In new memoir, DJ Mary Lucia shares experience of being stalked while in the public eye

[ENERGETIC MUSIC] MAN 1: (SINGING) 1, 2, 3, 4

CHRIS FARRELL: This is Minnesota Now. I'm Chris Farrell in for Nina Moini. The weather is serving up a winter storm just in time for Thanksgiving travel. Meteorologist Mandy Thalhuber has details, and we'll talk to MnDOT about what to expect on the road.

The holidays are a critical time for retailers, big and small. We'll get an outlook for Minnesota businesses. COP30, this year's United Nations climate conference, ended this weekend. I'll talk with two Minnesota college students who were there.

Mary Lucia, a former DJ for The Current, is out with a new memoir. We'll hear about it. And two pro women's volleyball teams are coming to the state. All that and more right after the news.

LAKSHMI SINGH: Live from MPR News I'm Lakshmi Singh. The highly-watched economic report on retail spending in the United States shows retail growth slowed down a bit in September, up 2/10 of a percent from August. The report from the Commerce Department was delayed because of the recent government shutdown. Here's NPR'S Alina Selyukh.

ALINA SELYUKH: The federal data on retail sales is behind by more than a month, and it's showing consumers cooling off a bit in September as they continued to go out to shop and eat. Compared to September of last year, spending at stores and restaurants grew 4.3% with people shopping more for clothes and electronics in the tail end of the back-to-school season. And they went out to restaurants and bars.

All this lines up with a slew of positive sales reports from major retailers including Walmart, Amazon, Best Buy, and Dick's Sporting Goods. The industry is now predicting another record holiday season, counting on the fact that people generally are employed and wages are still growing faster than inflation. Alina Selyukh, NPR News, Washington.

LAKSHMI SINGH: The US has a Naval flotilla off the Venezuelan coast, and President Trump has branded a group linked to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro a foreign terrorist organization, a claim Maduro calls, quote, "ridiculous." NPR's Franco Ordonez is tracking the Trump administration's actions, striking boats in the waters near Venezuela it deems drug trafficking threats to the US.

FRANCO ORDONEZ: There's a debate whether striking Venezuela fits with America First. Now, the White House says that Trump is prepared to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into the country, and that is America First. But going farther than that carries a risk of longer-term responsibility. Now, of course, there are cases where regime change arguably worked, take Panama in 1989. But there are other examples, including Iraq and Afghanistan, where regime change did not go so well.

LAKSHMI SINGH: NPR's Franco Ordonez reporting. Women who stopped taking Wegovy and similar GLP-1 weight-loss drugs just before or early in pregnancy faced a higher risk of complications, including preterm birth. NPR's Maria Godoy reports that is according to new findings published in the Journal JAMA.

MARIA GODOY: GLP-1 drugs have become increasingly popular among women of reproductive age. But women are advised to stop taking these medications before pregnancy because of potential risks to the fetus. Researchers from Mass General Brigham reviewed the medical records for nearly 1,800 pregnancies, primarily among women with obesity. They found that women who stopped GLP-1 medications right before or early in pregnancy also had a higher risk of gaining excess weight, developing gestational diabetes, and hypertensive disorders compared to women who did not take these drugs. The researchers say more studies are needed on the risks and benefits of taking GLP-1 drugs before having a baby. Maria Godoy, NPR News.

LAKSHMI SINGH: This is NPR.

ANNOUNCER 1: Support for NPR comes from NPR stations. Other contributors include Progressive Insurance where drivers can compare direct rates using Progressive's rate comparison tool. Customers can see options and rates side by side. More at progressive.com or 1-800-PROGRESSIVE.

EMILY REESE: For MPR News in the Twin Cities, I'm Emily Reese. Homeland Security Secretary, Kristi Noem, yesterday announced the US would end temporary protected status for migrants from Myanmar in January. Minnesota is home to about 22,000 people from Myanmar. Most arrived as refugees in the early and mid 2000 and would be unaffected by the policy change.

Those affected typically would have come to the US as students or visitors, and overstayed their visas because of military rule and civil war back home. It's unclear how many people in Minnesota would be affected. The latest defendant to be sentenced in the Feeding Our Future case is headed to federal prison for 10 years. Matt Sepic reports.

MATT SEPIC: Abdimajid Nur was one of the five people connected to a small Shakopee restaurant convicted last year after a trial. He later pleaded guilty in a separate scheme to bribe one of the jurors. The group stole $47 million from taxpayer-funded child nutrition programs as part of a much larger conspiracy centered around the defunct Twin Cities nonprofit Feeding Our Future.

The 24-year-old created and submitted most of the phony documentation used to support fraudulent claims for millions of meals. Hours before Nur's sentencing, the newest Feeding Our Future defendant made his initial court appearance. Abdirashid Bixi Dool is the 78th person charged in the sprawling case. Dool, who's 36, is accused of operating fake meal distribution sites in Moorhead and his hometown of Pelican Rapids, and stealing more than $1 million. I'm Matt Sepic, Minneapolis.

LAKSHMI SINGH: It was a close, hard fought match, but Minnesota United's season ended last night with a playoff loss to San Diego in the MLS Cup Western Conference semifinals. The final score 1-0 in front of a sellout crowd in San Diego. The home team scored the only goal of the night in the 72nd minute.

It's the second straight year that the Loons season ended in the conference semifinals. After the match, Coach Eric Ramsay said there's a lot of disappointment about the loss, but also a sense of optimism looking ahead to next season.

ERIC RAMSAY: I certainly will look back with a lot of pride as to how we got to this stage and then how we've competed today. And I think on another day, we find ourselves through.

LAKSHMI SINGH: The 2026 MLS season starts in late February. You're listening to MPR News.

CHRIS FARRELL: Our top story on Minnesota Now. Much of the state is under a winter storm warning. The forecast has shifted to include more snow hitting the Twin Cities metro. This, of course, comes at one of the busiest travel weeks of the year with Thanksgiving.

We're going to talk to MnDOT about how they're working to keep the roads safe. But first, we're going to get the latest forecast from MPR News meteorologist Mandy Thalhuber. Mandy?

