Minnesota Now with Cathy Wurzer

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MPR News

Minnesota Now with Cathy Wurzer is journalism that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s reporting that puts people first with live, down-to-earth, unscripted interviews that aim to inform and entertain. Tune in to Minnesota Now weekdays at noon on the radio or the live audio stream at mprnews.org.

Listen: Missed the show? Want to hear a specific conversation? Check out past episodes and segments on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Minnesota music: One of the pillars of Minnesota Now is featuring great Minnesota-based music. Here’s this year’s playlist of songs heard on the show.

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April 25, 2023 5:05 PM

Non-farming landlords control a significant amount of land. Some want to use it to help curb climate change

Land use, including agriculture and forestry, has become Minnesota’s number two source of carbon emissions, after transportation. And one group you may not think of has some decision-making power to help reduce that pollution: non-farming landowners.

by Cathy Wurzer and Alanna Elder

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April 25, 2023 11:00 AM

Minnesota Now for April 25, 2023

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by Cathy Wurzer, Emily Bright, Gretchen Brown, Ellen Finn and Alanna Elder

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April 25, 2023 11:00 AM

How will Minnesota cities implement the cannabis bill, if it passes?

The Minnesota cannabis debate resumed Tuesday after stretching late into the evening last night. A vote in the House is expected Tuesday afternoon and the Senate is due to vote Friday. If the bill becomes law, recreational marijuana would become legal in Minnesota this summer and city will have to implement it. MPR News Host Cathy Wurzer spoke with Alex Hassel, an Intergovernmental Relations Representative at the League of Minnesota Cities, about how implementation of marijuana legalization could play out at the municipal level.

by Cathy Wurzer and Ellen Finn

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April 25, 2023 9:19 AM

Listen to five Minnesota artists with Local Show host Diane Miller

Whatever sound you are into, there is a Minnesota musician for you. Diane Miller is our guide through the variety of music that is popping across the state. She hosts The Local Show on MPR News’ sister station, The Current. Miller joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to highlight five artists with new songs or upcoming shows.

by Cathy Wurzer and Ellen Finn

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April 25, 2023 9:19 AM

The famed Shakespearean actress who moved to Blue Earth, Minnesota

In honor of the 459th anniversary of the birth of William Shakespeare, we have a little history nugget for you. There are surprising historical connections to be gleaned from small-town graveyards. We talked about the link between one of the great Shakespearean actresses of the London stage in the early 1800s and the town of Blue Earth in southern Minnesota.

by Cathy Wurzer and Emily Bright

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April 25, 2023 8:50 AM

Minneapolis nonprofit works to deconstruct — rather than demolish — old buildings

In much of the state, the snow has melted, the ground has thawed and you know what that means. It’s the beginning of construction season! That also means demolishing old buildings to make way for those new construction. But back in 2020, Hennepin County became one of the first counties in the nation to offer ‘green grants’ for deconstruction, an alternative to demolishing a building. Here’s how it works.

by Cathy Wurzer and Ellen Finn

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April 24, 2023 2:44 PM

As lawmakers prepare to debate marijuana legalization, a Minnesota psychiatrist weighs in

The proposal has some medical providers talking about what legalized cannabis use might mean for the health, particularly the mental health, of Minnesotans. Dr. Sheila Specker, a psychiatrist and director of the Addiction Medicine Fellowship at the University of Minnesota, joined MPR News Host Cathy Wurzer to talk about some doctors’ concerns and recommendations.

by Cathy Wurzer and Ellen Finn

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April 24, 2023 2:43 PM

Off-farm landowners share their families' stories of transition

Approximately half of Minnesota’s land area is used for agriculture. A large chunk of the state’s farmland — about 35 percent — is rented from owners who do not farm. We talked farmland transitions and the roles of heirs and renters in Minnesota farm country.

by Cathy Wurzer and Alanna Elder

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April 24, 2023 1:34 PM

Minnesota-made podcast explores and connects the state's film scene

MPR News host Cathy Wurzer talked with the people behind the podcast: director Alan Tracy and actor Rehana Power.

by Cathy Wurzer and Britt Aamodt

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April 24, 2023 1:24 PM

Minnesota Now - April 24, 2023

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by Cathy Wurzer, Gretchen Brown, Alanna Elder, Ellen Finn and Emily Bright

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