May 21, 2007 - The 2007 Minnesota legislative session is grinding to a close. Lawmakers have less than seven hours to pass several budget bills before their Midnight deadline to adjourn. The DFL-controlled House and Senate are in the process of passing these bills ... even though legislative leaders and Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty have failed to reach an overall budget agreement. A spokesman for the governor says Pawlenty is reserving his right to veto the budget bills. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck has been following the day's events and joins us from the Capitol ... Tom, What's the latest? Well, this is a highly unusual conclusion to a legislative session. DFLers in control of the Legislature appear to be roping together a bundle of budget bills, passing them, and sending them to Governor Pawlenty with no assurance he will sign them into law. Usually by now the governor and legislative leaders have agreed on a budget blueprint or admit they're headed to a special session.
May 22, 2007 - The Minnesota History Center in St. Paul holds a reception tonight to celebrate a new exhibit and book featuring photographs of Ojibwe people in Minnesota. The author of "We Are at Home: Pictures of Ojibwe People" is historian Bruce White. His book explains that to truly understand a photo you need to know who took it and why. I asked White to select some of his favorite pictures from the book for us to talk about. The first one he chose was taken around 1900 in Grand Portage. It shows a woman in front of a tipi with a baby on her back.
May 24, 2007 - Former justice department official Monica Goodling testified before the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday, May 24, 2007. During questioning by Minnesota fifth district congressman Keith Ellison, Goodling said Justice officials worried former U.S. Attorney Tom Heffelfinger spent too much time on a panel dedicated to Native American affairs. Goodling's testimony was the first indication of why Heffelfinger appeared on a list of prosecutors Justice officials considered removing. Heffelfinger told the Associated Press Goodling's comments are the first indication he's received that the Justice Department had any dissatisfaction with his performance. He says his time devoted to Indian issues was warranted.
May 28, 2007 - It's been nearly a year since the new Guthrie Theater complex opened its doors on the banks of the Mississippi river. By some accounts the Guthrie has exceeded expectations in terms of its affect on the cultural life and the economy of downtown Minneapolis. It's also permanently altered the Twin Cities theater landscape. Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Roberts went out to measure the "Guthrie effect" on other theaters in town.
May 29, 2007 - Novelist Anoshi Irani says he still pines for India and in particular Bombay, where he grew up. But he also says he knows he can't write about his homeland while he's there, because it's just too close. He now spends most of his time in Vancouver. The Minneapolis-based press Milkweed Editions has just published his new novel, "The Song of Kahunsha." The book follows two little boys living on the streets of Bombay when the huge Indian city is torn apart by religious violence.
May 30, 2007 - St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman is criticizing Governor Tim Pawlenty's plans to veto a tax bill that includes millions of dollars in funding for St. Paul and many other Minnesota cities. Coleman says the governor won't have to face any of the tough decisions his veto will force city officials to confront, such as laying off police officers. But the Governor has not waivered from his pledge to veto the bill. Minnesota Public Radio's Marisa Helms reports.
June 1, 2007 - MPR’s Chris Roberts reports on "The Mad Ripple Friday Night Hootenanny" at Java Jack's. The event is thrown together by writer and singer/songwriter Jim Walsh, who's stage name is the Mad Ripple. Each week Walsh presents a handful of musicians, usually local, some of them rookies and some established. The artists take turns trading stories and songs, mostly originals.
June 4, 2007 - Governor Tim Pawlenty analyzes the 2007 Minnesota legislative session with Midday’s Gary Eichten. Pawlenty faced large DFL majorities in both houses of the Legislature this session, but with the help of his veto pen and a united Republican caucus, he held his ground on a number of fronts, including blocking several tax increases.
June 5, 2007 - MPR’s Toni Randolph reports on viewpoints in Hmong community about General Vang Pao and the support for him after his U.S. arrest. While he has been in the United States for about 30 years, and no longer a military leader, he's still an important figure in Hmong history in America.
June 6, 2007 - This morning we have another installment in our series, "The Bookshelf," in which we ask notable Minnesotans to tell us about a book that's been meaningful in their lives. St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman came in to our studio to tell us about books important to him.