Minnesota Now

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MPR News

Journalism that doesn’t take itself too seriously and puts people first. Live, down to earth, unscripted interviews that aim to inform and entertain. Tune in weekdays at noon mprnews.org.

Listen: Missed the show? Want to hear the individual conversations? Check out the podcast.

Minnesota music: One of the pillars of Minnesota Now is featuring great Minnesota-based music. Each month, we put together a playlist of the songs heard on our show so you can enjoy them, too. Here’s this year’s playlist.

Thank You, Stranger: Has someone ever taken you by surprise by doing something kind that made your day a little easier? Your life a little fuller? Our new series, “Thank You, Stranger,” looks at those special people and their impact. Read the stories here.

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Lawmakers introduce legislation to ease first time homebuying

March 24, 2023 12:30 PM

By Cathy Wurzer and Lukas Levin

If you’re trying to buy a home in the Twin Cities, prices last month cooled a bit, much like the temperatures. But they’re still up a couple thousand dollars from a year ago.

Karl-Anthony Towns,De'Andre Hunter

Karl-Anthony Towns is back in the Timberwolves lineup, the road to the Frozen Four and other Minnesota sports news

March 23, 2023 1:22 PM

Karl-Anthony Towns is back!

James Beard nominee Ann Ahmed tells us what's for lunch

March 23, 2023 1:09 PM

By Cathy Wurzer, Melissa Townsend, and Ellen Finn

Four chefs and one pastry chef from the Twin Cities have been nominated by the prestigious James Beard “Best Chef Midwest.” Finalists will be announced March 29. MPR News host Cathy Wurzer spoke with Ann Ahmed, chef and owner of the restaurants Khâluna, Lat14 Asian Eatery and Lemongrass.

HannahToutge

Growth amid 'ambiguous loss': How the pandemic has changed us

March 23, 2023 12:59 PM

By Cathy Wurzer and Gretchen Brown

The pandemic has made it common for people to have endured extraordinarily difficult circumstances and lost something or someone dear to them. Without any sense of closure, that can be hard to deal with.

Michael Osterholm, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz

Epidemiologist Michael Osterholm reflects on three years of COVID-19 and looks toward the future

March 23, 2023 12:48 PM

By Cathy Wurzer and Gretchen Brown

Three years ago, Gov. Tim Walz called for Minnesotans to “shelter in place” because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan was to flatten the curve, or decrease the number of people who were infected all at once so hospitals and ICUs were not totally overwhelmed. Today, there have been more than 1.7 million documented cases of COVID-19 in Minnesota.

Minnesota Now podcast art

Minnesota Now: March 23, 2023

March 23, 2023 12:31 PM

By Cathy Wurzer, Melissa Townsend, Ellen Finn, Gretchen Brown, Alanna Elder, and Britt Aamodt

Listen to the full show here.

Podcast art illustration of three women in hijab and sunglasses.

'Reconnecting with the human': Minnesota podcast tackles humanity, womanhood and Islam

March 22, 2023 2:04 PM

By Cathy Wurzer, Alanna Elder, and Amy Felegy

As Ramadan approaches, observers ready themselves to pray, reflect and spend time with loved ones. The Digital Sisterhood podcast created in Woodbury, Minn., hopes to do just that.

Dakota Dave Hull — photo by Dale Hanson

Dakota Dave Hull's 'Better Late Than Never' album highlights the rare guitar-banjo

March 22, 2023 1:02 PM

By Cathy Wurzer and Britt Aamodt

Dakota Dave Hull, the legendary Minneapolis musician who cut his teeth in the Minneapolis West Bank folk scene of the 1970s, is out with a new album.

a map that shows xcel monticello nuclear plant

Residents wonder why Monticello nuclear plant didn't mention radioactive water leak earlier

March 22, 2023 12:51 PM

By Cathy Wurzer and Kirsti Marohn

On Wednesday evening, there will be a public meeting in Monticello on whether to extend the license of the nuclear plant in that city. On March 16, state officials said 400,000 gallons of radioactive water had leaked from a nuclear power plant in the city of Monticello back in November 2022.

Minnesota Now podcast art

Minnesota Now March 22 2023

March 22, 2023 12:36 PM

By Cathy Wurzer, Melissa Townsend, Gretchen Brown, Ellen Finn, and Alanna Elder

Listen to the full show here.