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A New Year's Monolog
Dr. Mark takes a gander at 2004.

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Latest on Mad Cow
Find out the latest on what effect BSE might have on Midwest beef production. Our guest is one of the world's leading authorities on Mad Cow disease, Dr. Will Hueston with the U of M.

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President Bruininks
U of M President Robert Bruininks sits down on the Almanac set to preview the upcoming year.

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Papa John Kolstad and the Hot Club of East Lake, Live!!
Papa John has a new CD out and he joins us with the rest of his jazz/blues/ragtime quartet. Find out more about Papa John at www.millcitymusic.com

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How's the New Guv Doing?
Our Mary Lahammer checks in with former governors Elmer Andersen, Wendell Anderson and Al Quie to get their take on how Tim Pawlenty did in his first year in office.

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Number Crunching
Minnesota's state demographer Tim Gillaspy gives us the latest on our changing state's population.

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Another Live Tune...
...courtesy of Papa John.

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Slouching Towards the New Session
Speaker of the House Steve Sviggum and Senate Majority Leader John Hottinger join us to preview the upcoming legislative session.

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The Wrapup
Two fine Minnesota history questions... and another tune by Papa John Kolstad and gang.

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A Monolog
J.G. Preston is very disturbed by a someone in a chicken costume.

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Reading, 'Riting and 'Rithmatic
We're adding a fourth "R"... Raucus conversation. State Education Commissioner Yecke debates Education policy with a state lawmaker.

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Chief Olson Says Goodbye
Robert Olson will soon step down as the top cop in the Mill City. He'll look back at his nearly decade-long tenure in office.

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Governor Elmer Andersen Remembers
We bring you more from last week's lively interview by Mary Lahammer of former Minnesota governor Elmer L. Andersen.

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Baby it's Coldish Outside
Paul Douglas stops by for his monthly weather chat. He's the weather guru at WCCO-TV.

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Cap Wigington
Have you ever heard of him? He's the pioneering African-American St. Paul architect who was responsible for the grand St. Paul ice castles of the 1930's. We reprise a a bit of historic tape for you.

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Combatting Homelessness
We hear all about a new state proposal to end chronic homelessness in Minnesota. Minnesota Housing Finance Agency Commissioner Tim Marx is our guest.

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A Political Panel
Democrats Greg Gray and Ted Mondale take on Sarah Janecek and Brian Sullivan as they chat up the week's big political stories.

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The Wrapup
Two history questions --just what history DID happen at Southwest Minnesota State in December 2003?-- your thoughts about Papa John Kolstad... and a show-ending tune by Johnny Cash.

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A New Police Chief in Minneapolis
Mayor R. T. Rybak will join us live to talk about the expected approval today of Minneapolis Police Chief Dan McManus.

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The General
He's a Lutheran minister... a general in the National Guard... and now you can add the title of State Senate Majority Leader. DFLer Dean Johnson from Willmar sits down at our table.

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The Forgetting
This compelling TPT-produced documentary about Alzheimer's disease will air on PBS stations all across the country next Wednesday evening. We'll show you a clip from the program and have you meet project Executive Producer Naomi Boak.

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State Bonding
Yeah, it sounds boring but we made it Mary Lahammer's job this week to spice up the topic.

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Fire and Ice
It's the title of a new book about the history of the St. Paul Winter Carnival. Twin Citian Moira Harris is the author and she joins us to talk ice castles, buttons and dog races.

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Talkin' Iowa Politics
We deliver a trio of distinguished political scientists to chat about the big caucuses next week. Steve Schier of Carleton, Guy Charles of the U of M and David Schultz of Hamline take a seat in Studio B.

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The Wrapup
Minnesota history... music... and commentary all wrapped into one.

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Monolog
Our newest singing sensation Toni Halleen gives us her take on the Iowa caucuses.

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Ice Castles in the Sky
Mary visited the 2004 Ice Castle this morning and gives us an inside look at the frigid fun to be had at the first walk-through ice palace since 1940.

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A Tale of Two Twins Stadium Proposals
The stadium committee has spoken.. and the Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul have been tapped as finalists. St. Paul Mayor Randy Kelly and Hennepin County Board Chair Randy Johnson stop by the Almanac couch to plead their case for a ballpark on their side of the river.

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See Mars at the Science Museum
You can stop by the Science Museum on Saturday to watch the Rover "Opportunity" land on Mars and check out a cool High Def Video done in partnership with NASA. Joel Halvorson from the Science Museum is our guest and he brought some tape with him tonight. Special thanks to Science Museum partner Twist Films and film Executive Producer Melissa Butts.

