The most played episodes among Podcast App listeners.

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   Number 1: What if we canceled student loan debt?

   President Joe Biden has once again extended the pandemic pause on federal student loan payments – this time until May 1. While campaigning for president, Biden pledged to cancel at least $10,000 of student debt per person. That has not yet happened. But the pause on student loan payments has reignited the debate on what to do about student loans. Student loan borrowers in the U.S. owe $1.7 trillion in federal and private loans. Some advocates and lawmakers are calling for Biden to forgive $50,000 per person, and others are advocating that student loans be forgiven altogether. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with two researchers about the debate on student loan debt and whether canceling debt is the best way to address the student debt crisis. Guests: Jalil Mustaffa Bishop is an assistant professor at Villanova University in Villanova, Pa. He researches how student loan debt affects Black borrowers. Jason Delisle is a senior policy fellow at the Urban Institute in Washington, D.C. He studies higher education finance and student debt. Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

   January 11, 2022·48min
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   Number 2: How climate change is affecting winter in Minnesota

   Climate change is reshaping Minnesota's winter. Change is evident in the state’s ecosystem, its economy and its collective identity, a climatologist and a climate researcher discussed on MPR News with Angela Davis Tuesday. Average winter temperatures have risen 5 degrees in 50 years in the state, and while last week’s wacky winter weather — when at least 16 tornadoes touched down for the first time in the state’s history — is tied to the warming of the planet, it is likely an anomaly, they said. “I think that the real lesson is that now this has happened, we can't go back to believing this kind of thing can’t happen,’’ said Kenneth Blumenfeld, senior climatologist at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “I think it's a stretch to say it's going to be common.” But he and Heidi Roop, the director of the Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership and an assistant professor of climate science at the University of Minnesota, said the Dec. 15 storms are symptomatic of climate change. “From a climate science perspective, we know we're in a pivotal decade to make choices about what our future climate looks and feels like — and the extent of these extreme events that we will have to navigate through and survive together as communities,’’ Roop said. Ramifications of climate change have impacts on the state from the types of trees that grow, to earlier infestations of insects (yes, ticks), to larger potholes, to significant economic impacts on winter recreational sports that many depend on for their income, Roop and Blumenfeld said. Several callers to the show discussed being sad over the changes, including a Duluth mother who became emotional talking about raising her children in a different kind of winter than she grew up experiencing. Roop acknowledged the emotional impacts and a sense of loss as the frigid, snow-packed winters many Minnesotans grew up with give way to milder temperatures, taking with them traditions and culture. “These are the sort of very personal impacts of climate change, right? It may seem small: ‘Oh, well, you're not skiing anymore,’’’ she said. “But these are really parts of our identity and represent our health and well-being and our connections to community and to family.” Roop also pointed to damage to the state’s infrastructure that many may not think about as the state’s freeze-thaw cycles increase. A good snowpack acts as insulation to the ground, she said, and when snow thaws and freezing temperatures return, they penetrate the ground and can cause damage to pipes, water systems and septic systems. And that expanding and contracting also increases potholes in the roads. The impact of climate change can seem emotionally overwhelming, but Roop said there are changes each person can make in their lives to help. Some examples, she said, include: Washing clothes in cold water, transitioning to more efficient or electric or hybrid vehicles, avoiding air travel and moving to a plant-based diet. Blumenfeld said that while Minnesotans may never know the winter of their childhood, they can embrace traditions that are fixed like the winter and summer solstices. “Even though we will continue being some of the coldest places in the country and have some of the longest, most serious winters in the country,’’ he said. “I’d say the character of winter is changing, and we really need to hold on to those memories, because I don't think we're going to see a lot of what we used to know about winter in the future.” Guests: Heidi Roop is the director of the Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership and an assistant professor of climate science at the University of Minnesota Kenneth Blumenfeld is the senior climatologist at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

   December 21, 2021·48min
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   Number 3: The psychology of sticking to your goals

   What’s on your list of New Year's resolutions? Do you want to spend less and save more? Do you plan to get in shape? Lose some weight? Read more books? Stay in better touch with loved ones? Eat healthier? Work more? Relax more? Whatever kind of change you want to make, saying it out loud is the first step. Committing to getting it done is the second step. The third step? Well, that’s the hardest step of all, isn’t it? Sticking to your goals so that you can reach them is difficult for everyone. But understanding the psychology of sticking to your goals will help you get there. Host Angela Davis talks with three experts on establishing and meeting your goals for 2022. Guests: Theresa Nutt is a graduate faculty for the University of Minnesota’s Integrative Health and Wellbeing coaching program. Ayelet Fishbach is the Jeffrey Breakenridge Keller Professor of Behavioral Science and Marketing at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and the author of “Get it Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation.” Chris Farrell is the senior economics contributor at MPR News. Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or RSS. Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

   January 03, 2022·48min
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   Number 4: The new thinking about menopause

   Most women go through menopause — literally the ending of menses and reproduction — with individual levels of discomfort. While medicine has been addressing menopause for centuries, it hasn’t always been effective. But that’s changing. Integrative medicine is a form of medical therapy that combines practices and treatments from alternative medicine with conventional medicine, offering a new approach to menopause that takes all aspects of a woman’s lifestyle into account. Angela Davis speaks with two menopause experts who combine the fields of traditional Western medicine and Eastern medicine to help women navigate the symptoms of menopause. Guests: Dr. Debra Bell is a doctor of integrative medicine at the Penny George Institute for Health and Healing Jennifer Blair is a Chinese medicine practitioner at the Penny George Institute for Health and Healing

   December 22, 2021·48min
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   Number 5: The benefits of having and being a mentor

   Many adults can think back to a time when someone other than their close family took an interest in them, taught them a new skill or maybe helped them through an emotionally tough patch. Mentors can play an important role in a young person’s life, especially children who may not have a lot of adult support or guidance. Sometimes they can make the difference between thriving and just surviving. MPR News guest host Chris Farrell talks with two people who head up organizations that match young people with caring adults. And, if you’re looking for a mentor or want to be one, check out the Mentoring Connector at MENTOR Minnesota. Guests: Darrell Thompson is a former professional football player and president of Bolder Options, a nonprofit organization that matches children ages 10 to 14 with adult mentors in Minneapolis, St. Paul and Rochester. Susan Basil King is president and CEO at Wallin Education Partners in St. Paul, a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships and advising for low-income and first-generation college students. Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

   January 13, 2022·49min
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