February 25, 2011 - It's no secret the Republicans think President Obama is vulnerable in next year's election. They think he overreached on the healthcare overhaul, the economy is still sluggish and they're confident voters agree with them that the federal government spends too much. A lot of possible contenders are acting like candidates, including former Governor Tim Pawlenty and Congresswoman Michele Bachmann. But so far, no high profile Republicans have announced they're running, and some analysts say the party is having an unusually difficult time getting behind a candidate. Mark Zdechlik reports.
February 28, 2011 - As part of MPR’s Youth Radio Series, Valencia McMurray revisits an incident that happened in her family... and has kept a hold on her family 14 years later. McMurray saw the affects of domestic violence firsthand as a six-year-old when her father stabbed her mother.
June 7, 2011 - Can we end hunger in Minnesota? Hunger-Free Minnesota launches a three-year effort to provide 100 million more meals a year for hungry adults and children in Minnesota. How can an initiative like this work? What's needed to make it successful? Guests Rob Zeaske and Robbin Johnson discuss project.
August 16, 2011 - As State Senator Linda Berglin steps after a 39-year career in the Minnesota House and Senate, she stops by the Midday studio to reflect on her career and on Minnesota's health care system. Berglin’s legislative specialty was health care, and she moves to a new public policy job at Hennepin County.
October 4, 2011 - MPR’s Julie Siple reports on the fight against hunger on the White Earth Reservation. Tribal officials estimate up to 50 percent of American Indians on the reservation live below the poverty line. For some, ensuring there is enough healthy food to feed themselves and their families is a problem. There is a growing effort to return to traditional foods to help alleviate hunger and improve the health of people on the reservation while reconnecting them with a diet that served their ancestors.
October 27, 2011 - A new study led by University of Minnesota researchers shows that annual flu shots protect only about 59% of the population. How good are vaccines, and how important to public health? Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, University of Minnesota, provides insights on the effectiveness of vaccines.
November 14, 2011 - MPR’s Elizabeth Baier reports on the struggles Latino immigrants have with various health conditions and healthcare access. Like most people who immigrate to the U.S., Latino immigrants are usually healthier when they first arrive in the U.S. than U.S. born residents. But within a generation, many Latino immigrants lose that health advantage. And they are almost twice as likely to develop diabetes and other chronic diseases, compared to people who are born here.
March 21, 2012 - On this episode of Minnesota Sounds and Voices, MPR’s Dan Olson presents report on Jane Belau, who has volunteered for ten years playing piano in the Mayo Clinic's Gonda Building lobby. Many at the hospital find the music therapeutic.
April 27, 2012 - MPR’s Elizabeth Baier profiles the Faribault Hot Shots and the Wanamingo Bulldogs, the only two granny basketball teams in Minnesota. Players share their love of the game and physical activity.
August 31, 2012 - MPR’s Conrad Wilson profiles John Gagliardi, St. John’s University football coach, and his unique coaching philosophy. For decades, Gagliardi has been incorporating a different approach to practice: limited contact. While unorthodoxed in the football world, it seems to pay dividends with less injuries…and 30 conference championships, four national titles and a record 485 wins.