Shows

Some rural co-ops embrace renewable energy, keep rates flat
Although rural co-ops in the past have depended heavily on electricity generated by fossil fuels, some are now embracing renewable energy, driven by the falling cost of wind and solar as well as the demands of their green-minded members.
Phenomenal phenology reports from young reporters around Minn.
Every Tuesday, KAXE/KBXE radio in the Grand Rapids-Bemidji area airs nature reports from local students. John Latimer runs the show on phenology — that’s the study of changes in nature over the seasons. He told host Cathy Wurzer more.
When housing costs soar, Minnesota tenants and homebuyers get creative 
As the cost of shelter goes up, some people are turning to alternative ways to afford the roof over their head. MPR News guest host Twila Dang talks with experts involved with land trusts and housing cooperatives and takes listener calls about creative ideas for alternatives to rising rents and mortgages. 
The big picture: A conversation about the future of democracy
This week, as we step into a new year, we’re looking to the future of big issues in America. Tuesday, host Cathy Wurzer talked with anthropologist and Metropolitan State University associate professor of social science Jose Santos about truth and the future of democracy.
Amid another COVID wave, rural nurses face severe staffing challenges
The omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus continues to spread rapidly throughout Minnesota, health care providers are swamped, and at Sanford Health, nurses are bearing the brunt of staffing challenges. Erica DeBoer, chief nursing officer for Sanford Health, joined host Cathy Wurzer with more.
Walz asks lawmakers to back record $2.7 billion bonding bill
Gov. Tim Walz is asking the Legislature to back a $2.7 billion “local jobs and projects” plan that’s considerably larger than the record package that lawmakers passed two years ago. 
Latest on COVID-19 in MN: Signs of a possible peak; 11K pandemic deaths
Minnesota’s newest COVID-19 data remains muddled by post-holiday reporting lags, but Tuesday’s report offers reasons to be hopeful the surge in cases and hospitalizations may be ready to ebb. Deaths, however, continue to mount.
A St. Paul school walkout organizer calls for COVID-19 safety measures
Tuesday afternoon, a number of St. Paul high school and middle school students walked out of class, demanding the city’s public school district do more to keep them safe as COVID-19 case numbers spike.
Minnesota novelist delves into pandemic grief
Imagine working on a novel for 10 years about a world enduring a global plague only to have it published during a real pandemic. That's what's happening to Minneapolis writer Sequoia Nagamatsu. He has mixed feelings about the timing, but he hopes it helps people struggling with the impact of COVID.
In Rochester’s library, social worker helps those in need
From her corner office on the second floor of the Rochester Public Library, Allison Carpenter dispenses advice and useful information — not about books but about social services like food and housing support. Carpenter’s role is part of a growing trend that recognizes that libraries are more than just a place to read.