Podcasts about mpr news

Ilhan Omar is likely to be kicked off House committee in latest partisan clashes in DC, and music fans will get another encounter with Ticketmaster for another blockbuster Minneapolis show, this time Beyonce. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.

Movie awards season is in full swing. MPR News' Cube Critics will talk about the movies you need to see and the ones they think you can skip.  Plus, they share their thoughts about the politics behind awards shows, why some of the best movies get snubbed and whether awards shows still matter. Guests: Aron Woldeslassie is an associate producer for the American Public Media podcast Smash Boom Best. He's also the co-host of Cube Critics. Samantha Matsumoto is an associate producer for MPR News with Angela Davis, and a co-host of Cube Critics. Euan Kerr is an editor at MPR News. He's a former Cube Critics co-host, and now he produces and edits the show.

Keith Aili of Ray, Minnesota crossed the finish line at about 3 o'clock on Tuesday afternoon. This is a morning MPR News update, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.

Is there a word or phrase that you grew up with, something you felt was unique to your family? Maybe it was an expression your parents or grandparents used to show affection or describe frustration, only to eventually discover it had foreign origins? Or perhaps you still wonder where it came from? Borrowed words have flooded most languages, including English. In August 2021, Anatoly Liberman, beloved etymologist and professor of languages at the University of Minnesota, joined MPR News host Kerri Miller to explore the roots of familial words. In that interview, he mentioned he had just finished a dictionary of idioms. That book finally published in January 2023. This Friday on Big Books and Bold Ideas, Liberman is back with Miller to discuss it. In the meantime, enjoy this joyous conversation about familiar words from our archives. Guest:  Anatoly Liberman is a linguist and professor of languages at the University of Minnesota.  To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above.  Subscribe to the MPR News with Kerri Miller podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or RSS. Subscribe to the Thread newsletter for the latest book and author news and must-read recommendations. 

Art is a wide-ranging world from food, community spaces and paintings on a wall.   MPR arts reporter Jacob Aloi visited the studios of local arts leaders whose work is centered around diverse experiences and voices that more accurately reflect the people who live in the Twin Cities.  Guest host Aloi visited the studios of BIPOC artists, a queer filmmaker and a curator of Latin American Art.   Guests:  Danelle Cloutier Bayou Bay and Leslie Barlow in the Affirmation Space portal art piece. Bayou Bay is an installation artist and muralist with Creatives After Curfew, a group of BIPOC and queer artists and allies who create murals to soothe, remember, build and imagine a future rooted in justice and liberation. Their installation called Affirmation Space at the Northrup King Building in Public Functionary opens on February 4th. @creativesaftercurfew Leslie Barlow is an oil painter and muralist with Creatives After Curfew. She leads Public Functionary, an artist-led space in the Northrup King Building. The group runs PF Studios, a program that supports BIPOC and marginalized artists. @pfunctionary @pfstudios.mpls  Danelle Cloutier Alec Fischer is a documentary filmmaker and owner of Fischr Media. Alec Fischer is a documentary filmmaker and runs Fischr Media. His latest project is called COVID Confessions — a video series that focuses on how the pandemic affected hundreds of workers in the Midwest.   Minneapolis Institute of Art Valéria Piccoli is the first-ever curator of Latin American Art at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Valéria Piccoli is the first-ever curator of Latin American Art at the Minneapolis Institute of Art and she's the chair of the arts of the Americas. Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.  Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.   

Back when we were a newspaper-reading country, there was the morning edition paper and the evening edition paper. The day's stories were always a big topic of conversation. But if you were blind or visually impaired, newspapers were not immediately accessible—until Radio Talking Book. Joseph Papke is the supervisor of the organization in St. Paul, and he joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about the birth of the essential service. Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.  Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google 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. 

This winter has given us our fair share of headaches, including snow, sleet, rain and lots of ice to get through. But winter hangs around for a while in Minnesota - so we are determined to explore how to have fun and play in this frigid season. MPR reporters are trying all manner of winter activities so they can tell you all about the experience in case you want to try it too. MPR Reporter Cat Richert joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to tell her about dog sledding for the first time. Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.  Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google 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. 

