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.
December 30, 1996 - If you're a legal alien in this country and you commit a crime, chances are greater than ever before you'll be deported. Tough new immigration laws passed by congress this year have expanded the category of crimes for which resident aliens can be deported, and have severely limited a judge's ability to grant any relief. The impact of the new laws is already being felt in Minnesota, and legal advocates are concerned the changes may do more harm than good in the long run.
December 31, 1996 - John Kingrey, senior vice president of Minnesota Hospital and Health Care Partnership, comments on the finalization of Fairview/University of Minnesota merger.
January 1, 1997 - Mainstreet Radio’s Leif Enger visits Mille Lacs, and reports on the perplexing nature of ice fishing.