Minnesota Now

World-renowned Minnesota musician Gao Hong joined MPR News Host Cathy Wurzer to talk about her love of improvisation, her mastery of the pipa, and an upcoming Lunar New Year performance in New Ulm.  

We all know that love takes a lot of work. And for many, it takes a lot of work just to find someone to love. More and more young adults in Minnesota are putting off finding romantic partnership until later in life. Perhaps some of you listening are one of Minnesota’s thousands of single young adults who are interested in a romantic connection. Well, a group of young adults took it upon themselves to match people up, and they’re crediting their Jewish roots for their romantic connecting. They call themselves the Modern Yentas, and one of them—Bex Klafter— joined Cathy for a conversation about modern dating.

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. 

An east metro manufacturer with a history of pollution issues is facing dozens of civil lawsuits over its use of an industrial solvent linked to cancer. WCCO-TV was the first to report that Water Gremlin, which makes fishing sinkers and lead battery parts in White Bear Township, has been served with 95 lawsuits alleging that the company’s unsafe release of TCE caused cancer and even death. The company was fined by the state for its TCE emissions in 2019, and the chemical is now banned in the state.

MPR News host Cathy Wurzer spoke to our sports guys— Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson about this week’s sports news.

Wally is the creator of Minnesota Score Magazine and the co-host of “10,000 Takes” sports show. Erin Nelson is the other co-host of that show and the Vikings reporter for CBS Sport’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. 

An east metro manufacturer with a history of pollution issues is facing almost 100 civil lawsuits over its use of an industrial solvent linked to cancer. We'll have more on what the lawsuits allege.

Many kids are struggling with learning, but tutoring isn't cheap. We'll hear how one Minnesota woman is trying to change that.

A new project in Red Wing is aiming to improve indigenous representation and confront historical trauma.

Several metro-area winter festivals are planned for the weekend, but the unusually warm weather over the past week has put a wrench in some of those plans. Hear how festival organizers are dealing with mother nature.

Finally, our sports guys Wally and Eric are back breaking down the recent Vikings loss and more sports news.

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.   

The City of Red Wing, Prairie Island Indian Community, and other partners are installing a mural near a bluff along the Mississippi River. MPR News Host Cathy Wurzer talks with Prairie Island Indian Community member Nicky Buck about improving indigenous representation and building relationships.

Every other Friday, Duluth-based podcast creator Laura Anderson hands the mic to a guest “host” to share their story of trauma and recovery, however they want to tell it, with little to no editing. MPR News Host Cathy Wurzer talks with Anderson about her show, What They Don’t Tell You about Being a Survivor.

A former Hamline University professor is suing the school for defamation and religious discrimination. We'll talk with a legal expert about her argument and what the academic world can learn from this story.

And more snow is in the forecast. Our Meteorologist Paul Huttner will let us know what to expect.

Houston, in far southeastern Minnesota, is a destination for the study of owls and people can't get enough. We'll hear what makes this Owl Center so special.

Plus, our favorite Duluth outdoorswoman is on a new adventure this winter. Emily Ford is dog sledding in Alaska and she'll be telling us all about it.

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.   

Duluth outdoorswoman Emily Ford is on a new adventure this winter.

You may remember Ford from her journey over 1200 miles on Wisconsin’s Ice Age Trail in the dead of winter a couple years ago. She is the first woman, first person of color and first openly queer person to complete that impressive feat. And she’s done a lot of adventuring since then.

Now she’s diving into a longtime dream of hers: dog sledding. And she’s made her way to Alaska to do it. Emily joined Host Cathy Wurzer for an update.

When you think of World War II, geology doesn’t leap to mind. But consider this: During World War II, Northern Minnesota produced, by some estimates, 75 percent of the iron used in the war effort. This was the iron that went to steel plants, and the steel that went to the factories that produced planes, tanks, ships and munitions. Where did that iron come from? And why did Minnesota have so much of it?

Host Cathy Wurzer talked with Jim Cotter, professor of Geology at the University of Minnesota Morris. Every month on Minnesota Now, Professor Cotter tells the story of our state through geology.