The Minnesota House of Representatives passed a bill that would allow non-citizens to apply for and obtain driver's licenses if they pass the required tests. This is a morning MPR News update, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.

Free school lunch, paid sick leave and other DFL priorities approach finish line at Capitol, and Northern Spark is going dark. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.

Spending money can stem from an emotional place, and even just one month of overspending can put you in financial trouble. While it's good to develop conscious, healthy spending habits, the notion of saving money and frugality is dependent on your relationship with money — and how you value where your income goes.  MPR News guest host Chris Farrell talks about emotional spending, and how to build a healthy relationship between you and your money. Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.  Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.  Guests:   Sharon Powell is an educator with the University of Minnesota Extension. She's part of the Family Resiliency Team based at the Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center and specializes in financial capability and family relationships. Shannon Doyle is the financial education program manager in LSS Financial Counseling for the Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota.  Ross Levin is the founder of Accredited Investors Wealth Management, a comprehensive, fee-only, wealth management firm in Edina. His Gains and Losses column runs in the Star Tribune.

The bill would also extend the right to reproductive health options such as birth control and family planning and would bar local governments from enacting policies that infringe on those rights. This is a morning MPR News update, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.

Minneapolis police chief Brian O'Hara is condemning the actions of five Memphis, Tennessee, police officers charged Thursday with murder in the killing of Tyre Nichols.   This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Hannah Yang. Music by Gary Meister.

What does it mean to stand on the soil where enslaved people lived, worked and died — and to see, surrounding it, monuments to the people who did the enslaving? That's the question at the heart of Clint Smith's book, “How the Word Is Passed.” After a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee came down in his hometown of New Orleans, Smith began a quest to understand America's historic and contemporary relationship to slavery. He did that by visiting sites like Monticello Plantation, where Thomas Jefferson wrote about freedom while enslaving hundreds, and Blandford Cemetery, where 30,000 Confederate soldiers are buried, and shared his powerful reflections in his book. “How the Word Is Passed” was a New York Times bestseller, the winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award of Nonfiction and one of the New York Times Best Books of 2021. Now out in paperback, “How the Word Is Passed,” invites us to be honest about America's history, and to reckon with how slavery's legacy still shapes us today. This is a can't miss Big Books and Bold conversation between Smith and MPR News host Kerri Miller Smith as they talk about his book, his reflections on America and how current events echo those of the past. Guest: Clint Smith is a staff writer at The Atlantic. He is the author of “How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning With the History of Slavery Across America,” which just released in paperback. His latest book of poetry, “Above Ground,” comes out in March 2023. To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above.  Subscribe to the MPR News with Kerri Miller podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or RSS. Subscribe to the Thread newsletter for the latest book and author news and must-read recommendations. 

Charging documents alleged Hill and Cody Fohrenkam passed close to one another on a sidewalk in February 2022, possibly close enough to brush shoulders, before Fohrenkam shot. This is a morning MPR News update, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.

The Biden administration has imposed a 20-year mining ban on about 225,000 acres of federal land near the Boundary Waters. The decision places about 350 square miles of federal land within the watershed of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness off-limits from future mining exploration and development.  This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Nina Moini. Music by Gary Meister.

Friday, January 27 is Holocaust Remembrance Day. That's the day that the Auschwitz concentration camp was liberated. Even though one of the most horrific genocides in history occurred less than 100 years ago, according to the Institute on Holocaust Education, ten percent of American millennials and Gen Z do not believe or are uncertain that the Holocaust happened. Almost 60% of that age group believe something like the Holocaust could happen again. Ellen Kennedy has worked for more than 20 years to set the record straight—and to prevent a similar event from ever happening again. Kennedy is the executive director and founder of World Without Genocide, a human rights organization based at the Mitchell Hamline School of Law. She joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about the rise of antisemitism in Minnesota and her goals for educating Minnesotans about the genocide.

Our sports guys Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer for more of this week's sports news. Wally is the creator of Minnesota Score Magazine and the co-host of 10,000 Takes Sports Show. Eric Nelson is the other co-host of that show and the Vikings reporter for CBS Sports' Eye on Football show. Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.  Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google 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. 

