March 17, 2005 - The boy's state high school basketball tournament is underway, and another tournament storm seems likely in 2005. "Tournament storms" are legendary in Minnesota -- but, it turns out, they aren't much more than that…legends.
March 14, 2005 - MPR’s Steven John interviews U.S. congressman Keith Ellison, who discusses a bill introduced that would double the level of protection provided to Minnesota children to prevent lead poisoning. DFLer Keith Ellison represents North Minneapolis in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
February 23, 2004 - Midday presents former President Jimmy Carter speaking at the annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum at St. Olaf College in Northfield. Carter gives the keynote address and says Americans aren't doing enough to help people in developing countries.
May 1, 2003 - A team of doctors at Rochester's Mayo Clinic has developed an innovative way to treat, and possibly even cure, sinusitis. MPR’s Steven John interviews Dr. David Sherris about the condition and new treatment.
May 1, 2003 - The VocalEssence music series presents the North American professional premiere of Swedish composer Sven-David Sandström’s "High Mass." It is a huge event, featuring two full choirs, an orchestra and five soloists, with close to 250 people on stage at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis.
February 4, 2003 - MPR’s Steven John interviews R.T. Rybak, mayor of Minneapolis, on changing snow plowing plans within the city. The cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul declared snow emergencies in wake of the winter's biggest snowstorm. In St. Paul when crews finish plowing east-west residential today the parking restrictions will end. But in Minneapolis the snow emergency will not end until 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday. When R.T. Rybak campaigned for mayor of Minneapolis he pledged to change the city to a 24-hour plowing schedule.
April 16, 2002 - MPR’s Steven John interviews Paul Ostrow, president of the Minneapolis City Council, about status of Minneapolis police chief. There are reports this morning that Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak is planning to replace Police Chief Robert Olson. Rybak and Olson have not confirmed those reports, but Rybak has said he is concerned about the relationship between the police department and the community. The police have been criticized in recent weeks for shooting a mentally ill Somali man, and using aggressive tactics against people celebrating the University of Minnesota's men's hockey championship. If Olson does not leave voluntarily, the City Council would have to buy out the remaining two years of his contract.
December 21, 2001 - Outgoing Minneapolis Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton talks with Midday’s Gary Eichten about her work in the city, tenure as mayor, and the state of Minneapolis at the end of 2001. Sayles Belton also answers listener questions.
November 15, 2001 - A collection of reports from the MPR special series "The Color of Justice," which investigates the racial disparity in Minnesota’s criminal justice system. This Midday program includes reports by MPR’s Dan Olson, Brandt Williams, and Elizabeth Stawicki, as well as various interviews and commentary of officials, academics, and community members.
March 7, 2001 - Phrases like "Curses, foiled again," and "Unhand me you coward" sound painfully quaint to ears trained on catch-phrases made popular by Bart Simpson and Beer commercials. But today's popular culture from comic books to television series have at their root, Dime Novels. Minnesota Public Radio's Steven John visited the Elmer L. Anderson Library at the University of Minnesota to check out the country's largest collection of dime novels. {Costing literally ten cents, and printed on newsprint bound in paper covers, dime novels were ephemeral, inexpensive entertainment for a generation of readers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Originally intended for adults, the tales of Indian fighters and detectives, heroes and villains ultimately found a younger audience and inspired many a backyard gunfight and imaginary barroom brawl...