August 30, 1999 - MPR’s Gary Eichten talks with Mike Mulcahy, MPR’s political editor; Sara Janacek, republican analyst; Bob Meek, DFL commentator; and Julie Shortridge, reform party activist, about politics at a live broadcast from the Minnesota State Fair. Topics include Governor Ventura, Minnesota senate race, and 2000 presidential race. Program begins with news from MPR’s Greta Cunningham.
August 30, 1999 - Midday presents a Minnesota Citizens’ Forum on the future of rural Minnesota, held at the Minnesota State Fair. Panelists Paul Wellstone, Minnesota U.S. senator; Bob Ness, Minnesota state representative and chair of the Agriculture and Rural Development Finance committee; and Colleen Landkamer, Blue Earth County commissioner, discuss issues and solutions of the rural farm community.
September 1, 1999 - John Sonsteng used to prosecute cases as a Dakota County Attorney. He now teaches constitutional criminal procedure at William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul. Sonsteng says the law is quite clear about a suspect's right to an attorney.
September 7, 1999 - MPR’s Bill Wareham reviews the Mill City Music Festival, which for the first time, had an “all local” line-up. Wareham discusses perfomance highlights, including Prince, Sugar, Jack McDuff, and Slim Dunlap.
September 13, 1999 - Sports commentator Howard Sinker describes the experience of watching/listening to Minnesota Twins pitcher Eric Milton throw a no-hitter on September 11th, 1999 against the Anaheim Angels.
September 15, 1999 - Presidential hopeful Bill Bradley is in Minneapolis this afternoon to attend a campaign organizing meeting at the Sabathani Center. His opponent, Vice President Al Gore is considered the front runner in the race for the Democratic ticket. But Bradley appears to be close behind. In a statewide poll of New York voters released today Bradley is now in a virtual tie with Gore. The same poll in July had Gore leading Bradley by 18 points. MPR political commentator Sara Stoesz is a democrat who hasn't made up her mind yet about whether to support Bradley or Gore...but she says it's clear Bradley has made big inroads in Minnesota.
October 4, 1999 - A new poll shows Governor Ventura's approval rating has dropped 19 percentage points since July. The Star Tribune poll was taken a few days after release of Ventura's interview with Playboy magazine where he called organized religion a sham and a crutch for weak minded people. The poll shows 54 percent of Minnesotans approve of Ventura's overall job performance, compared with 73 percent last summer. We asked two MPR commentators for their thoughts on the governor's comments. Ken Stewart is a Family Therapist in Roseville.
October 29, 1999 - Commentator Nanci Olesen got a couple of insights about the people who live near her. Olesen shares a Halloween memory, titled “Pumpkin.” It involves a third trimester and a very unique costume.
November 22, 1999 - For more on the design of the Lindbergh terminal, we turn to Michael Schrock. He's a Minneapolis architect who's done some recent work at the terminal, and is also president-elect of the Minneapolis chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
November 25, 1999 - A Thanksgiving Day special, "Giving Thanks: A Celebration of Fall, Food and Gratitude." Produced by MPR's John Birge, it includes a rare recording of actor Charles Laughton, essays by Bill Moyers, Donald Hall and Garrison Keillor, and the music of Aaron Copeland, Vivaldi and more.