MANDY THALHUBER: Hey, Chris. Yeah, it's not uncommon to have snow. It's just late in the season, and it's coming fast and furious, Chris. That's what we're most concerned about. It's like the first person in line for Thanksgiving food. That's what it looks like right now.

CHRIS FARRELL: But there was a shift in this forecast because in Minnesota Now yesterday, it was kind of like, well, it's coming, but it's going to be later. And now we got a shift.

MANDY THALHUBER: We do have a shift. And that's really the big thing to talk about in the forecast is areas that weren't previously under a winter storm warning now are under winter storm warning. Areas like the Twin Cities, South Marshall, Redwood Falls, Mankato. The warning also includes Central Minnesota all the way up through the Arrowhead region, parts of Northwestern Wisconsin as well.

But then also areas did get downgraded, Chris, from this system. So Northwestern Minnesota got downgraded to a winter weather advisory. That's Thief River Falls, Bemidji, Detroit Lakes, Fergus Falls. And then counties South of I-90 are also in a winter weather advisory from this system. And it looks like areas near the Rochester area in Southeastern Minnesota, they're just going to be under a wind advisory with this system.

And really the only area of the state, Chris, that's not affected by the storm is going to be the Northwestern corner. And that's Roseau and Lake of the Woods.

CHRIS FARRELL: So snow is already falling in some places?

MANDY THALHUBER: Yeah, it's been falling since about 6, 7 o'clock this morning. We're already seeing some moderate heavy snow falling in Western Minnesota near Traverse, Big Stone County near the North Dakota, South Dakota border. Already looking at-- I've been looking at some MnDOT cameras already, Chris, and I'm already seeing some slushy accumulations on the grassy areas. And it could be falling at about an inch an hour.

Eveleth, Fergus Falls area is reporting some snow. Bemidji, Park Rapids, Detroit Lakes, even Duluth is reporting some snow at this hour. And then in the warmer sector of things, that includes Redwood Falls, St. Cloud, the Twin Cities area, we're seeing just that dense fog that has really just held on this morning lowering visibility. So it's been pretty thick out there this morning.

CHRIS FARRELL: So it goes out saying, drive carefully. And when I was walking around Lake Harriet on Sunday, I thought, oh, this is the last really beautiful day, at least for the next couple of months. But for winter to really settle in, don't we need some cold temperatures?

MANDY THALHUBER: Yeah. So the problem with this system is, again, it's the first big snow of the season, but we're still in a transition period between our seasons. So we still have ground temperatures that are still fairly warm.

So we're getting some melting on contact. This snow is also the very heavy wet snow. So we're also going to see a lot of compaction with this snow. And so that's why snow has-- the totals have been really difficult with this system, Chris, just because of the type of snow that it is.

CHRIS FARRELL: Well, thank you very much for your time and I'm sure we'll be talking again.

MANDY THALHUBER: Sounds good. Thank you.

CHRIS FARRELL: MPR News meteorologist, Mandy Thalhuber. You might be one of the millions getting ready to hit the road for Thanksgiving this week and the Minnesota Department of Transportation will be working to make sure roads are safe. But the first big snow is always a wake up call, even for the most experienced winter drivers. Joining us now is Anne Meyer, spokesperson for MnDOT. Well, welcome.

ANNE MEYER (ON PHONE): Thank you. Yes, we're definitely getting into the winter season now.

CHRIS FARRELL: So there's MnDOT role, then drivers have to behave responsibly, slow down. But let's start with MnDOT. What are the crews doing today, or are they doing anything today to prep the roads for the storm?

ANNE MEYER (ON PHONE): Yeah, we already have dozens of snowplows out in Western Minnesota as we speak and checking out those snowplow camera views. And what we're seeing is just what she described in terms of we've got that warmer road surface right now. So a lot of this falling snow is melting on contact even after several hours of getting some of that snowfall. But we know as the storm continues to move East, temperatures are going to go down, winds are going to pick up, and so are those snowfall amounts.

And so what we're watching for, especially here in the Twin Cities, is that transfer over period. When is it going to change over from rain into snow? If that happens earlier than expected, we might see more snow amounts in the Twin Cities. If that happens a little bit later 8, 9, 10 o'clock, we might not have as much snowfall. But it's still going to have an impact, especially in those overnight hours when that snow is falling, those strong winds. So it's going to be the most challenging to drive late tonight and into early Wednesday.

MANDY THALHUBER: So it's the Thanksgiving week so, normally, I would say, if it comes in later, not going to be that many drivers on the road. There might be more this time around. How about the crews?

ANNE MEYER (ON PHONE): Crews are ready to go. Gosh, we've been watching the weather and waiting for this impact. What we can't do when it starts off as rain is put down a little pretreatment, because it just dilutes in that rain. It washes away. It's ineffective. But again, where we're getting the advantage is that warmer road surface, which is going to help us out when the snow starts to fall.

But our crews are already out there. They're ready to work overnight. They'll continue to work throughout Wednesday to get roads back in the clear. And another factor that's going to help us out is that the snow should move out quickly.

So we're looking to stop that snow in those early morning hours before maybe folks get out on the road to try and get to where they need to be for Thanksgiving. That's going to help our crews get roads back to clear pavement quicker. Because as soon as that snow stops, we can really focus on getting back to the clear.

CHRIS FARRELL: For some people, the morning commute to work is going to be probably fairly miserable. Family going to Thanksgiving drive might be fairly miserable. But what are some reminders for folks about driving safely? I mean, what are some things they need to consider?

ANNE MEYER (ON PHONE): Many of us are out of the routine of driving in winter since it's been so long. With the summer and last year, even the season wasn't so bad. So we want to remind drivers, always know before you go. If you can take a look at what road conditions are like, get a view of what snow is falling, that's going to help give you some good information to make the best decisions for your route. Because there will be a varied impact throughout the state depending upon how much snow has fallen in any one particular area.

But the best thing you can do when you're behind the wheel is slow down. Slower speeds do save lives. Keep a good distance between yourself and other drivers. That can give you that space you need to either slow down quickly, change lanes if you're coming into a situation. And as always, stay back from our snowplows. Give them plenty of safe space to work so they can clear the road before you.

