Minnesota Now

Louise Toppin, performer, scholar and professor, speaks with host Cathy Wurzer about the rarely-heard Black composers being highlighted in a new performance by the Minnesota Orchestra happening Friday, October seventh.

Minnesota is facing an extremely tight workforce and businesses are looking towards a number of creative solutions to find and hire more employees. Amy Johnson, military spouse and the founder and president of a workforce solutions business for greater Minnesota, speaks with host Cathy Wurzer about her work training employers how to effectively manage military vets who are looking for civilian work.

Dr. Brendesha Tynes is a Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Southern California who studies the toll digital media takes on young people of color, in particular. She speaks with MPR Reporter Cat Richert about the online lives of Black adolescents and the less-talked about ways it relates to mental health.

Dr. Cedric Alexander became the first Community Safety Commissioner for Minneapolis just three months ago. He speaks with host Cathy Wurzer about how he is steering the new Minneapolis public safety department and the new nominee for police chief fits into that vision.

Archery is an ideal sport for beginners of all ages—you don’t have to be particularly strong, athletic, or fast to hit a target. It just takes a lot of focus.

At least, that’s what Dana Keller teaches her students at A1 Archery in Hudson Wisconsin. Keller is a Level 3 USA archery coach and bow hunter. And she’s been instrumental in training a growing number of women archers and hunters how to work a bow.

As Minnesota’s deer archery hunting season continues, Keller joined Minnesota Now to share tips for new archers.

On the heels of their joint Swedish tour in the summer of 2021, Olivia Diercks and Karla Colahan of The OK Factor will kick of a Midwest tour with Swedish folk quintet JAERV.

Producer Ellen Finn spoke with Colahan and Diercks about their music, upcoming 10th anniversary album, and other musicians that inspire them. You can find their tour dates along with music from their album here.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. 

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The debate over gubernatorial debates continues in Minnesota just as early voting is underway in the state. Governor Tim Walz has agreed to two debates this month with his Republican challenger Scott Jensen. One of them will be on MPR News.

But for the first time in 40 years, Twin Cities television viewers won’t see a debate between the gubernatorial candidates. The Walz campaign has turned down debate offers from Twin Cities PBS, KSTP, and KARE 11 TV. There will be a debate on several smaller greater Minnesota T.V. stations. Walz has argued that the total of three debates the candidates will participate in before November 8 is perfectly normal although three debates are far fewer than in years past.

It also seems refraining from debating is gaining popularity with candidates in other states either doing just one debate or skipping debates altogether. What gives? To help contextualize this political strategy, Brian McClung joined Cathy. Brian served as Press Secretary, Director of Communications, and Deputy Chief of Staff for former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty. He’s now with Park Street Public, a lobbying and political strategy group.

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.  

Early voting is underway and the haggling over gubernatorial debates continues with far fewer debates this year than in years past. Only three between Governor Walz and his challenger. Why? A former Minnesota governor's press secretary shares his take.

Nonprofit hospitals are required to provide discounted care, but some hospitals are giving far less than others. We look into the Mayo Clinic's record of charity care.

It's archery season for deer hunting. We'll hear from a coach who's been instrumental in getting more women archers and hunters in the sport.

Finally, we'll talk to classical folk duo The OK Factor ahead of their Midwest tour.

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 Kaiser Family Foundation reports that right now, four in ten adults in the U.S. have some form of health care debt. Did you know that nonprofit hospitals are required to provide discounted care to patients who need it?

But an investigation from the Rochester Post Bulletin found that Rochester’s Mayo Clinic provides significantly less charity care than other top hospitals across the U.S. That means Mayo patients who are eligible for financial assistance may not know it — and are instead going into debt.

Molly Castle Work is one of the authors behind that investigation — she’s an investigative reporter for the Post Bulletin. She joined host Cathy Wurzer to talk about what she found.

Host Mike Mulcahy talks with Mayor Jacob Frey about Frey’s choice for the next Minneapolis police chief.

Then, a conversation with State Rep. Jen Schultz, DFL-Duluth. She’s an economics professor at the University of Minnesota Duluth and she’s challenging U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Minn., for the 8th District seat in Congress and not running for reelection to the Minnesota House. (We have invited Rep. Stauber on the program, but he has not yet agreed to an interview.)

Finally, Mike rounds up this week’s political news stories with MPR News’s Dana Ferguson and Brian Bakst and Minnpost’s Peter Callaghan.