April 12, 1996 - Midday presents "Renewing the Social Contract,” a special three-hour program that looks at the issue of economic insecurity across the country as society moves into the information age.
April 15, 1996 - Many people say small government is better because its more accessible and can act quickly to solve problems, but local government has its own problems. Mark Steil of Mainstreet Radio highlights an example of that in the southern Minnesota town of Kasota, where quarrels with the city council and mayor might be every bit as nasty as those found in Washington D.C., turning neighbor against neighbor and leaving scars which can last years.
April 17, 1996 - Al Harris, Hennepin County prosecutor; and Loretta Fredricks, legal counsel for the Battered Women's Justice Project, discuss how the legal system works in domestic abuse cases. They also talk about statistics and definition of abuse. Harris and Fredricks also answer listener questions.
April 19, 1996 - Midday presents Delano Lewis, president of National Public Radio, speaking at Minnesota Meeting held at Hilton in downtown Minneapolis. Lewis’s address was titled “Open Access: Moving All America Into the Information Age.” He also discusses funding and preservation of public broadcasting. After speech, Lewis answers audience questions.
April 22, 1996 - Mainstreet Radio’s Mark Steil reports that some citizens in southeast Minnesota are upset the Department of Natural Resources has spent a million dollars to buy a farm bordering the Mississippi River. DNR officials counter the land is worth protecting, calling it a scenic treasure state residents will be able to enjoy forever.
April 23, 1996 - Midday presents a live broadcast from the National Press Club featuring Charles Lewis, executive director of the Center for Public Integrity. Lewis recently authored a report called "Under the Influence: The 1996 Presidential Candidates and Their Campaign Advisors."
April 25, 1996 - Midday presents a live broadcast of the Westminster Town Hall Forum, featuring author and Washington Post editorialist Juan Williams. Williams talks about the absence of the issue of race in presidential politics.
April 26, 1996 - Midday presents Rockin The Boat, a PRI documentary on South Africa's journey from apartheid to democracy. In 1994, South Africa held its first all-race multi-party elections, putting an end to decades of minority rule. This program traces South Africa's path through the apartheid years with the voices of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Johnny Clegg, and more.
May 1, 1996 - MPR’s Gar Eichten interviews U.S. Senator Rod Grams about raising gas taxes across the country and discussion of repeal of federal gas tax increase.
May 3, 1996 - Midday examines proposals to change the way campaign advertising is done with guests Dean Alger, political science professor and member of the Minnesota Compact Coalition; and Sarah Janecek, co-author of the newsletter "Politics in Minnesota."