December 26, 2006 - MPR’s Bob Kelleher reports that the level of Lake Superior recently hit an all time low - at least in recorded history. That's making trouble for boaters, and especially for the big ore freighters. An extended drought and a warming lake are reasons behind the drop in water level.
December 27, 2006 - Anderson and Quie discuss the state of the state. Two former Minnesota governors join Gary Eichten to talk about the way things are going in the state, and what their hopes are for the future. Guests: Wendell Anderson: Former governor of Minnesota and U.S. senator. He served as governor from 1971-1977. Al Quie: Former governor of Minnesota and U.S. representative. He served as governor from 1979-1983.
January 4, 2007 - As three new members of the House from Minnesotan are to be sworn into office, MPR’s Mark Zdechlik presents this profile on them. The three will bring diverse backgrounds and political ideologies to Congress…but Keith Ellison, Tim Walz, and Michelle Bachman all say they'll keep the interests of Minnesotans in the forefront as they begin their careers in Congress.
January 11, 2007 - A capacity crowd is expected for a special reading at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis tonight. Writer Neil Gaiman and artist Dave McKean are one of the hottest teams in the comic book world. McKean combines painting, drawing, photography, and collage to create disturbing off-kilter images that complement Gaiman's brand of fantasy fiction. In a collaboration that's lasted 20 years so far, they have worked on the award-winning Sandman comic book series, several graphic novels, and four children's books. They have also made a film, "Mirrormask," which Gaiman wrote and McKean designed and directed. Both men are English, but Gaiman lives in the US and McKean in Britain.
January 12, 2007 - All Things Considered’s Tom Crann interviews Steven Schier, professor of political science at Carleton College and director of Carleton in Washington program about Minnesota Congressman Tim Walz to give weekly Democrat radio address. He is to comment on President Bush’s call to increase troops in Iraq.
January 12, 2007 - MPR’s Art Hughes reports on the reactions from students as Armed Forces recruiters start visiting high schools, looking for enlistees to join the army. Not surprisingly, there isn’t a universal consensus.
January 15, 2007 - In this installment of MPR series The Bookshelf, Lou Bellamy, founder and artistic director of St. Paul's Penumbra Theatre, talks about Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man, a novel featuring an unnamed black narrator whose race makes him "invisible" to others.
January 17, 2007 - MPR’s William Wilcoxen reports on a Wisconsin man now facing a murder charge in connection with the killing of a Hmong hunter who was found shot and stabbed to death in a wildlife area near Green Bay earlier this month. The complaint against James Nichols also alleges that he made disparaging remarks about Hmong people to the investigators who questioned him.
January 19, 2007 - MPR’s Dan Gunderson profiles Patty Kakac and Jodi Ritter, two musicians who make up Granary Girls. The songs written by Kakac and Ritter reflect folk traditions of activism and connections to the land.
January 25, 2007 - Morning Edition’s Cathy Wurzer talks with newly-elected U.S. Congressman Tim Walz, who represents the Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District. Walz discusses his new role and speaks on topics agriculture, colleagues, veterans, and the Iraq war.