Best of Interviews - AM950 The Progressive Voice of Minnesota

I'm Michael Brodkorb. I'm a husband and a father. I work in communications, media, and research. I ran a marathon. I rescued ducklings from a sewer. I also wrote an award-winning true-crime book. Overall, I've done some bad – I've done some good. If you follow my website for updates, you'll learn about both.

Hailed by the Minneapolis Star Tribune as “the sharpest political commentator on the Twin Cities comedy scene”, Robert Baril mines the news of the day to fuel his informed, biting style of comedy.  With three albums out now (Sex and Politics, TMI, 2020) and in clubs across the country, Baril tackles all the hot button…

Matt and Jeff have their weekly conversation about national politics. Today they talk about the Fauci hearings, the Iran war debacle, can Dems flip the Senate and more!

Brett is back with our weekly conversation with Patrick Coolican, editor-in-chief of the Minnesota Reformer. With primary day approaching, they cover the Craig vs. Flanagan race, more mishaps from the Kendall Qualls campaign and the best of Mike Lindell in the Reformer over the years. Read more about what they talked about at: https://minnesotareformer.com/briefs/takeaways-from-the-latest-debate-between-democratic-senate-hopefuls-angie-craig-peggy-flanagan https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/07/28/in-tight-senate-race-peggy-flanagan-cant-escape-the-f-word/…

Matt McNeil and Patti Vasquez discuss the financial complexities, political friction, and public controversies surrounding the Chicago Bears’ potential relocation from Soldier Field to a new stadium. They also talk State fairs and other political news.

I have spent nearly two decades uncovering stories about abuse and exploitation in Minnesota. Before joining ProPublica, I worked for 10 years at The Minnesota Star Tribune, where I covered cops, courts and prisons, and later joined the newspaper's investigations team. In 2020, I was part of a team of reporters that covered the killing…

Jeff Stein of KXEL/Waterloo and the Iowa Politics Report joins Matt every Wednesday at 3:30 to cover national politics.

Brett was joined by the editor-in-chief of the Minnesota Reformer, Patrick Coolican. They talked about the Bernie Sanders-Peggy Flanagan rally at First Av, reaction to trump endorsing Mike Lindell and Patrick’s column on combating election interference from the feds. Read more about what they talked about at: https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/07/15/mike-lindell-was-elated-after-president-trump-endorsed-him-for-governor-heres-what-he-said/ https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/07/20/bernie-sanders-headlines-rally-for-peggy-flanagan-at-first-avenue-in-contentious-senate-race/ https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/07/17/the-blueprint-for-fighting-trumps-attempt-to-sabotage-the-election-drawn-up-in-minnesota/

Brian is the President and Executive Director of Defend The Vote and Defend the Vote Action Fund. At both DTV and DTV Action Fund, Brian draws on his long-standing relationships on Capitol Hill and State Houses across the United States to serve as a top convener, hosting briefings on legislation, facilitating conversations with key groups…

Erin Murphy assumed office in the Minnesota State Senate on January 5, 2021. She previously served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2007 to 2019. She was a 2018 Democratic candidate for governor of Minnesota, but lost in the primary. Murphy was born March 13, 1960. She received a Bachelor of Science in nursing…

Jessica Denson is the founder of the Removal Coalition, a grassroots movement empowering activists to be explicit about demanding impeachment and removal of the illegal Trump administration.  As one of the earliest Trump whistleblowers, her years of legal activism led to the invalidation of all 2016 Trump campaign NDAs.  Over the past year and a half…

Dr. Joe Eastman is an expert disease modeler who provides updates on COVID, flu, and other outbreaks on the Matt McNeil Show.

Brett has our weekly interview with Patrick Coolican, editor-in-chief of the Minnesota Reformer. Today they talked about Patrick’s column on Judge Patrick Schiltz not bending the knee to the Trump administration, the feds turning over evidence in the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, and Kendall Qualls’s campaign having a photoshop issues. Read more…

Daniel Squadron is a former aide to Senator Chuck Schumer, former New York State Senator, and co-founder of The States Project. Next Chapter Bookr is proud to present, in partnership with AM950, a reading with Daniel Squadron, author of The Fourth Branch! Monday, July 20, 2026 at 5 PM! 38 Snelling Ave S, St Paul, MN 55105.

