Minnesota Now

The Minnesota Supreme Court heard arguments Thursday in a case meant to block former President Donald Trump from state ballots in 2024. Reporter Dana Ferguson joined the show with the latest.

Approximately 100,000 Minnesotans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia. We talk with a neurologist and a patient about living with dementia.

Then, we learn about baseball scandal from the World Series of 1919 and its southern Minnesota connection.

We hear the story of one of the state's most famous athletes, who was so fast he could only race the clock.

Plus, Wally and Eric join us with all the latest sports news.

The Timberwolves beat reigning NBA champions the Denver Nuggets Wednesday at the Target Center. And the Vikings are regrouping after learning an Achilles injury has taken quarterback Kirk Cousins off the field for the rest of the season.

Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson joined MPR News guest host Chris Farrell.

The 1919 World Series was maybe the most famous baseball scandal in history. It was known as the Black Sox Scandal, when eight members of the Chicago White Sox were accused of throwing the 1919 World Series in exchange for money from a gambling syndicate. It ended up being the subject of the 1998 film “Eight Men Out.”

One of those men was Charles “Swede” Risberg. He, along with his teammates involved in the scandal, were kicked out of the league — and ended up in southern Minnesota.

MPR News guest host Chris Farrell spoke with Randy Anderson, the executive director of the Faribault County Historical Society.

If you've been anywhere near the Minnesota State Fair grandstand, you've seen the name “Dan Patch Avenue.” It’s not named after a politician, philanthropist or an army officer.

In our latest installment of Minnesota Now and Then, MPR contributors Robbie Mitchem, Jamal Allen and Britt Aamodt bring us this story on one of the state's most famous athletes of all time.

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. 

If you listened to the program Tuesday, you heard a conversation about Lewy Body Dementia, or LBD. This week as October turned to November, LBD Awareness month turned to National Caregiving Month. But for patients and caregivers, living with dementia is a daily reality.

The Mayo Clinic in Rochester is hosting a conference Saturday to talk about how to make the most of life when dealing with decline in memory and cognition.

MPR News guest host Chris Farrell talked with neurologist Vijay Ramanan and John-Richard Pagan, who lives in Virginia with Lewy Body Dementia. Both will be at the conference.

The Minnesota Supreme Court is weighing how to proceed in a case that will decide whether Donald Trump will appear on ballots here in 2024 after it heard oral arguments Thursday morning.

Our political reporter Dana Ferguson was in the courtroom this morning and talked with MPR News guest host Chris Farrell about what she heard.

Protests calling for a ceasefire in Gaza are planned ahead of President Biden’s visit to Minnesota Wednesday afternoon.

And the President’s visit comes one week after Minnesota Democratic Representative Dean Phillips announced he’s challenging Biden for the 2024 Democratic nomination. We’ll hear from the congressman.

With the Halloween snowfall, we're definitely on our way to winter. Our Chief Meteorologist Paul Huttner gives us our winter outlook.

And with winter comes high energy bills, especially if you’re living in a mobile home. We’ll hear about new initiatives working to make Minnesota mobile homes more efficient.

Plus, a Minnesota duo is telling a Judy Garland story you won’t want to miss.

We’re entering an expensive time of year for energy use. Electricity bills soar in the winter with all the energy it takes to heat a home. That’s even more true if you live in a mobile home — which can be drafty, inefficient and unequipped for a Minnesota winter.

New grants are helping change that in at least two Minnesota cities. Andrew Hazzard is an environmental reporter for Sahan Journal and he’s been covering the story. He joined MPR News guest host Nina Moini.

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. 

It is the first of the month. And we’ve definitely turned the page on fall and are now looking at winter weather.

MPR News chief meteoroligist Paul Huttner takes a look back at our fall season and ahead to the rest of our winter season. He joined MPR News huest Host Nina Moini.

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. 

With our first snowfall it may seem odd to talk about gardening. But believe it or not there’s plenty of harvesting happening in our next guest’s garden.

Meg Cowden is back to share all her knowledge with us. She is the author of the gardening book Plant Grow Harvest Repeat. She joined MPR News guest host Nina Moini.

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.