Minnesota Now

If you’re a runner or know someone who is, you know it’s a lot less enjoyable without the right gear. The Minnesota chapter of Girls on the Run is outfitting more than a thousand girls around the state with shoes, pants, and sports hijabs so they can be ready to hit the trails. Kathleen Cannon has been Executive Director of Girls on the Run since December and she joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about the project.

Has someone ever taken you by surprise with a kindness that made a big difference in your life? Our series, "Thank You, Stranger," looks at those special people and their impact. A woman from Pine Springs, Minnesota, outside of Stillwater, takes us to a critical moment in her journey through medical school.

Connie Dale was in her third year of medical school when she gave birth to her first child. Going straight back to school with a newborn at home wasn’t easy for many reasons, but one simple act of kindness kept her going.

The unexpected spasm of hot weather continues across southern Minnesota where more temperature records could be set. Southern Minnesota saw snow less than two weeks ago, and that rapidly melting snow is flooding some roads in western Minnesota. Several roads in Big Stone and Stevens Counties have been washed out because of high water. Governor Walz spoke to media Wednesday afternoon about the state's spring flood outlook and statewide preparations. For a better picture of what to expect, Craig Schmidt joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer. Craig is a hydrologist with the National Weather Service in the Twin Cities.

The Minneapolis St. Paul international film festival begins April 13 and runs through April 27 and the Main Cinema in Minneapolis.

The festival features nearly 200 films so there’s something for everybody. MPR News arts reporters Jacob Aloi and Alex Cipolle have seen many of the films and they joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about them.

It’s a hot day for many Minnesotans. The snow has melted in southern Minnesota and it’s melting across northern Minnesota, which is fueling flooding.

Nursing homes aren’t happy with state lawmakers. MPR News host Cathy Wurzer found out why.

Now that the weather is warm, more people are getting outside to take a jog. Some girls don’t have the necessary equipment. Cathy spoke with someone from a nonprofit helping with that.

The Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival is underway. Listen for the MPR News arts team picks on what films to watch.

Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about sports updates for the week, including news on the Twins, Timerwolves drama and Gopher women’s tennis.

Wally is the founder of Minnesota Score magazine and the cohost of 10,000 Takes sports talk show. Eric is the other host and is also the Minnesota Vikings reporter for CBS Sports Radio’s Eye on Football.

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.

Hennepin County Mary Moriarty's ran on promises of juvenile justice reform. MPR News Host Cathy Wurzer spoke with her about a recent decision that is putting that agenda to the test.

Minnesota is helping students who have been in foster care pay tuition to public, private, and tribal colleges. We'll hear how the new program is working so far.

Paul Huttner will give us the details on this burst of summery weather - and what's next. Here’s a hint: winter may not be completely over for some of us.

An award-winning series from our friends at WTIP community radio dives into racial inequality along the north shore of Lake Superior.

An eating disorder specialist told us how to counter the messages coming from a popular TikTok trend.

For the first time, Minnesota is helping people who have been in foster care pay for full cost of attendance at public, private and tribal colleges across the state.

A grant program is ushering in a new class of college students who historically face significant barriers in pursuit of a post-secondary education.

Nicole Ki reported the story and joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about some of the students she met.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty campaigned on a desire to reform the juvenile justice system. Now, four months into the job, her platform is getting its first big test -- in the case of two teenagers charged with killing a 23-year-old woman in her Brooklyn Park apartment. Moriarty offered a plea deal to the teen defendants -- which spurred backlash. Last week, Governor Tim Walz reassigned the case from Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty to Attorney General Ellison. Ellison said the plea deal was too lenient for the severity of the crime. But Moriarty said the deal -- which carried a maximum sentence of two years in a juvenile facility -- was the teens' best chance of rehabilitation.

MPR News host Cathy Wurzer spoke to Mary Moriarty about the case and her first months on the job.

In the early days of Minnesota Now, MPR News host Cathy Wurzer talked with Leah Lemm and Staci Drouillard about a project they had embarked on. It was a series examining the history and present of racism on the north shore for WTIP North Shore Community Radio in Grand Marais. The series, It Happens Here: The Roots of Racial Inequity on the North Shore, now has 12 episodes. It recently won the Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association award for best radio series.