Steve Simon is Minnesota's 22nd Secretary of State. He was sworn into office on January 5, 2015, and as Minnesota's chief elections administrator pledged in his inaugural address to “work with anyone, of any political affiliation, from any part of our state” to protect, defend, and strengthen the right to vote in Minnesota.

Jeff Stein of KXEL/Waterloo and the Iowa Politics Report joins Matt every Wednesday at 3:30 to cover national politics.

Brett was joined by Minnesota Reformer writer Michelle Griffith to talk about some of her latest stories, including property tax issues for Mike Lindell and the feds bringing charges against 14 anti-ICE protestors. Read more about what they talked about at: https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/07/06/records-show-mike-lindell-owes-48000-in-property-taxes-he-says-he-paid-up/ https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/07/01/14-minnesota-anti-ice-protesters-plead-not-guilty-to-federal-charges/

Jeff Stein of KXEL/Waterloo and the Iowa Politics Report joins Matt every Wednesday at 3:30 to cover national politics.

Brett Johnson was joined by Jay Boller of the Racket MN to talk about some of the news they have been following from their Flyover Roundup, including endorsements in the US Senate race, how Heritage Park became a failed experiment in Minneapolis public housing, AI in restaurant advertising and more. Read more at: https://racketmn.com/how-heritage-park-became-a-squalid-failed-experiment-in-minneapolis-public-housing

Matt was joined by Lt. Gov. and US Senate candidate Peggy Flanagan live at the AM950 booth at Twin Cities Pride 2026! They discuss her Senate campaign, highlighting the contrast between her and Angie Craig. Flanagan also addresses the importance of protecting LGBTQ+ rights and outlines her campaign’s goal to connect with voters door-to-door before…

Brett was joined by Ellie Krug, host of the Illegal Trans Woman. Thety talked about Twin Cities Pride this weekend and navigating a challenging political climate for the LGBTQ+ community.

Brett was joined by Patrick Coolican, editor-in-chief of the Minnesota Reformer. They talked about a federal court’s rebuke of the DOJ over Governor Walz and Mayor Frey subpoenas, the Angie Craig and Peggy Flanagan campaign finance dispute and the ecological importance of Minnesota’s native “trash fish.” Find more of what they talked about at: https://minnesotareformer.com/

Brett was joined by Max Richtman of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare. They talked about how retirement is on the ballot this fall, the looming 2034 Social Security deadline, new AI gatekeepers in Medicare healthcare and more. Learn more at: https://www.ncpssm.org/

Brett was joined by Alan Collinge of Student Loan Justice. They talked about federal student loan overhauls and the crisis of older borrowers trapped in debt. Learn more at: StudentLoanJustice.org

Brett was joined by Max Richtman of the National Committee to Protect Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM.org). They talked about the myth that social security is going bankrupt, how millionaires and billionaires need to pay their fair share for social security and how AI is changing Medicare decisions.

Richard has spent 20 years organizing, raising resources, and crafting authentic messages that connect with voters, from managing tough elections to leading the historic Vote No campaign for marriage equality. Together, we will continue building a party that unites and inspires Minnesotans—and wins! The post Richard Carlbom with Matt – June 18, 2026 first appeared on AM 950.

Jeff Stein of KXEL/Waterloo and the Iowa Politics Report joins Matt every Wednesday at 3:30 to cover national politics. The post Jeff Stein with Matt – June 17, 2026 first appeared on AM 950.

Brett was joined by the editor-in-chief of the Minnesota Reformer, Patrick Coolican, for their weekly Tuesday conversation. They talked about where people detained by ICE ended up during Operation Metro Surge, the feds charging anti-ICE activists and thoughts on the one year anniversary of the assassination of Melissa Hortman. Read more about what they talked… The post Brett Johnson with Patrick Coolican (6/16/26) first appeared on AM 950.

Join host Laurie Fitz for a deeply moving tribute honoring the life, enduring light, and legacy of former Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman. Through heartfelt stories shared by her closest colleagues and friends, we celebrate the profound kindness and pragmatic leadership she brought to the state. Guests include US Representative Kelly Morrison, Minnesota State… The post Remembering Melissa Hortman: Friends Share Their Favorite Memories first appeared on AM 950.

