December 31, 1998 - An MPR Special report, presenting the biggest Minnesota news story of 1998...the election of Jesse Ventura as governor of Minnesota. Dean Barkley of the Ventura campaign; Eric Johnson of the Humphrey campaign; and Cyndy Brucato of the Coleman campaign, discuss the 1998 Governor’s race. Barkley, Johnson, and Brucato also answer listener questions. Program begins with a report on the Gubernatorial campaigns, and how the result of election came to be.
December 31, 1998 - The sweepstakes for Biggest Minnesota News Story is no contest this year. Jesse Ventura's upset victory in the race for Governor was such a shock, it's already an early candidate for biggest news story of the DECADE. His success caught almost everybody by surprise -- the media, the political parties, and especially his opponents.
January 1, 1999 - It looks like a hospital in Boston can claim the first baby of 1999 after all. Earlier a Jacksonville, Florida hospital said it had a baby born at one second after midnight -- Boston's was two seconds after. But now, the Florida hospital says the baby was born one minute after the new year began -- and not one second. For Commentator Kelley Garry, no matter what the timing of her baby's birth, she still wasn't quite ready.
January 6, 1999 - Steven Smith, political science professor at University of Minnesota, discusses tomorrow's beginning of the impeachment trial in the U.S. Senate. The topic of what options the Senate has is addressed. Smith also answers listener questions. Program also includes commentary from Ron Meshbesher, attorney at Meshbesher & Spence, and Suzanna Sherry, constitutional law professor at University of Minnesota.
January 6, 1999 - This January edition of Voices of Minnesota features MPR’s Dan Olson interviews with Dean Abrahamson, medical doctor and professor at University of Minnesota, and Eville Gorham, recently retired professor of ecology at University of Minnesota. Abrahamson discusses global warming, and its present and future impact on the Minnesota region. Gorham, who discovered the harmful influence of acid rain, discusses the past and current state of this pollution problem on the global environment.
January 14, 1999 - Suzanna Sherry, and Michael Paulsen, both constitutional law professors at University of Minnesota, discuss the opening of the impeachment trial in the U.S. Senate.
January 18, 1999 - It is unofficially a day of mourning for Minnesota Vikings players and fans who saw their super bowl dreams shattered yesterday by the Atlanta Falcons in overtime at the Metrodome. The final score of the NFC championship game was 30-27, thanks to the foot of Falcons kicker Morton Anderson. Vikings players and coaches say the team's loss shouldn't be blamed on kicker Gary Anderson. Anderson had record forty-six straight field goals until he missed a thirty-eighty yard attempt in the fourth quarter.
January 21, 1999 - Christine Jax, Commissioner of the Department of Children, Families, and Learning; and Claudia Fuentes, of the Urban Coalition, discuss a proposal by state education officials to eliminate mandatory desegregation "race quotas" to change the racial balance in Minnesota's public schools. Jax and Fuentes also answer listener questions.
January 26, 1999 - As the White House scandal has slowly unfolded, many have pondered on what to tell their children. Commentator Nanci Olesen thinks perhaps it's adults who should be doing the listening.
January 29, 1999 - Ted Mondale, Metropolitan Council Chair discusses plans for metropolitan government. Topics include Governor Ventura's plans to close the Metropolitan Council. Mondale also answers listener questions.