July 22, 1987 - MPR’s Stephen Smith reports on organ grinders, and interviews attendees at the International Music Box Society and Automated Music Collectors Convention, held in St Paul.
July 14, 1987 - MPR’s Stephen Smith profiles street preachers outside Caboose bar in Minneapolis. Smith interviews street preacher Shirley Reed, and various bar patrons.
May 29, 1987 - MPR’s Stephen Smith reports on the upcoming arrival of a new round of Hmong refugees to the United States. Smith interviews numerous officials about the Hmong hardships and resettlement.
April 6, 1987 - Under current law in Minnesota, sodomy, adultery and sex out of wedlock are illegal. A bill by Senator Donna Peterson, a Minneapolis democrat, would erase those laws, but would also make it illegal to engage in sex in public. Peterson told a Senate judiciary committee that her measure would create a law that’s needed and do away with laws that are both unfair and unenforced.
March 16, 1987 - The controversial bill allowing for the release of $24 million from the 2002 Fund for economic development on the Iron Range was recalled from the House during Senate session. News of an FBI probe of Endotronics, Inc., that surfaced after the Senate had voted final passage on the measure, prompted Majority Leader Roger Moe to make the motion for recall. The recall motion prevailed on a 51-15 roll call vote.
January 2, 1987 - Midday presents the Public Policy Unit documentary "Dropouts: Falling off the Bottom Rung." MPR’s Stephen Smith, Bill Catlin, and Dan Olson create a collaborative report on Minnesota high school dropouts.
December 19, 1986 - The first part of program presents a rebroadcast of Stephen Smith’s documentary report "Shelter for the Night," which examines the plight of the homeless over a period of 12 hours in the St. Stephen's Emergency Shelter. Following documentary, Nancy Nagler, chair of St. Paul Area Coalition for the Homeless, discusses the homeless problem in Minnesota and what can be done about it. Nagler also answers listener questions.
September 8, 1986 - On this MPR Journal program, a collection of reports, interviews, and a news rundown hosted by Gary Eichten.
September 1, 1986 - MPR’s Stephen Smith produces a sound portrait on a staple of the State Fair…the politician. Smith interviews various Minnesota politicians, who share their different styles in interacting with the fair crowd.
August 25, 1986 - MPR’s Stephen Smith profiles Minnesota Governor Rudy Perpich as he walks the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, shaking a lot of hands and dispensing brochures.