On today’s show:

— Trumpflation impacting Thanksgiving meals.

— Terrible jobs numbers and more layoffs are on the way.

— Dr. Joe Eastman joins for an update.

— Octopus’s are smart.

— MNDOT’s no fun police.

— A mother alleges Medicaid fraud after her son, who needed daily care, was found dead.

— Michael Brodkorb has our Vikings vs. Packers preview.

It’s border battle week! Matt and Michael Brodkorb preview this weekend’s Vikings vs. Packers game at Lambeau Field.

Dr. Joe Eastman joins Matt to talk about a rising COVID-19 variant, a poorly matched seasonal flu strain, and escalating measles outbreaks that could cost the U.S. its elimination status. He stressed concern over avian influenza (bird flu) acquiring human-to-human transmission, noting that continuous disease spread and deregulation are increasing overall vulnerability.

Grocery prep run for Thanksgiving; economic numbers; Jessica Lussenhop, co-author of a story about church abuse in Duluth, joins to discuss the story; Trump continues to lie that he had no connection to Epstein; Jessie Diggins announces final season of events; Trump accuses Democratic lawmakers of sedition; opioid settlement money; Addie Gorlin-Han returns to discuss A Christmas Carol at the Guthrie; home service health fraud.

Addie Gorlin-Han is the director of the Guthrie Theater’s presentation of A Christmas Carol, running now through December 28.

https://www.guthrietheater.org/shows-and-tickets/a-christmas-carol/

Addie is a director, producer, and educator invested in the regional theater movement, new musical development, and theater for all-ages. She works as Associate Producer at the Guthrie Theater.

Addie grew up in the Twin Cities acting in children’s theater. She attended Dartmouth College, the National Theater Institute, and then committed to Teach for America where she taught English and Drama in the Bay Area.

Meanwhile, Addie pursued fellowships in theater directing and artistic administration: she spent a year at Cutting Ball Theater in San Francisco and two seasons with Minneapolis’ Mixed Blood Theatre where she was the National New Play Network Producer-in-Residence.

Before becoming the host of our upcoming podcast, I was a reporter with ProPublica’s Midwest team covering Minnesota, my home state. I wrote about issues affecting vulnerable populations with a special interest in child welfare, criminal justice and housing. My reporting has changed state housing laws and touched off enforcement actions by the Minnesota attorney general.

Before coming to ProPublica, I was a senior staff writer for BBC North America and a fellow at the radio program “This American Life.” I hosted a BBC podcast called “Bad Cops,” based on my reporting about a rogue plainclothes police unit in Baltimore. My early career took place at a string of alternative newsweeklies, including City Pages in Minneapolis and the Riverfront Times in St. Louis. One of my proudest accomplishments from this time was a story that ultimately freed a Missouri man from prison. Other previous work won an Asian American Journalists Association Excellence Award and a National Native Media Award.

We need to admit Trump is not well; Jeff Stein returns for his Wednesday conversation; grandmother arrested after children found unresponsive; state trooper accused of groping; Matt talks soybeans; Minnesota property taxes expected to rise across the board; Target partners with OpenAI amid struggles.

Jeff Stein of KXEL/Waterloo and the Iowa Politics Report joins Matt every Wednesday at 3:30.

Just how evil is Trump?; decline of water quality; court blocks Texas redistricting; Patrick Coolican makes his Tuesday visit; confrontation between ICE agents and community in St. Paul; underage sex sting nets an ICE agent; Metro Transit will pay out settlement.

It’s our weekly conversation with the editor-in-chief of the Minnesota Reformer, Patrick Coolican. Today’s topics include DFLers making a big bet on paid family leave and Lisa Demuth announcing she will abide by the Republican endorsement. Find more about the paid family leave article at:

https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/11/18/minnesota-democrats-make-a-big-bet-on-paid-leave/