CHRIS FARRELL: Oh, absolutely. Now, this is also a good time since we're reviewing some of the basics here. What about the winter weather kit?

ANNE MEYER (ON PHONE): Yeah, we want you to have what you need in your car, just in case you do find yourself in a situation where you might not be able to get help right away. So that's warmer clothing. That's maybe some batteries. We want to make sure you can get out emergency calls to your family or to emergency crews if you do find yourself in a crash.

But just being ready for winter months ahead. It's going to get a lot colder than it is now. We might see a lot more snow throughout the season. So the more you're thinking ahead, the more you're planning ahead, the better it can be for you and all of the travels we expect to do between now and spring.

CHRIS FARRELL: Well, I like that. Plan ahead, think ahead. Anne Meyer is with MnDOT.

["LET IT SNOW"]

Today's Minnesota Music Minute is a tribute to the winter weather on its way. You know this one. You already recognize it. It's "Let It Snow," played with a twist by Brian Setzer Orchestra.

This is Minnesota Now. I'm Chris Farrell in for Nina Moini. We've been talking about the snow, but now we're going to go to a very different scene, a city on the edge of the Amazon rainforest. Belem, Brazil, hosted this year's United Nations climate conference, which ended this past weekend. Now, more than 50,000 people attended COP30. Representatives of the United States government, however, were absent.

But a few Minnesotans were there. That includes students from a class at the College of St Benedict and St. John's University. Joining me now to talk about the experience are two St Ben's juniors. Ella Chiroux is studying mathematics. Hi, Ella.

ELLA CHIROUX (ON PHONE): Hi, Chris. How are you?

CHRIS FARRELL: Good. I'm glad you could join us. And Abby Robinson is studying environmental science. Hi, Abby.

ABBY ROBINSON (ON PHONE): Hi. How are you?

CHRIS FARRELL: Good. So, Abby, can you start? Just start off describing what it was like to be at COP30? I mean, what did it-- what did it look and sound like?

ABBY ROBINSON (ON PHONE): Yeah, absolutely. It was really overwhelming, but in the best way. There was just a lot of world leaders, scientists, activists. So many people there, and it was just bustling with all of the activity and the sessions and the conferences that were happening on the level. And there were colors everywhere, and there was Indigenous celebrations and protests. It was just full of life and people everywhere you looked.

CHRIS FARRELL: And, Ella, what stood out to you at the scene at COP30?

ELLA CHIROUX (ON PHONE): I would agree with everything Abby said. It was overwhelming, but in the best way. There were so many incredible people that were full of such passion for the things that they were talking about. So that's just what was the overlying focus for me over the week is all the passion from the people that were there.

CHRIS FARRELL: And so, Ella, were you going from session to session in different rooms or was it mostly held in a big auditorium?

ELLA CHIROUX (ON PHONE): So there was a big room with all these different pavilions that I spent a lot of time walking around talking to all kinds of different people. And then there was a separate area of events where I also spent a lot of time where it was just like a little more closed off, a little quieter from the outside scene. So a little bit of everything.

CHRIS FARRELL: Cool. And Abby, I understand you got there at least a few days early. And so you watched the city change from pre-conference to the conference in full swing?

ABBY ROBINSON (ON PHONE): Yes, I did. Being there, like the four days before the conference started, was so interesting because I feel like I really got to experience what Belem maybe feels like on a normal day-to-day basis. And a lot of the people I talk to were really excited to speak with a foreigner and practice their English. And it was really fun to just experience that and then watch as the city unfolded into conference ready.

CHRIS FARRELL: And Ella, as I understand it, everybody has a research project that was tied to the conference. So tell me about yours.

ELLA CHIROUX (ON PHONE): Yeah. So I was looking into the effects of hydrology, agriculture, and burning on the Pantanal Wetlands. And the majority of the Pantanal is in Brazil so I thought that would be a really good topic for this COP in particular. And there were a lot of really good conversations while I was there about wildfires, both in the Pantanal but then also in the Amazon rainforest.

CHRIS FARRELL: And so what was your-- in terms of your research project, what was your-- what do you think is your main takeaway after having been at the conference?

ELLA CHIROUX (ON PHONE): I think a lot of people were very-- the Pantanal and the Amazon and the places I was really speaking to people about, that's their home and their culture and their livelihood. So there is a lot of passion and love for protecting these places.

CHRIS FARRELL: And Abby, how about you, your project? And what were you learning about?

ABBY ROBINSON (ON PHONE): Yeah. My project looked at how faith-based frameworks and different religious frameworks help to shape the moral and inspiration for climate action. And I wanted to look at because I know a lot of people are motivated not just by data alone, but by a sense of stewardship and purpose, especially for our Earth. So I was studying how these values can support real on-the-ground change.

And there were a lot of people at the conference willing to speak about this in particular. And I really just-- one of the biggest things that stood out to me was that when communities feel seen, it really makes the difference. You can't just ignore people's identities and values when it comes to actually making a change on this large scale of a level that we're trying to do.

CHRIS FARRELL: And I mentioned earlier in the introduction that Trump administration didn't participate in this year's conference. Now, the countries did reach an agreement. More money to help countries adapt to a hotter world, but didn't mention fossil fuels, which obviously are main cause of climate change. So, Ella, how satisfied were you with the results of COP30?

ELLA CHIROUX (ON PHONE): I think, unfortunately, a lot of focus for negotiations comes down to money and then focusing on oneself. For me, getting to be there in a space where Belem did a great job of creating space for protests. And being in a location where many Indigenous communities could participate, I think a lot of voices were able to get out just on that level. And I mean, overall, the negotiations, we knew how that was going to go going into it. But I think there was a lot of space for people to be heard.

CHRIS FARRELL: And Abby, having been there, did this affect your hope about the ability of the world to deal with climate change? Did you come out of there more pessimistic? What was your reaction?

ABBY ROBINSON (ON PHONE): Yeah, honestly--

ELLA CHIROUX (ON PHONE): I think I came-- sorry.

CHRIS FARRELL: Go ahead, Abby.

