Episodes
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Govenor Walz signs a bill Monday that will bring relief to folks with medical debt. The new law bans the transfer of medical debt to spouses and the denial of necessary medical care over unpaid bills. We heard from two Minnesotans who are directly affected by this new law.
In the span of a week, Minnesota high schoolers created and ran a mock government. We talked to the teen governors who were elected by their peers.
An outdoor adventure journalist shared her favorite Minnesota locations, plus tips for beginners to get outside this summer.
Pride Month can bring out divisions in our communities. We explored how families and rural communities in Minnesota are building bridges.
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Many rural pride events in Minnesota have at some point faced pushback, or even threats. Over the weekend Cook County Pride in Grand Marais received a bomb threat.
Meanwhile, Itasca Pride in Grand Rapids is also facing pushback as they get ready for their first ever celebration this weekend. But despite that, rural pride events are still successful in Minnesota.
Joining MPR News Host Cathy Wurzer is the chair of East Central Pride, Aaron Bombard and a board member of Itasca Pride, Liz Branum.
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Monday afternoon Gov. Tim Walz will ceremonially sign a bill into law whatâs known as the Minnesota Debt Fairness Act. Starting Oct. 1, the bill will ban medical providers from withholding care from patients with unpaid medical bills. It also requires that thousands of Minnesotans be forgiven medical debt that was transferred onto a spouse after death or whose bills have errors in them.
Two Minnesotans whose lives would have been deeply affected by medical debt joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer. Denis St. Martin from Inver Grove Heights has a son whose medical care was paused after a coding error resulted in a $250,000 bill for their family. And Walt Myers was hit with a surprise $135,000 bill transferred from his wifeâs hospice care after she passed away from breast cancer in 2019.
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Do you remember what you did last week? Iâm guessing most of you didnât create an entire government with people you have never met â and then run for office, pass laws, or decide court cases. Thatâs what two groups of high school students in Minnesota were up to. Boys State and Girls State are separate, weeklong programs run by the American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary, respectively.
Toluca Tellaeche Ramirez, an incoming senior at Pine Island High School and this yearâs Minnesota Girls State Governor elect, joined MPR News Host Cathy Wurzer to share more about this crash course in the workings of government.
Tucker Fournier, an incoming senior at Maple Grove High School and this year's Boys State Governor elect also joined the conversation.
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The Minnesota Twins have wrapped up their series against the Colorado Rockies with more home runs than theyâve made in a single game this season. They won 17-9 Wednesday.
And in basketball, the Lynx have also had a good week, beating the Las Vegas Aces 100-86 on Tuesday. Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson joined MPR News guest host Nina Moini to talk about whatâs next for both teams.
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A report out Thursday morning from the Minnesota Legislative Auditorâs Office says âactions and inactionsâ by the Minnesota Department of Education created opportunities for fraud in two taxpayer-funded child nutrition programs.
The report comes in response to federal criminal charges against dozens of people connected to the Twin Cities nonprofit Feeding Our Future. Theyâre accused of stealing $250 million by submitting falsified meal reimbursement requests.
MPR News correspondent Matt Sepic has been following the criminal cases and joined Minnesota Now guest host Nina Moini with a look at the auditorâs review.
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A hiring controversy at the University of Minnesota is getting widespread attention in the academic world. A group of professors at the University of Minnesota are calling on the administration to follow through on a job offer to a scholar whose hiring it recently froze.
Raz Segal is an Israeli historian who was offered a position at the helm of the U of Mâs Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. But because of an article heâd written where he called Israelâs siege of Gaza a genocide, two board members of the center resigned, and The Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas protested the choice along with other Jewish community members. They argue that Segalâs views are extreme and that he had justified Hamasâ Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
In an interview with MPR News, Segal, who is Jewish himself, said that is not true, âI have said exactly the opposite. Iâve described the Hamas-led attack on Israel as a case of mass murder, as war crimes, as crimes against humanity. Iâve been very clear on this for months and months on end.â
The U said in a statement that it is considering the views of those who objected to Segalâs appointment. For his part, Segal said heâs still interested in the position if the University decides to âunpause.â
Hundreds of professors have signed a letter condemning the universityâs decision. And the University of Minnesotaâs chapter of the American Association of University chapters sent a letter to the administration asking it to do just that. Sumanth Gopinath is president of the chapter and an associate professor of music theory. He joined MPR News guest host Nina Moini.
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We have more details on the Minnesota Department of Educationâs role in the Feeding our Future fraud case.
Weâll look into academic freedom concerns over the hiring process at the University of Minnesota Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies.
A commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War begins today in Minnesota. A veteran will share his story.
White Earth Nation will spend the entire weekend collecting oral histories from itâs members. Weâll hear why thatâs so important.
And in a new series, weâll get some direct communication advice for us not so direct Minnesotans.
Todayâs Minnesota Music Minute was âMayâ by Humbird.
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We have a new segment weâre debuting on Minnesota Now called âProfessional Help.â We all need a little help to get through life sometimes. From everyday questions to more complex problems, weâre asking the experts to lend us a hand. Throughout the series, weâll hear some direct advice, for us not so direct Minnesotans.
