Minnesota Now with Nina Moini

Minnesota Now with Nina Moini 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.

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January 6, 2022 4:46 PM

One year later, Rep. Dean Phillips recalls shock, violence of Capitol attack

On Jan. 6, 2021, an angry mob stormed the U.S. Capitol, leading to five deaths and interrupting the peaceful transfer of power for the first time in American history. One year later, Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips, who was in the U.S. Capitol that day, shared his memories with host Cathy Wurzer.

by Cathy Wurzer and Kelly Gordon

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January 6, 2022 4:23 PM

Sharon McMahon on Jan. 6: 'We will remember this day for the rest of American history'

With over 700,000 followers on Instagram, Sharon McMahon is known by some as “America’s government teacher.” On the one-year anniversary of the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, she remembered and reacted to the events of that day with host Cathy Wurzer.

by Cathy Wurzer and Kelly Gordon

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January 5, 2022 5:02 PM

What it's like to keep a restaurant going during the pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has done a number on restaurants across the state and around the globe — so how do you make it in this incredibly difficult time? Paige Alexander and Sophia Munch, the owners of Zettas and Yeah Yeah Taco on Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis, reflected with host Cathy Wurzer.

by Cathy Wurzer and Melissa Townsend

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January 5, 2022 3:50 PM

An animal rescue tries to keep pets with families before they're surrendered

Rachel Mairose, founder and executive director of Secondhand Hounds, has been rescuing pets for years, but now she’s trying to keep pets and families together. Mairose told host Cathy Wurzer why her rescue has merged with a pet food shelf and opened a pet wellness center.

by Cathy Wurzer and Alex Cheng

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January 5, 2022 1:35 PM

A breakout star of 'RuPaul's Drag Race' hails from just outside Rochester

If you’re a fan of “RuPaul's Drag Race,” you likely already know and love season 13 star Utica Queen. Utica’s creator, Minnesotan Ethan Mundt, joined host Cathy Wurzer to share stories from “RuPaul's Drag Race” and a sneak peek at his exhibition “Homecoming Queen” at the Rochester Art Center.

by Cathy Wurzer and Lindsay Guentzel

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January 5, 2022 1:34 PM

MDH Commissioner Jan Malcolm on the state of COVID in Minnesota

Leading the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic since the beginning has been state Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm. Host Cathy Wurzer checked in with the commissioner on the state of the pandemic as we enter 2022.

by Cathy Wurzer and Lindsay Guentzel

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January 4, 2022 5:23 PM

A live comedy show about basketball dreams developed during the pandemic

Minnesota-based comedian Jon Savitt aspired to be a star basketball player when he was a kid, but instead — he ended up writing a comedy show about his story. He joined host Cathy Wurzer to talk about “King of the Court” and what it was like to develop a comedy show during the COVID-19 pandemic.

by Cathy Wurzer and Alex Cheng

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January 4, 2022 4:51 PM

An 86-year-old organist who fled the Nazis writes his story for the first time

Gerrit Lamain is an 86-year-old Dutch immigrant in Rosemount, Minn., who is sharing his stories — some of them for the first time — in a collection of essays about his life called “Gerrit’s Notes.” Lamain and his daughter, Carla Laetham, joined host Cathy Wurzer to talk about the project.

by Cathy Wurzer and Melissa Townsend

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January 4, 2022 4:31 PM

An artist shares the stories of trans and queer immigrants in Minnesota

“The Letter Formally Known As Q” is a collection of multimedia stories from trans and queer immigrants in Minnesota. Nancy Musinguzi, the Minneapolis artist behind the project, told host Cathy Wurzer about the work and played her a few stories.

by Cathy Wurzer and Kelly Gordon

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January 4, 2022 3:03 PM

How staffing shortages grounded thousands of flights over the holidays

Over the holidays, thousands of flights were canceled or delayed at airports across the U.S. due to staffing shortages, as COVID-19 infections race through flight crews. Host Cathy Wurzer took a closer look at the state of the travel industry with Kyle Potter, executive editor of Thrifty Traveler.

by Cathy Wurzer, Lindsay Guentzel, Kelly Gordon and Alex Cheng

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