ABBY ROBINSON (ON PHONE): Going into it, I was a little nervous just because I felt like I was going to be let down. So I tried to have my hopes really low. And I think the broad-scale level, from the way that everything turned out and the way the negotiations ended, I'm a little disappointed. But in a whole, being there on the ground, witnessing all the people who are so passionate about change and seeing the large-scale protests and just activism happening on the ground, I think that really, honestly, lifted my spirits and made me have some hope about the future.

CHRIS FARRELL: And Ella, same question to you.

ELLA CHIROUX (ON PHONE): Yeah, I think it was really powerful to be in a place with so many people that, in a way, are looking the same direction that I am and care about the same things that I do. It was just, like, this community of people that you automatically knew you had a connection in some way.

CHRIS FARRELL: And I'm going to ask you both the same question. Start with you, Abby. What do you want to share with people who weren't there? What the one thing you want people to know?

ABBY ROBINSON (ON PHONE): Honestly, I think it's just so important to know how many people actually care and the wide variety of people that do care. Because there were people from high-level politicians to on-the-ground activists to Indigenous people from the rainforest in the Belem area. And I think it's just so important to know that it's not just scientists who are caring and wanting to make change. It's not just people who are really into the Earth and wanting to make a change, but there's people from all walks of life, old to young, who are wanting to make a difference. And I think that's just really important for everyone to know because it shows how much we care as a population.

CHRIS FARRELL: And Ella, when you're sharing your experience with some of your classmates who weren't there, what is it you really want them to understand?

ELLA CHIROUX (ON PHONE): I think for me, I guess being a very young person at a place like this, your voice is being heard and people in charge are impressed and are hearing you to some degree. I felt very heard by a lot of the people that I spoke to.

CHRIS FARRELL: Well, I think it's really cool that both of you were able to go, and it sounds like an incredible learning experience. So thank you so much for taking your time to share with our audience.

ELLA CHIROUX (ON PHONE): Yeah, thank you.

ABBY ROBINSON (ON PHONE): Yeah, absolutely Thank you.

CHRIS FARRELL: Ella Chiroux and Abby Robinson are juniors at the College of St. Benedict. They are part of the class that attended COP30, in Belem, Brazil.

ANNOUNCER 2: Programming is supported by MSP Airport, now offering over 160 direct flights, both domestic and international destinations. You can stay up to date on the latest routes and offerings by signing up for their newsletter on mspairport.com

CHRIS FARRELL: Coming up in a few minutes, we'll check in with the Minnesota Retailers Association about what to expect this holiday shopping season. And later, we'll hear a conversation with former current DJ Mary Lucia about her new memoir. First, let's get a look at national and world news with Emily Reece. Emily?

EMILY REESE: Hi, Chris. Ukrainian authorities say that Russia launched a wave of attacks on Ukraine overnight that killed at least seven people. Water, electricity, and heat were knocked out in parts of the capital, Kyiv early today. A Ukrainian attack in Southern Russia killed three people and damaged homes there. The attacks followed talks between US and Ukraine representatives in Geneva on Sunday about a US-Russia brokered peace plan.

Palestinian militants have handed over to the Red Cross human remains believed to be of a hostage. The remains are expected to be taken to Israel for forensic testing and identification. It's unclear if they belong to one of the three hostages still in Gaza. The handover is part of a fragile ceasefire that began last month.

Palestinian Islamic jihadists found the body in a refugee camp in Central Gaza. The process of returning remains has been slow, threatening the truce. Meanwhile, Gaza faces dire humanitarian conditions, worsened by heavy rains and ongoing aid shortages.

A federal judge has dismissed the criminal cases against former FBI director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. US District Judge Cameron Currie concluded that the prosecutor who brought the charges at President Donald Trump's urging was illegally appointed by the Justice Department. The orders make prosecutor Lindsay Halligan the latest Trump administration prosecutor to be disqualified because of the manner in which they were appointed. Attorney General Pam Bondi vowed that the Justice Department would pursue an immediate appeal.

The Paris prosecutor has announced four more arrests in connection with the 102 million jewel heist at the Louver Museum. The arrests involved two men and two women from the Paris region. The prosecutor didn't specify their roles in the October 19 theft. The stolen jewels, including a diamond and emerald necklace given by Napoleon to empress Marie Louise and other historical pieces, have not been recovered. You're listening to MPR News.

CHRIS FARRELL: This weekend marks the kickoff to the holiday shopping season. For retailer Target, its projections show a challenging outlook for the holiday season. And NPR has reported on multiple small businesses that have been affected by the tariff roller coaster we've seen so far this year.

So whether you're the kind of shopper who will line up at big box stores for Black Friday, or if you like to keep it lower key with a few small businesses, chances are holiday shopping will feel slightly different this year. Here to talk about what to look out for this season is Bruce Nustad. He's the president of the Minnesota Retailers Association. And welcome back to the show, Bruce.

BRUCE NUSTAD: Oh, thanks. Good afternoon.

CHRIS FARRELL: So talk about some of the projections. I mean, what are you hearing from some of the big-box retailers from the smaller businesses? What are you-- what are their expectations as far as the consumers opening their wallet?

BRUCE NUSTAD: Well, this is the season of optimism for retailers. We really look for a great holiday season. Setting that aside for a second, it's certainly been a little turbulent walking up to the holiday season.

Consumers are smart and have a lot of information in front of them, especially here in Minnesota. So we're watching tariffs pretty close. We're just watching the news of the day, too, but I think we're expecting a pretty good holiday season. I think we'll see, overall, year over year, slight increases in sales, but maybe somewhat flat with last year.

CHRIS FARRELL: So are you seeing the impact of tariffs? I mean a lot of times, we have this economic conversation about tariffs and it's going to affect this piece of furniture or that appliance. But what are you really seeing as far as when I'm going to go to a store and I'm going to buy some good, am I seeing the impact of tariffs?

BRUCE NUSTAD: Yeah. What's super interesting to me is it depends on the product you're purchasing. And thank you for mentioning furniture. Furniture has seen just a tremendous number impact from a tariffs perspective. So it depends category by category.