Gov. Tim Walz has been unveiling his wish-list for state spending in pieces. And on Tuesday, he released the final part of his budget — and it includes taxes and tax breaks. Rochelle Olson is a politics and government reporter with the Star Tribune, and she talked to MPR News host Cathy Wurzer about who may pay more and who could get a break.

St. Cloud's 93-year-old newspaper is in danger. The last reporter at the St. Cloud Times is leaving in February. The St. Cloud Times, which covers a population of more than 200,000 people, won't have any reporters, months after cuts by parent company Gannett decimated the paper's staff. In its wake, digital outlets are hoping to fill the gap—including Nora Hertel's site, “Project Optimist.” Nora is a St. Cloud-based journalist who worked at the newspaper between 2017 and 2021. She joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about the future of journalism in St. Cloud. Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.  Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google 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. 

Starting at 9 p.m. Thursday, parking will not be allowed on the even side of streets that are non-snow emergency routes. The rules are set to remain in place until April 1. This is a morning MPR News update, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.

A White Bear Lake police officer is in stable condition at a hospital this afternoon after being shot three times while trying to arrest a man last night. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Nina Moini. Music by Gary Meister.

There is another development in the controversy over academic and religious freedom at Hamline University. On Tuesday January 24, the majority of full-time faculty members called for university President Fayneese Miller to resign her position. She's under fire for her handling of the fallout from a student complaint about a lecture in an art history class in Fall 2022. That's when adjunct professor Erika Lopez Prater showed a depiction of the Prophet Muhammed, which upset some Muslim students. She was not asked to return to the school the following semester. The situation created a controversy over academic freedom and religious inclusivity that's made international headlines. Professor Jim Scheibel is the president of the Faculty Coucil at Hamline University. He joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about the vote. Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.  Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google 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. 

Gov. Tim Walz presented the last piece of his $65.2 billion state spending plan Tuesday, including sending back part of the state's budget surplus to taxpayers and reducing, but not eliminating, the tax on Social Security income. This is a morning MPR News update, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.

Do you have a family member who you are just not speaking to right now?  You're not alone. About 27 percent of American adults say they have cut off contact with a family member, according to one study from Cornell University.  So how do you decide when to cut someone off or to try to repair the relationship? And what about if you are the one who someone has stopped speaking to? Guest host and MPR News reporter Catharine Richert talks with two psychologists about estrangement and how we can navigate our most complicated relationships with family and friends. Guests: Joshua Coleman is a psychologist and a senior fellow with the Council on Contemporary Families, a non-partisan organization that focuses on research about American families. He is also the author of “The Rules of Estrangement.” Lindsay C. Gibson is a clinical psychologist and the author of “Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents.”

When a racially segregated community is suddenly forced to integrate high schools, it inextricably intertwines families on opposite sides of the divide. How two of those families navigate the chaos — and its ripple effects for years to come — is at the heart of Naima Coster's novel, “What's Mine and Yours.” Coster joined MPR News host Kerri Miller for the season finale of the 2021 Talking Volumes series, Talking Race. We hope it will whet your appetite for Miller's conversation with Clint Smith this coming Friday, when they will talk about his book, “How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America.” Guest: Naima Coster is the author of two novels. Her most recent is “What's Mine and Yours.” To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above.  Subscribe to the MPR News with Kerri Miller podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or RSS. Subscribe to the Thread newsletter for the latest book and author news and must-read recommendations. 

The U's Board of Regents had approved the arrangement. Critics, including some lawmakers, said it would have been a conflict of interest because of Securian Financial's contracts with the university. This is a morning MPR News update, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.

A majority of full time Hamline University faculty voted Tuesday to ask the school's president to resign. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Nina Moini. Music by Gary Meister.

St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter says the city will review safety policies at its recreation centers following a shooting last week that left a teen critically injured. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Nina Moini. Music by Gary Meister.

It's fascinating to go for a walk and stumble on the foundation of some long-forgotten building. Maybe it was once somebody's home or an old barn. MPR News producer Britt Aamodt has found old medicine bottles and broken bits of crockery, even the sole of a leather shoe, half sunk in dirt inside abandoned places. For this Minnesota Now and Then history segment, we're going to a ghost town.  In December of 1856, Ignatius Loyola Donnelly began his campaign to get people to move to the wonderful town of Nininger in southern Minnesota. The thing is - the town wasn't wonderful, and it wasn't a town. It was an idea that Donnelly wanted to make a reality. Matthew Carter, Executive Director of the Dakota County Historical Society, told producer Britt Aamodt more of the story. Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google 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. 