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Watson's Weather
It's been darn cold this week and this morning's snow gave commuters a snarled mess to drive through. How's our winter weather been so far this year? Meteorologist extraordinaire Bruce Watson stops by to remind us that as things go, we're still having a wimpy winter.

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By the People
Think of it as democracy in action. Citizens gather to debate and learn more about the issues in a presidential election year. Mary Lahammer will preview this weekend event for us. And you can find out more about this collaboration by visiting the By The People website at: http://www.newshour.org/btp

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The Minnesota Daily Expands
The U of M's campus newspaper will be changing its look later this winter and we'll chat with Editor-in-Chief Shane Hoefer (rhymes with Gopher) about the larger format.

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Political Panel
Our couchful of pundits will ponder the politics of Iowa caucuses, the State of the Union and much more. Republicans Tom Horner and Mary Krinkie square off against DFLers Blois Olson and Buck Humphrey.

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It's a Wrap!
Index File Time. Last week's question. Your wrong answers. Your right answers. This week's question. Your comments. And of course our Minnesota Musical History for the week.

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A Monolog
Brrrrrr!!!! But J.G. Preston doesn't feel the need to tell you what you should wear outside.

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State of the Region
Met Council Chair Peter Bell delivers his sense of the state of our region.

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Taxpayer's Bill of Rights
Have you heard of this proposed state constitutional amendment? If you haven't you likely will soon. We debate its merits with two state lawmakers.

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Legislative Leaders
Our Mary Lahammer moderated a big discussion today at the Minnesota Newspaper Association with our state's top lawmakers. She gives us a report.

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Almanac: At the Capitol
Almanac's sister program debuts next week on TPT and many other Minnesota PBS stations. Host Mary Lahammer will be along to give us a sneak peek of some of the show's new features as it enters its third season.

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Minnesota Muslims Celebrate
This weekend Muslims around the globe celebrate Eid-ul-Adha. Find out what that means for Minnesotans with Ahmed Tharwat, host of the "Belahdan" TV program seen Sunday nights on TPT17.

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By the People: America in the World
This past weekend dozens of area residents came to the Twin Cities Public TV studios to meet and discuss American foreign policy. We'll give you a flavor of how the day went. You can find out more at: www.pbs.org/newshour/btp/

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A Young Political Panel
We turn back the clock on the political panel as college leaders of our state's Democratic, Republican and Green parties give us their take on election year 2004.

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The Wrapup
Who was the first Minnesota resident to win the Newberry Prize? And what's the claim to fame of Denis Sester of Bloomington? Then you get to hear what Jim of Duluth has to say.

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A Monolog of the Week That Was
Dominic Papatola ponders the week's ponderous events.

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Hockey Heaven
How good is the hockey in the movie "Miracle" released Friday around the nation? We talk this week's Hockey Mania in Minnesota with Doug Johnson of "Let's Play Hockey."

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The Prescription Drugs War
We highlight the debate going on in our state over how best to reduce the price of prescription drugs. State Human Services Commissioner Kevin Goodno squares off with lawmaker Rebecca Otto.

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A Super Chef Visits Almanac
Matt Quist was one of the NFL Super Bowl chefs who participated in last weekend's "Taste of the NFL" in Houston. He shares a recipe just in time for this weekend's NHL Hockey Game.

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And the Newbery Winner Is...
Minnesotan Kate DiCamillo recently won our nation's top kiddie lit prize with her novel "The Tale of Despereaux." Kate joins us at the table for her third Almanac visit.

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Legislative Launch
Our Mary Lahammer keeps you up to date on the fast-paced first week of the legislative session. Don't forget you catch Mary's nightly capitol reports on tpt.org.

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More Cooking
With J.G. and chef Matt Quist. Matt is the corporate chef for Taher. That's a food service company in Minnetonka.

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A Political Panel
Two Democrats (Wy Spano and Erin Murphy) and two Republicans (Sarah Janecek and David Strom) debate the week's top Minnesota political stories. We promise that at least at one point in the discussion, more than one person will be talking at once.

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The Wrapup
Two Minnesota history questions... your viewer comments... and some show-ending music courtesy of Ella Fitzgerald who appeared in Minneapolis this week back in 1960.

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The Monolog
Ken and Barbie are splitsville. And J.G. Preston can't help talking about it.

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Pawlenty in Iraq
We see our governor in Iraq and chat live with his Chief of Staff Dan McElroy. Also on the topic list: the Minnesota Lottery under George Andersen.

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Drug Sentencing
Is Minnesota too tough on drug offenders? There was interesting debate this week at the Capitol over whether to change state drug laws. Rep. Keith Ellison (DFL-Minneapolis) and Minneapolis City Council Member Don Samuels are our guests.

