June 8, 2009 - Author Jane Hamilton is best known for books that depict tragedy and human frailty. She departs from that formula in her new novel, "Laura Rider's Masterpiece," a dark comedy about a bored wife with literary aspirations and her attempts to create art from life.
June 11, 2009 - The Orange Mighty Trio plays their own special brand of “hybrid” chamber music. MPR’s Dale Connelly interviews members of the group about their music style and writing process.
June 18, 2009 - Hard economic times put pressure on many parents hoping to save money to help their kids pay for college. The trends of parents saving or not for their children’s are mixed in Minnesota.
June 19, 2009 - As friends and colleagues mark the 25th anniversary of Joan Growe's 19-ballot DFL endorsement for the U.S. Senate in 1984, Growe joins Midday to talk about her career in politics. Growe also answers listener questions.
June 22, 2009 - MPR’s Bob Kelleher reports that unmarried couples can register as domestic partners in the city of Duluth. The city's official acknowledgement could help some couples qualify for benefits like health insurance that employers typically offer married couples. Duluth becomes the second Minnesota city to recognize domestic partnerships.
June 22, 2009 - MPR’s Toni Randolph profiles individuals from the last wave of Hmong refugees to the Twin Cities. Five years after their arrival in 2004, about 5,000 new Hmong residents have made their homes here. Life for them is very different from what it was in the refugee camp in Thailand. For some, the change has been very good, and for others it's been very challenging.
June 23, 2009 - Over the next year Twin Cities Theaters will present three plays by David Henry Hwang, perhaps best known for his show "M Butterfly." Euan Kerr reports the first work will give audiences a new look at the Asian American experience.
June 23, 2009 - The summer tourism season is upon us, and while the land of 10,000 Lakes has a lot to offer, commentator Peter Smith files this report from points west.
June 24, 2009 - Thomas Friedman speaks about crowded planet.Pulitzer Prize-winning author, and Minnesota native, Thomas Friedman spoke at St. Paul RiverCentre about the big issues facing an interconnected global population, and the ways America can lead a green revolution in the 21st century.
June 26, 2009 - MPR’s Kerri Miller meets with career counselor Lindsey Pollak and CollegeRecruiter.com founder Steven Rothberg to talk about the struggle recent college graduates are facing with entering into the job market.