November 20, 1990 - John Chubb, senior fellow in government studies at the Brookings Institution; Robert Maddox, the executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State; Nelson Smith of the U.S. Department of Education; and Ray Marshall, former Secretary of Labor in the Carter Administration and now a Professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, speaking at an education reform conference sponsored by The Center of the American Experiment. The group provide varying views about education reform. Chubb has written a new book called "Politics, Markets and American Schools", and argued that our system of public education is so dysfunctional that we need to start all over again. Maddox is part of group that opposes using vouchers as a tool for school reform, and that taxpayers should not be required to support specific religious values and beliefs as they are conveyed through parochial schools. Marshall stated the future of our country depends on what we do to improve education for minority students and argued that the U.S. will only be able to compete internationally if we make sure that all our children are well educated. Smith discussed social problems such as fatherless households, drugs and poverty that some people think prevent the public-school system from meeting the educational needs of all children.
November 27, 1990 - Martin Sampson, of the University of Minnesota Political Science Department and International Relations Program; and Noha Ismail, member of Middle East Peace Now and Women Against Military Madness; discuss the events in the Persian Gulf. Topics include the U.N. resolution regarding Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, and chemical weapons. Sampson and Ismail also answer listener questions.
November 28, 1990 - Minnesota Governor Al Quie talks about the state budget woes and how that impacted his 1990 election gubernatorial loss.
November 30, 1990 - Alan Greenspan, chairman of the Federal Reserve System, speaking at Minnesota Meeting. Greenspan’s address was on the topic "Economic Implications of the Mideast Crisis". After speech, Greenspan answered audience questions. Gary Stern, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, introduced Greenspan. Minnesota Meeting is a non-profit corporation which hosts a wide range of public speakers. It is managed by the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota.
December 3, 1990 - MPR’s Catherine Winter interviews retired Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court Peter Popovich, and new Chief Justice Alexander MacDonald "Sandy" Keith. In Popovich interview, topics of the mandatory retirement age of 70 for justices, politics, and the future direction of the Minnesota Supreme Court are discussed. In Keith interview, topics of his unsuccessful run for governor, administrative practices, disproportion of minority incarceration, and the potential future of court are discussed. Following interviews, program presents Keith speaking to a meeting of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
December 7, 1990 - Sharon Sayles Belton, mayor of Minneapolis, expresses her thoughts on recent shooting tragedies in Minneapolis. One, the shooting of 17-year-old Tycel Nelson by Minneapolis police; and two, multiple gang shootings of youth in the city.
December 14, 1990 - MPR’s Dan Olson reports on Governor-elect Arne Carlson’s visit to University of Minnesota Regents meeting. Carlson speaks on options and funding in higher education.
December 20, 1990 - Walter Mondale reflects on Karl Fritjof Rolvaag, Minnesota’s 31st governor of Minnesota, with MPR’s Gary Eichten. Rolvaag passed away on December 20, 1990.
December 31, 1990 - MPR Journal’s Gary Eichten interviews U.S. Senator Dave Durenberger about the discussion of war in the Persian Gulf. Durenberger see the possibility of talking before war commences.
January 1, 1991 - MPR’s Catherine Winter reports on Minnesota Civil Liberties Union call for expanding Human Rights Act by including gay rights. Winter gets opposing views on subject from William Roath, executive director of Minnesota Civil Liberties Union; and Tom Prichard, executive director of Berean League.