Minnesota Now – Details, episodes & analysis

In 1998, the new public radio quiz show “Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me” did a regular segment called “Suck Up to Minnesota” in hopes of getting MPR to carry the program. It worked, and host Peter Sagal has been a weekend staple of our program lineup ever since.

Sagal joined MPR News host Tom Crann on the big stage in Dan Patch Park at the Minnesota State Fair on Friday to talk about what it takes to put together a comedy quiz show every week. Jennifer Mills joined the conversation as well. She’s a writer for “Wait Wait” and a Minnesota native.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.   

At United South Central Public Schools in Wells phones will be locked in a pouch for the entire day. Meanwhile at Grand Rapids-Big Fork Public Schools, phones will be put in a designated area during each class period.

There are lots of creatures at the fair. MPR News host Cathy Wurzer took the time to meet a feathered one: Rowan the red-tailed hawk.

She also spoke with Lori Arent, Assistant Director of The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota.

The organization opened 50 years ago this year and now sees nearly 1000 birds each year in its clinic.

They also run educational programs with help from folks like naturalist Catherine Hastings, who joined the show to handle Rowan.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

We attempt to make transcripts for Minnesota Now available the next business day after a broadcast. When ready they will appear here.

Minnesota Now broadcasted live from the state fair. MPR News host Cathy Wurzer was joined by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, who each talked about their newly released budget proposals for 2025. They shared what's happening in each of their cities and their plans for the year ahead.

Come to the fair for rabbits and horses, stay for the red-tailed hawks! The University of Minnesota Raptor Center turns 50 this year. They joined the show with a special raptor named Rowan.
The state fair has a new category for kosher pickles in its food competition -- one woman who helped make that happen joined the show to talk about it and taste test pickles.

Minnesota Now plays music every day. But at the fair, the music is live! The Minneapolis R&B band iLLism joined the show.

The Minnesota State Fair is of course known for its food. But some of the best food you can’t try: The baking competitions.

Thousands of people enter every year in hopes of getting a blue ribbon. And this year, there’s another type of competition happening: This one is on your TV screen.

The Netflix show is “Blue Ribbon Baking Championship” and it’s no surprise a Minnesotan is competing.

Jennifer Stoker is from Buffalo, Minn., and is featured on the show and of course also entered her baked goods in this year’s State Fair, but did not place.

She spoke with MPR News host Cathy Wurzer about the experience.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

We attempt to make transcripts for Minnesota Now available the next business day after a broadcast. When ready they will appear here.

Southern Minnesota is under an excessive heat warning until this evening when the hot and humid air could spark severe storms. We have the details on the forecast and find out what the Minnesota State Fair is doing to keep animals safe from this heat and humidity.

On top of the heat wave, we’re seeing a summer wave in COVID cases, and the latest round of updated vaccines are on their way.

And if it seems like the northern lights been dancing across Minnesota skies more frequently than usual — well, they have, and we find out why.

Plus, we meet a Minnesota baker competing for a blue ribbon — not at the State Fair — on Netflix.

The Minnesota Music Minute was “Summer” by Stolyette.

The Song of the Day was “Two Wheeler, Four Wheeler” by Trip Shakespeare.

Many of us are familiar with the butter head sculptures and crop art that have become beloved traditions of the Minnesota State Fair. But there’s a whole other side to the fair’s history — one filled with strange exhibits and peculiar attractions.

MPR News arts editor Max Sparber wrote an article exploring some of the fair’s most unusual moments.

He spoke with MPR News host Cathy Wurzer about it.

This year we’ve had ample opportunity to see northern lights, even in the Twin Cities. And if it feels like its been more than normal, you're not wrong. There likely will still be even more chances if you haven’t seen them yet.

We wanted to know why Minnesota has seen so many aurora displays. MPR News host Cathy Wurzer spoke with Bob Lysak, a professor at the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Minnesota.

The latest COVID-19 vaccines are on the way to your local pharmacy and doctor’s office. They were approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration last Thursday.

Health officials are recommending that people take the opportunity to fortify their immune systems against the latest variant of the virus. But across the country, people have been slow to get the previous round of shots. That includes people over the age of 75, who face higher risks from COVID.

In Minnesota, the Department of Health reports just 14 percent of people were up to date on their vaccines as of June. And COVID-19 wastewater levels and hospitalizations in the state have been climbing steadily over the last two months.

For more information, MPR News host Cathy Wurzer spoke with epidemiologist Michael Osterholm from the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy.

The Twin Cities, Mankato, Rochester and a part of western Wisconsin were under an excessive heat warning until 8 p.m. Monday.

Folks going to the state fair were warned to stay hydrated and take it easy. But what about the thousands of animals at the fair?

MPR News host Cathy Wurzer spoke with MPR meteorologist Sven Sundgaard about the heat. And she checked in with State Fair veterinarian Scott Lang from Waseca Veterinary Clinic.