December 18, 1996 - George Latimer, a Democrat and former St. Paul mayor, shares his positive views on Norm Coleman, St. Paul’s mayor since 1994. Coleman changed parties (from Democrat to Republican) after being elected.
December 19, 1996 - MPR’s Chris Farrell talks about the controversy over adjusting the Consumer Price Index and the economic, political, and personal finance implications of these changes. Dale Jorgenson, professor of economics department at Harvard University and a member of the Commission which concluded that the CPI overstates inflation; and Judith Brown, former president of AARP, join Farrell to discuss CPI.
December 23, 1996 - On this Voices of Minnesota feature, an interview with St. Paul jazz vocalist Roberta Davis. Subjects of racism, family and the complexity of jazz are discussed.
December 23, 1996 - Midday presents a Voices of Minnesota program, highlighting conversations with businessman Fred Myers, who started a St. Paul company that employs chronic alcoholics; and Roberta Davis, one of Minnesota's foremost jazz vocalists.
December 24, 1996 - MPR’s Eric Friesen interviews local composer Stephen Paulus and poet Kevin Crossley-Holland about carols. They have collaborated on the creating the piece “Pilgrim Jesus” for the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at King's College, Cambridge.
December 24, 1996 - MPR’s Chris Roberts interviews local singer/songwriter Stuart Davis on his unique holiday show "Break from the Relatives."
December 26, 1996 - MPR’s Mary Losure created this report for National Public Radio detailing the efforts to save Native American language by teaching it to next generation. Losure interviews both language teachers and students at Nay Ah Shing school in Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.
December 27, 1996 - President Clinton and a growing number of the nation's educators are calling for uniforms in public schools as a way to restore order to unruly classrooms. Supporters say uniforms improve learning and behavior. Opponents say a mandatory uniform policy can infringe on a childs right to public school education. There are only two public schools in Minnesota with uniforms, one in Minneapolis and one in Saint Paul. The Saint Paul school district recently adopted a policy allowing individual schools to adopt uniforms, if parents approve.
December 30, 1996 - A year-in-review Midday program about key issues in the field of biomedical ethics. Guest Arthur Caplan, former University of Minnesota bioethicist and now director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania, discusses assisted suicide and answers listener questions.
December 30, 1996 - Hour 2 of Midmorning, featuring Voices of Minnesota with Nathaniel Khaliq, the president of St. Paul's NAACP. He's a longtime community activist and anti-drug crusader.