I think at the end of the day, most of us here in Minnesota, we've got a family budget and we're going to stick to that budget. So it might mean if we're buying a bigger ticket item that has a little higher impact with tariffs, we might do a little less-- a fewer gifts. But we'll probably still spend about the same amount.

CHRIS FARRELL: Well I'm glad you used the word budget. Budgeting at the holiday season, that's a good thing. But I do want to ask you, speaking of budget, bringing in some income, what about seasonal hiring?

And this is anecdotal. It's my own experience, but I usually would be getting emails from various big-box retailers, Postal Service, you name it, do you want to work for a couple of weeks. I haven't gotten much this year.

BRUCE NUSTAD: Yeah, I think, it's super interesting because the holiday season for retailers really starts actually before October now. So I think you see a lot of retailers from the smallest to the small to the biggest to the big trying to pace themselves relative to the information they're putting out to consumers. I mean you don't want to burn up a consumer on the front end of the holiday season, and then not have to bring those dollars back at the back end. So I think you're seeing a little bit more measured approach to advertising.

CHRIS FARRELL: And what about seasonal hiring?

BRUCE NUSTAD: Yeah. And you know what seasonal hiring is great. We're seeing fairly strong seasonal hiring.

CHRIS FARRELL: Oh, good.

BRUCE NUSTAD: However, I'll put an asterisk to that. Over the last few years, we've seen a trend here in Minnesota of offering more hours to existing employees. versus bringing on an employee just for the holiday season. So I think we're continuing to see that trend continue as well.

CHRIS FARRELL: So what would you like to highlight? I mean, where are local businesses shining right now?

BRUCE NUSTAD: Yeah. The great thing about the Minnesota consumers, we love all the avenues available to us. We love a good in-store experience. And I think when we look back on this upcoming weekend, we're going to see that consumers really turned out for retailers, especially around small business Saturday. And even Cyber Monday, we think of that as a cyber online event, but we still get a fair amount of in-store shopping on those days.

So I think at the end of the day, we're going to see just a really solid weekend coming up. We're going to see consumers that purchase online and in-store. Again, here in Minnesota, I think we tend to vary our dollars relative to where they go, whether that's in-store or online.

CHRIS FARRELL: So is Black Friday still a big deal? I mean, there was certain points in my life it was a really big deal. I don't get the sense that it is. today.

BRUCE NUSTAD: Yeah. It is still big. I mean, it'll still be the biggest shopping day for Minnesotans when you look at Thanksgiving through. So it's going to be almost double any other shopping day. So it's still really important.

CHRIS FARRELL: Well, that's a lot of money then. Yes.

BRUCE NUSTAD: Yeah, it is. But again, we're just really spreading out our holiday spending. So it's maybe not quite as big as it used to be. And I mean it's not quite as climactic as it used to be.

Retailers actually really got away from get people to line up at the store at 2:00 AM and then it just gets a little chaotic. We'd really rather avoid that. That's not a great customer experience.

CHRIS FARRELL: No, no, it's not. And where are local businesses hurting right now?

BRUCE NUSTAD: I would say if you look at of your downtowns and your main streets, again, it's just been a little softer, I think, over the last six months. So that's why we love the holiday season because we see a lot of those small businesses really see some great consumer support. But I think that's the segment that really needs folks to show up for the holiday season over this next weekend.

CHRIS FARRELL: So again, this is anecdotal, but my sense is that we started to see discounting earlier in the holiday season compared to previous years. Is that true or what's going on with the discounts?

BRUCE NUSTAD: Yeah, I think I can say safely that this year, more than ever, those discounts started early. And it's because of families like mine and maybe yours, we start to shop early a little bit too. We start thinking about the holidays a little early. And I know everybody complains about those holiday decorations out around Halloween, but the truth of the matter--

CHRIS FARRELL: I'm one of those people. I am one of those, I admit it.

BRUCE NUSTAD: Truth of the matter is consumers actually respond to that and they're doing their holiday shopping that early, believe it or not.

CHRIS FARRELL: So we're entering into Black Friday. We've got this big weekend after Thanksgiving. So what should shoppers be mindful now that we're getting really into this holiday shopping season?

BRUCE NUSTAD: Yeah, I think just be a little patient. I think one thing that the pandemic taught us a few years ago is in today's retail model, we have to be a little patient with the store and those that are working at the store. We're so grateful for those who show up for consumers during some long hours and sometimes during some frustrating times during the holiday season.

So be kind to your neighborhood retail workers, they'll appreciate that. And just again, keep an eye out for those deals on those items that you're really looking for. And know that that kind of deal season will last all the way through really probably the first of the year.

CHRIS FARRELL: Last quick question. So have you done your holiday shopping?

BRUCE NUSTAD: I had a really good start, full disclosure. But then I kind of lagged. So now I'm starting to feel a little bit of the pressure like a lot of us.

CHRIS FARRELL: Well, thanks a lot. Glad you could join us.

BRUCE NUSTAD: Yeah, anytime. Thanks for celebrating the holiday season with your local retailers.

CHRIS FARRELL: That was Minnesota Retailers Association president, Bruce Nustad.

[LIGHT MUSIC]

So it's time for a music break. Today's song comes from our friend Isaac Yanta, who is at 101.1 FM, The River in Winona. Isaac always has some terrific local music to share.

ISAAC YANTA: Greetings from Winona. I've got some more Minnesotan music to show you today. Today, from Winona's own, BRUTE. BRUTE has been releasing music like crazy this year. He released an EP earlier in 2025 called For You by BRUTE, and I want to show you the first song off that four-song EP. Here is BRUTE with "Hit My Line."

