Minnesota Now

The 2024 presidential election is just seven months away, and the economy is proving to be a major issue for voters of all ages. A survey by Tufts University finds the cost of living and inflation are among the top issues for voters aged 18-34, which includes Generation Z and some millennials.

With both 2024 presidential campaigns chugging along, we wanted to check in with two voters from the fastest growing generation in the electorate. 

Two Gen-Z voters on different sides of the political spectrum, Will Pierce and Cory Hallada, joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer on the show to share how they’re factoring the economy into their voting decision this fall. Pierce is a junior studying political science at Macalester College in St. Paul, and Hallada is a junior studying political science and economics at St. Olaf College in Northfield.

Mona Susan Power’s newest novel, A Council of Dolls, traces the echoing damage of American Indian boarding schools through three generations of women—and their dolls.

In a narrative moving backwards in time, Power explores generational trauma and how the actions of parents impact their children. The book follows three young girls: Sissy in mid-century Chicago, her mother Lillian in 1925 on ancestral Dakota lands, and Cora, Lillian’s mother and Sissy’s grandmother, in the aftermath of the Indian Wars in the late 1800s.

A Council of Dolls is nominated for a Minnesota Book Award. Mona joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about her experience writing this historical book.

Turns out, Tuesday was the perfect day to listen to Prince’s hit song, ‘Sometimes it Snows in April.’ A significant portion of the state saw more snowfall following last week’s storm.

But the big news of the week is Monday’s incoming solar eclipse. MPR News’ chief meteorologist Paul Huttner is here with his forecast for the ‘path of totality’, plus the weather for the rest of the week.

Nurses working at the Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) are demanding that oversight of the hospital to return to the county.

Right now, HCMC is overseen by the Hennepin Healthcare Board of Directors, who are responsible for the governance of the health care system and its finances.

In recent months, the county imposed new checks on the board to rectify the situation. However, HCMC nurses say that has not improved job conditions and that the hospital board has not been transparent about spending.

Jeremy Olson-Ehlert is a nurse at HCMC and co-chair of the Minnesota Nurses Association. He joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to break down the situation.

The city of Minneapolis says it has checked off all the recommendations in a 2022 report on its response to the civil unrest that followed the murder of George Floyd.

And members of the six nations of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe are voting in primary elections today. MPR News talked about what’s on the ballot.

Survivors of intimate partner violence may hesitate to leave their abusers out of fear for their pets’ safety. A new coalition is trying to eliminate that barrier.

Before the internet, letter-writing was one way to build community. We learned about a new exhibit showcasing its role in queer history.

Twin Cities hip hop artist Nur-D has a new band: It’s the Minnesota Orchestra. We heard all about their collaboration.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

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This Friday and Saturday, hip-hop and classical music will collide in a beautiful way at Orchestra Hall. Minnesota hip-hop artist Nur-D will join the Minnesota Orchestra April 5 and 6 for a unique collaboration. Joining MPR News Host Cathy Wurzer with a preview of the show is Nur-D and Grant Meachum, Director of Live at Orchestra Hall.

When was the last time you sent a letter? Maybe to a kid away at camp? Or a long-term pen pal? Most of us don't use letters as a main form of communication with loved ones any more. But curators at the University of Minnesota library found that throughout the 20th century, letters were an integral tool for community building for members of the LGBTQ+ community. Before the internet and before it was widely safe to be out, LGBTQ+ people used the discrete art of letter writing to find each other, connect, and support each other. A curator from the Tretter Collection of LGBTQ history put together letters in an exhibit to demonstrate how vital letter-writing is. It's called "Dear Community: Mail, Correspondence, and Postal Activism in LGBTQ History.” The curator is Aiden Bettine joined MPR News Host Cathy Wurzer.

A reception for the exhibit will be held April 9.

It’s difficult for survivors of intimate partner violence to leave their abusers for many reasons that are often complex. Here’s one you may not think about: concern for their pets. A 2021 review of research shows there's a link between violence against animals and intimate partner violence. Abusers often threaten or harm pets as a way of hurting and controlling their partners. And pets can be used as leverage to compel survivors to stay or return.

A coalition of shelters and animal welfare groups in the Twin Cities have teamed up to form a new emergency foster care program. It includes Women’s Advocates, Cornerstone, Tubman, The Bond Between and Four Winds Connections.

Joining MPR News Host Cathy Wurzer to talk about the program Maggie Schmitz, Marketing Director with the group The Bond Between. And Paula, a survivor advisory council member with Women’s Advocates. We used her first name only for safety reasons.

If you are living in an unsafe situation, you can call the Women’s Advocates crisis line to speak with an advocate who can help. The number to call is 651-227-8284. 

Tuesday is primary election day for the six member nations of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe.

The Chippewa Tribe is a federally recognized government that includes Bois Forte, Fond du Lac, Grand Portage, Leech Lake, Mille Lacs and White Earth Nations. Members of all of those tribes are voting across the state.

MPR News’ Native News reporter Melissa Olson joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to explain what’s on the ballot.

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  Minnesota Chippewa Tribe primary elections take place Tuesday
  
  

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.  

We attempt to make transcripts for Minnesota Now available the next business day after a broadcast. When ready they will appear here. 

Tuesday afternoon, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey will join city officials to announce that the city has completed all recommendations from the 2022 After-Action Review. Those were the recommendations put in place after a stinging analysis came out of law enforcement’s response to the civil unrest following the murder of George Floyd.

Mayor Frey will be joined by the city's safety commissioner, police chief and fire chief. They will also announce the implementation of a new emergency communications tool for Minneapolis. MPR's own Matt Sepic is following this story, he joined MPR News Host Cathy Wurzer to explain what we know so far.