Minnesota Now

It may be cloudier in parts of the state Wednesday, but the record warmth this February isn't done with us yet. MPR Chief Meteorologist Paul Huttner spoke to MPR News Host Cathy Wurzer about these record highs, and our chances of it feeling a bit more like winter this week.

We've been following the recent announcements that hospitals in Fosston and New Prague will end their birthing services, which means people who are going into labor in those areas will have to travel much farther to deliver their babies in a hospital. At a public hearing in New Prague last night, Mayo Clinic leaders discussed their plan to end labor services this coming Friday and move them to Mankato.

Last year more than 1,000 children with mental health issues or developmental disorders had extended stays in Twin Cities emergency rooms because they had nowhere else to go. Some were in an ER for months. A disproportionate number of the kids in this situation, which hospitals call “boarding”, are Black or Native American. And many are in foster care, according to a new story from Sahan Journal. The article begins with the story of a 14-year-old with autism who has repeatedly been stuck in the ER, most recently for 55 days. Her aunt and legal guardian, Jacqueline Hunter, joined MPR News Host Cathy Wurzer along with Amy Esler, a psychologist with M Health Fairview who oversees care for patients with autism at the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain.

An iconic north shore resort with more than 100 years of history, lost overnight in a fire. We'll talk to former owners of 30-years of the Lutsen Lodge.

There are two new groundbreaking treatments of sickle cell. We talked to local leaders about its impact on the Black community.

A local author shared his tips about finding purpose later in life.

We talked to a Minnesota transplant about the expectations versus the reality of this warm winter.

Diablo Cody is known for writing films based in Minnesota like Juno and Jennifer's Body, and we talked to her about a new film out Friday.

This winter has been anything but normal. Our snowiest month so far has been October. And now we’re seeing 50 degrees in February. For some life-long Minnesotans, this winter might be considered a nice break. But we were curious what is it like for a Minnesota transplant who was expecting the worst of winter. Aubrey Regner moved from Minnesota to Florida this past summer and chronicled that move on TikTok. Regner has disappointed with the winter so far, to say the least. MPR News guest host Nina Moini talked to her about it.

What does it mean to live a life with purpose? It’s a big question that one Minnesota author wants to help you answer. Richard Leider has written eleven books, including his most recent titled “Who Do You Want to Be When You Grow Old?: The Path of Purposeful Aging.” He’s giving a talk Tuesday night at St. Catherine University on the power of purpose. He talked to MPR News guest host Nina Moini about finding purpose later in life.

In Scott Harrison and Nancy Burns’ 30 years of ownership at the Lutsen Lodge, they’ve seen thousands of couples get married, watch families make new traditions and help create memories for generations of Minnesotans. Now memories are all that remain after the main lodge was completely destroyed in a fire Tuesday morning.

Valentine’s Day is around the corner and there’s a new, goth rom-com opening in theaters Friday. It comes from writer Diablo Cody, who’s also known for the Oscar-winning movie Juno, which she wrote while living in Minnesota. More recently, she won a Tony for her Broadway adaptation of the Alanis Morissette album, Jagged Little Pill. Diablo Cody is the pen name of Brook Maurio. She’s originally from Chicago. But her time in Minnesota shows up in her work again and again, not only Juno. Her 2009 horror comedy Jennifer’s Body and the 2011 film Young Adult are also set in the state. Her movie out on Friday is called Lisa Frankenstein. She talked to MPR News guest host Nina Moini about the film.

The FDA approved two new gene therapies for sickle cell two months ago. The treatment could be a cure for more than 1,500 Minnesotans with sickle cell disease, and millions of people worldwide. The genetic blood condition causes horrible pain and can lead to deadly health complications such as strokes. People of African descent are more likely to have the gene and the new treatments could address an urgent health equity problem. But with a price tag of millions of dollars, it’s unclear how or when they will reach people who need them.

Rae Blaylark is the President and CEO of the Sickle Cell Foundation of Minnesota joined MPR News guest host Nina Moini to talk about about the reaction from sickle cell patients in Minnesota, what insurance providers are saying, and what it might take for the cost to go down. Dr. Roy Kao is an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota and a physician with M Health Fairview who specializes in gene therapy for sickle cell. He also joined the conversation to explain how the new treatments work, how effective they are, and why they’re so expensive.

February is Black History Month — a reminder to look back at Black Americans’ long fight for full rights and citizenship.

Minnesota historian and author Bill Green recently spoke at the opening of a new exhibit at the Minnesota Historical Society that was created to further the state’s conversation about reconstruction and the many decades of discriminatory laws and practices that followed.

The exhibit is called “Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow.” Green joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about it.

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

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