Bob Collins
Tuesday January 2, 2018
(Subject to change as events dictate)
9 a.m. – MPR News with Kerri Miller
The Political Junkie. Kerri Miller and Ken Rudin look ahead to the mid-term election year of 2018 on the day that Sen. Al Franken leaves office.
Guest: Ken Rudin, the Political Junkie
9:20 a.m. – University of Minnesota linguist Anatoly Liberman joins MPR News Host Kerri Miller to talk about why some words and phrases catch on, and whether the origins of those words are new or old.
Guest: Anatoly Lieberman, linguist and professor in the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota.
10 a.m.- 1A with Joshua Johnson
What is the U.S. doing in Africa? The president’s point man on Africa, Amb. Donald Yamamoto, says we’re there to support and assist African nations. It’s a busy time, with the ongoing investigation into the deaths of four U.S. servicemen who were killed in an ambush in Niger last year.
Guest: Donald Yamamoto, acting assistant secretary of State for African Affairs, former ambassador to Ethiopia and Djibouti.
11 a.m. – MPR News with Tom Weber
Minnesota Sen. Al Franken is expected to officially resign Tuesday in the wake of accusations of sexual misconduct. His replacement, Lt. Gov. Tina Smith, is set to be sworn in the following day. MPR News reporter Mark Zdechlik will be in Washington, D.C. for the ceremony.
Guest: Mark Zdechlik, MPR News reporter
11:15 a.m. – A look inside Ilhan Omar’s Twitterverse. “You and your people are a stain.” That’s one of the tweets that has been directed at a member of the Minnesota Legislature, DFL Rep. Ilhan Omar. Omar is the first Somali-American Muslim lawmaker in state history. She’s gotten some national attention for that – she was in Time magazine and on The Daily Show – which has led to more comments on social media. Rep. Omar also has plenty of supporters who praise her on Twitter, but the negative comments have a striking level of vitriol.
Guest: Rep. Ilhan Omar (DFL- Minneapolis)
11:30 a.m. – What do you resolve for 2018?
12 p.m. – MPR News Presents
Part two of the BBC documentary, “America–Laboratory of Democracy.” Cambridge University American history professor Gary Gerstle explores the origins and challenges of democracy in America. Today’s edition touches on the role of uprisings and insurgencies in American history.
1 p.m. – The Takeaway
Iran has been experiencing its largest protests in years. More than 20 people have been killed since the demonstrations began last week. The Takeaway hears how people on the ground have been responding to the unrest.
2 p.m. – BBC NewsHour
Iran’s Supreme Leader has accused the country’s enemies of funding and arming anti-government protesters; what do elections coming up in Latin America this year have in common? And the BBC’s Moscow correspondent is in the Ural mountains looking at the world cup stadium and a fortune-telling meerkat.
3 p.m. – All Things Considered
MPR’s Mark Zdechlik reports from Washington on Al Franken’s last day; Jim Zaroli has an update on the rush to pay property taxes; Karen Michel has a profile of Macarthur-winning artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby.
7 p.m. – The World
The latest on protests in Iran.
8 p.m. – Fresh Air
Alzheimer’s Disease: what we know about how the disease attacks the brain and destroys memory, and what researchers are investigating that might delay its onset and reduce the damage it causes.
Guest: Joseph Jebelli, neuroscientist, researcher, and author of the new book In Pursuit of Memory: The Fight Against Alzheimer’s.
