March 26, 2010 - On this Midday program, a collection of reports in which MPR News explores how changing our food culture could help cure obesity.
March 10, 2010 - Midday features a rebroadcast of two Voices of Minnesota stories about women in World War II. Program includes the profiles, interviews, and a brief NPR report on Women Airforce Service Pilots.
February 24, 2010 - Award-winning Minnesota history author Dave Kenney discusses the history of the Boy Scouts in central Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Kenney is out with a book on the subject, entitled Honor Bright: A Century of Scouting in Northern Star Council. Kenney also answers listener questions.
January 11, 2010 - MPR’s Steven John interviews U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar about China’s use of cadmium in children's items. The chair of the Consumer Product Safety Commission is warning Asian manufacturers against the use of cadmium in children's items. That's after lab tests found that Chinese manufacturers were substituting the heavy metal in place of lead in cheap charm bracelets and pendants being sold in this country. Cadmium is known to cause cancer, and, like lead, it can hinder brain development in the children. Senator Amy Klobuchar led the fight to ban lead from toys manufactured in China. She's traveling in southern Minnesota today and we caught up with her.
November 11, 2009 - The outgoing head of the National Trust for Historic Preservation calls Fort Snelling the most important historic site in the state. Former Minnesotan Richard Moe announced last week he was retiring after 17 years as president of the trust. Moe is also the author of a book about the First Minnesota Volunteers who played a big role fighting for the Union in the Civil War. The Duluth native says those soldiers enlisted and trained at Fort Snelling. But, Moe says the site where the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers meet represents more than just a former military post.
August 26, 2009 - Midday presents the documentary “Divorced Kid: Stories from the 1970's divorce revolution.” MPR’s Sasha Aslanian reports on the long-term impact of the divorce explosion in U.S. during the 1970’s.
April 15, 2009 - Ahmed Samatar, dean of the Institute for Global Citizenship at Macalester College in St. Paul; and Hussein Samatar, founder and executive director of the African Development Center in Minneapolis, discuss the major concerns of Somalis living in Minnesota, including whether young men are being recruited to fight with terrorists. The two Somali men who are longtime Minnesota residents and U.S. citizens.
March 26, 2009 - As Minnesota lawmakers spar over the state's education budget, Midday broadcasts education experts Kati Haycock and Rudy Crew discussing what Minnesota can do to close the achievement gap between white students and students of color. At Minnesota Meeting, a project of The Minneapolis Foundation, the two nationally recognized experts discuss this issue.
February 18, 2009 - In its latest effort to stem the financial crisis, the Obama administration announced the details of a $75 billion plan to help struggling homeowners. The plan is more ambitious than initially expected - and more expensive. It aims to aid borrowers who owe more on their mortgages than their homes are currently worth, and borrowers who are on the verge of foreclosure. Afterwards, Ben Bernanke speaks at the National Press Club live here on Midday with Gary Eichten
January 15, 2009 - As part of a weekly NewsCut focus, MPR’s Bob Collins embarks on a set of college tours to see how the tough economy is impacting young people. In this segment, Collins visits Century College in White Bear Lake, Minnesota.