As Gov. Tim Walz issues his complete budget proposal this week, he says he's attempting to invigorate a state that has “lived on our laurels” of bygone days. This is a morning MPR News update, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.

How have the past three years changed us? That is the question that the MPR News series “The Future of Us” aims to answer. The project asks how a pandemic, a police murder and a city on fire have changed us and our path forward. We've posed the question to a pastor, a former mayor, a theater director and more. MPR News host Tom Crann shares the series. He asks former Minnesota Teacher of the Year Qorsho Hassan to reflect on the future of education. And we'll chat with MPR News Education Reporter Elizabeth Shockman.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra praised Minnesota Democrats Thursday for taking steps to ensure the right to abortion. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Hannah Yang. Music by Gary Meister.

The Minnesota House of Representatives late Thursday approved a proposal to enshrine in state law the right to an abortion — and access to other reproductive health care. After hours of passionate debate, the House voted 69-65 to pass the bill. This is a morning MPR News update, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.

The American West wouldn't have been settled without the women who braved the frontier. Katie Hickman's new history, “Brave Hearted: The Women of the American West” uncovers their stories. But she doesn't stop at the white women settlers who traveled by wagon or on foot. Drawing on diaries, letters and memoirs, she also brings to life Black enslaved women who went west with their master's families, Chinese women who were brought by sex traffickers to the West Coast, and the Native American women who called the West home long before any settlers arrived. Hickman paints colorful and dramatic accounts of these women's lives with a novelist's eye for detail. This week, on Big Books and Bold Ideas, she talked about her research with host Kerri Miller, shared some of the stories she uncovered and offered important correctives about what really happened during the largest mass migration in American history. Guest: Katie Hickman is a is the best-selling author of ten books, including her most recent, “Brave Hearted.” Kati lives on a converted barge on the Thames in London with her partner, the designer Matthew Ruscombe-King. To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above.  Subscribe to the MPR News with Kerri Miller podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or RSS. Subscribe to the Thread newsletter for the latest book and author news and must-read recommendations. 

Central Senior High School classes, after school activities and athletics are canceled Thursday after Wednesday's shooting at the Jimmy Lee Recreation Center. Police are investigating. This is a morning MPR News update, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.

Minnesota's 14-month streak of job growth has come to an end. The state lost a total of 5,200 jobs last month.  This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Jacob Aloi. Music by Gary Meister.

