Minnesota Now

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. 

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.

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.

“What I Eat in a Day” videos have millions of views on TikTok and Instagram. They can be a window into another person’s fridge and their life. But at times, the videos promote extreme calorie deficits and prolonged fasting. 

This isn’t a completely new trend. Before TikTok, people posted their meals on Instagram and celebrities talk about their meals in magazines. There is a public fascination with what other people are eating. Nutritionist Jillian Lampert thinks about that fascination a lot. Lampert is the chief strategy officer of Accanto Health, the parent company of the Emily Program, the Minnesota-based, nationally recognized eating disorder program. She spoke with MPR News host Cathy Wurzer about what messages these videos send to viewers, the harm that can be caused by the videos, advice for people who come across the videos, and how people can use social media to promote a healthy relationship with food.

Minnesota weather has turned summery seemingly overnight. MPR’s Chief Meteorologist Paul Huttner joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about this week’s high, possible record breaking temperatures, how long the warmth will last, last frost dates, and rising flood risks.

A massive new report released Tuesday details a long, painful history of mistreatment of Native American people by the University of Minnesota.

The bill to legalize marijuana could make its way to the House and Senate floor this month. But there's both opposition and support in each party.

The death of a parent can feel isolating at any age, but a Twin Cities nonprofit is trying to break through that isolation.

Rural northwest Minnesota is short on workers, but business is booming. We dive into the secret to the region's success and the lessons we can all take away.

Plus the Current's Diane Miller is here with the local music we need to hear.

Tribal and University of Minnesota researchers released a report Tuesday that details a long history of mistreatment of Native people by the university. Native leaders say this is the first time a major American university has critically examined its history with native people. MPR News reporter Dan Kraker has more on the Towards Recognition and University-Tribal Healing, or TRUTH, project.