April 14, 2003 - All Things Considered’s Lorna Benson interviews Bob Gehrz, an astrophysicist and a professor of astronomy at the University of Minnesota about NASA plans to launch the Space Infrared Telescope on April 27th, 2003. A goal of mission is to have telescope orbit the sun for seven years and capture different kinds of light in space.
April 10, 2003 - All Things Considered’s Lorna Benson interviews Peter Thompson about his views on the Iraq War. He spent three weeks in Iraq during December 2002 as part of a delegation from Chicago-based Voices in the Wilderness.
April 8, 2003 - All Things Considered’s Lorna Benson talks with Professor Ronald Glossop, vice-president of the National World Federalist Association, about establishing a democratic world federation that would function much like the United States, but on a global level.
April 7, 2003 - MPR’s Lorna Benson talks with Robert Palmquist, president of SpeechGear, about Interact, a handheld translation device created by the company. The device offers real-time oral translations in about 12 different languages. U.S. office of Naval Research is testing device, which will allow troops to communicate better with civilians and surrendering POWs on the battlefield.
April 3, 2003 - All Things Considered’s Lorna Benson talks with folk musician John McCutcheon about his music career, travels, and musical education. McCutcheon says he first considered becoming a professional musician on a trip he took to Appalachia, while he was a student at St. John's University in Collegeville.
April 2, 2003 - All Things Considered’s Lorna Benson speaks with Richfield resident Kenny Hanson, who was held in a POW camp in 1953, during the Korean War. Henson recounts the experience and comments on the Jessica Lynch, the first rescued American POW from the war in Iraq.
April 1, 2003 - All Things Considered’s Lorna Benson interviews local peace activist Steve Clemens about of efforts of the Chicago-based group Voices in the Wilderness while in Iraq. Clemens was there during December 2002 and says about a dozen of the group's members remain in the country. He says all of the peace workers in Baghdad are doing important work.
April 1, 2003 - All Things Considered’s Lorna Benson talks with Nora Tallus, one of six women's college hockey players from the University of Minnesota-Duluth who returned from China and find themselves quarantined in case they contracted Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome, aka SARS. The players were in Beijing to compete in the women's world championships, but the event was canceled over fears of spreading the disease.
March 31, 2003 - All Things Considered’s Lorna Benson gets sports commentary on the 2003 University of Minnesota women's basketball season from Star Tribune’s Pam Schmid. The Gophers made it to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament for the first time in the team's 29 year history.
March 27, 2003 - MPR's Elizabeth Stawicki reports on trial opening of a Minnesota baseball giant, just blocks from where fans in 1987 and 1991 crowned him a World Series hero. Kirby Puckett, whose talents propelled him from Twins star to Hall-of-Fame great faces sexual assault charges that have tarnished his once clean image. Puckett has pleaded not guilty to charges of criminal sexual conduct, false imprisonment, and misdemeanor assault.