Minnesota Now

In our series, "What's for Lunch?", we ask acclaimed chefs around the state what they are cooking and eating for some inspiration. Diane Moua is a five-time James Beard Award nominee for her work as a pastry chef at restaurants like Spoon and Stable and La Belle Vie in the Twin Cities. Diane is about to open a brand-new restaurant of her own featuring Hmong-French cuisine in Northeast Minneapolis. She joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about the new venture, which she is calling Diane's Place.

When the 2024 legislative session kicks off a week from Monday in St. Paul, one big focus will be funding infrastructure and building projects around Minnesota. This comes as the state and federal government are spending more money than ever to help communities build up against the effects of extreme weather. That includes $35 million the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency recently announced for cities to update their stormwater systems for a changing climate. It’s the first phase of $100 million in grants approved by the legislature last year.

Moorhead engineer Bob Zimmerman is one of the city officials around the state who are thinking about how to use those funds. And Heidi Roop leads this kind of planning as the Director of the University of Minnesota’s Climate Adaptation Partnership. They joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about how to prepare Minnesota communities for a warmer, wetter, more unpredictable climate.

Minnesotan Dan Wilson took home the award for Best Country Song at the Grammy Awards on Sunday.

The songwriter and Semisonic front man won for “White Horse,” which he co-wrote with singer Chris Stapleton.

They were up against Tyler Childers’ “In Your Love,” Brandy Clark’s “Buried,” Luke Combs’ “Fast Car” and Dolly Parton’s “The Last Thing On My Mind.”

Wilson was also nominated for Song of the Year for “Butterfly,” co-written with Jon Batiste.

They lost in that category against Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” that was featured on the Barbie soundtrack.

The win was Wilson’s third Grammy. He won Song of the Year in 2006 for “Not Ready to Make Nice” with the Chicks and in 2011 for Album of the Year for “21” with Adele.

In October, he spoke with MPR News about his songwriting process.

“I try to kind of bring myself to the session, my own sense of what might be a good idea, what I’d like to hear them say in a song — what I’d like to hear from them as a fan almost,” he said.

Wilson is up for an Oscar next month for his songwriting work on the movie “American Symphony.”

FAFSA delays are causing financial anxiety for some Minnesota college students. Minnesota cities are brainstorming ways to use 100 millions dollars for extreme weather infrastructure. An engineer and climate specialist talk about their preparations for climate change. A new history exhibit about the role of Jim Crow here in Minnesota opened over the weekend. We'll learn how racist policies affect the state to this day. Plus, Semisonic's Dan Wilson won big last night at the Grammy's — we hear about his approach to song writing. And it's time time to ask another Minnesota chef, “what's for lunch?” A pastry chef talks about her Hmong farming background and her new restaurant.

Students will have to wait even longer for financial aid offers from colleges and universities. The U.S. Department of Education recently announced another Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, delay and schools will not receive FAFSA data until the first half of March.

Meanwhile, Minnesota students are waiting to finalize their college decisions. MPR News host Nina Moini talked about the impacts of the delay with BG Tucker, the senior director of programs at College Possible Minnesota, an organization that aids students from economically disadvantaged communities.

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

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

MPR News is starting a new monthly segment on Minnesota Now called Vital Signs. Each month debuts topics important to your health. This version is an extended conversation from what was on-air on Minnesota Now on Monday.

And take a deep dive into medical news or what’s top of mind at the doctor’s office: Joining MPR News host Cathy Wurzer will be a familiar voice to longtime listeners, Dr. Jon Hallberg. Hallberg is a family medicine physician at Mill City Clinic and a professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School.

In January’s segment, Dr. Hallberg talks about the importance of having a medical home, how virus season is impacted by our warmer weather and rural hospitals ending labor and delivery services.

A large encampment of unsheltered people in south Minneapolis was cleared Thursday for a third time. But residents have said they do not want to go into shelters. We talk to an official on the state level that hopes to be part of a solution to this complex problem.

It has been 6 months since marijuana became legal. The top boss in charge of implementation of the law shares the path ahead.

Plus, it's World Hijab day. We talk to a top luxury hijab designer based in Minnesota.

And in a new Thank You, Stranger, a black widow bite could have turned deadly for a Rochester man, but a nurse's special attention saved his life.

Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards is facing a $40,000 fine. Our sports guys weigh in on whether he deserved it.

The National Hockey League's All-Star weekend kicks off today in Toronto. The Wild's Kirill Kaprizov is there—he's the first Minnesota player to be chosen to play in the games for three seasons in a row.

Back home in Minnesota, the Timberwolves won over the depleted Dallas Mavericks. The same night, Anthony Edwards was fined $40,000 for publicly criticizing officials after Monday’s game in Oklahoma City.

Our favorite sports guys, Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson, joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about the latest in Minnesota sports news. Wally is the founder of Minnesota Score Sports Magazine and Eric is the Vikings reporter for CBS Sports radio. Together they host the sports talk show 10,000 Takes.

Police evicted residents of a homeless encampment in south Minneapolis Thursday for the second time in a few days. The encampment was the fourth iteration of Camp Nenookaasi, which was shut down Tuesday by the City of Minneapolis due to “imminent public safety concerns.“

A city hearing on the encampments Wednesday night ended in a shouting match, with council members divided over how to approach the encampments. The city’s operations officer, Margaret Anderson Kelliher, reiterated the city’s stated core values — that every unsheltered person deserves dignity and respectful treatment.

“Every effort has to be made to connect people to housing, shelter, and services,” Kelliher said. “Encampments are a serious public health risk to safety, including and centering on people staying in the encampment itself. They are not a dignified form of shelter.”

The city has offered shelter for the residents, but people in the camp say they would rather be at Camp Nenookaasi. Josh Leopold, a Senior Advisor on Health, Homelessness and Housing at the Minnesota Department of Health joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer for more perspective.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correctly state the number of times Camp Nenookaasi has moved to a new location.

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.

In the latest episode of Thank You, Stranger, our series where Minnesotans get to tell stories of strangers that brightened their lives, producer Ellen Finn talked to a Rochester rock climber who had a near-death experience.