October 24, 2005 - Midmorning host Kerri Miller talks with author Joan Didion about grieving and memory. Joan Didion, author of "The Year of Magical Thinking." Didion has written five novels and seven previous books of nonfiction.
October 25, 2005 - MPR’s Chris Roberts talks with Minneapolis trumpeter Charles Lazarus. The 36-year-old plays trumpet for the Minnesota Orchestra, but for Lazarus, the orchestral repertoire isn't the only music that matters. With the CD release of “Solo Settings,” he displays a stylistic range that extends well beyond the classical canon.
October 26, 2005 - A new play that makes its regional debut in the Twin Cities later this week examines the War in Iraq, the Patriot Act, and the political strategies of the Bush administration. The play is called "The God of Hell" and is done by playwright Sam Shepard. It looks at what could happen if those in power became a little too comfortable.
October 28, 2005 - MPR’s Tom Scheck summary report on MPR Minneapolis mayoral debate. With less than two weeks before the November 8th election, the two candidates running for mayor of Minneapolis are having some heated exchanges over who's better prepared to lead the city. Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin sparred in a debate sponsored by Minnesota Public Radio. They discussed issues of crime, city finances, and smoking bans.
October 31, 2005 - MPR’s Tom Scheck reports that a University of Minnesota poll shows Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak leading Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin by nine percentage points in the race for mayor of Minneapolis. Rybak's lead is greater than the poll's margin of error of plus or minus five percentage points. Rybak says the survey proves he's the best candidate to lead the city over the next four years. But McLaughlin says he's encouraged that the mayor has support from less than a majority of those polled.
November 1, 2005 - The death of civil rights icon Rosa Parks has reminded America of the racism in its not-so-distant past. During the days of the Jim Crow South, Minnesota was thought of as an island of tolerance…Was it? Midday’s Gary Eichten talks with W. Harry Davis and Janabelle Taylor, two well-known Black community figures in the Twin Cities.
November 2, 2005 - The Steelworkers Union will support Attorney General Mike Hatch in his race for governor, and Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar in her run for U.S. Senate. Both candidates were in Duluth to accept the endorsements. Amy Klobuchar's family is from the Iron Range; her grandfather worked in the mines. She says the Steelworkers' endorsement carries weight throughout the state.
November 2, 2005 - The Steelworkers Union is backing Attorney General Mike Hatch in his race for governor, and Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar in her run for U.S. Senate.
November 2, 2005 - MPR’s Tom Scheck reports on political spending in last week of Minneapolis mayoral race. With less than a week to go before voters elect the next mayor of Minneapolis, incumbent Mayor R.T. Rybak is leading Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin in fundraising. Rybak has raised nearly three hundred & thirty thousand dollars, thirty-six thousand more than his challenger. McLaughlin... who's also trailing in the polls... is spending his money on television ads that will run between now and election day.
November 7, 2005 - Governor Pawlenty will leave for China, on a trade mission designed to help Minnesota companies take advantage of China's growing economy. More than 200 people will accompany the governor to the world's most populous nation. That's a much larger state delegation than the one Govenor Ventura spearheaded to China a few years ago. In fact, state officials say the majority of those companies on the six-day trip have had no experience in China, but hope to establish relations. Right now, China is Minnesota's 4th largest trading partner. One of the people making the trip with the governor is Charlie Cole, director of International Sales for American Polywater Corporation, which is based in Stillwater. He joins us now.