BRUTE: (SINGING) Hey

Why you never call me on my phone

Tell me why you never call me on my phone

Why you never call me on my phone

Why you never call me on my phone

I did the math

Don't think you're doing me right

What you need to understand is I need you for life

I'm a simple man, baby

I need simple delights

Home to always call at home

And baby, need you call me on my phone

Need to hear what you say

Tired of sending compliments

Look what I bought you today

Get the biggest ring for you

We can move out of state

Know you love me, baby

I just need to hear what you say

Why you never call me on my phone

Tell me why you never call me on my phone

Why you never call me on my phone

Why you never call me on my phone

Hope you ain't here for the chase

What you need to understand is that I need you in place

If I'm ever on the road and you got something to say

Don't text, just call, baby

Just hit me on my phone

Love the way that you speak

When you talk like you tough when you talking to me

Make it hard for me

Complain about the things that I need

And I know you love me, baby

But that's part of the scheme

Why you never call me on my phone

Tell me why you never call me on my phone

Why you never call me on my phone

Why you never call me on my phone

Hit my line

Call me back

Thought I wasn't somebody you forget

Hit my line

Call me back

Thought I wasn't somebody you forget

Hit my line

Call me back

Thought I wasn't somebody you forget

Hit my line

Call me back

Thought I wasn't somebody you'd forget

Why you never call me on my phone

Tell me why you never call me on my phone

Why you never call me on my phone

Why you never call me on my phone

ISAAC YANTA: "Hit My Line, brand new Minnesota Music from Winona's own BRUTE. That's B-R-U-T-E. Brute has been releasing music like crazy this year. Truly, his discography has grown rapidly. So I encourage you to go check out more from BRUTE. That was "Hit My Line." I hope you enjoyed it and I hope you have a great rest of your afternoon.

CHRIS FARRELL: Well, we did enjoy it so thanks, Isaac. That's Isaac Yanta, a DJ at 101.1 FM The River in Winona. The authors of memoirs often talk about their painful truths, dreams, and demons in their work. An iconic radio DJ out of Minnesota has put to paper a story of her life that covers all that, including her harrowing experience of being stalked while living in the public eye, and her thoughts on why she's deemed herself the cilantro of radio.

Mary Lucia's slim but revealing memoir is called What Doesn't Kill Me Makes Me Weirder and Harder to Relate To. Mary Lucia is a former DJ at The Current and is currently the program advisor at the University of Minnesota's Radio K. She spoke to NPR's Kerri Miller about her new book out today. Let's listen to a part of their conversation.

KERRI MILLER: I love this idea that you're the cilantro of radio because people like me have a genetic whatever it is to dislike cilantro.

MARY LUCIA: You're predisposed to dislike that flavor.

KERRI MILLER: What? I'm not predisposed to dislike you so how does it compare.

MARY LUCIA: I feel like those people who love cilantro will really, really follow me through the gates of hell. Those that don't, that's all right. That's all right.

KERRI MILLER: You're saying that you're polarizing.

MARY LUCIA: A little bit. Because I don't think I have or ever had a second persona to put on radio, nor do I write in a voice other than the one I speak in. So if somebody doesn't dig it, if they think it's too strong a flavor, I'm fine with that.

KERRI MILLER: This is something I was curious about. When did you get OK with being polarizing? At what point in your career did you think, I'm going to lay it out there. This is who I am. Accepting that, I think for anybody that's in media, takes some getting used to. So I want to when you got used to it.

MARY LUCIA: Maybe I was lucky then. I was 21 years old. It was my first job in radio. I had left New York to start working at this new groovy station that was being started by a club DJ at First Ave called Revolution Radio Rev 105. I got put on nights. I'd never done radio.

And so not having the template or the blueprint, I just did what I thought I would think was interesting. I never had that sense of I've got to do this, this, and this, and this is the rule book. I started with no rules and I just kept going.

I mean, I can distinctly remember, Kerri, that on my first night ever on air live, I hadn't even run the board once on my own. Somebody trotted some dirty, filthy band into the studio and said, hey, they're playing down the street in the entry. They're going to hop on with you for a break or two. And in my 21-year-old mind, I thought, I don't know anything about this band. And rather than let them know that, I'm just not going to ask them a single question about their music.

KERRI MILLER: What?

MARY LUCIA: I was like, I'll ask him about anything but music. And that's almost a weird way that I adapted like that no-style style. It was like, you're known for this and this is what you're probably promoting, but who would be more frightening to see under the bed at night, Abe Lincoln or Miles Davis?

KERRI MILLER: This really resonated. "I began to bow out of my life and shut down. It didn't feel like I was living my life as I knew it." Give some context for that, will you? What does that really mean?

MARY LUCIA: I could feel myself backing away from what would be a completely natural reaction, an inquisitiveness, talking to a-- I love strangers. Strangers are some of my favorite people. They were anyway.

I used to love to talk to strangers, and there were these things that were just eroding. And I just couldn't any longer feel like I could be myself, the most real person I have-- I guess always been. It just started to feel too vulnerable.

And it started to feel like the entire way that this stalker got into my life was by going into my most vulnerable place, which is somebody who confided that they had lost a dog. And I mean, I can't tell you, Kerri, thousands, thousands of times in my career that I have gotten that email and spoke about it on air and played them some things. So it was so-- it was really second nature and natural. And then for that to be the foot in the door to this nightmare, that just made me feel like everything I thought I knew, I don't know.

KERRI MILLER: You were disassociating from whatever your true self. was. How long did that go on?

MARY LUCIA: Well, throughout the entirety of those three years. Because that was maddening because of all kinds of bureaucratic stuff that's probably far less interesting. But you've got to go through certain steps and certain process, but I was working the whole time.

So I was still on the air every day, and I was still trying to lead this life that felt real while dealing with something that was changing me on a daily basis. I mean, it was just making me smaller and smaller. And it's not like I started out feeling like the most powerful woman on Earth, but it's amazing what a stranger can take away.

KERRI MILLER: I think we ought to leave many of the details about what this criminal did to the readers. But I should say that-- and I think you've hinted at this-- that he was invasive in many parts of your life, to the point where you were second guessing your playlists for your shows because you didn't want him to think there was some subliminal message coming out in the music.

MARY LUCIA: And that seems to be a classic example, especially if we think about this radio, our voice is isolated. People tend to listen to radio alone. It's a private thing.

And when you're putting together music selections and then somebody is insisting that you played that for me, I'm interpreting it this way, it just messed with the whole fun of what I did. It was like, well, now I have to read into everything. And just this is no fun.

And I really also believed, too, that people that are hardcore listeners, you have that distinction upon meeting someone who's just really happy to meet you because they've liked your work and followed you. And then the other person that you, instinctively-- I just think maybe as women, but just instinctively you go, oh, that's going to be a hi, goodbye. It just happens.

