March 4, 2002 - President Bush traveled to Eden Prairie High School today to push his latest education reform proposals. The president praised the role of teachers, urged volunteerism and reflected on the nation's war against terrorism. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire is at Eden Prairie High School and joins us now.
January 18, 2002 - OLSON 01802 (For Fri ATC) A Los Angeles judge sentenced former Symbionese Liberation Army member Sara Jane Olson to 20-years to life in prison today for the attempted bombing of two L-A-P-D cars in 1975. The sentence comes two-and-a-half years after she was arrested in St. Paul, Minnesota, and two months after she pleaded guilty. In testimony before the sentence was handed down, friends and family offered conflicting views of Olson, who still faces murder charges in a separate S-L-A case in Sacramento. Frank Stoltze from our sister station KPCC in Los Angeles was at the sentencing and join us live now.
January 16, 2002 - The parent company of Minnetonka-based Fingerhut says it is preparing to shut down the catalog retailer. Federated Department Stores says Fingerhut could stay open if a buyer could be found, but Federated doesn't expect to find anyone willing to buy the operation. Fingerhut employs 47-hundred in Minnesota. Minnesota Public Radio's Bill Catlin is with me in the studio with more on this story. Federated paid about one point 7 billion dollars for Fingerhut in march of 1999. That was when dot-coms were hot and e-commerce still held lots of promise. Fingerhut had e-commerce expertise and a big order fulfillment operation and was considered a desirable property. But e-commerce has largely been a washout and Fingerhut became a drain on its parent company. Federated, by the way runs the Bloomingdales and Macy's chains. Spokeswoman cArol Sanger says there's nothing in particular that went wrong with Fingerhut. SANGER 1 9453 profitability there. Fingerhut has nearly 27 hundred workers in St. Cloud. Most of the rest are in the twin cities area, including the Minnetonka headquarters, which employs about 700. Fingerhut has laid off hundreds of Fingerhut workers in the past as problems arose. Spokeswoman Sanger says Federated has taken a big hit with the failed merger, and says Fingerhut is not profitable.
January 10, 2002 - A tri-partisan task force has endorsed the general principle of helping the Vikings and Twins construct new stadiums. If the teams finance rather than fund their stadiums, it would protect them. Funding comes from the government and financing comes from grants and loans from private companies.
November 27, 2001 - Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig says baseball's owners departed their meeting in Chicago this afternoon and did little on contraction. Selig says both he and the owners still plan to eliminate two teams before next season. The Twins are widely considered a top prospect for elimination. But Selig acknowledges there may be obstacles along the way. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck is in Chicago. Tom, did Selig say anything about the fate of the Twins? -said very little, didn't identify teams -legal obstacles were expected Congress today scheduled hearings on baseball's antitrust exemption for next week. Did Selig say anything about those hearings? -will testify -will open baseball's books -owners lost money
October 12, 2001 - State negotiators and union leaders are back at the bargaining table today. Formal talks resumed yesterday for the first time since negotiations broke off late last month. There's no word yet of a significant breakthrough, but union leaders say they're guardedly optimistic. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo has been monitoring negotiations in Arden Hillsand is on the line with us now: How have things progressed since yesterday? -talks continuing -no concrete proposals
October 11, 2001 - State officials and leaders of the state's two largest employee unions returned to the bargaining table this afternoon. So far there have been no face-to-face meetings, but union members say they're cautiously optimistic they can make progress. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo joins us from the hotel in Arden Hills where the talks are taking place. QQQ: Michael, what do we know from the first few hours? -moving slowly -mediator moving back and forth -no new proposals ****MAPE's Deb Schadegg says they'll be here as long as necessary:
June 27, 2001 - State lawmakers edged closer today to finishing work on a new two-year budget. The Senate passed two funding bills today, and the House is expected to consider at least one this evening. The long-debated tax bill, however, will have to wait until tomorrow. Negotiators finished work on the bill, but not in enough time to get it to the House floor for this evening session. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo has been following events and is on the line with us now.
December 15, 2000 -
November 14, 2000 - Germany's efforts to repay the victims of Nazi atrocities was of particular interest to a group of African American Minnesotans who gathered this morning at Lucille's Kitchen in north Minneapolis. The trans-atlantic conversation followed a spirited forum held at the restaurant on the U-S movement for slavery reparations. The video conference discussion allowed participants in both countries to tell each other why they feel the United States and Germany must not only face their troubled pasts, but make reparations to those who are wronged. Minnesota Public Radio's Brandt Williams moderated the German end of the discussion and has this report from Berlin.