MPR News host Angela Davis is heading to South Africa for an 11-day tour of the country. She will travel with a small group of public radio listeners from Minnesota and eight other states. They'll visit historic sites in Johannesburg and Cape Town, and they'll meet people who lived through apartheid, white people and non-white people were separated and lived very different lives. Apartheid ended in 1994. Before the trip, Angela Davis spoke with Siyabulela Mandela, the great-grandson of former South African president Nelson Mandela. Screenshot via Videocall MPR News Host Angela Davis spoke with Siyabulela Mandela, the great-grandson of former South African president Nelson Mandela. Siyabulela Mandela was in Minnesota in the spring of 2022 for a month-long residency at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University. Angela Davis and Siyabulela Mandela talked about South African and American history, Mandela's experience in Minnesota and healing racial division. Guest: Courtesy of Journalists for Human Rights Portrait of Siyabulela Mandela, the great-grandson of former South African president Nelson Mandela. Siyabulela Mandela is the regional project manager for East and Southern Africa at Journalists for Human Rights. He holds a Ph.D. in International Relations and Conflict Resolution from Nelson Mandela University, which is named for his great-grandfather, the late former president of South Africa and Nobel Peace Prize winner. You can follow Angela's trip to South Africa on Twitter, Facebook and TikTok. Here are eight key moments from the conversation. The following transcript has been edited for length and clarity. Click the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. Why is it so significant for you to be introduced as Madiba, your South African clan name? Madiba Mandela: It is a way to introduce myself in a very decolonial way, and that is by locating myself in the history of my people in the African continent. History shows how deep the trauma of slavery and segregation has been to our fellow brothers and sisters in the United States. That also speaks to the specific reasons why white men decided to strip us of our own identity and dignity so that we do not know who we are and where we come from. If you ask many of white folks in different states, they are configured according to where they come from. There's something very powerful about knowing who you are, and where you come from, and I stand on the shoulders of my ancestors, so I can feel myself embraced with the blanket of wisdom, that would enable me to articulate myself clearly in any particular space that I'm placed in to deliver whatever message that I'm supposed to deliver. What was it like for you to be around Nelson Mandela when you were growing up? Madiba Mandela: I could recognize the significance and the contribution that Madiba (Nelson Mandela) has made to the history of my people, to the history of my country and the continent, when I was in high school, heading to university. Growing up, I didn't really understand the fascination around this old man. All I remember was that every Christmas, he had this tradition of bringing together all children from across nearby villages to come into his house, and get them Christmas presents, some food and some entertainment. He had a very close relationship with young people. He has always been that old man who was always concerned about what people were doing, what they were studying, and what they wanted to be. Of course, surrounded by this cloud of political leaders. I didn't know they were political leaders at the time. I was a toddler in the prime times of his administration, and by the time I was able to understand, he had left the government probably 10 years ago and just engaged in humanitarian work. Carrying Nelson Mandela's name, do you feel a sense of urgency to use your youth to continue this work as a human rights activist and scholar? Madiba Mandela: Of course, his legacy and his history have an enormous influence on the work that I'm currently doing. This generation has a collective responsibility to build upon the foundation that Mandela and his generation have created for us. We're enjoying these limited freedoms, freedoms that they did not enjoy during their time. They dedicated their lives to fight so that the generations yet to come, did not have to endure the very same injustice of the apartheid regime. We, therefore, should push further the frontiers of oppression, segregation, and all forms of injustice so that history does not repeat itself. When they managed to defeat the apartheid regime in South Africa, Mandela was quoted arguing that our freedom is not complete, until the freedom of the people of Palestine, who are currently experiencing the Israeli apartheid system, and all the oppressed people around the world. In the United States, there are indigenous communities who are still experiencing the remnants of the Indian Act, the remnants of the segregation system and the infringement of rights, or the skewed patterns of economic distribution, particularly for Black people. The United States systematically uses the law to infringe on and segregate one group from another. People of color and Black people are systematically targeted by the police, killed and in prisons, the majority are Black and people of color. That is systematic racism. That is something we must speak against and hold our governments to account when they do not question countries such as the United States when perpetuating such injustices. What are your thoughts about racial disparities in the state of Minnesota? Madiba Mandela: America has been so great in marketing itself, as a model around the world, a system of democracy and a form of leadership that everyone aspires to taste the American dream. But for us who have been to America several times, it seems as though I am in the devil's house. I was socialized and raised in a very racist environment, but the kind of racism I experienced in Minnesota was completely different and you can even sense it in institutions of higher learning. I remember two encounters raised a lot of disputes about my existence within that space. I remember receiving a call from my university, back in South Africa telling me a university in the United States wanted to authenticate whether I had a Ph.D. In the second encounter, I received a call from my family saying they have been contacted by a member of the University of St. John questioning whether I was a relative of the Mandela family. That's the kind of racism that I dealt with. I've never experienced that kind of racism in South Africa. I was so exhausted by the time I left Minnesota, I was thinking to myself: “when am I going to catch a break?” because I grew up in a racist country, and I move to another country hoping I will escape that kind of racism, but when I got there I am confronted with the western racism. I'm not surprised or shocked to hear the Minnesota statistics. But what is puzzling is how America Projects itself in the world as this perfect country and the perfect nation, and yet when you go inside, you get to understand, we are better off than America. I remember we had a public discussion with a panel of academics, I was one of those panelists