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.
November 2, 2001 - Michael Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, gives an update on the anthrax threat in the United States.
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...
February 23, 2001 - In a state that is home to such noble creatures as the eagle, the loon and the black bear it's a fair question to ask: How did the gopher become the mascot of the University of Minnesota? As a part of our series "Universal U", Minnesota Public Radio's Steven John reports on the origins of Goldy Gopher.
February 22, 2001 - You probably haven't heard his name, but the work of James J. Ryan is found in all modern cars and trucks and in commercial aircraft. The U of M researcher developed the retractable seat belt and the flight recorder. As a part of our weeklong series, "Universal U", Minnesota Public Radio's Steven John reports on the researcher known to some as "Crash" Ryan.
February 22, 2001 - The University of Minnesota is a "land grant" school, which places it among a group of unique institutions of higher learning in the U S. As a part of our series, "Universal U", Minnesota Public Radio's Steven John reports on the act of Congress that transformed the University of Minnesota.
February 21, 2001 - The architecture on the Twin Cities Campus of the University of Minnesota ranges from the tradititional Northrup Auditorium to the modern Weisman Art Museum. But neither of these structures has a periscope. As a part of our series "Universal U", Minnesota Public Radio's Steven John reports on a subterranean landmark. {110 feet under the surface of the East Bank research on road and tunnel design, earthquake protection, and environmental clean-up methods are taking place in the laboratories of the Civil Engineering building.
February 21, 2001 -
February 20, 2001 - Developed in the 1960s in the town of Bethel, the University of Minnesota took it over and has developed it at Cedar Creek.