Minnesota Now

Another storm dropped rain, snow, and everything in-between around the state this week. And it has been gusty, with some communities up north seeing extreme winds overnight. Paul Huttner, MPR's Chief Meteorologist joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about the latest warnings, how high the wind will go up, and flood risks coming up.

You may remember when thousands of Minneapolis teachers went on strike last March. That strike was their first in 50 years. Back in April 1970, public school teachers in Minneapolis went on an illegal, twenty-day strike. A new book recounts those days. Bill Green, professor emeritus at Augsburg College and former superintendent of Minneapolis Public Schools, joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about his new book, Strike!, which is expected this summer.

Meg Cowden joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about how spring snow is affecting her garden, the unusual seeds, grains, and spices she’s growing this year, her garden flower lineup, tapping her black walnut trees for syrup, and tips for starting a spring garden.

University of Minnesota President Joan Gabel is taking a new job. Some of her key constituents share what they want in a new president.

A reporter shares findings from a new investigation on train accidents across the U.S.

It is Autism Acceptance Month. We hear how to support people with autism in our lives.

Plus south Minneapolis raised musician Joe Rainey talks about his latest album before he takes off on a European tour.

Trains are running again on the tracks at the site of the Raymond Minnesota derailment last week. The tracks were repaired and put back into service over the weekend. 22 cars, carrying ethanol and corn syrup jumped the tracks last week and some of the cars caught fire.

The Raymond crash is one of many in this country recently which has led many people to wonder-- what is causing all of these train crashes? Dan Schwartz's report in a recent article out through the nonprofit investigative newsroom, Propublica, suggests one answer could be that there are longer and longer freight trains running. Schwartz suggests in his article that federal regulators should take action regulating the length of freight trains if they want to curb the increasingly common and dangerous train derailments around the country. Dan joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about his reporting.

Joe Rainey creates a unique fusion of powwow and experimental electronic music. He is from south Minneapolis and is a citizen of the Red Lake Nation. Rainey’s debut album has gotten quite the buzz both in the Midwest and nationally.

The University of Minnesota Board of Regents is starting to look ahead to who the next president of the University will be, now that Joan Gabel is leaving the top job. Gabel announced on Monday that she’s leaving Minnesota to become Chancellor at the University of Pittsburgh. Her son goes to Pitt, which is why she told reporters on Monday that she was hoping to be tapped to lead the school.

Gabel will be making about $950,000 per year in Pennsylvania, plus retention bonuses. That’s a 35% raise from her U of M salary. Her tenure at Minnesota wasn’t without controversy. She was under fire last year for serving on the board of Securian, a financial services company that does business with the U of M. She stepped down from the Securian board in January.

MPR News host Cathy Wurzer checked in with the university’s Campus Administration Reporter for the student-led news outlet, the Minnesota Daily, Maya Marshall. Wurzer was also joined by Mike Kenyanya, a fairly recent graduate of the university. He is the Student Regent on the University of Minnesota Board of Regents and graduated four years ago with a degree in business administration and management information systems from UMD.

April is Autism Acceptance Month. Most of us likely know someone who is on the autism spectrum, so Mayo Clinic family medicine physician Dr. Jay Sheree Allen joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about supporting the people with autism in our lives.

There has been a spike in media publications for and about LGBTQ communities in the past 20 years. Stephen Rocheford knows that well. He is the CEO and president of Lavender, a bi-weekly print and online magazine for Minnesota’s LGBTQ and ally community. MPR News host Cathy Wurzer spoke with him about the changing media landscape for LGBTQ publications and what’s new at the magazine.

You may recall the story of a Beltrami County inmate who died after medical staff ignored his pleas for help. That was back in 2018 and since, almost everyone involved in his care and confinement has been held accountable, except for the nurse who failed to check his vitals while he lay in anguish on his cell floor. ProPublica Reporter Emily Hopkins joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about her story published Monday that shows how the Minnesota Board of Nursing is falling short when it comes to nurse discipline.