March 22, 2002 - MPR's Cara Hetland reports on The National Symphony Orchestra as it concludes its 10-day residency in South Dakota. The 202 musicians in the orchestra visit one state a year to share their talent and passion for music with teachers, students and fellow musicians. The National Symphony Orchestra crammed nearly 120 events and concerts into a schedule that took the musicians to all parts of the state.
February 19, 2002 - MPR's Tim Pugmire reports that hours after a Minnesota House committee rejected legislation to build a football stadium for Vikings and Gophers, another panel approved two bills Monday to build a new home for the Twins. Both bills would help build a major league ballpark in St. Paul, but they include different approaches to financing the projects. Lawmakers also want to give St. Paul voters the ultimate approval.
February 14, 2002 - MPR’s Marianne Combs profiles acclaimed playwright Lee Blessing's new play "Thief River," which portrays two gay men growing up in rural Minnesota who choose very different paths in life. Over the next fifty years they remain in contact; their experiences reflect the changing attitudes toward homosexuality in America.
February 5, 2002 - By letting stand a lower court ruling that binds the Minnesota Twins to the Metrodome for another season, a Minnesota Supreme Court order all but guarantees that plans to eliminate the team will be put on hold for at least the coming year. While the team is disappointed with the court's decision, the team's landlord and fans are embracing the news.
February 4, 2002 - Mee Moua, a Hmong woman in St. Paul, makes history when she's sworn in as the nation's first Hmong legislator. The Southeast Asian hill tribe people started arriving in the U.S. more than 20 years ago. Yet, for many Hmong, their true date of arrival in this country starts with this political moment.
January 23, 2002 - Word of Mouth host Chris Roberts talks with members of the local band Kangaroo. The group boasts three teachers and one playwright in its ranks. They discuss the desire to create happiness in their music. Segment includes music clips.
January 16, 2002 - Mee Moua comments on her who hope to become the first Hmong person ever elected to a Minnesota state legislature.
January 1, 2002 - An American RadioWorks/Minnesota Public Radio/NPR News documentary project titled “Massacre at Cuska,” which looks into a mass killing during Kosovo War and it’s aftermath. In 1999, Serb death squads attacked the Albanian village of Cuska, and within hours, left 41 unarmed civilians dead.
December 28, 2001 - It's time for potica! Up on the Iron Range, the pastry called potica is a holiday treat. Eastern European grandmothers have made it for generations. But it's hard work, and not many people make it at home anymore. A few bakeries still make potica by hand, the way the grandmothers used to. Mainstreet Radio’ Chris Julin visited Andrej's European Pastry, one of those bakeries, in the town of Chisholm.
December 27, 2001 - MPR's Tom Scheck reports on possible impact of Minnesota Twins leaving the state. Most experts say only a new stadium will prevent the loss of the team. Observers say if Major League Baseball moves ahead with its contraction plans and cuts the Twins before next season, the Twin Cities reputation as a major league city sports location would be in jeopardy. However, economists say the fallout from the loss of the team would be more psychological than economic.