May 2, 2013 - The two-time Tony winner Mark Rylance talks with Kerri Miller about acting and creativity.
May 6, 2013 - Funerals are considered the most elaborate and important of all Hmong ceremonies. MPR’s Nikki Tundel looks at how St. Paul’s Hmong Cultural Center wants to integrate the ancient heritage into modern Hmong society.
May 15, 2013 - MPR’s Conrad Wilson compiles reactions of Minnesotans at the State Capitol after Governor Mark Dayton signed a bill making gay marriage legal in Minnesota.
May 20, 2013 - MPR’s Martin Moylan reports on lawsuits being filed against individuals accused of and violating owner's copyright after downloading porn.
May 20, 2013 - MPR presents a speech and commentary from U.S. Representative Tim Walz, a Democrat who represents Minnesota's 1st Congressional District. Walz tells the audience during a recent speech at the University of Minnesota that if America cares about national security, it needs to maintain moral authority in the world and address the complex issues involved in the use of drones.
May 22, 2013 - MPR’s Sasha Aslanian profiles Richard Carlbom, campaign manager for Minnesotans United for All Families. Carlbom led organization to two historic victories: the defeat of a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage last November, and the recent passage of the same-sex marriage bill.
June 28, 2013 - On this episode of Minnesota Sounds and Voices, MPR’s Dan Olson profiles several women's Hmong American flag football teams as they prepare to compete at this year's Hmong Freedom Celebration. Playing the game was a formidable cultural hurdle the young Hmong American women had to overcome, as families place a high value on women as wives, rather than competitors.
July 1, 2013 - With first same-sex wedding ceremonies taking place in Minnesota starting August 1st, 2013, MPR’s Rupa Shenoy reports the anticipation of that day was evident at Twin Cities Pride over the weekend. Instead of an area for commitment ceremonies as there has been in previous years, there was a showcase for wedding businesses that want to help couples with their plans.
July 15, 2013 - MPR’s Dan Gunderson rides along with Kevin Kenow, a research wildfile biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, who nets a loon on South Turtle Lake in Otter Tail County. Kenow is looking for special tags that track where loons travel and how deep they dive.
July 22, 2013 - MPR’s Sasha Aslanian looks at discussions happening in different religious communities in the state after same-sex marriage became law. Religious institutions played a big role in the long, emotional and sometimes contentious debate Minnesotans had leading up to the Legislature's vote to legalize same-sex marriage. While churches are not required to perform same-sex weddings, Minnesota law against discrimination based on sexual orientation does apply to others who might play a role in wedding celebrations.