MPR News editor-at-large and retired host Gary Eichten has worn many hats during his 40-plus-year career at Minnesota Public Radio, including news director, special events producer and station manager. He has served as host for Minnesota Public Radio's live, special events news coverage, and has hosted all of the major news programs on Minnesota Public Radio, including Midday, which he hosted for more than 20 years.
A graduate of St. John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota, Eichten began his career at Minnesota Public Radio as a student announcer at KSJR (Minnesota Public Radio's first station). Among the honors Eichten has received during his career is the Corporation for Public Broadcasting award for best local news program. He also assisted in the development of two Peabody award-winning documentaries. In 2007, he was inducted into the Pavek Museum of Broadcasting's Hall of Fame. Eichten has also been awarded the prestigious 2011 Graven Award by the Premack Public Affairs Journalism Awards Board for his contribution to excellence in the journalism profession.
August 19, 2009 - On this Midday program, MPR’s Gary Eichten talks with U.S. Representative Tim Walz, who represents Minnesota's 1st Congressional District. Walz is holding a town meeting on health care reform in Mankato. In advance of that meeting, he joins Midday to talk about healthcare reform and other issues facing Congress.
July 17, 2009 - Midday’s Gary Eichten talks with sports commentator Howard Sinker about the Minnesota Twins season thus far, as the second half of 2009 Major League Baseball season begins. Sinker sees a team with much more potential than their American League standing.
July 2, 2009 - MPR’s Mark Zdechilk presents the MPR Special Report “Minnesota’s Unending Senate Battle - Al Franken's Road to the Senate.” Chapters include The Campaign, The Election, and The Recount Trial.
June 24, 2009 - Thomas Friedman speaks about crowded planet.Pulitzer Prize-winning author, and Minnesota native, Thomas Friedman spoke at St. Paul RiverCentre about the big issues facing an interconnected global population, and the ways America can lead a green revolution in the 21st century.
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 2, 2009 - Best-selling author Michael Pollan, speaking at the Barnes & Noble at the Galleria in Edina about his book, "In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto."
May 12, 2009 - Barbara Brown Taylor is an Episcopal priest, teacher, and author. She is widely recognized as one of America's most eloquent preachers. Ordained an Episcopal priest in 1984, she holds the Harry R. Butman Chair in Religion and Philosophy at Piedmont College in Georgia and is adjunct professor of Christian spirituality at Columbia Theological Seminary. She is the author of twelve books on faith and spirituality, including "Leaving Church" and "An Altar in the World." She lectures on preaching at Yale, Princeton, and Duke Universities and is a regular columnist for The Christian Century. She spoke before an audience at Westminster Presbyterian Church. Her speech was titled, "Downtime: The Sacred Art of Stopping."
May 8, 2009 - Is interfaith understanding possible? Eboo Patel speaks at the Westminster Town Hall Forum about his book, "Acts of Faith: The Story of an American Muslim, the Struggle for the Soul of a Generation." Guest: Eboo Patel: Founder and director of the Chicago-based community service organization, Interfaith Youth Core.
April 21, 2009 - Two girls, Sabina Zimering and Lucy Smith, hid from the Nazis in Poland during World War II. They survived the Holocaust and live in Minnesota today. Zimering wrote her story in the book, "Hiding in the Open." Both women were interviewed by MPR's Dan Olson for the Voices of Minnesota series.
April 15, 2009 - As the Guthrie Theater kicks off its Kushner celebration this weekend, Pulitzer prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner speaks about his work. Kushner won a Pulitzer for his play "Angels in America," which dealt with AIDS and gay life in the 1980s. He's also won two Tony awards, an Emmy, and just about every other award a playwright can win. He wrote the book for the musical "Caroline, or Change" and the screenplay for Steven Spielberg's "Munich." The Guthrie's Kushner festival will run through June, and will feature several Kushner plays, including the premier of a work commissioned by the Guthrie, "The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism With a Key to the Scriptures." Kusher spoke earlier this year at the Hopkins Center for the Arts as part of the Pen Pals lecture series sponsored by the Library Foundation of Hennepin County.