Minnesota Now

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.

President Joe Biden was scheduled to land at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport Monday afternoon and head to Fridley for a tour of Cummins’ Power Generation Facility, a factory that makes clean energy technology. The President and his administration are traveling the country as Biden is expected to announce a bid for reelection and begin pitching the case to voters for giving him another term. MPR News reporter Mark Zdechlik joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer from Fridley as press waited for the visit to begin.

University of Minnesota President Joan Gabel has resigned. She's leaving to become chancellor at University of Pittsburgh starting in July. We'll reflect on her tenure and what the move means for the future of the U.

President Joe Biden made an appearance at a factory in Fridley on Monday. We heard more about what to expect from his visit.

Reporting from ProPublica, out Monday, shows how the Minnesota Board of Nursing is falling short when it comes to nurse discipline. We'll learn more from the reporter behind the story.

The Minneapolis city core is changing and the mayor supports turning office buildings into apartments. Listen for what a downtown transformation could look like.

It’s National Poetry Month. We heard from an award-winning student poet on her influences and inspirations.

Stella and other students in the chose a collection of poems to recite and were judged on their stage presence and interpretation. Stella Wright is passionate about bringing other people’s poetry to life. She also writes poetry of her own. She’s a senior at Robbinsdale High School and joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk all things poetry.

On Monday morning, the University of Minnesota president Joan Gabel announced she is leaving to take the head job at the University of Pittsburgh. Longtime University of Minnesota booster, former Governor Arne Carlson, joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer with reaction to the news.