day Today, February 2nd, marks another Groundhog Day or Candlemas Day, the half way point of winter, and in 1996 the coldest day in Minnesota history, setting a state record of -60 degrees F
January 23, 2001 - And while the governor is preparing his budget, he's also getting ready for another job. Ventura will be the color commentator for the XFL, which gets underway in early February. The Extreme Football League is a new concept in football that is the brainchild of pro-wrestling businessman Vince McMahon. And Ventura isn't Minnesota's ONLY connection to the league. Alex Hass (h-ASS) is from St. Peter, and went to the University of Minnesota. He's trying out for the Birmingham Bolts as a tight end-- and he says he was immediately interested when he heard about the XFL.
January 23, 2001 - Parts of Northern California may be hit with more blackouts this morning as officials scrounge for electricity. Efforts continue to find a long-term solution to the problem. A proposal crafted over the weekend would allow the state to take over hydro-electric facilities, currently owned by cash-strapped utilities. California's energy crisis is the result of both deregulation and an energy shortage. Linda Taylor is the Deputy Commissioner for Energy at the Minnesota Department of Commerce. She says we shouldn't see anything like the California crisis here in Minnesota-- but we ARE facing a shortage of our own.
January 22, 2001 - Public Television is airing a ten-part series this month on the history of jazz. The eighteen-hour documentary was produced by Ken Burns, who is known for his documentaries on the Civil War and baseball. The series follows jazz from its birth at the dawn of the twentieth century, incorporating significant historical events that influenced the music. Leigh Kamman hosts Minnesota Public Radio's "The Jazz Image," and he came by the studio to talk about the series. He's been watching, and says jazz is a complicated subject.
January 17, 2001 - MPR’s sports commentator Jay Weiner reflects on the early days of Kirby Puckett after the announcement that St. Paul native Dave Winfield and the Minnesota Twins legend Puckett were elected to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame Hall in their first year of eligibility.
January 12, 2001 - From Mark Seeley Re Suggestions for MPR's Morning Edition, Friday, Jan 12, 2001 Topic Seasonal Snowfall Accumulation Slowing Thankfully, the frequency of snowfall has slowed considerably this month over last. Many communities reported that snow removal budgets were depleted rapidly, stocks of salt and sand were running out and roof ice dam damages were building up during December. Both the Twin Cities and Rochester reported over 30 inches