July 21, 2006 - As many as 85,000 illegal immigrants make Minnesota their home, including many who have crossed the border into the U.S. from Mexico. This is the story of one of them. We'll call her Maria even though that's not her real name because Minnesota Public Radio News has agreed to protect her identity. Maria is 20 years old and came to Minnesota illegally five years ago. She lives with her family in the Twin Cities. She is watching closely as Congress debates whether to crack down on illegal immigrants or give them opportunities to stay in this country.
October 12, 2001 - On Word of Mouth, MPR’s Chris Roberts provides a radio guide to the local arts. On this episode: - The Great American History Theatre presentation of "Hush, Hush" a new play seeking to open up a dialogue about the domestic violence problem plaguing the Hmong Community in Minnesota. - A discussion with John O'Donohue about Flaneur Production’s “Inventory” play - A profile of the Bakken Ensemble - A profile of Native American photographer Joseph Allen - Theater Latté Da’s “The Rink” - Jazz and Italian modern art at Walker Art Center - A profile on northern Minnesota singer Lea Thomas
December 20, 2000 - Voices of Minnesota with legendary Guthrie Theatre costume designer Annette Garceau and Dick Goebel, a founder of America's Second Harvest, the country's largest food bank system. Also, Carl Anderson on his experiences in World War II and singing on an Armed Forces Christmas Eve NBC broadcast in 1941.
May 26, 2000 - The May edition of "Voices of Minnesota" featuring Elizabeth Close, one of Minnesota's first woman architects, Gerald Haukebo, founder of the Concordia Language Villages and women's rights leader Edna Schwartz.
May 24, 2000 - The 400 Bar in Minneapolis is a West Bank institution, with a rock and roll crowd, hot bands, cold beer and almost no one over 30. Now wildly successful bar readings in New York and L.A. are inspiring 400 Bar owner Tom Sullivan--who wonders will it work here?
November 5, 1999 - Latest edition of the Voices of Minnesota series with retired University of Minnesota Journalism Professor Don Gillmor and retired Star Tribune political reporter Betty Wilson.
December 4, 1998 - MPR’s Mary Stucky reports that the hottest toy this Christmas season reflects the old adage "we want what we can't have.” The toy in question is called a Furby, a furry electronic pet. In the business of toy marketing, scarcity drives consumer demand. The day after Thanksgiving people lined up at local toy stores at six in the morning. One store at the Mall of America sold out 300 Furbys in just ten minutes. It's another example of how advertising, a limited product supply and the demands of children can create a monster demand. But the Furby may be something new; in an age of global communications there is a worldwide demand...and an international shortage.
April 29, 1998 - Should religion play a role in American public life? What does it mean to separate church and state? Is that possible? These are some of the challenging questions considered as part of the "Public Religion Symposium," a joint effort between MPR's Civic Journalism Initiative and the Public Religion Project headed by University of Chicago theologian Martin Marty. As part of the collaboration, yesterday 100 Minnesota leaders joined Marty in the Twin Cities to talk about the role of religion in public life. Mary Stucky reports the symposium revealed conflicting views on a subject - religion - that's still one of our most sensitive subjects.
April 28, 1998 - CHILD PSYCHOLOGISTS TELL US THAT EVEN VERY YOUNG CHILDREN ASK THE KIND OF QUESTONS THAT CAN ONLY BE CALLED SPIRITUAL.... WHO CREATED THE EARTH? WHY AM I HERE? HOW DO I KNOW WHAT'S RIGHT AND WRONG? SOME CHILDREN FIND ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS IN CHURCH.....OTHERS DEVELOP A MORAL SENSE COMPLETELY SEPARATE FROM ORGANIZED RELIGION. ALL THIS MONTH, MINNESOTA PUBLIC RADIO IS EXPLORING THE ROLE RELIGION PLAYS IN EVERYDAY LIFE IN A SERIES OF STORIES, COMMENTARIES, AND SPECIAL PROGRAMMING. MARY STUCKY REPORTS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF MATTERS SPIRITUAL IN THE LIVES OF CHILDREN.
April 28, 1998 - As part of MPR's month-long series of programs and reports on "Religion in Everyday Life,” this program presents various reports, interviews and commentaries compiled from the series, and looks at the contemporary impact and influence of religion in America.