February 23, 1991 - Martin Sampson, professor of political science at University of Minnesota, discusses being on the verge of a land war in the Persian Gulf. Sampson also answers listener questions.
January 4, 1991 -
December 26, 1990 - On this Midday program, a documentary on Iceland satirical poet Kristjan Niels Julius, followed by an interview with author Barry Lopez.
December 26, 1990 - Midday’s Bob Potter asks MPR President Bill Kling about the organization’s purchase of WLOL for $12 million, giving MPR two FM frequencies in the Twin Cities. The result of purchase would move classical programming from 91.1(KNOW) to 99.5(KSJN) and provide ability for fulltime news programming on KNOW.
December 21, 1990 -
December 4, 1990 - Marcia Lowe, senior researcher associated at the Worldwatch Institute, speaking at conference sponsored by the Center for Transportation Studies at the University of Minnesota. Lowe’s address was titled " Alternatives to the Automobile: Transport for Livable Cities." After speech, Lowe answers audience questions. Marcia Lowe is the co-author of Worldwatch Institute's "State of the World 1990" report, and other papers including one on "The Bicycle: Vehicle for a Small Planet". After speech, MPR’s Dan Olson interviews Cynthia McArthur, director of the Minnesota Community Bicycle Safety Project. McArthur discusses bicycle transportation.
November 27, 1990 - Martin Sampson, of the University of Minnesota Political Science Department and International Relations Program; and Noha Ismail, member of Middle East Peace Now and Women Against Military Madness; discuss the events in the Persian Gulf. Topics include the U.N. resolution regarding Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, and chemical weapons. Sampson and Ismail also answer listener questions.
November 20, 1990 - John Chubb, senior fellow in government studies at the Brookings Institution; Robert Maddox, the executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State; Nelson Smith of the U.S. Department of Education; and Ray Marshall, former Secretary of Labor in the Carter Administration and now a Professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, speaking at an education reform conference sponsored by The Center of the American Experiment. The group provide varying views about education reform. Chubb has written a new book called "Politics, Markets and American Schools", and argued that our system of public education is so dysfunctional that we need to start all over again. Maddox is part of group that opposes using vouchers as a tool for school reform, and that taxpayers should not be required to support specific religious values and beliefs as they are conveyed through parochial schools. Marshall stated the future of our country depends on what we do to improve education for minority students and argued that the U.S. will only be able to compete internationally if we make sure that all our children are well educated. Smith discussed social problems such as fatherless households, drugs and poverty that some people think prevent the public-school system from meeting the educational needs of all children.
November 5, 1990 - Midday rebroadcasts an MPR Special broadcast of Focus on the Issues program, where DFL incumbent Governor Rudy Perpich and his Independent-Republican challenger Arne Carlson answered questions from listening audience and from special guests in MPR studios all around the state. Topics included education, state finances, health care, the environment, taxes, abortion and more.
November 3, 1990 - John Shepard, author of Minnesota Backgrounds and Minnesota: Off the Beaten Path, answers listener questions about Minnesota vacation destinations during fall and winter.