Minnesota Now

The national anthem is one of the first things Wild fans hear at their hockey games. The man belting out that song has a story of his own. John deCausmeaker talks with host Cathy Wurzer about his career and his current gig.

Host Cathy Wurzer talks with Minneapolis-based independent journalist Katie Thornton just came out with a new 5-part series on WNYC’s show "On the Media" about how the the American right came to dominate talk radio, and how one company is launching a conservative media empire on the airwaves.

Stephanie Hansen, from FM 107 and The Jason Show talks with host Cathy Wurzer about her new cookbook “True North Cabin Cookbook” and winter cooking with a summer cabin feel.

Host Cathy Wurzer talks with Rachel Moran about the city of Minneapolis’ plan to replace the city’s long-criticized police civilian review process with a new Community Commission on Police Oversight. Moran is a professor at St Thomas School of Law and expert on police accountability and oversight boards.

The Minneapolis City Council is preparing to vote on a new community oversight process - but the new plan is already receiving pushback. And we'll talk with a famous singer no one really knows. I'll give you a hint - he sings for the Wild! Conservative talk radio has been growing in Minnesota for decades. We'll dig into the story behind that growing network of conservative talk radio stations. Plus, we'll talk cabin recipes with the author of the True North Cabin Cookbook. How can you get that summer cabin taste on your winter table? We'll ask.

There's been a rising number of flu outbreaks just as school lets out for Thanksgiving break. How to protect your family and friends from viral illness this holiday. And speaking of Thanksgiving, that pumpkin pie you’ll eat has Minnesota roots. We’ll explain.

A group of Minnesotans walked to Washington D.C. in a call to free an American Indian Movement leader.

A new documentary on light pollution focuses on the dark skies in Northern Minnesota. We'll hear from one photographer whose work has been prominently featured.

Many Minnesotans are gearing up to hit the road Wednesday or Thursday to visit family for Thanksgiving. MPR Meteorologist Paul Huttner is back to give us a little update on the latest outlook for travelers through the holiday weekend.

Think about this: As long as humans have walked the earth, they’ve stepped out of their shelters at night, looked at the sky and come face to face with the universe. That is until the past hundred years or so.

Now many of us look up and see the glow of electric lights. A new documentary looks at the history and science behind Northern Minnesota’s night skies, as well as indigenous star knowledge and the impact of light pollution. “Northern Nights, Starry Skies” is a production of Hamline University’s Center for Global Environmental Education in partnership with WDSE, the PBS member station in Duluth. Travis Novitsky is a night sky photographer and tribal member of the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa whose photographs and stories are included in the documentary.

Back in August, a hearty group of people set out from south Minneapolis to walk to Washington, D.C. They are supporters of the American Indian Movement and their “Walk to Justice” was to honor Leonard Peltier and the concerns of Native people. Rachel Thunder is Plains Cree and she is the lead AIM grand governing council organizer for the “Walk to Justice.”

People all over Minnesota are gearing up to cook a great big feast for their loved ones this week. Gardener Meg Cowden will use everything she’s got from her harvest this fall. Meg is the author of Plant Grow Harvest Repeat. And she is back with tips on Thanksgiving cooking, finding the best produce, and her mindset on gardening during the snowy winter season.