As a decades long staple to the listening audience, Morning Edition combines a host program in St. Paul and NPR hosts in Washington and Los Angeles, bringing news from overnight and information throughout the state and world. Programming includes reports and interviews.
October 14, 2002 - Morning Edition’s Cathy Wurzer speaks with Star Tribune’s LaVelle Neal about the Minnesota Twins season ending loss to the Anaheim Angels in American League Championship Series. The Angels won the series, 4–1.
October 21, 2002 - As part of a series on special education, MPR’s Tim Pugmire reports on impact of Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) on many disabled children and the increasing costs.
October 22, 2002 - As part of a series on special education, MPR’s Tim Pugmire profiles fourth grader Sam Graves, who has cerebral palsy and participant of the IDEA mandate.
November 6, 2002 - MPR’s Michael Khoo breaks down the numbers of 2002’ election results. Republican House Majority Leader Tim Pawlenty won his bid to be Minnesota's next governor. With 96% of precincts reporting, unofficial returns show Pawlenty leading DFL rival Roger Moe 45% to 36%. Independence Party candidate Tim Penny was trailing a distant third with 16% of the vote. The Green Party's Ken Pentel finished with just over 2%.
November 6, 2002 - Morning Edition’s Cathy Wurzer talks with political reporter Mark Zdechlik as voting results come in showing Minnesotans have apparently sent Republican Norm Coleman to the U.S. Senate, rejecting calls to honor Sen. Paul Wellstone's memory by putting Democrat Walter Mondale in his seat.
November 6, 2002 - Morning Edition’s Cathy Wurzer talks with Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer about dealing with absentee ballots and polling places being swamped by a higher than expected turnout.
November 21, 2002 - In the two weeks after Halloween, three college men disappeared - Christopher Jenkins from Minneapolis; Josh Guimond from Collegeville; and Michael Noll of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Around the same time, Erika Dalquist, a 21-year-old woman in Brainerd, failed to show up for work, and has not been seen since. Despite constant media exposure and massive search efforts, all four are still missing, and authorities are still waiting for the one tip or stroke of luck that might yield some answers. If the cases are linked, a break in one might solve them all. But at this point it seems just as likely all four are only connected by a tragic coincidence.
December 2, 2002 - MPR's William Wilcoxen reports on how a trial can be affected by the fame of the defendant. Kirby Puckett faces a February 2003 trial on charges that he dragged a woman into a restaurant bathroom and groped her there. The trial will draw public scrutiny mostly because of Puckett's celebrity status as a Hall of Fame baseball player.
December 10, 2002 - MPR’s Cathy Wurzer interviews W. Harry Davis, prominent local civil rights activist and educator, about his autobiography, entitled "Overcoming." In it, he describes growing up in poverty, helping found the Minneapolis Urban Coalition, running a local Golden Gloves Boxing organization and serving on the Minneapolis School Board for 20 years.
December 16, 2002 - MPR’s Michael Khoo presents highlights of four years with Governor Jesse Ventura, and Minnesota's brief experiment with three-party government.