August 29, 2002 - Susan Gaertner, Ramsey County attorney; and Amy Klobuchar, Hennepin County attorney in a live broadcast from the Minnesota State Fair. Ramsey and Hennepin County Attorneys talk about legal affairs in the Twin Cities including police brutality, racism and the police shooting and subsequent riot in North Minneapolis.
September 17, 2002 - MPR’s Art Hughes reports on data from the U.S. Census that show the state's Asian population is economically well-off compared to other minority populations in the state. While the 90's were a prosperous time for Minnesota as a whole, the numbers show many minority groups did not prosper as much as their white neighbors.
September 25, 2002 - Mainstreet Radio's Tim Post profiles Jane Gray Swisshelm, a St. Cloud newspaper editor of the 1850s-1860s with strong opinions. She used her position to fight against slavery and for advancement of women's rights…but while she wrote articles advocating more freedom for some, she also pushed horribly racist views toward Native Americans, such as the complete extermination of the state's Dakota Indian population.
September 25, 2002 - MPR’s Art Hughes reports that rankings by the U.S. Census Bureau show members of some immigrant groups in Minnesota remain mired in poverty. While all minorities improved economically during the 1990s, Minnesota has one of the highest percentages of Asians in poverty when compared to other states. The ranking also confirms the widely held belief that there are more Somalis in Minnesota than anywhere else in the US.
September 25, 2002 - MPR’s Art Hughes and Brandt Williams report on the tenth anniversary Jerry Haaf murder. The thirty-year police veteran died on the floor of the Pizza Shack restaurant in south Minneapolis after being shot in the back during his morning coffee break. The execution-style shooting remains one of the most shocking acts of violence against an officer in Minneapolis history.
October 3, 2002 - U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone on the Senate floor, said he will not support the Bush administration's desire to take unilateral military action against Iraq. We'll hear his position as the Senate is expected to begin formal debate of the Iraq resolution later today.
October 11, 2002 - On October 15, 1852, the first train of the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad traveled from Chicago to Joliet, Illinois. Two years later it would bring a delegation of East Coast journalists and dignitaries to the Mississippi River as part of the Grand Excursion to Minnesota. Over the next 50 years, as the Rock Island Line grew, it carried passengers and freight through 14 states and became part of the story of the American west. Then it inspired a song that has been passed from generation to generation. Learn the story of the railroad.
October 21, 2002 - As part of a series on special education, MPR’s Tim Pugmire reports on impact of Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) on many disabled children and the increasing costs.
October 22, 2002 - As part of a series on special education, MPR’s Tim Pugmire profiles fourth grader Sam Graves, who has cerebral palsy and participant of the IDEA mandate.
October 23, 2002 - As part of a series on special education, MPR’s Tim Pugmire reports on the importance of Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and debate on what changes are needed.