Richard has spent 20 years organizing, raising resources, and crafting authentic messages that connect with voters, from managing tough elections to leading the historic Vote No campaign for marriage equality. Together, we will continue building a party that unites and inspires Minnesotans—and wins! The post Richard Carlbom with Matt – June 12, 2026 first appeared on AM 950.

Jeff Stein of KXEL/Waterloo and the Iowa Politics Report joins Matt every Wednesday at 3:30 to cover national politics. The post Jeff Stein with Matt – June 10, 2026 first appeared on AM 950.

Brett has our weekly conversation with Patrick Coolican, editor-in-chief of the Minnesota Reformer. They talked about how ICE finally released Andrea Pedro-Francisco, who had been pleading for medical treatment for a large ovarian cyst since being arrested by immigration agents in Minnesota in February. Plus Patrick shares his thoughts on Star Tribune layoffs and Alpha… The post Brett Johnson with Patrick Coolican (6/9/26) first appeared on AM 950.

Matt was joined by investigative reporter Andy Mannix from Pro Publica. They talk about his recent report titled, “In This Church, Child Sexual Abuse Has Gone Unchecked for So Long That It Spans Generations.” Read it at: https://www.propublica.org/article/old-apostolic-lutheran-church-generational-sexual-abuse The post Matt McNeil with Andy Mannix of Pro Publica (6/6/26) first appeared on AM 950.

I'm Michael Brodkorb. I'm a husband and a father. I work in communications, media, and research. I ran a marathon. I rescued ducklings from a sewer. I also wrote an award-winning true-crime book. Overall, I've done some bad – I've done some good. If you follow my website for updates, you'll learn about both. The post Michael Brodkorb with Matt – June 4, 2026 first appeared on AM 950.

Rich Eberwein is a multimedia journalist for Heartland Signal. He earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Illinois before joining Heartland Signal in 2022. In addition to politics, Rich writes about baseball and entertainment for Fansided. Read Richard's reporting The post Rich Eberwein with Matt – June 4, 2026 first appeared on AM 950.

Jacob Morrison is President of the North Alabama Labor Council and host of the Valley Labor Report. The Valley Labor Report is a weekly talk radio show from Huntsville Alabama hosted by Jacob Morrison and Adam Keller. We focus on organized labor, worker, civil and human rights. Learn more at: https://tvlr.fm/ You can hear the Valley… The post Jacob Morrison with Matt – June 4, 2026 first appeared on AM 950.

Jeff Stein of KXEL/Waterloo and the Iowa Politics Report joins Matt every Wednesday at 3:30 to cover national politics. The post Jeff Stein with Matt – June 3, 2026 first appeared on AM 950.

Brett has our weekly conversation with the editor-in-chief of the Minnesota Reformer, Patrick Coolican. They talked about last weekend’s DFL and Republican State conventions. Read more about what they talked about at: https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/06/01/listen-to-the-moment-of-silence-mn-gop-delegates-held-for-derek-chauvin/ https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/05/30/klobuchar-fights-off-challenge-from-left-wins-dfl-convention-nod-in-bid-for-governor/ https://minnesotareformer.com/briefs/sources-sen-amy-klobuchar-threatened-to-leave-dfl-convention-during-challenge-from-left/ https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/05/30/kendall-qualls-wins-gop-endorsement-for-governor/ https://minnesotareformer.com/briefs/lisa-demuth-to-run-in-gop-primary-for-governor-setting-up-three-way-election-in-august/ The post Brett Johnson with Patrick Coolican (6/2/26) first appeared on AM 950.

Matt is joined by Greg Bakun, the host of GhostBox Radio weeknights 10-11 on AM950. They talk about UFO sightings that have been reported around the north metro. The post Matt McNeil with Greg Bakun (5/29/26) first appeared on AM 950.

