Minnesota Now

State auditors released a third report Wednesday on the delays and cost overruns of the Southwest Light Rail Transit project. The 14.5-mile line from Minneapolis to Eden Prairie is running almost a decade behind schedule and nearly three times as expensive as initial estimates. MPR News reporter Tim Nelson joined senior producer Emily Bright to talk about the issues that have cropped up since construction began in 2019.

Reneka Evans has worked in health care in the Twin Cities for more than two decades — at the African American AIDS task force, the Red Door Clinic in Minneapolis, and now at the Minnesota Department of Health. As part of MPR News’ Changemakers series, health reporter Michelle Wiley spoke with Evans about her life, and her goals for the future.

It didn’t get a hearing in the 2023 Minnesota legislative session, but a bill was introduced that would allow people of sound mind, with a terminal illness, to choose the time of their death with a physician-prescribed dose of lethal medication.

There are other ways to hasten death. A Minnesota woman and her daughter were public about a specific exit strategy, a decision that resulted in her recent passing.

Cheryl Hauser, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2019, decided to end her life, on her terms, before the worst of the disease took effect. To do that, she planned to stop eating and drinking.

It’s a process known as V-SED, which stands for “voluntarily stopping eating and drinking.” And this spring, she did just that. Hauser died on June 2 at the age of 76 with her family and caregivers making sure she was comfortable and without pain or anxiety.

Her daughter, Wendy Longacre Brown, is an end-of-life doula and was active in helping to plan for and chronicle her mother’s death. She joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about it.

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.

The Supreme Court issued a major ruling today that rejects a legal theory that could have reshaped federal elections in this country, giving state legislatures power to set rules for federal elections. We talk with a Hamline University law professor about what this means for democracy.

Adults with felonies will be able to vote in the next round of elections in Minnesota. We'll talk with a formerly incarcerated man who is helping others with past convictions register to vote.

Terminal illness forces some families to determine how their loved one wants to die. We'll hear from a Twin Cities woman who helped her mother say goodbye on her own terms.

And an Elk River graduate is a contestant on a cooking new reality show. We'll hear his journey to becoming a chef... and get a preview of his time on the show.

On Saturday an estimated 55,000 Minnesotans with a felony on their records with be eligible to vote in any local, state or federal election.

They’ll be able to vote after they leave prison and before they complete parole. It’s the biggest act of voting franchisement since the voting age was changed from 21 to 18 in 1971.

Antonio Williams is the founder of Tone Up, an organization that helps formerly incarcerated people find a place back into their communities. He’s working on getting formerly incarcerated Minnesotans registered to vote now that they’re eligible.

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.

Leon Belmont just wanted to be left alone. But in 1880, he suddenly found himself at the center of a media frenzy—all because a girlfriend went to the Minneapolis police with the story that her dashing, curly-headed Belmont was really a woman. Lizzie Ehrenhalt, a Minnesota historian with a focus on gender and sexuality, is writing a book about Belmont. She’s calling it Curious and Romantic Sensation, a title derived from contemporary newspaper accounts.

An Elk River, Minn. native is a contestant on “Secret Chef” — a new reality cooking competition from Hulu. All episodes are out Thursday, June 29.

Josh Walbolt, a New Jersey-based private chef, grew up in the northwest suburbs of the Twin Cities. He spoke with MPR News host Emily Bright.

The Supreme Court issued a major ruling today that rejects a legal theory that could have reshaped federal elections in this country, giving state legislatures power to set rules for federal elections. The high court's ruling could have an important role in preventing political gerrymandering...the deliberate manipulation of electoral district boundaries that create an unfair advantage for a specific party.

MPR News host Cathy Wurzer speaks with Jason Marisam, an Associate Professor of Law at Hamline University in St. Paul. He’s been following this case, and he wrote about it this spring for the Michigan Law Review...which happened to have been cited by the authors of three briefs in this specific case taken up by the High Court.

Dairy farmers around the region are facing an oversaturated market. One south metro dairy processor couldn't accept milk from farmers, leaving a dicey situation.

A $240 million bill will replace lead pipes throughout the state. But Minneapolis's lead problem goes beyond the plumbing. We'll hear how the city is working to reduce exposure.

Minnesota's woodpecker population is mysteriously declining, so researchers are using small recording devices to better understand the birds.

For some transgender people, a key part of their journey is getting their voice to reflect their identity. We'll hear from a doctor who helps folks find their voice.

Plus, we're traveling to the quaking bog at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis. It's the inspiration behind a new children's book.

The state legislature passed a $240 million bill back in May focused on lead exposure in drinking water. But in older homes in Minneapolis, lead exposure doesn’t just come from the plumbing. It could be all over the home, from the walls to the window sills. Child lead exposure in Minneapolis is currently the highest it's been in four years, according to the city's health department. Alex Vollmer is working on a team that’s trying to reverse that trend.

Alex Vollmer is supervisor of health inspections at the city of Minneapolis and he spoke to MPR News host Cathy Wurzer about what they’re doing to keep lead exposure down.