It's like I think people in media, people that are whether radio or television or print, you're subjected to somebody else's distorted ideas about who you are in this relationship they have with you. But our jobs are communicators and storytellers, and we're trying to relate to people. So in a sense, it is what we're trying to do, but we can't choose who we relate to.

KERRI MILLER: It's a uncomfortable-- I think of it this way, an uncomfortable balance between a sense of intimacy. I want people to be able to hear that I'm thinking in real time, and I'm letting them in on some ideas that I have and the way this might move me, and yes, some vulnerabilities. And you do that in a different way. When you meet somebody who has distorted that somehow, I think there's a tell of intensity. If that's that little alarm that goes off in the back of your mind that says, he, usually he, is coming at this with too much intensity.

MARY LUCIA: It didn't take long for it to flip. I mean, that was the other thing. Really what started as some just a random email about, gee, I can really relate, I lost my dog, and me reaching back out. And then it just accelerated into such an intimate place that, yeah, for all of five seconds, I was like, this is not somebody I want anything to do with. And of course, in my instance, part of my story is that I had no idea who this person was for so long.

CHRIS FARRELL: That was Mary Lucia, former DJ at The Current speaking with MPR News host Kerri Miller about her new memoir, out today called What Doesn't Kill Me, Makes Me Weirder and Harder to Relate To. You can listen to the rest of that conversation this Friday at 11:00.

ANNOUNCER 3: Programming is supported by Prescription Landscape, serving commercial clients across the Twin Cities since 1980, with grounds care, snow Management, parking lot services, and seasonal decor. Learn more at rxlandscape.com.

CHRIS FARRELL: This is Minnesota Now. I'm Chris Farrell in for Nina Moini. Recently, two professional women's volleyball leagues announced they're coming to Minnesota. Major League Volleyball and League One Volleyball will launch teams in 2027, but it won't be for the first time.

[CHATTER]

In 1987, MPR's Jim Bickal went to tryouts for a professional women's volleyball team called the Minnesota Monarchs. It was part of a brand new league.

JIM BICKAL: Lots of professional sports leagues have come and gone recently, and this one will have to compete with the North Stars, the Strikers, and the Gophers for those coveted sports entertainment dollars. They'll also have to compete for players with a league in Europe that pays about twice as much. There's also the sobering fact that no professional team sport for women has ever been successful in this country.

But the organizers of this league believe that volleyball is the ideal sport for women because it's fun to watch and completely different from the men's volleyball.

JILL HALSTED: Much longer rallies. It's much more exciting. The men's put it up there and slam it down and the play is over in two seconds. This we have the long rallies and the great defensive saves, and still the power of the net is there.

CHRIS FARRELL: That was Minnesota Monarchs player Jill Halsted talking with MPR's Jim Bickal in 1987. Now, the league fell apart halfway through the season in 1989 due to financial problems. But while it lasted, the Monarchs had a steady fan base. And today, Minnesota is a steady source of volleyball talent.

Former Monarch Annie Adam Glavan-- sorry, I mispronounced your name. I do apologize. Annie Adamczak-Glavan There you go. And you're nodding. Thank you. --is part of that as coach and director of Club 43. It's a youth volleyball club based in Hopkins. And she joins me in the studio now. Welcome.

ANNIE ADAMCZAK-GLAVAN: Welcome. Great to be here.

CHRIS FARRELL: So what was your reaction to hearing how the league was talked about in the 1980s?

ANNIE ADAMCZAK-GLAVAN: Interesting but I think it was pretty factual. You have to remember, there was no internet then, no TikTok, no Instagram to promote like we have now. So if you were in the volleyball know, you no knew about it. But other than that, I think it was pretty foreign to most fans of what? Volleyball pro women? What? That's never going to work.

CHRIS FARRELL: Although the 1980s, wasn't that an exciting time for volleyball in the US? I mean you had the 1984 Olympics, and Team USA won its first medals in men's and women's volleyball. And so was there a spike in interest?

ANNIE ADAMCZAK-GLAVAN: I think so, but still, I think it was a small circle. It was the people that consumed volleyball. I don't think it was globally or nationally yet.

You have to remember that Title IX was passed in '72, and 1982 was the first time that women received NCAA scholarships. So that was only five years after that that the pro league started. So there wasn't a lot of backstory or history to get the pro sports going in the United States. So I think that had a factor in why the league wasn't successful in that first round.

CHRIS FARRELL: Yeah, so I mean were an incredible athlete in high school. And then not only in volleyball but basketball and softball. You went to University of Nebraska on a full volleyball scholarship. So what was it like being a standout athlete in that time?

ANNIE ADAMCZAK-GLAVAN: For me, it was awesome. I mean, to go to 10 state tournaments I did as a high school athlete and won five. I was Ms. Basketball. I was in Sports Illustrated. I got flown out to New York City to receive a Hertz Rent-A-Car number one athlete.

So for me, it was exciting. And I think you get in your own bubble where it's happening to you so it must be happening everywhere. And you don't realize that till you step back and say, hey, I want to go play pro or I want to continue my sports career. And there was nothing for me to do when I graduated in 1985 except go to Europe. So things have changed drastically in the last 40 years for the good, and I'm so thankful to be a part of that start.

CHRIS FARRELL: So let's go to 1987. And so what was it like to be a Minnesota Monarch?

ANNIE ADAMCZAK-GLAVAN: It was cool. I mean, come on. I'm 23 years old, and I get to play professional sports, and I don't have to go to quote, "real job." I can go to practice, run around with the girls, play the game that I love, and continue to be in the gym. I mean, it's a dream come true. Even though we didn't get paid very much, I don't think--

CHRIS FARRELL: How much did you get paid?

ANNIE ADAMCZAK-GLAVAN: Oh, my gosh. Somebody asked me this and I think it was $250 a week. And we all had full time--

CHRIS FARRELL: Even back then, that wasn't much money.

ANNIE ADAMCZAK-GLAVAN: Yes, that wasn't very much money. We all had full-time jobs or worked a little bit part time here and there. And then I think if you won, you got $75. And if you lost the game, you got $50.

