September 9, 2009 - Tonight at 7:00, President Obama will address a joint session of Congress about his health care reform proposal. Obama is promising to offer more details about his vision for overhauling the $2.5 trillion U.S. healthcare system. Minnesota Public Radio News will provide live coverage of the address. One of the people who will be in the audience tonight in Washington is Jeffrey Korsmo, the Executive Director of the Mayo Clinic Health Policy Center. He was invited to attend the speech by DFL Congressman Tim Walz. Korsmo says he's eager to hear more about Obama's plan. That is Jeffrey Korsmo, Executive Director of the Mayo Clinic Health Policy Center. He will be in the Capitol tonight when President Obama makes his health care reform speech.
September 26, 2009 - More than a thousand people rallied last night at a Minneapolis town hall meeting hosted by Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann and Texas Congressman Ron Paul. reporter Jess Mador has more.
September 29, 2009 - America faces difficult choice in Afghanistan, to send more troops there or not. The U.S. has been in Afghanistan nearly eight years, and yet the situation there is increasingly unstable. With debate brewing over further troop increase, Midday’s Gary Eichten talks with U.S. Representative Tim Walz about the path that lies ahead. Walz also answers listener questions.
October 1, 2009 - Julian Bond, chairman of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and a civil rights activist, reflects on the state of the civil rights movement now that a black man is president of the United States. Bond also answers listener questions.
October 9, 2009 - On this Midmorning program, host Kerri Miller gets reaction from various individuals on the announcement of President Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize.
October 16, 2009 - Thirty-three thousand of the poorest Minnesotans may lose state health coverage sooner than expected. Earlier this year, Governor Tim Pawlenty cut the General Assistance Medical Care program, which provides coverage for adults without dependents who don't qualify for other healthcare assistance. The program was originally projected to end in March. But now estimates show funding may not last that long. Rupa Shenoy reports that has advocates scrambling to find another option.
October 16, 2009 - Negotiations continue in Washington on how to craft legislation that reforms health care and has enough support to pass. Earlier this week, a reform bill passed out of the Senate Finance Committee. It must now be reconciled with a substantially different health care bill that was approved in July by the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee. Joining us now with her take on how this is playing out is Minnesota's senior U.S. Senator, DFLer Amy Klobuchar.
November 16, 2009 - On the 30th anniversary in the United States' post-Vietnam War experience, MPR’s Dan Olson takes a look back. 1979 was the year that the U.S., led by Vice President Walter Mondale, convinced world leaders to come to the rescue of more than a million so-called "boat people."
November 24, 2009 - MPR’s Tom Scheck reports that two members of Minnesota's congressional delegation urged the Legislature to repeal a law that prohibits the construction of nuclear power plants in the state. DFL Congressman Tim Walz and Republican Congressman Erik Paulsen say allowing new nuclear power plants would give Minnesota more energy options. Critics say the benefits of nuclear power are still in doubt.
December 2, 2009 - Morning Edition gets a Democratic perspective on President Obama's new Afghanistan strategy from DFL Congressman Tim Walz. Walz went to Afghanistan on a fact finding mission in September. Walz is also a military veteran, serving 24 years in the Army National Guard and retiring with the rank of command sergeant major.