Minnesota Now

Minnesota Now is celebrating its third anniversary in a big way — with a quiz show in front of a live studio audience, hosted by Cathy Wurzer and Tane Danger.

Two teams face off head-to-head to answer questions about Minnesota news from the past year, Minnesota music and more.

Hip hop artist Nur-D leads one team, joined by Minnesota Now newscaster Emily Reese and former MPR politics editor Mike Mulcahy.

Chef Yia Vang serves as the team captain with MPR meteorologist Sven Sundgaard and incoming Minnesota Now host Nina Moini.

Watch the quiz show on the MPR News YouTube page.

A substitute teacher at Woodbury High School has been banned from teaching after re-enacting George Floyd's murder during a class, saying he could get away with murder due to his policing experience, among other things. We hear from the district superintendent.

A local musician is celebrating being 15 years breast-cancer free with a benefit concert.

Our first frost usually signals winter, but warmer weather is on the way. Paul Huttner has the forecast.

Plus we hear from a Zambian-Minnesotan author who will be sharing her new collection of short stories this weekend at the Twin Cities Book Festival.

And a new film is on a mission to prove Minnesota is a basketball state.

Our Song of the Day was “Magnified Iris” by 26 Bats! and our Minnesota Music Minute was “Treasure Trove” by Katie Tessman.

Wednesday night the Minnesota Lynx are back home in Minneapolis for Game 3 of the finals series against the New York Liberty. The teams are tied at one game a piece.  This year has been an amazing year for basketball in Minnesota, with the Timberwolves also making a big run in the playoffs. It raises the question, is Minnesota a basketball state?

One filmmaker thinks so. In fact, it’s in the title of his new documentary, “Basketball State: Land of 10,000 Hoops.”

Gabe Hostetler joins MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about his new film, which is making its premiere this weekend at the Twin Cities Film Festival.  

On Saturday, Minnesota’s excellent literary scene will be on display at the Twin Cities Book Festival. The day-long event at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds includes readings as well as a chance to meet authors and publishers.

One of those local authors is Mubanga Kalimamukwento. The short stories in her new collection “Obligations to the Wounded” move back and forth between the U.S. and her native Zambia, exploring women pushing against society’s expectations. MPR News host Emily Bright talks with Kalimamukwento, who will read from her collection at the festival Saturday at 10:15 a.m.

If you were up early this morning in the Twin Cities you may have seen a little frost on your windshield or the front lawn. The metro temperatures finally dipped below freezing Tuesday night. MPR chief meteorologist Paul Huttner joins MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about the first week of frost, plus the statewide forecast ahead.

Katy Tessman is celebrating 15 years cancer-free this year — 15 years after she had a double mastectomy on her 40th birthday.

To celebrate, the singer-songwriter is performing at the Icehouse Friday in Minneapolis and raising money for cancer survivors like her. She shares her story with MPR News host Cathy Wurzer ahead of her upcoming show.

A substitute teacher at Woodbury High School in the Twin Cities metro allegedly re-enacted George Floyd’s murder with a student on the ground, and reportedly told students “police brutality isn’t real.”

In a letter to parents, the school district detailed some of the teacher's behavior, including racist and sexist jokes and sharing explicit details about his career as a police officer in Wisconsin.

School and district officials say they have removed the teacher and barred him from the property.

South Washington County Schools Superintendent Julie Nielsen joins MPR News host Cathy Wurzer with more information.

Read more reporting at MPRnews.org.

The Swedish hit-makers ABBA changed pop music as we know it: they sent 20 songs to the Billboard Hot 100 and turned the world onto Europop. But there is some lesser-known music by the people behind ABBA.

Back in 1995, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus of ABBA wrote a musical called “Kristina.” It tells the story of Swedes who found their way to Minnesota territory in the mid-18th century.

In 1996, Benny and Björn came to Minnesota, where Kristina made its American premiere. Now it will be back on the stage nearly 30 years later. VocalEssence will open its 56th season with a concert performance of Kristina on Oct. 26.

ABBA’s Benny Andersson joined Minnesota Now from Sweden in an exclusive interview with VocalEssence director Philip Brunelle.

Acadia Healthcare is under scrutiny after New York Times reporters discovered a pattern of holding patients against their will – even when it was not medically necessary for them to be there. The company agreed to pay nearly $20 million in a settlement in September. And it’s now facing a new federal investigation, according to the Times.

Acadia does not currently run any hospitals in Minnesota, but it is partnering with Fairview Health Services on a new mental health hospital that is currently under construction in St. Paul. Given these plans, MPR News host Cathy Wurzer talked to New York Times reporter Jessica Silver-Greenberg about their record elsewhere.

Tuesday afternoon Gov. Tim Walz will reveal Vice President Kamala Harris's plan for rural voters during a stop in rural Pennsylvania. The plan has a large emphasis on rural health care, which includes loan forgiveness for doctors and nurses, expanding rural telehealth services and expanding ambulance services. The plan also includes building new streams of income for mid-sized farmers and producers.

MPR News host Cathy Wurzer talked to Matt Barron, a rural political strategist who worked on Walz’s congressional campaign in 2005 and is familiar with his record in rural Minnesota. Aaron Brown also joined the program. He is an author and instructor at Minnesota North College in Hibbing and a columnist for the Minnesota Star Tribune.