Minnesota Now

An elder statesman of Minnesota has died. We'll hear about the life and career of former US Senator Dave Durenberger.

Governor Walz is scheduled to sign a law protecting the right to an abortion. We'll hear what it does and does not do for Minnesotans and our neighbors.

Many of us are still wrapping our brains around the tragic death of Tyre Nichols at the hands of Memphis police. We'll talk with therapist and best-selling author Resmaa Menakem about how to process this tragedy.

You've likely heard of books on tape, but 54 years ago, a service in Minnestoa first began reading newspaper articles on the radio for people who are blind. We'll hear how that got started.

MPR reporter Cat Richert has tips for those of us who want to try our hand at dog sledding.

This winter has given us our fair share of headaches, including snow, sleet, rain and lots of ice to get through. But winter hangs around for a while in Minnesota - so we are determined to explore how to have fun and play in this frigid season. MPR reporters are trying all manner of winter activities so they can tell you all about the experience in case you want to try it too.

MPR Reporter Cat Richert joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to tell her about dog sledding for the first time.

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. 

On January 31, Governor Tim Walz signed the PRO Act, which will enshrine the right to abortion into Minnesota law. PRO stands for Protect Reproductive Options. A state supreme court case already guarantees this right in Minnesota, so the law does not change the situation on the ground for doctors and patients. But it will make it much harder to restrict abortion in the future, which was a top priority for DFL lawmakers on the campaign trail.

Back before the election, University of Minnesota Law Professor Jill Hasday joined Minnesota Now to talk about what could happen to abortion access in the state. She came back to help us understand the impact of this new law.

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. 

The horrific beating death of Tyre Nichols at the hands of police in Memphis, Tennessee has gotten all of our attention. There are calls for serious police reform at the state and national levels. Those efforts have stalled in recent years.

Amid the conversation about policy reform - there is also a need to know how to emotionally and physically deal with what happened to Tyre Nichols.

Bestselling author, healer, and licensed therapist Resmaa Menakem says this is an essential step for all of us.

Back when we were a newspaper-reading country, there was the morning edition paper and the evening edition paper. The day’s stories were always a big topic of conversation. But if you were blind or visually impaired, newspapers were not immediately accessible—until Radio Talking Book. Joseph Papke is the supervisor of the organization in St. Paul, and he joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about the birth of the essential service.

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. 

Former Republican State Senator Dave Durenberger has died at 88 years old. Durenberger was born in St. Cloud and won a special election in 1978 to become a U.S. Senator. He served in the Senate until 1995. Durenberger was known for his expertise on health care policy and remained focused on health care issues after he left the Senate. Tom Horner, a former Republican strategist who worked for Senator Durenberger both as press secretary and chief of staff, joined Cathy to talk about Durenberger’s life and legacy.

Here’s a question for music fans: Did Bob Dylan ever record an album in Minnesota? The answer is yes and no.

In December 1974, the Duluth-born, Hibbing-raised singer/songwriter had a new album in the bag. He’d recorded it in New York City with a crack team of session players. But something didn’t feel right.

So at the 11th hour, Dylan convened in a Minneapolis studio with six Minnesota musicians. He ended up re-recording five tracks.

Kevin Odegard was a guitarist on the Minnesota sessions for what would become Dylan’s January 1975 release ‘Blood on the Tracks.’ He talked with host Cathy Wurzer about it.

Today looks like it's the coldest day of this very cold week. We'll find out what's in store and how it's affecting you, the roads and air quality.

And lawmakers are moving at an unusually quick pace in St. Paul. We'll get a roundup of what's happening at the legislature this week.

January is the anniversary of a landmark musical moment! We'll talk with a musician who was part of Bob Dylan's album "Blood on the Tracks." He's got an interesting insider's look on making a musical milestone.

Plus: Land acknowledgements are one way to remember we are on Native land with broken treaties, but one organization is encouraging people to put their money where their mouth is. We'll find out how.

And finally, it's cold — but you still need to have some fun! We are we are diving deep into our new Minnesota-wide series all about Winter Play.

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.   

Wind chill warnings and advisories covered the state this morning. And temperatures in most places won’t get above zero for the rest of the day.

MPR Meteorologist Sven Sundgaard joined Cathy Wurzer to talk about the latest cold snap.

As part of our new series, ‘Winter Play,’ we're turning the winter doldrums on its head in a celebration of all things snow and cold.

We sent our reporters out around the state to revel in the weather that makes living in Minnesota so unique. And the first story in that series comes from Kirsti Marohn, who's based out of our Collegeville bureau. She talked with host Cathy Wurzer.