March 29, 2010 - As part of MPR's Youth Radio Series, Youth Radio reporter Iman Fears shares her experience in U.S. Senate Youth Program, which leads to meeting officials in Washington D.C., including Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, and President Barack Obama.
March 30, 2010 - MPR’s Chris Roberts talks with members of Jelloslave, a Minneapolis band that takes the cello where quartets and concertos don't usually go. Their CD "Purple Orange" is highlighted.
April 1, 2010 - Homelessness is on a sharp rise in Minnesota as unemployment and foreclosures have forced people out of permanent housing. The St. Paul-based Wilder Research survey counted nearly 9,500 homeless people - up more than 20% from the 2006 count. Greg Owen, consulting scientist at Wilder Research and director of the new homelessness study; and Laura Kadwell, director for the state program Ending Long-term Homelessness, discuss the survey results and answer listener questions.
April 1, 2010 - Perhaps the best known attorney in the clergy sex abuse cases, Jeff Anderson says the top hierarchy of the Catholic church should account for what he says was a cover up of sexual abuse perpetrated by clergy for decades. Meanwhile, cases in Florida and Kentucky attempt to link the Vatican to cases of sexual abuse. Catholic church insiders will talk about how they are trying to reconcile with victims and change the way abuse is handled in a separate hour of Midmorning on Monday, April 5. Guest: Jeff Anderson: Attorney with Jeff Anderson & Associates. He represents people who say they've been sexually abused by clergy.
April 2, 2010 - Doug Grow, longtime sportswriter and author of We're Gonna Win, Twins!, joins Midday’s Gary Eichten to talk about the history of the Minnesota Twins. Grow is a longtime Star Tribune sportswriter and columnist, who now writes for MinnPost.
April 3, 2010 - The Minnesota Twins christened Target Field with an 8-4 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. The exhibition game gave Twins players and staff a chance to get used to their new digs.
April 5, 2010 - The Vatican responds to charges that bishops and Pope Benedict himself did not act to prevent priests from sexually abusing children, saying that outsiders are persecuting church. Critics say secrecy still shrouds action against abuse perpetrators. Two who have worked to address the sex abuse problem within the Catholic church offer their perspectives.
April 8, 2010 - Nick Hayes, professor of history at Saint John's University in Collegeville, joins Midday in the studio to talk about his memoir "And One Fine Morning: Memories of My Father." The book traces his family origins and his father's story, including his father's experience growing up Catholic in Protestant Minneapolis.
April 9, 2010 - MPR’s Euan Kerr travels to Target Field, the new home of the Minnesota Twins, with two baseball fans wanting to “grade” the ballpark. Accessibility is a major design element of the new facility and these baseball fans utilizing wheelchairs are particularly pleased about the new Twins ballpark.
April 12, 2010 - This is National Library Week, and one of the people out talking about the importance of libraries is Neil Gaiman. He's the award-winning author of "Coraline", "The Graveyard Book", several film scripts, and the Sandman comic book. Gaiman, who lives just outside the Twin Cities metro, is serving as honorary chair for the event. He told Euan Kerr he knows through personal experience libraries are more vital now than ever.