March 20, 2006 - MPR’s Toni Randolph reports on a bill making its way through the state Senate that would allow recognition of Hmong cultural marriages by the state of Minnesota. The measure would give the negotiators between families in Hmong cultural weddings the authority to perform legal marriages, but the bill is getting resistance from some Hmong leaders.
March 23, 2006 - MPR’s Tim Pugmire reports on a "People of Faith” rally at the Minnesota State Capital, where opponents of a proposed constitutional amendment to define marriage as between one man and one woman gathered at the state Capitol.
March 24, 2006 - All Things Considered’s Tom Crann interviews Scott Coooper, a lobbyist for OutFront Minnesota -- an advocacy organization for the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community. Cooper says amendment would cut off discussion on gay marriage issue.
April 4, 2006 - MPR’s Tom Scheck reports that a committee in the Minnesota Senate has rejected a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage and its legal equivalents in Minnesota.
April 18, 2006 - All Things Considered’s Tom Crann talks with Jacob Reitan, director of the Soul Force Equality Ride; and Jay Barnes, Bethel University's Provost, about a visit of the cross-country bus tour by gay-rights activists to Bethel University.
April 28, 2006 - MPR's Marisa Helms reports on Neighborhood House, a St. Paul community center providing services for the growing numbers of immigrants and refugees in the metro area. Neighborhood House is celebrating the grand opening of its new building in St. Paul, which is named after Paul and Sheila Wellstone.
May 19, 2006 - MPR’s Brandt Williams reports on the opening of new Minneapolis Central Library. Visitors to the five story, 365,000 square foot building will likely first notice its eye-grabbing architecture - complete with a 90-ton structure that looks like an airplane wing resting on top. Inside patrons will have access to more than three million books and other reference materials as well as an art gallery, nearly 300 public computers and special sections for young library people and immigrants.
May 29, 2006 - MPR's Brandt Williams reports on Girls in Action, a new mentoring program at North High School in Minneapolis. Administrators say they've seen improvements in the grades and attendance in the young women. They also say fights and other behavior problems among girls at the school in general have decreased.
June 12, 2006 - MPR’s Marisa Helms reports on the increasing importance and interest for Spanish langauge radio in the Twin Cities. Two 24-hour stations are going head to head for listeners…Radio Rey and La Invasora.
June 15, 2006 - The recent opening of the Minneapolis Public Library drew a lot of attention to the new look of libraries, with state of the art technology, cafes and comfy chairs. But libraries aren't just changing physically. MPR's Marianne Combs reports on how libraries are becoming less about books, and more about people.