Minnesota Now

In honor of the 459th anniversary of the birth of William Shakespeare, we have a little history nugget for you. There are surprising historical connections to be gleaned from small-town graveyards. MPR News Host Cathy Wurzer talked with Faribault County Historical Society Executive Director Randy Anderson about the link between one of the great Shakespearean actresses of the London stage in the early 1800s and the town of Blue Earth in southern Minnesota.

In much of the state, the snow has melted, the ground has thawed, and you know what that means. It’s the beginning of construction season! That also means demolishing old buildings to make way for those new construction. But back in 2020, Hennepin County became one of the first counties in the nation to offer ‘green grants’ for deconstruction, an alternative to demolishing a building. Petrina Rhines, founder and director of the northside Minneapolis non-profit the Birch Group, joined MPR News Host Cathy Wurzer to talk about how it works.

The Minnesota House prepared for a long floor session Monday as lawmakers were about to debate a 300-page bill that would legalize marijuana for recreational use in the state. The proposal has some medical providers talking about what legalized cannabis use might mean for the health, particularly the mental health, of Minnesotans. Dr. Sheila Specker, a psychiatrist and director of the Addiction Medicine Fellowship at the University of Minnesota, joined MPR News Host Cathy Wurzer to talk about some doctors’ concerns and recommendations.

Approximately half of Minnesota’s land area is used for agriculture. A large chunk of the state’s farmland – about 35 percent – is rented from owners who do not farm. Carol Bouska lives in Minneapolis and owns farmland in northeastern Iowa with her three sisters. Meg Nielsen has farmland in southern Minnesota and lives in Wisconsin. Both are members of a landowner group called Climate Land Leaders that works to store carbon and reduce emissions. MPR News Host Cathy Wurzer talked with them and William Lazarus, an extension economist and professor at the University of Minnesota, about farmland transitions and the roles of heirs and renters in Minnesota farm country.

Minnesotans are accused of always talking about the weather. It’s a good conversation starter. But here’s another one that’s almost as popular: What have you been watching lately? Alan Tracy, a director, and Rehana Power, an actor, have turned that conversation into a podcast. Power and Tracy joined MPR News Host Cathy Wurzer to talk about their show, Film in Minnesota.

A proposal to legalize recreational marijuana has medical providers talking about what it could mean for the mental health of Minnesotans. About thirty-five percent of Minnesota's farmland is rented from owners who don't farm. We hear from two women who are making difficult choices about how to use their family land. Plus, April is National Poetry Month. A poet shares her inspirations, past and present. And a Minnesota director and actor have turned the business and art of the film industry into a can't-miss podcast.

Throughout National Poetry Month, we have been talking with poets around the state about their inspirations, past and present. Sun Yung Shin lives in Minneapolis and is nominated for the Minnesota Book Award in two categories – poetry and children’s literature. MPR News Host Cathy Wurzer talked with Shin about collaboration and the creative process behind her books, The Wet Hex and Where We Come From.

Minnesota lawmakers are getting close to a vote on whether to legalize recreational marijuana. We'll hear what two reporters learned from visiting other states where cannabis has been legal for years.

Then, we'll visit North Dakota, where a Republican trifecta is creating a political moment that is, in some ways, is the opposite vision of what is happening in Minnesota.

Muslims celebrate Eid Al Fitr this weekend and for the first time, students in some districts have the day off. We'll talk with two senior students from Hopkins.

We'll hear the latest in our series about surprising moments of kindness.

And Wally and Eric will give us the scoop on Minnesota sports.

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

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Host Cathy Wurzer talked with Minnesota Now’s resident sports experts, Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson, about that tough Timberwolves loss, the Wild, Twins and more.

In his State of the State address Wednesday night, Governor Tim Walz promoted key parts of his agenda: gun control, abortion and LGBTQ rights and a budget using the state’s 17 billion dollar-plus surplus.

And he contrasted these priorities with steps Republican-led states have taken to restrict abortion and gender affirming health care.

North Dakota, like Minnesota, has a trifecta – only Republicans are in charge.

So how are leaders there talking about what’s happening here in Minnesota? Do North Dakota residents view their state as a conservative refuge?

Jack Dura is Capitol Reporter for the Bismarck Tribune. He talked with host Cathy Wurzer about the political environment in North Dakota.