at the University of St. John's. The theme came from a song that questioned why slave owners appeared in U.S. dollars. One would have thought that when the country was emerging out of segregation and out of slavery, it would have done a lot of transformation. In South Africa, these are things that we dealt with because these soft powers are things that invoke that trauma. In fact, we even went as far as to ban the apartheid flag. It is unconstitutional, a criminal offense. But to have a country like the U.S. that has had a democracy for probably over 100 years, but still has the faces of slave owners in their currencies, and that continues as normal, was quite interesting. And to see an institution only discussing that in 2022, was quite disappointing. Nelson Mandela talked so much about forgiveness. Have you seen it work in your life, or what do you think about it today? Madiba Mandela: In the West, there is the tendency to romanticize Nelson Mandela's legacy as this peace-loving individual, and who was preaching forgiveness against everything else that stood in the way. And that is a false narrative. The forgiveness aspect comes within the context of the truth and reconciliation process. If we can go back, investigate and analyze what went wrong in the past, and the perpetrators of such injustices during colonialism and apartheid can come forward and shed light on the injustice, then maybe we can find ways in which we can heal as a nation, as we move forward and reconcile. In that process of moving forward, of reconciling, then we find forgiveness. Reconciliation is only possible through truth-telling. For instance, in the truth and reconciliation process in South Africa, there was an amnesty committee, which was all about forgiving those who committed these injustices, and there was a committee that focused on bringing out compensation to the victims of the apartheid regime. Here we're talking about the transformation process. We're talking about giving the land back that was stolen by the white minority back to the people, and that is where the forgiveness process comes into existence. Now that we have finally negotiated a settlement, we can then forgive them. The West notion and concept of forgiveness is that we had a negotiated settlement, we went to vote, and we forgave one another, which is a false narrative. Nelson Mandela was, in fact, a man who in the 1960s, realized that violence was a way to respond to the government that was using violence against defensiveness and unarmed people. So their own conclusion in the 1990s was to adopt a different shift than Martin Luther King's, which is the use of violence as a means to bring down the apartheid regime to the negotiation table. What the education system from the West seems to advance is the notion that you can do injustice to people, and those people can forgive you. And that is a very false narrative because forgiveness is the final phase of the process, it is not the beginning. The United States throughout its history of segregation, slavery, violence and racism never went through a process of truth and reconciliation. But yet, countries that have gone through similar systems of oppression and violence have adopted a system that will enable the nation to move forward. Nations like Argentina, Chile, and Germany. How to have civil conversations about race that promote understanding? Madiba Mandela: I did four months of my Ph.D. research in the School of Conflict Analysis, and Resolution at George Mason University, Virginia and I got to witness an academic lecture where professionals were Black and white Americans, academics, were very angry with each other, to the point where they couldn't even listen to one another and they insulted each other. That is because people have been so frustrated for the longest time, and the government has failed to provide a platform where these front frustrations are ventilated. When such frustrations are building up then you experience what psychologists call the displacement of frustration-aggression. That explains to a certain extent, the level of violence that is within American society. I think processes such as the truth and reconciliation process can actually do a long way in dealing with so much anger, and actually make it easier to address issues of race. In South Africa, we speak about race freely, and we engage with our professionals, directly on race issues. Of course, we're not perfect, we're still going through a lot of challenges, but at least we are at the level where we can engage openly on issues of race. Racism is a criminal offense, that's how far we have gone in South Africa. So it has gotten to that level that because we are comfortable engaging in race relations, we have been able to create a system in place through the law to hold those who advance racism openly to account in the court of law and even be arrested for such a criminal offense. I don't think the United States is anywhere close to getting to that level. What can we expect in our interactions in South Africa? Madiba Mandela: You'll find people from different walks of life. We have 11 official languages including the colonial language, which is English. We have created a multiparty democracy where everyone has an opportunity and a voice to contribute. But what you are also going to experience is a different perspective. We have a system that was a liberation system or movement that was not complete, it only ended with the transfer of political power without the transfer of economic power. You're going to experience a situation where even though the country has transitioned from apartheid to democracy, people are still suffering, many are still without access to basic human rights, and many are still going through their racial systems of oppression, particularly in the Western Cape and Cape Town. You're going to see how white people are so racist, and in certain spaces, they will actually question whether you are supposed to be in that space. Those are some of the realities of South Africa. But I would say, if you come with an open mind you'll enjoy it. In the midst of such challenges, we are still happy people. We still celebrate our cultures and our history as well. What are you encouraged by right now, as you think about the present and the future? Madiba Mandela: I find strength and hope in the sacrifices that were made by the previous generation. I always think that if the generation of Mandela, the generation of Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and many other heroes, were able to advance their struggles in their own time, if they were able to achieve what they have achieved, and lay the foundation for us, who would then stop us to continue that fight, given the opportunities that we have. If Nelson Mandela finished his law degree while he was in prison, then what would stop me from getting as many degrees as possible to empower myself to engage more effectively in the fight that we are in today? Education is the most important tool we can use to change the world. I had to go through education before I became an activist. That is the place from which I draw my strength. It is from those sacrifices. It is from that resilience and from that spirit to fight and move forward.