Our Ask: Help me be more assertive
Our Professional: Terri Bly, PsyD, LP - Clinical Psychologist based in Minneapolis
We had to start with something uniquely Minnesotan: Help me be more assertive. Weâve all been in the office when someone wonât take the last cookie and instead keeps cutting it into smaller pieces, or have you ever been stuck in a Minnesota goodbye? We asked a professional to help us through these situations without being typical Minnesota passive aggressive.
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This weekend, White Earth Nation will be spending eight hours a day recording the stories of their people. The Historical Preservation interviews is part of new required academic standards known as âIndigenous Education for All.â The state is working with all 11 tribal nations to integrate the history of Anishinaabe and Dakota people into K-12 curriculum.
Joining MPR News guest host Nina Moini is Dana Goodwin Williams, the director of the White Earth Education Division.
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A commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War begins Thursday at the Mall of America, put on by the Minnesota Department of Veteran Affairs. The three-day event includes a Veteran Resource Fair and a traveling tribute wall. And it also includes a National Oral History Project, with veterans sharing and recording their stories.
Marc Henderson is a historian who is working nationwide to collect stories of veterans. Chuck Jones is a three-time Purple Heart recipient and Vietnam Veteran from New Brighton. Both joined MPR News guest host Nina Moini to talk about the importance of preserving the history of Vietnam Veterans.
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In the span of two weeks, Minnesota's Professional Women's Hockey League team won the inaugural Walter Cup championship, dismissed its general manager and drafted seven new players â one of whom is already upsetting fans because she supports apparent transphobic content online. Ian Kennedy with The Hockey News recapped the controversy on Morning Edition with Cathy Wurzer.
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MPR News is tracking severe weather across the state. Our chief meteorologist Paul Huttner joined us at the top of the hour with the latest weather updates.
The Minneapolis Public Schools school board president broke down the district budget cuts passed last night.
On Wednesday, North Dakotans voted to set an age limit for people who can run for Congress in their state. We spoke with the person who helped get the measure on the ballot.
PWHL Minnesota is embroiled in controversy. A hockey reporter shared what he thinks is happening behind closed doors.
A new photography studio is making sure LGBTQ+ folks feel comfortable in front of the camera. And a new coffee shop is hoping to be a third space for Muslim youth in Minnesota.
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A late-night Yemeni coffee chain is expanding into the Twin Cities. The first Minnesota location of Qamaria Yemeni Coffee Company opened its Little Canada roastery in early May. But the service that Qamaria provides goes beyond coffee â the coffee shop creates much-needed spaces for young Muslims to gather and socialize in the evenings.
Sahan Journal reporter Hibah Ansari recently visited Qamaria and published a story about it. Ansari joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about the increase in late-night third spaces for Muslim youth like Qamaria.
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School is out for summer, but for Minneapolis Public Schools leaders the hard work is just beginning.
MPS Board Chair Collin Beachy told MPR News Wednesday that theyâll take advantage of empty campuses this summer to inventory space and start a lengthy process that may end with some schools closing. Itâs expected to last through fall 2026. All schools will remain open until then but with fewer staff and larger class sizes for some.
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This Pride month, a new photography business is launching specifically for LGBTQ+ clients. Itâs called âQueer Family Portraitsâ and aims to helps people in the LGBTQ+ community feel comfortable in front of the camera. Co-founders Eliesa Johnson and Mel Hesse joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about their work.
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Election results are in for the North Dakota primary. Voters passed a ballot measure Tuesday that puts age limits on politicians from the state that hold federal office. Its passage adds a constitutional amendment that bars North Dakotans from being elected or appointed to Congress if they would reach their 81st birthday before the end of their term.
For more on what we can learn from our neighbors in North Dakota, MPR News host Cathy Wurzer spoke with Jared Hendrix, who led the charge to get this issue on the ballot with the group Retire Congress North Dakota.
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Western Minnesota woke up to hail the size of golf balls and severe weather is expected to continue around the state today. The National Weather Service is even recommending campers in the Boundary Waters shelter under tied-down canoes. MPRâs chief meteorologist Paul Huttner joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer with details on the forecast.
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This week will be the last days of school for many Minnesota students and teachers. One conversation that has dominated education this school year is teacher contracts. Every public school district in Minnesota has the same 2-year contract cycle, meaning they all went to the bargaining table for their 2023-2025 contract.
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A new survey of Minnesota voters found president Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump are nearly tied at this point in the campaigns. We dug into the poll with an analyst and heard from Minnesotans who are planning to vote red, blue or not at all.
Itâs the end of a school year, and hundreds of districts and local unions have new teacher contracts. We learned where they landed.
Itâs safe to say climate change and insurance are not a good mix. We spoke with an expert about the impact on insurers and homeowners.
And after years of inflation, a few companies have announced theyâll lower prices for some basic goods. Are they just being nice? We found out.
Our Minnesota Music Minute today was âThe Momentâ by The Jest, and our Song of the Day was âOut of My Headâ by Eleanor Sievers.
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