June 3, 2009 - Gov. Tim Pawlenty's decision to forego running for a third term is sending ripples through the political scene, on both the state and national levels. Midday's regular political analysts discuss the possible scenarios.
June 5, 2009 - MPR’s Sanden Totten reports that while legalized gay marriage is a topic of some states, many in the gay and lesbian community have another issue on their mind - what to do when they get old.
June 5, 2009 - Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher joins Midday to talk about the state's budget deficit, the unallotment process, her leadership of the just concluded 2009 legislative session, and a possible run for governor.
June 8, 2009 - Jeff Hanson, local singer-songwriter known for a delicate falsetto voice, was found dead this weekend, after an apparent fall in his concrete floored St Paul apartment. MPR’s Tom Crann presents an interview and music clip in remembering the artist.
June 8, 2009 - Author Jane Hamilton is best known for books that depict tragedy and human frailty. She departs from that formula in her new novel, "Laura Rider's Masterpiece," a dark comedy about a bored wife with literary aspirations and her attempts to create art from life.
June 11, 2009 - The Orange Mighty Trio plays their own special brand of “hybrid” chamber music. MPR’s Dale Connelly interviews members of the group about their music style and writing process.
June 11, 2009 - Twin Cities police have shut down two high-end prostitution rings in the past month. The first was a club of businessmen and professionals that called itself the Nice Guys, allegedly operated by a former assistant Hennepin County Attorney. That bust led to Web-based escort service called "My-Fast-Pass-dot-com." Both services used the internet to arrange encounters. To find out how the Web is changing prostitution and changing the ways police deal with it we called up Ron Weitzer. He's a sociologist at George Washington University, who has written extensively on the criminology of prostitution.
June 18, 2009 - Hard economic times put pressure on many parents hoping to save money to help their kids pay for college. The trends of parents saving or not for their children’s are mixed in Minnesota.
June 18, 2009 - MPR medical commentator Dr. Jon Hallberg stops by Midday to discuss medical and health issues currently in the news. Hallberg is a family practice physician at Mill City Clinic, and assistant professor of family medicine at University of Minnesota. Topics include health care law and quality care.
June 19, 2009 - As friends and colleagues mark the 25th anniversary of Joan Growe's 19-ballot DFL endorsement for the U.S. Senate in 1984, Growe joins Midday to talk about her career in politics. Growe also answers listener questions.