Panetta, Petraeus nominated to lead Pentagon, CIA The changes come as President Obama confronts numerous national security challenges at home and abroad, including finding a way out of the increasingly unpopular war in Afghanistan and making politically risky cuts to the Pentagon budget.April 28, 2011
Sen. Al Franken in studio Senator Al Franken joins Midmorning to talk about the looming battle over the deficit, the continuing controversy over health care reform, and reaching across the aisle to create bipartisan friendships.Midmorning, April 22, 2011
Dayton hears concerns of seniors over budget cuts Senior citizens and advocates for nursing homes and other senior services told the governor that they were concerned that the budget cuts proposed by Republicans in the House and Senate would cause real harm.April 19, 2011
Legislature's GOP freshmen on the front lines of session This year's GOP freshman class is bigger and bolder than those in past legislative sessions and many say they aren't going to compromise with the governor.April 19, 2011
Columbus: Wolves Group howls and hunts and the Wildlife Science Center.April 19, 2011
The debate over the debt ceiling After narrowly averting a government shutdown, the fight over the debt ceiling now looms for Congressional leaders and President Obama. Should the debt ceiling be raised, or has the government borrowed enough?Midmorning, April 18, 2011
One bill down, but the hard work at the Capitol is still to come The just-signed Agriculture bill is less than 1 percent of the state's total budget for the next two years and does little to erase the projected $5 billion deficit. And the governor and the Legislature are having a much harder time agreeing on what to do next.April 15, 2011
Circle Pines a microcosm of the state's budget debate The northern Twin Cities suburb was once a traditionally Democratic blue area that's shifted to purple, and it helped the GOP take control of the Legislature in 2010.April 13, 2011
Dayton says GOP budget plan pulls savings 'out of thin air' He said the budget plan put forward by House Republicans is $1.2 billion out of balance and the Senate GOP plan is $1.1 billion out of whack. Dayton said his plan is based on solid fiscal analysis and the Republican plans aren't.April 13, 2011
Minn. GOP leaders want final budget talks to start After passing a series of budget bills, Republicans in the Minnesota Senate say they now want to start negotiating with the House and DFL Gov. Mark Dayton on a final agreement.April 7, 2011
Newsmaker: The budget stalemate The deadline for a partial government shutdown is nearing, and the two sides don't seem to be getting any closer on a budget deal. Are President Obama and House Speaker Boehner simply posturing to get the best deal, or are the differences over budget cuts too significant to make a deal?Midmorning, April 6, 2011