November 10, 2009 - MPR’s Euan Kerr talks with Minneapolis rhythm and blues legend Willie Murphy about his double CD release “Autobiographical Notes.” Murphy also shares his thoughts on American music.
November 10, 2009 - An 'Intelligence Squared' debate features three panelists FOR and three panelists AGAINST the proposition: Good Riddance to the Mainstream Media. Guests: Jim VandeHei: Executive editor of Politico. Michael Wolff: Columnist for Vanity Fair and the founder of news aggregator newser.com. Phil Bronstein: Former executive vice president and editor at large of the San Francisco Chronicle. David Carr: Reporter and columnist for the New York Times. Katrina vanden Heuvel: Editor and publisher of The Nation.
November 11, 2009 - Minnesota native Richard Moe is retiring as president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation in Washington, D.C. He joins Midday to talk about community revitalization and why it's important to save America's historic buildings and places. Richard Moe: President, National Trust for Historic Preservation. Former chief of staff for Senator Walter Mondale and senior staff for President Jimmy Carter. Chairman of Minnesota DFL Party 1969-1972. Author, "The Last Full Measure: The Life and Death of the First Minnesota Volunteers."
November 13, 2009 - MPR’s Chris Roberts profiles Solid Gold, a Minneapolis-based indie rock band with an electronic pop and R&B sound. Roberts speaks with band members about experimenting with pop music formulas. Roberts also interviews local music critic about band’s ascension.
November 16, 2009 - On the 30th anniversary in the United States' post-Vietnam War experience, MPR’s Dan Olson takes a look back. 1979 was the year that the U.S., led by Vice President Walter Mondale, convinced world leaders to come to the rescue of more than a million so-called "boat people."
November 19, 2009 - On this Midday, an episode of “Ask the President.” Bill Kling joins Midday host Gary Eichten in the studio to answer listener questions about MPR and about the future of news.
November 24, 2009 - MPR’s Tom Scheck reports that two members of Minnesota's congressional delegation urged the Legislature to repeal a law that prohibits the construction of nuclear power plants in the state. DFL Congressman Tim Walz and Republican Congressman Erik Paulsen say allowing new nuclear power plants would give Minnesota more energy options. Critics say the benefits of nuclear power are still in doubt.
November 24, 2009 - Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer has been named the 2009 American League's Most Valuable Player, by a near unanimous vote. The award caps a season for Mauer in which he led the league in most major hitting categories, and posted career-high totals for home runs and runs batted in. However, Mauer's long-list of achievements has sparked more talk about his future with the team.
December 2, 2009 - Morning Edition gets a Democratic perspective on President Obama's new Afghanistan strategy from DFL Congressman Tim Walz. Walz went to Afghanistan on a fact finding mission in September. Walz is also a military veteran, serving 24 years in the Army National Guard and retiring with the rank of command sergeant major.
December 3, 2009 - NPR film critic Kenneth Turan fills us in on the offerings of this holiday movie season, from adaptations of classic children's books to vampire fiction, apocalyptic sci-fi, and a George Clooney box office triple threat. New Moon", which is based on the second book of the vampire fiction series "Twilight". Kenneth Turan is a film critic for the LA Times. His latest book is called "Free for All: Joe Papp, The Public, and the Greatest Theater Story Ever Told." As more and more books are published every year, Harvard University's head librarian says the future for books and the publishing industry will be a digital one. The transition from print to computer will provide a test of how well we preserve our great works of literature. Devices such as Amazon's Kindle have accelerated publishers' new emphasis on digital books. Guest: Robert Darnton: Librarian at Harvard University and author of "The Case for Books."