Minnesota Now

Election day is Nov. 8 and a new poll suggests Governor Walz may hold a very slight lead over his challenger.

We're celebrating the birthday of the Phyllis Wheatley House in Minneapolis. We’ll look at it’s past and future.

More than 130 undocumented and unaccompanied minors have been moved from the U.S. southern border to Worthington, Minnesota this year. We talk with an immigration attorney about their stories and the community that is becoming theirs.

Marigold growers are preparing for Day of hte Dead celebrations. Who uses that flower and why?

What are you reading right now? Zoe Jackson has a popular “book tok” on Tik Tok and she'll share Fall reading trends with you.

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This year alone, more than 130 unaccompanied migrant children were sent to Noble County in southwestern Minnesota from the U.S. southern border. That number is on par with densely populated Minnesota counties like Hennepin and Ramsey. And it follows a steep upward trend of unaccompanied minors making their way to the states in search of freedom and opportunity. Erin Schutte Wadzinski is the only immigration lawyer in Southwestern Minnesota and has been extremely busy connecting minors with resources to legally belong in Minnesota. Erin owns Kivu Law, an immigration law firm that aims to serve Minnesota, South Dakota, and Iowa. She joined Cathy to talk about the unique challenges facing unaccompanied minors and how the Worthington community can help.

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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.

Here on Minnesota Now, we like Minnesota history so much that we do a monthly segment called Minnesota Now and Then.

Think back to nearly 100 years ago today - October 17, 1924. That’s when a new community center opened in North Minneapolis. It was named after Phyllis Wheatley. Wheatley is one of the best-known poets of 18th-century America, and the first African-American author to publish a book of poetry. The Phyllis Wheatley settlement house is a center that offered training and housing to Minneapolis’ Black residents. Cathy spoke to the center’s executive director, Suzanne Burks is the executive director.

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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.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and challenger Scott Jensen are poised to debate Tuesday night on television stations in Mankato, Rochester, Duluth and Fargo. It’s the only televised debate in the Minnesota gubernatorial race this year. Ahead of the debate, a new poll from MinnPost and Embold Research shows Walz maintaining a slight lead over Jensen with 47% compared to Jensen’s 42%.

Peter Callaghan joined Cathy to talk more about the poll— and the race. Peter covers state government for MinnPost.

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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.

There’s nothing like curling up on the couch with a good book, especially when the weather starts getting cooler. But there are so many books out there — it’s hard to know where to start.

For help, we’re turning to Zoe Jackson. Zoe reviews books on TikTok @zoes_reads, and on Instagram @libraryofzoe. She is also a race and immigration reporter for the Star Tribune.

MPR News politics editor Mike Mulcahy moderates a debate between the candidates for Minnesota Attorney General — incumbent DFLer Keith Ellison and Republican challenger Jim Schultz.

Following Minneapolis encampment evictions and protests, experts discuss solutions address to homelessness. We hear from two metro leaders on what’s being done and what needs to be done to make actual change for the city’s unhoused population.

Plus, MPR News chief meteorologist Paul Huttner delivers an October reality check on what we can expect for weather across the state.

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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. 

In the midst of a weather week that will deliver a little bit of everything, MPR News chief meteorologist Paul Huttner delivered an October reality check on what we can expect for the next stretch of fall.

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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.

Efforts are underway to help people living in tent encampments across Minneapolis, both by advocates working with the unhoused and by city and county officials. The renewed call for added support for Minneapolis’ unhoused community follows two recent evictions of large tent encampments in northeast and north Minneapolis.

MPR News host Cathy Wurzer spoke to David Hewitt, Hennepin County’s director of housing stability and former Minneapolis city council member Robert Lilligren, who now works with the Native American Community Development Institute.

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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. 

The judge who presided over the murder trial of Derek Chauvin is sharing candid lessons learned from the trial of the former police officer who killed George Floyd.

We hear about his advice to other judges and the debate about whether cameras should be in Minnesota court rooms.

Roughly one in ten children are diagnosed with ADHD — Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. But in recent years, more adult women are being diagnosed.

Plus, Kate DiCamillo is an award-winning author of several children's books and now one of her books is being performed by the Minnesota Opera.

Click the audio player above to listen to the full episode. 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.