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Talking Sense

Every Monday through Thursday at 11 a.m. on Talking Sense, MPR News host Catharine Richert, her guests and callers will dig in to the big issues of the day.

Coming up next time: MPR News host Catharine Richert and her guests take your questions on the headlines everyone is talking about, whether the news is happening in Minnesota, nationally or on the other side of the world.

Join the conversation. Give us a call in the 11 a.m. hour at 651-227-6000 or 800-242-2828.

Laugh it out: Can humor ease tension in polarizing times?

Laugh it out: Can humor ease tension in polarizing times?

This summer, the Minnesota Humanities Center is sponsoring a series of improv shows around the state with the hope of helping communities work together on the issues that divide them.
by Catharine Richert

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Researcher who studies rural Americans calls out damaging stereotypes about rural voters

Researcher who studies rural Americans calls out damaging stereotypes about rural voters

Colby College government professor Nicholas Jacobs argues that rural voters are far more complex than some academics, liberal politicians and journalists give them credit for — and it’s a reason why rural voters increasingly gravitate toward conservative candidates. 
by Catharine Richert

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As Olmsted County shifts left, political observers see battle brewing over control of a complicated electorate

As Olmsted County shifts left, political observers see battle brewing over control of a complicated electorate

Not long ago, Olmsted County was once a reliably Republican regional center. Today, it’s a solidly Democratic outpost, where highly educated voters are consolidating in Rochester and reshaping the county’s electorate. 
by Catharine Richert

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Is it possible to date someone with different political views? Americans increasingly say ‘no’

Is it possible to date someone with different political views? Americans increasingly say ‘no’

Eighty-six percent of Americans think it has become harder to date someone from the opposite political party, according to a 2020 poll from market research firm YouGov. MPR News host Angela Davis talked about it with a marriage and family therapist and a writer.
by Angela Davis and Gretchen Brown

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As Goodhue County shifts further right, compromise is harder to find

As Goodhue County shifts further right, compromise is harder to find

After years of feeling unheard by local officials, many conservative Republicans welcome the shift. Others say the trend is creating new political tension and polarization in a community where moderate conservatives once prevailed. 
by Catharine Richert

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Mood of the Nation: Angry

Mood of the Nation: Angry

Nine in 10 Americans can name either a recent news event or something about American politics that made them angry, while only half could identify a recent news event or something about American politics that made them proud, according to the McCourtney Institute for Democracy’s latest Mood of the Nation Poll.
by Craig Helmstetter and Eric Plutzer

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Tensions build as White Earth Nation tries to assert authority over state forest land use

Tensions build as White Earth Nation tries to assert authority over state forest land use

A bill at the Capitol that would transfer ownership of some state-owned forest lands to the White Earth Band of Ojibwe has sparked outcry from non-Native neighbors, and prompted calls for dialogue to help ease the conflict.
by Dan Gunderson

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St. Olaf election project drives turnout, primes students for more productive political conversations

St. Olaf election project drives turnout, primes students for more productive political conversations

St. Olaf College in Northfield has one of the highest voter turnouts in the country. In 2020, nearly 90 percent of eligible Oles cast a ballot. Getting out the vote is a big part of the school’s civic engagement work. But equally important is an effort to train students on better ways to discuss politics with people they disagree with.
by Catharine Richert

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