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.
June 21, 2004 - MPR’s Tom Scheck reports that the first group of Hmong from a refugee camp in Thailand are scheduled to arrive in Minnesota. They are among a group of 15,000 Hmong refugees expected to arrive in the U.S. by the end of 2004. A third of them are expected to settle in St. Paul.
June 25, 2004 - MPR’s Toni Randolph reports that the Hmong refugees who arrived in the Twin Cities earlier in week have begun enrolling their children in school. Seven children were among the 11 refugees who arrived on Monday. Their father brought two of them to the student placement center for the St. Paul public schools to begin the process.
July 6, 2004 - MPR's Jeff Horwich looks at the employment scene awaiting the state's new job seekers. After the struggles in a refugee camp and a 8,000-mile trip from Thailand, this wave of Hmong refugees will find a tight job market and a challenging U.S. economy.
July 13, 2004 - Expectations have always been high for Joe Mauer. Long before the Twins chose the St. Paul native as their top draft pick in 2001, Mauer was considered a sports phenom. If his rookie season is any indication, the Minnesota Twins catcher will be rubbing elbows with the league's other top talents in a not-too-distant All-Star game.
July 28, 2004 - Mainstreet Radio's Mark Steil profiles Harry Yang, a Hmong immigrant who decided to leave Twin Cities for Walnut Grove and Southwest Minnesota, home of "Little House on the Prairie." Yang says he finds more freedom and peace of mind here, though challenges remain.
August 6, 2004 - Mainstreet Radio's Erin Galbally reports on former pro wrestler Brock Lesnar as he participates in try-outs for the Minnesota Vikings. Lesnar wants to be a pro football player. The only problem is he hasn't played since high school.
August 25, 2004 - Mainstreet Radio's Cara Hetland reports on Ralph Nader’s visit to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. In a speech, Nader says the only way to change government is to get involved. He talked for more than two hours criticizing corporate greed, the Bush administration, and the war in Iraq. Nader says historically the nation's best laws have been a reaction to citizen outrage.
August 26, 2004 - Mainstreet Radio’s Bob Reha reports that while schools aren't open yet, report cards are being released nonetheless. The reports won't go to students, but to their schools.
September 8, 2004 - In this episode of Future Tense, reporter Jon Gordon takes a look at Vocaloid, a music software that synthesizes human voice to produce musical results.
September 15, 2004 - Seth Binau, a forecaster with the National Weather Service, breaks down the flood warnings and rainfall totals in south-central Minnesota. Biau also describes the makeup of front that brought about torrential rain.