Minnesota Now

The weather may put on its own show for the Fourth of July. It looks like we will be facing some wet weather during fireworks time.

Some cities are already postponing their fireworks show or doing them a day early. The fireworks event over Lake Minnetonka, for example, has moved to Wednesday night.

For details on the holiday forecast, MPR News host Cathy Wurzer caught up with MPR News chief meteorologist Paul Huttner.

A new law went into effect this week that requires Minnesota cosmetologists to be trained in cutting and styling textured hair. Minnesota is the fourth state to enact such a law.

Research by hair education company Pivot Point found that 65 percent of people in the U.S. have textured hair, yet not every stylist knows what they're doing behind the chair with that type of hair.

Valencia Montgomery Johnson is a cosmetology educator at Aveda Arts and Sciences Institutes who testified at the state Capitol in support of the bill. She joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about it.

With flooding and storms across the state these past few weeks, emergency preparedness is top of mind for Minnesotans. But for some, they’re preparing for two. Caregivers for disabled, ill and elderly people don’t just have themselves to think about in an emergency, they also have the person they’re caring for. 

Paurvi Bhatt, a Twin Cities resident and the president of the Rosalynn Carter Institute for caregivers, talked with MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to break down disaster preparedness for caregivers.

In our “Connect the Dots” series, we ask community elders to share their wisdom and lessons learned about what really matters in life.

Ellie Krug was a civil trial lawyer for almost 30 years in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

When she moved to the Twin Cities she dove into several projects, including founding and executive directing a nonprofit providing legal access for people living on low incomes and the creator of workshops on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

She was elected to the Eastern Carver County School Board in 2022. She has a weekly radio program.

Krug is also transgender and the author of “Getting to Ellen: A Memoir about Love, Honesty and Gender Change.”

MPR News senior economics contributor Chris Farrell recently sat down with Krug. He joined Minnesota Now to talk about what he learned from her.

Each month, Dr. Jon Hallberg joins MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about topics that are important to your health and take a deep dive into medical news.

Hallberg is a family medicine physician at Mill City Clinic and a professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School.

In this installment of Vital Signs, he talked about a proposal to add warning labels to social media and a new Disney movie that gives life to difficult emotions.

Gov. Tim Walz was at the Rapidan Dam Tuesday to survey the recent flood damage. MPR News host Cathy Wurzer spoke with an environmental expert from Mankato about some consequences of flooding on the environment and the farmers living and working on the affected land.

When disaster strikes, the elderly, sick and disabled are often the most impacted. It falls on them and their caregivers to have a plan in place. The president of the Rosalyn Carter Institute for Caregiving joined the show to talk about how to put those plans in place.

Dr. Jon Hallberg returned to Minnesota Now with his thoughts on proposed warning labels for social media apps.

MPR’s senior economics contributor Chris Farrell recently spoke with a Minnesotan transgender lawyer and activist about the wisdom she’s learned over her long career.

Our Minnesota Music Minute today was “Running with the Wolves” by Cloud Cult, and our Song of the Day was “River Jordan” by Mathias Saint John.

Gov. Tim Walz visited the Rapidan Dam near Mankato on Tuesday afternoon to talk about flood conditions and recovery efforts in the area.

Unfortunately, there is more rain in the forecast, something the state does not need right now. This is especially true for farmers in southern Minnesota.

University of Minnesota extension educator Shane Bugeja joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer from Mankato to explain the flooding impacts many people may not be aware of.

Monday morning, the Supreme Court ruled former President Donald Trump has some immunity from prosecution over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. We broke down the ruling with a law professor from the University of Minnesota.

A law went into effect Monday which unseals birth records for some Minnesota adoptees. We spoke with an expert about the impacts on adoptees and birth parents.

WCCO-TV turned 75 Monday. We heard from a former WCCO news director and general manager.

Plus, we heard an update on the story of a transgender man from Russia who took refuge in Minnesota.

Our Minnesota Music Minute today was “Bucket of Blue” by Wish Wash, and our Song of the Day was “Spanish Town” by Jaggedease.

Monday marks the 75th anniversary of WCCO’s first ever television broadcast in the Twin Cities.

Ron Handberg wasn’t at WCCO-TV way back in 1949 when the station broadcast its first ever newscast, but he was responsible for shaping the station throughout the second half of the 20th century.

Handberg got his start at WCCO radio in 1960 and was the producer of the first Scene Tonight shows on WCCO-TV in the late ‘70s. He joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer on the show to paint of a picture of his early years on WCCO.

Monday is the first day Minnesota adoptees over 18 can request their original birth record—even those from closed adoptions that happened decades ago.

The law was championed by adoptees citing the right to know their own history. Also affected are the birth parents who must rapidly come to terms with the idea of being contacted by a child they believed they would never see again.

Alexis Oberdorfer is the vice president of services at the Minnesota Children’s Home & LSS. She joined MPR News Host Cathy Wurzer to share the details of the law change and how it will affect both adoptees and birth parents.