Brett was joined by Max Nesterak, deputy editor of the Minnesota Reformer, to talk about some of the stories the Reformer has covered over the past week. Today they talked about: https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/05/21/feds-announce-15-indictments-in-unprecedented-medicaid-fraud-scheme-in-minnesota/ https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/05/26/tracking-some-of-the-junk-that-ice-left-behind/ https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/05/26/minnesota-led-the-nation-in-farm-bankruptcies-in-the-first-quarter-and-farmers-are-anxious/ The post Brett Johnson with Max Nesterak (5/26/26) first appeared on AM 950.

Brett has our weekly conversation with Patrick Coolican, editor-in-chief of the Minnesota Reformer, as they recap the end of the legislative session. Read more about what they talked about at: Takeaways from the 2026 Minnesota legislative session The post Brett Johnson with Patrick Coolican (5/19/26) first appeared on AM 950.

Bruce was joined by Ian Millhiser, senior correspondent for VOX. They talk about the Virginia Supreme Court overturning a vote to allow Democratic redistricting. Read more about what they talked about at: https://www.vox.com/politics/488176/virginia-supreme-court-gerrymandering-decision-republicans-win The post Bruce Klopfleisch with Ian Millhiser (5/19/26) first appeared on AM 950.

Matt McNeil interviews Michael Thalhimer, Director of Business Development for All Energy Solar, regarding the rising costs of traditional grid power and the long-term financial stability offered by solar energy solutions. The discussion highlights a critical July 4th “Safe Harbor” deadline that allows commercial property owners to secure significant federal tax credits before they begin… The post Matt McNeil with Michael Thalhimer of All Energy Solar (5/8/26) first appeared on AM 950.

Matt is joined by Cliff Schecter to start today’s show. They talk some baseball news, incompetent cabinet secretaries; US-Iran peace talks not going well and more. The post Matt McNeil with Cliff Schecter (5/7/26) first appeared on AM 950.

Matt has our weekly chat with national political expert Jeff Stein. Today they talk about mess that is the Iran war, Trump being a terrible negotiator and Indiana and Michigan election results. The post Matt McNeil with Jeff Stein (5/6/26) first appeared on AM 950.

Brett’s back with our weekly conversation with Patrick Coolican, editor-in-chief of the Minnesota Reformer. Today they talk about another Minnesotan with no criminal record still being held by ICR despite medical issues; Amy Klobuchar pivoting from Tim Walz and uncivil posts by our members of Congress (hint: one in particular is a big offender). Read… The post Brett Johnson with Patrick Coolican (5/5/26) first appeared on AM 950.

Matt was joined by Patti Vasquez, who hosts Driving it Home with Patti Vasquez weeknights from 9-10. They talk about how to deal with all the negative news from Trump II, will Republicans abandon Trump if his approval ratings keep falling and more. The post Matt McNeil with Patti Vasquez (5/1/26) first appeared on AM 950.

Jeff Stein of KXEL/Waterloo and the Iowa Politics Report joins Matt every Wednesday at 3:30 to cover national politics. The post Jeff Stein with Matt – April 29, 2026 first appeared on AM 950.

Brett has our weekly conversation with Patrick Coolica, editor-in-chief of the Minnesota Reformer. They talked about the feds conducting more raids related to medicaid fraud, data center construction in Minnesota and what kind of Governor would Amy Klobuchar be should she win this fall. Find more about what they talked about at: https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/04/28/feds-serve-22-search-warrants-related-to-fraud-investigations/ https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/04/27/minnesotas-long-predicted-data-center-boom-is-on-shaky-ground/ https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/04/22/what-kind-of-governor-would-amy-klobuchar-be/ The post Brett Johnson with Patrick Coolican (4/28/26) first appeared on AM 950.

Matt McNeil and Michael Brodkorb analyze the Vikings draft picks from yesterday and the rest of the weekend. The post Matt McNeil with Michael Brodkorb (4/24/26) first appeared on AM 950.

Celebrate spring with the Friends of the Institute and Mia with a month of Art in Bloom in April! Presented by the Friends, this year's floral festival is blooming with more family events, hands-on workshops, public tours, and Mall of America floral demonstrations and coloring contests. Starting in April, kids can have fun at Art… The post MIA's Art In Bloom – Liz Short and Amanda Luke first appeared on AM 950.