There was no per diem. There was no housing. There was no cars. There was no sponsorship, or name, likeness, and image. It was all just you played because you truly loved playing the game.

CHRIS FARRELL: And what do you remember about the fans?

ANNIE ADAMCZAK-GLAVAN: Awesome. We played at Augsburg for a while. We played at the Armory. Minneapolis Armory, I remember that . Very involved and very knowledgeable. I mean, I think that's one thing about the Minnesota fan base, they are very knowledgeable in volleyball.

Even at the Gopher games, people understand when there's a call or a carry, a questionable play. They have the knowledge to respond and go, oh, cool, I know that is. And I think that's only gotten better over the years.

And I think with people grew up with basketball, basketball has been around for what, 150 years? So everyone knows a little bit about basketball. But volleyball, the knowledge in the Minnesota fan base is exceptional.

CHRIS FARRELL: And I have to circle back to something that you mentioned because you said you were in Sports Illustrated. Now, this is back when Sports Illustrated was the Bible of sports. I mean, it was an incredible magazine. So that must have been very cool.

ANNIE ADAMCZAK-GLAVAN: Yeah, I was faces in the crowd as a ninth grader for pitching, of all things. I had a tremendous softball career. Two-time state champion, 42 and 0 with an ERA of 0.005.

But softball was just a fun little thing I did on the side. It wasn't something that I wanted to pursue. I wanted to play college basketball. I wanted to be the first player, a female in the NBA. I wanted to play with Larry Bird. That was my dream. My brothers all played basketball.

And then volleyball came calling and I was very hesitant to play volleyball. I'm like, it's kind of a stupid sport. We're so good at it. We won the state tournament 18 to 5 and 18 to 6. It wasn't a challenge.

And basketball was on TV. The NBA was thriving. All the boys played basketball. Everybody knew what basketball was And that's what I wanted to do. At the end of the day when recruiting came, I had about 100 division one offers for volleyball and maybe two for basketball, mostly division two and division three. And nobody really wanted me in basketball.

I was perplexed, didn't know what to do. And my parents were like, listen, you need to take the scholarship and go where the money is. And I said reluctantly, OK, I'll go to Nebraska and I'll play volleyball. And I fell in love with it within two weeks of being on campus. And I'm so glad I made the decision to play volleyball.

CHRIS FARRELL: Even though you didn't get to play with Larry Bird.

ANNIE ADAMCZAK-GLAVAN: Yeah, I didn't.

CHRIS FARRELL: Oh, well, that's OK.

ANNIE ADAMCZAK-GLAVAN: I did, in my dreams.

CHRIS FARRELL: There you go. So why don't you think the league lasted?

ANNIE ADAMCZAK-GLAVAN: Last time? I think it was too soon. Like I said, the NCAA had just taken over women's sports in 1982. That's only five years later. You're going to introduce a pro sport? I don't think that the-- we didn't have internet.

Right now, I mean, you can promote anything you want. You can promote eating ants on TikTok and get a million views. And I think the fact that we have women in power, we have women who run corporations, we have women who run television shows. Not that men don't support women's athletics, but I think when you have more women in power, the resources are spread more equally to girls and to women. And I think the time is ripe right now.

We have so many girls. I think we're the fourth largest participatory sport is in Minnesota for volleyball. Volleyball is the number three-- Minnesota's the number three recruiting bed for volleyball in the country. So it is just an explosive sport right now and same with basketball and soccer and women's sports. But I think the time is now and we finally have got to where we have the resources, we have the rights, and we have how. And I think back in '87, we were still trying to figure out how to string it together with a couple dollars here and there.

CHRIS FARRELL: So what does it take to-- what kind of investment would it take to stand out as a youth volleyball player today?

ANNIE ADAMCZAK-GLAVAN: Wow! Well, if you're 6' 4", it doesn't matter. Someone's going to find you. If you're the 5' 9" kid, it's just like everything else. It's hard work, it's dedication, it's getting the reps, and it's training.

And I think we've lost sight of you need more training and more reps on and off the court. You need to do stuff at home versus playing. And I think we've gotten into a society where we need to play, we need to have forged uniforms, we need to travel all over the country. We need to go to all these camps.

We need to spend, spend, spend and we forget the most important part. A, the kid wants to do it. It has to be kid driven. It can't be parent driven. And the kid wants to put in the time when no one's watching.

And I think we've lost some of that. Because back in the day, I didn't play travel sports. We didn't have it. I lived on a farm and I had a chair-- I had a barn with a hoop that was bent with no net and a piece of plywood that was 8 by 4 that my dad rigged up.

And we had a flat basketball. That's what you did. And now kids have nutritionists, sports psychologists, training, jump training, plyometrics. And I don't know if the kids are better than some of the kids back in the day. They just have more opportunity now.

CHRIS FARRELL: Yeah. So we only have a short time left here, but are you optimistic about--

ANNIE ADAMCZAK-GLAVAN: Absolutely.

CHRIS FARRELL: --two teams coming in here to Minnesota?

ANNIE ADAMCZAK-GLAVAN: Well, the interesting thing. Super excited that there's two. Eventually, it'll go to one. I think we have to pool resources and go to one.

I'm excited about the Major League Volleyball here because of their ownership. The Wild, there's some minor ownership by the Timberwolves. I think they have the right people. It's going to be whether we have two or one, and I hope people get out and support the teams.

CHRIS FARRELL: Well, thank you very much.

ANNIE ADAMCZAK-GLAVAN: You are welcome.

CHRIS FARRELL: Annie Adamczak-Glavan was a member of the professional volleyball team, the Minnesota Monarchs, in 1987. She's now the head coach and director of Club 43, a youth volleyball club based in Hopkins. That's all for Minnesota Now today.

By tomorrow at noon, it sounds like this winter storm will have landed. We'll have an update on the snow. Plus, we'll dive into the science of how Minnesota's wolf and deer populations impact each other.

Join us for all that and more tomorrow on Minnesota Now. And I'm Chris Farrell. I'm filling in for Nina Moini this week. And really, thanks for listening. Have a great afternoon and have a happy Thanksgiving.