Minnesota Now

You've heard of a matchmaker- someone who connects two people, usually for romance. But Mary Kay Ziniewicz is a matchmaker of a different sort. She is the founder and CEO of a new organization called Bus Stop Mamas. She is connecting mothers who need flexibility to take care of their children with work that fits their schedules. This sounded like an interesting idea given that -- during the pandemic, women left the workforce at higher rates than men, mostly to stay home and take care of children. MPR News producer Melissa Townsend talked with Ziniewicz about the start-up and how it's going.

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.

It is very hard to travel throughout most of Minnesota as heavy snowfall blasts the state. Many Minnesotans had trouble just getting off of their block to get to work this morning—or perhaps just gave up altogether. For people with urgent medical needs, major snowfall makes transportation to those lifesaving appointments difficult. Many rely on Metro Mobility, the public transit service that helps folks with disabilities or medical needs get around the Twin Cities metro area. Today we're wondering- how are they holding up? Are their buses getting folks where they need to go? To answer those questions, Executive Director of Metropolitan Transportation services Charles Carlson joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer for an update on how their system is holding up, and if their buses are helping folks get to life-saving medical care.

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.

We'll get the latest weather news from meteorologist Paul Huttner on what's going on with this week’s storm and what to expect next.

It's a tough day to get out and about due to snow. We’ll find out how public transit for folks with special needs is managing to get people where they need to go.

A Minnesota start up is connecting moms with jobs that have flexible schedules and remote work options. Cathy spoke with the founder about how it works.

The Red Lake nation continues to grapple with blood quantum policies and expanding its population.

The North High School football team in North Minneapolis is the focus of a new series on Showtime available to stream this weekend. We'll talk with the head coach about being in the spotlight.

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.  

On the second day of this week’s winter storm, we’ll see snow, ice and even rain. MPR Chief Meteorologist Paul Huttner joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about how much snowfall we’ve seen so far, how much more snow is coming, and what other wild weather conditions we can expect across the state for the rest of the week. Huttner also talked about the unusually high volume of snow Minnesota has seen so far, and if there are any signs of warmer air ahead after a brutally cold December.

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 weather is a big story once again. Snow and ice are affecting travel all over the state.

With a fresh budget and lots on the to-do list, it's the start of a new legislative session in Minnesota. We’ll look at what new laws might be on the fast track this year.

Is your new year's resolution to get a new job? Well you may be in luck. It's still a worker's job market and employers are scrambling to find workers. MPR News host Cathy will find out what that low employment rate could mean going into the new year.

Stories can be powerful. Can they save your life? Spoke with a podcaster who thinks so.

Finally, a master storyteller shared a new tall tale for Minnesota Now listeners.

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.

Nothando Zulu is the president of the Black Storytellers Alliance based in north Minneapolis. She told Cathy a story about finding personal strength to uplift a community. Listen to it here.

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.

Tuesday’s snowstorm feels like Groundhog Day after a series of similar snowstorms this winter. MPR News meteorologist Sven Sundgaard joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to give us the where, when and how much.

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. 

As part of our history series called Minnesota Now and Then, we’ll hear a story about St. Paul’s favorite 1964 rock n’ roll band… from Britain. They performed New Year’s Eve at the old St. Paul Armory with Chuck Berry. Minnesota Now producer Britt Aamodt told the story of Chuck Berry and the Escapades.

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. 

There were more than 100 cookbooks released this year from major publishers and one of them comes from a Minnesota native. It has wound up on the LA Times list of the best cookbooks of 2022.

Twin Cities native, adventurer, National Geographic journalist, and longevity expert Dan Buettner has spent the last 20 years studying and writing about areas of the world. He calls them Blue Zones. They’re places where people live longer and with less disease than anywhere else in the world. His research finds the diets of those long lived cultures are remarkably similar.

In December, Buettner is out with Blue Zones American Kitchen, where he found four American food traditions that match the longevity diets he’s found elsewhere in the world.

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.