Minnesota Now

Minnesota has some pretty incredible places enjoy the outdoors. They may even tempt those of us who don’t consider ourselves very “outdoors-y.” Leah Lemm is a citizen of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and spent most of her life in cities — first the Twin Cities suburbs and then college in Boston. But recently she’s been venturing outside more. And this summer she headed out on a two week hike along the North Shore — all alone. Why? Cathy Wurzer asked her.

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.

Below is a transcript of their conversation.

Schools are trying to fill staff shortages; a new interactive theatre performance explores the kind of losses we don't often acknowledge; Paul Huttner has weather news; plans are - again - shaping up for an historic golf course important to many in the Twin Cities Black community; and John O'Sullivan talks about his quick video tours of Twin Cities hot spots on Tik Tok. Maybe he'll show you something new!

John O’Sullivan leads one minute video tours on Tik Tok to a growing number of followers. He talks with Cathy Wurzer about his “bite sized” daily video tours of Minnesota and the Midwest. You can learn more at depotadventures.com or follow him on Tik Tok at “oneminutetours”.

MPR’s Chief Meteorologist Paul Huttner speaks with Cathy Wurzer about the extended forecast, plus drought in the south, flooding in the north, crop conditions, a new, rare geomagnetic storm hitting the state and the 30th anniversary of Hurricane Andrew.

The school year is just around the corner, but school districts across the state are still trying to fill open jobs. John Magas, superintendent of Duluth Public Schools, talks with Cathy Wurzer about how they are working to staff up the district’s schools.

On Friday, August 19th Wonderlust Productions opens their latest interactive performance called “Lost and Found” to engage people in creating rituals to acknowledge the losses we have all suffered but could not grieve. Wonderlust Co-Artistic Director, Leah Cooper, speaks with Cathy Wurzer about the idea behind the “performance called ”Lost and Found” and what those involved can expect.

Thousands of nurses in Minnesota have voted to strike.

Minnesota’s first National Chess Festival comes to Bloomington. And we’ll take a look at the future of Iowa abortion laws, a new herd of bison in northern Minnesota, and a new way to learn about our state’s geology.

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. 

Only a couple of hundred years ago, 20 to 30 million Bison lived in vast herds across North America. There is an effort by some Native tribes to reestablish bison herds in Minnesota.

The Red Lake Nation in far northern Minnesota started a herd back in 2021 and we thought we’d check in to see how they’re doing.

Cherilyn Spears, the new director of the Red Lake Nation’s Department of Agriculture, spoke with Cathy Wurzer about the herd.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. Read a transcript of their conversation below.

Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.  

Since the supreme court overturned the Roe v. Wade decision that federally protected the right to have an abortion, decision makers at the state level are busy clarifying abortion access within their boundaries.

Minnesotans who want abortions can still get one, but neighboring states are now battlegrounds over abortion rights. Iowa residents are already seeing changes to access to abortion, and more restrictions may be on the way.

Katie Akin joined Cathy Wurzer to catch us up on abortion in Iowa. She’s a political reporter for The Des Moines Register.

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. 

Where can you find some of the oldest rocks on earth? Right here in Minnesota. Professor Jim Cotter teaches geology at the University of Minnesota-Morris. His lectures cover history that took place not thousands, but millions and billions of years ago. And he’s got a new platform for his passion for Minnesota geology. He’s featured in a new Great Courses series that you can get at your local library.

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.