MPR News host Cathy Wurzer spoke to our sports guys— Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson about this week's sports news. Wally is the creator of Minnesota Score Magazine and the co-host of “10,000 Takes” sports show. Erin Nelson is the other co-host of that show and the Vikings reporter for CBS Sport's “Eye on Football.” Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.  Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google 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. 

Winter activities can bring a lot of joy, but getting around this winter has been challenging.   Minnesotans have seen an above average snowfall this month, but above-average temperatures have also left parts of the state covered in ice from freezing rain and a “January Thaw.”      Minnesotans might expect to deal with the slips and falls associated with the ice and snow, but some injuries can have profound consequences on your health.  MPR News with Angela Davis talks about winter injuries with an orthopedic surgeon and a physical therapist. We'll learn about the different ways you can hurt yourself this time of year, the negative cycle that can follow your winter injury and what you can do to keep yourself from damaging your body when you venture outside.   Guests:   Dr. Joel Boyd is a TRIA orthopedic surgeon, the head team physician for the Minnesota Wild, the team physician for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers football team and an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Minnesota. He was the former head team physician for the Minnesota Vikings and an Olympic team physician.   Dr. Boys was the first Black team physician in NHL history when the Wild started in 2000. Matt Neuger is a visiting assistant professor of kinesiology at St. Olaf College and a practicing physical therapist at Park Nicollet and TRIA Physical Therapy. Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.  Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. 

The former instructor at the center of the controversy over religion and academic freedom at Hamline has sued the university for religious discrimination and defamation. This is a morning MPR News update, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.

Attorneys for Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis Police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd in 2020, are appealing his conviction in state court. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Dan Kraker. Music by Gary Meister.

Courtesy of Harper Collins 'Epitaph' by Mary Doria Russell Everyone's heard the story of the shootout at the O.K. Corral. It's been immortalized in over 40 feature films and written about in 1,000 books. But Mary Doria Russell refused to accept the story as we know it. Her 2015 novel novel digs for truth in the conflict that made Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday household names. While researching “Epitaph,” Russell tracked down diaries, census records and first-hand accounts of the O.K. Corral shootout. “It has been simplified and scrubbed up and changed and ultimately you have fiction based on fiction based on fiction,” Russell told host Kerri Miller. “What I was trying to do was get back to the real people, peel away the mythology, find the core of historical truth and work with that instead of just accepting the way it had been portrayed in movies for years." It's a fascinating conversation from our archives, one that we hope will whet your appetite for another book that dives into the true story of the American West. This Friday on Big Books and Bold Ideas, Miller talks with Katie Hickman, whose new book “Brave Hearted” tells tales of women of the American West. Guest: Mary Doria Russell is an award-winning author of seven bestselling novels, including two novels about the West, “Doc” and “Epitaph.” To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above.  Subscribe to the MPR News with Kerri Miller podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or RSS. Subscribe to the Thread newsletter for the latest book and author news and must-read recommendations. 

Vehicles may be tagged and towed if they are parked on streets designated for plowing. This is a morning update from MPR News, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.

Walz rolls out budget with big increases for schools, children's mental health and child tax credits, and former Hamline prof sues the school in dispute over use of an image of the prophet Mohammed in art history class materials. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.

