Morning Edition

A profile photo of Cathy Wurzer

Morning Edition, with Cathy Wurzer in St. Paul and NPR hosts in Washington and Los Angeles, brings you all the news from overnight and the information you need to start your day. Listen from 4 to 9 a.m. every weekday.

Morning Announcements | Weather chats with Mark Seeley | Parting Thoughts

'He just made you feel like he was completely there': An appreciation of guitarist Billy Franze
Billy Franze, who passed away in April, thrilled cheering bar crowds with Dr. Mambo’s Combo for more than three decades. He’s being remembered as an extremely talented musician and a good-natured soul who helped many other musicians get a foothold in the Minneapolis music scene.
Winston Smith killing: Passenger says Smith did not have a gun
A woman who says she was in the car when Winston Smith was killed by sheriff’s deputies said through her attorney that she never saw a gun, contradicting the initial law enforcement report. Attorneys for George Floyd’s family also said they are now representing Smith’s family.
High school graduation rates remain steady; gaps persist
Minnesota's high school graduation rate held steady for the Class of 2020, despite an abrupt shift toward the end of its senior year as the early stage of the pandemic shuttered school buildings across the state. But schools haven’t managed to shake their nearly worst-in-the-nation education inequalities.
Former longtime Split Rock Lighthouse keeper on what the job was really like
Lee Radzak was resident site manager at Split Rock for more than 30 years, and is out with a new book about the experience: “The View from Split Rock,” written with Curt Brown.
An emotional play on adoption expands its reach as a graphic novel
The final product of a successful theatrical script is usually a play — but not always. A St. Paul theater's deeply emotional show about adoption will live on as a 300-page graphic novel.
Art Hounds recommend visual art that explores science, spirituality
Nature photographer Nicole Zemple takes “otherworldly” pictures of the forest floor, Fawzia Khan’s embroidery and sculpture celebrate women’s stories, and Anne Pryor paints with scents and her breath.
GOP wants private school option; Walz, DFL push back
Minnesota lawmakers are heading toward a special session next week with very little settled on the budget they need to pass by month’s end to avoid a government shutdown. One of the big sticking points is education funding and whether some money for public schools should be allowed to flow to private schools.
Line 3 opponents occupy Enbridge pump station as protest ramps up
Hundreds of activists gathered Monday near the headwaters of the Mississippi River to protest the ongoing construction of the new pipeline, which will replace a line that's been carrying Canadian tar sands oil across northern Minnesota since the 1960s.
Clean car rules still a sticking point in budget deal
New rules for curbing vehicle emissions are still a sticking point as Gov. Tim Walz and top legislators try to reach agreement on a new two-year state budget before a July 1 deadline.