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Minnesotavotes.org
It's a new website to track the goings on at the state capitol. We'll introduce you to the site and its creator: Chris Tiedeman with the Center of the American Experiment. By the way, the state has it's own groovy bill tracking site: http://www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/legis.asp

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Environmental Constitutional Amendment
Should Minnesota dedicate part of the state sales tax to supporting natural resources? Senator Dallas Sams (DFL- Staples) debates David Strom with the Minnesota Taxpayers League.

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Twin Citians Tackle Iraq
It's all part of our "By the People" election-year citizen initiative done in partnership with the Minnesota International Center, the Minneapolis Foundation and MacNeil-Lehrer Productions.

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Former Lawmaker Panel
Democrats Bob Vanasek and Ember Reichgott Junge engage with Republicans David Bishop and Fritz Knaak.

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The Wrapup
You'll learn more about Tracie Spencer than you wanted to. Plus we unveil this week's history question about Dan Netherland of the Duluth Aquarium.

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A Monologue
Dr. Mark DePaolis and the Attack of the Killer Pasta.

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Bus Drivers Union Takes on Management
Both sides sit down together tonight on the Almanac couch as the Twin Cities tries to avoid a bus strike. Met Council chair Peter Bell squares off with Michelle Sommers with the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1025.

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The Big Lottery Audit
It's 160 pages long... but our Mary Lahammer boils down this week's report by the Legislative Auditor.

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Live Irish Music!!
Two natives of Ireland team up with a Japanese musician to form a memorable group. Eire Japan plays live in our studio as a prelude to a concert Saturday Night at O'Shaughnessy Auditorium. It's all part of the St. Paul Celtic Connection. For tickets call 651-690-6700.

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Nobel Peace Prize Forum
It's taking place this weekend. Jimmy Carter is one of the speakers. Co-organizer Geir Lundestad of the Norwegian Nobel Institute is our guest.

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Prince on Tavis Smiley
Prince gives a rare interview to PBS interviewer Tavis Smiley. The full half hour performance/interview will air Saturday night at 11 on TPT-2. We'll preview it for you.

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First Termers Panel
One of the political panels in our rotation is composed entirely of brand new lawmakers. They may be "newbies" at the capitol but they are getting to be veterans in the TV studio.

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The Wrapup
Our weekly Minnesota history questions, your comments, and another live tune by Eire Japan.

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Da Monolog
Have you seen Jesse Ventura's new beard? J.G. Preston has.

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Homelessness
The Wilder Foundation released its Minnesota homeless study on Friday. Greg Owen from Wilder explains what it all means.

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Gay Marriage in Minnesota
We debate a state constitutional amendment that would ban same sex marriage in our state.

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Sports with Mr. Fitzgerald
Larry Fitzgerald Sr. gives us his take on the world of sports... including his son's decision to enter the NFL draft.

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Death Penalty
Thursday found a House Committee hearing testimony on a possible Death Penalty bill in Minnesota. Our Mary Lahammer has a report.

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What's Up Doc?
Governor Pawlenty's Health Care Commission has issued its findings. We hear about them from Commission Chair David Durenberger.

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Remembering Paul Gruchow
The Minnesota writer known for his essays about our state's landscape took his life this week. We revisit an interview tpt did with Paul back in 1995.

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Panel Politicking
New state budget deficit numbers, the death penalty, gay marriage and Tuesday's caucuses. We fill the couch with politicos to comment.

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The Wrapup
Historical trivia... your voices... and new show-ending musical feature during this Almanac's 20th season on the air.

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Making Up the Shortfall
On Thursday Governor Pawlenty released his Supplemental Budget. What is that? His answer to making up the 160 million dollar shortfall in the state budget. Our Mary Lahammer spent Friday getting reaction to Pawlenty's Plan.

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Slamming Slots?
Two lawmakers this week said they want to eliminate all video slot machines in our state unless Indian bands here renegotiate the state's gambling compact. Confusing? We'll bring you a debate and try to straighten it all out.

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Hmong Refugees
This week St. Paul Mayor Randy Kelly visited Thailand in order to meet up with thousands of Hmong will may make Minnesota their home later this year. tpt's Fred de Sam Lazaro was along on the trip. Soon he'll file a report with the NewsHour, but we get to hear his stories first.

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It's Pledge Time
Want to hear a fresh pitch on why you should be a PBS member? Click here.

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The Pipers Turn 150
Hamline University has been around for a century and a half. Are Minnesotans better off for it? Hamline prez Larry Osnes talks about his college's mission... past and present.

