December 4, 2006 - St. Paul's Citywide Book Club will focus exclusively on Minnesota authors this year. It's a way to mark the 150th anniversary of the St. Paul Public Schools. The schools, together with the the City of St. Paul and the St Paul Public Library, announced seven selections today, including "The Things They Carried," Tim O'Brien's collection of short stories about the Vietnam war. St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman says he's proud of this selection because it can give Minnesotans perspective on what's happening in Iraq.
December 7, 2006 - To mark the anniversary of Peral Harbor attack, Midday talks with local author Dave Kenny on the Minnesotans' memories of Pearl Harbor. He has written a book Minnesota Goes to War. Program includes call-in commentary and questions.
December 8, 2006 - “The McCarthy Tapes” takes the listener back to the 1968 campaign through audio recordings of the Eugene McCarthy archive, which documents a turbulent time in America's history. McCarthy’s political legacy will forever be defined by 1968, when McCarthy turned his opposition to the Vietnam War into a crusade for the presidency.
December 11, 2006 - Gene Merriam says he is voluntarily leaving his position as Minnesota's Department of Natural Resources. Morning Edition’s Cathy Wurzer talks with Dennis Anderson, a Star Tribune columnist, about Merriam’s tenure as commissioner. Anderson also discusses what he sees as needed next in the challenging role at the DNR.
December 12, 2006 - After a quarter century overseeing Minneapolis Public Schools, longtime Minneapolis school board member Judy Farmer attends her last Minneapolis school board meeting. She visits the Midday studio to look back on her 26 years on the board and offers her thoughts on current issues in education.
December 20, 2006 - MPR’s William Wilcoxen profiles Minnesota Twins star pitcher Brad Radke upon his announcement of retirement from Major League Baseball. For the first time in more than a decade, the Minnesota Twins are planning for a baseball season without Radke, after 12 years as a fixture in the Twins' pitching rotation.
December 20, 2006 - Senator-elect Amy Klobuchar joins a narrow Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate in January. What does she hope to accomplish over the next six years? Klobuchar talks about what she wants to do in Washington D.C.
December 21, 2006 - On the winter solstice, MPR’s Ambar Espinoza went searching for light outside of the obvious Christmas and Chanukah traditions. Paying homage to light this time of year crosses many religions and cultures.
December 22, 2006 - With Christmas lights adorning many Minnesota neighborhoods in some fashion, large or small, In the Loop’s Jeff Horwich reports on the varied costs of our holiday lighting obsession.
December 22, 2006 - On this special In the Loop event at the USB Forum, MPR’s Jeff Horwich presents the show "Lighting Up The Holidays: Feeding and fighting our light obsession." Program includes music, interviews, stories, and lots of voices -- including many guests and audience members in the UBS Forum.