November 6, 2001 - Midday talks with guest Gov. Jesse Ventura who talks to talk about issues including the Twins, stadiums, the war and tax rebates. Listeners call in with questions.
November 7, 2001 - MPR’s Cathy Wurzer interview Wy Spano, co-editor of the newsletter Politics in Minnesota, about recent Minneapolis elections, and the big changes it represents. Minneapolis and St. Paul have both elected a new mayor. State Senator Randy Kelly apparently won the St. Paul mayor's race by about 400 votes. Unofficial results from all 119 precincts show Kelly beating St. Paul City Council member Jay Benanav. In Minneapolis, internet consultant R.T. Rybak overwhelmingly defeated Sayles Belton, even though the incumbent outspent her challenger three-to-one. In a surprise upset, one of Sayles Belton's staunchest allies on the city council, Jackie Cherryhomes, was also defeated. In total, when the city council meets in January, it will have seven new members.
November 7, 2001 - MPR’s Art Hughes reports on how Minneapolis voters overwhelmingly picked challenger R.T. Rybak for mayor of Minneapolis. Rybak beat two-term incumbent Sharon Sayles Belton in mayoral election with 65 percent of the vote. He leads a pack of new faces on the city council that signals a significant change of direction. Hughes summarizes the two campaigns and outcome.
November 7, 2001 - MPR’s Michael Khoo reports on political debate over Major League Baseball’s potential owner vote to contract two teams from the league…one being the Minnesota Twins.
November 7, 2001 - Minneapolis Mayor-elect R.T. Rybak got started on his move to City Hall, a day after trouncing incumbent Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton. Rybak announced the first two people who will head his administration's transition team, with an initial focus of affordable housing.
November 7, 2001 - MPR’s Dan Olson takes a look at the eight year tenure of Sharon Sayles Belton, outgoing mayor Minneapolis. Highlighted accomplishments include crime reduction campaigns, downtown development, budget challenges, curtailing housing discrimination, community schools, and rise in property values.
November 14, 2001 - On this special edition of Midday, Gary Eichten hosts and moderates MPR's Color of Justice Forum, held at the Sabathani Community Center in Minneapolis. Panelists include St. Paul Police Chief Bill Finney, DFL State Senator Jane Ranum, Republican State Representative and Minneapolis Police Inspector Rich Stanek, Hennepin County Judge Tanya Bransford, Hennepin County Public Defender Leonardo Castro, and Minnesota Corrections Commissioner Sheryl Ramstad-Hvass.
November 14, 2001 - Since September 11-th, the U.S. economy has weakened. Layoffs and job cutbacks hit Hispanic workers especially hard. That's because so many immigrants work in the industries most affected -- food service, hotels and airports. The Hispanic population has been growing dramatically in Minnesota. But with layoffs and other scares like anthrax, some Hispanic immigrants are going home. Minnesota Public Radio's Mary Stucky teamed with a reporter form the newspaper El Norte in Monterrey, Mexico and filed this report. __________________
November 14, 2001 -
November 15, 2001 - A collection of reports from the MPR special series "The Color of Justice," which investigates the racial disparity in Minnesota’s criminal justice system. This Midday program includes reports by MPR’s Dan Olson, Brandt Williams, and Elizabeth Stawicki, as well as various interviews and commentary of officials, academics, and community members.