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Enough Already?
Presidential ads are swamping the airwaves. Super Tuesday apparently opened the floodgates. Political scientists Steve Schier (Carleton), Guy Charles (U of M) and David Schultz (Hamline) sit down on the couch.

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The Wrapup
Two top-notch history questions (who DID win the Braham Pie Contest in 1993?), a slightly disturbing viewer comment about J.G. Preston and a show-ending musical clip featuring harpist Katie McMahon.

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Target Takes Aim
The Twin Cities-based discount retailer wants to sell its Mervyn's and Marshall Fields stores. What does this mean? Myles Shaver thinks he knows. He's with the Carlson School of Management.

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A Pedagogical Pummeling
Education Commissioner Cheri Pierson Yecke squares off with Teacher Union head Judy Schaubach over the issue of student testing.

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Mayor Kelly
Randy Kelly stops by to chat up his Thailand trip... his stadium plan... and fears about the downtown Marshall Fields store.

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Bus Drivers vs. Management Round 2
Union and management haven't sat down together in the 8 days since the Twin Cities bus strike began. Friday night it happens right on the Almanac set. Guests Peter Bell (Met Council) and Michelle Sommers (transit union) square off.

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The Capitol Week in Review
Our Mary Lahammer fills us in on all the "hot" issues debated at the capitol this week.

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A Panel of Politicos
Feisty Republicans and Democrats look at issues near and far. There are four of them... and they are all women. DFLers Deanna Wiener and Dee Long match wits with Republicans Sarah Janecek and Mary Krinkie.

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The Wrapup
We are fond of this week's two Minnesota history questions... we bring you those and then we end the show with a rare clip of J.G. Preston singing something other than "Blue Christmas."

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The Monolog
Dr. Mark weighs in on baseball and steroids.

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Top Cops Don't Face Charges
Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak sits at the Almanac table to discuss today's news that no charges will be filed against three top Minneapolis police officers concerning the investigationinto the Duy Ngo case.

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A Party Chair Fight
DFLers released a controversial TV commercial in our state this week. We debate its merits with DFL Party Chair Mike Erlandson and Republican Party Chair Ron Eibensteiner.

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Remembering Bruce Watson
Well-known Minnesota meteorologist - and frequent Almanac guest - Bruce Watson died suddenly Thursday at the age of 71. We gathered some tape of Bruce to show you. Plus Paul Douglas of WCC0-TV will be along to share some thoughts.

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The Governor and Gambling
How much has Governor Pawlenty changed his tune when it comes to supporting gambling? Our Mary Lahammer takes a look.

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Minnesota Bound
Ron Schara's show on KARE-11 is celebrating its tenth anniversary next week. We have clips for you plus a live visit by Ron and Raven.

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All Star Defense Attorney Panel
They're back! Joe Friedberg, Ron Meshbesher and Anthony Torres drop by to pick apart some of the big legal stories in the news.

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The Wrapup
We admit it. There were big technical problems this week when it came to the viewer calls. But we here at Almanac are nothing if not resourceful. Tune in for two great history questions, done just a little bit differently.

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A Monolog
J.G. Preston isn't very colorful this week. But we'll explain why.

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Gay Marriage Outcome
Our Mary Lahammer summarizes the dramatic week of rallies, testimony and votes as a Senate committee takes action on this hot-button issue Friday.

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Victory Sports
So far it hasn't been a victory for fans of the Minnesota Twins. We hear from Jim Pohlad of Victory Sports and a big cable operator --Mike Munley with Time Warner--who are sparring over the Twins-owned sports network.

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Jean Freeman
For 31 years she has been the U of M Women's swimming program. Now she's stepping down. She shares her stories about the journey that women's sports have taken during her personal and professional lifetime.

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A SPCO Concert Preview
This weekend the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and Twin Cities Public Television are again teaming up on a televised concert. The concert will air on tpt Sunday April 11th at 7pm. We have a preview of the concert with SPCO conductor Andreas Delfs.

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The Joy of Voting
The current issue of Utne Magazine has some ideas of how to spice up your voting life. Leif Utne joins us to tell us how.

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Is Local TV Health Reporting Sick?
A U of M journalism prof thinks so. He's conducted a study and he'll tell us all about it. U of M Professor Gary Schwitzer used to be in charge of CNN's medical coverage.

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Former Lawmaker Panel
Democrats Allan Spear and Ember Reichgott Junge join Republicans David Bishop and Linda Runbeck to reflect on an emotional week at the capitol. They will discuss gay marriage, the death penalty and what it means to take tough votes.

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The Wrapup
What historic action was taken by Hennepin County Attorney Gary Flakne in January of 1975? That's just one of two Minnesota history questions awaiting you. Plus your calls in your own voices.

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