A truly great speech can change the world. We all know Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s “I Have A Dream.” As we reflect on King's legacy, MPR News is revisiting a conversation about a memorable speech from 2015. In June 2015, President Barack Obama sang Amazing Grace during a eulogy for a Black reverend killed in a horrific hate crime. Last fall, MPR News host Angela Davis spoke with President Obama's chief speechwriter Cody Keenan about that moment.    Guest:   Cody Keenan was the Senior Advisor and Director of Speechwriting for former President Barack Obama. He is the author of the new book “Grace: President Obama and Ten Days in the Battle for America” Here are five key moments from the conversation. The following transcript has been edited for length and clarity. Click the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. Why write about those memories now? Cody Keenan: There are two answers to that. The first is I was still working for President Obama until last year, so I didn't feel right to write a book that was largely about him while I was on his payroll. The second is I think the book it's timeless and to be honest, it's it was the Trump years that actually solidified the book in my mind. When we were living through those 10 days in the White House, it became clear in retrospect, that we were living through the opposite of grace. I first thought up the idea for the book in 2017 and I just let it marinate for a while until it crystallized, and I was ready to sit down and write it. Obama was into it. He's still working on the second volume of his memoirs, which will cover these 10 days. So he said, “just don't take all my good stuff.” To give him a draft of any speech is frightening enough, to give him a draft of my book was completely terrifying. But I also knew he's competitive, so I knew he'd want to read something about himself and he read it pretty quickly and responded with some very nice words and just one edit to the entire book that made it better. Could you share the story about writing a State of the Union address for Barack Obama? Cody Keenan: running the State of the Union address is something every young speechwriter dreams of doing until you actually do it. We would always sit down every year and say we're going to do it differently but you just don't quite get there. So I sent him my draft eight days early. Everything was in there. I was really proud of it. He said: “it's great in that, we're in the best shape we've ever been in a week out, but we still have a week, so we can make it better. The entire speech is at a 10, but I need some quiet moments, some emotional moments. “You ever listened to Miles Davis?”, he said. “The thing about Miles Davis is the notes he doesn't play. It's the silence. So tonight, I want you to go home, don't do any work, pour yourself a drink and listen to some Miles Davis. And then come back here tomorrow and find me some silences.” The centerpiece of that State of the Union address was a young woman from Minneapolis named Rebeka, who had written a letter to the president in 2014. It was about her life, her family's life and what they've been through since the great recession. We wrote the speech around Rebecca's letter, and the President spent a good 10 minutes in the speech, telling her story and tying it to specific policies that would help, and it was just beautiful. Tell us the story about writing the eulogy for the Reverend Clementa Pinckney Cody Keenan: That was one of the more difficult ones we had. There was a lot of drama that week about whether or not Obama would give the eulogy at all. He didn't want to, and I didn't want to write it. It was actually because we had done 14 eulogies after mass shootings. It was the families and what they did by forgiving the killer that made him give the eulogy. Watching those families was extraordinarily both painful and hopeful, and I really struggled through writing it. We had a pretty heated debate in the Oval Office about whether or not to do it. And when he finally agreed to do it, he told me: “Talk about guns, talk about race, talk about the Confederate flag, and wrap it all up in grace.” I had written the phrase “Amazing Grace” in the eulogy and then he added the lyrics and built the entire second half of the speech, which is more of a sermon than a eulogy around the lyrics to Amazing Grace. So, right after he spoke in the Rose Garden on Friday morning, we boarded the helicopter five minutes later to go to Andrews Air Force Base. He was still working on the eulogy, and he handed it back to me. When we landed, he stood up and said: “you know if it feels right, I might sing it.” And that hadn't even occurred to me. What do you think Barack Obama wanted to communicate by singing? Cody Keenan: It's this leap of faith that he took to expose himself in that way. I wouldn't know that this was an AME church service. It just happened to be in an arena at a eulogy. And he knew that they would be there to join him and sing and you could hear how the whole band jumped. It was just a remarkable moment. How often does the entire country see a Black church service with a Black president adopting a preacher's cadence tying together American exceptionalism and progressive theory? As soon as I saw him take the stage and saw everybody there, I just knew he was gonna sing. There was no question. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S58k3ZXRJJc Credit: MNSBC Tell us about your perspective on American politics There's the story of America as a story of progress and backlash to that progress. And one of the reasons I wrote this book was that those 10 days were just this extraordinary burst of progress. The progress belonged to people who had marched and organized for decades for universal health care, marriage equality, for all these things. Progress is fragile, it takes a long, time and it's very easy to undo. It's much easier to destroy than it is to build. We're living through one of those times of backlash. The country is still changing rapidly, I think for the better, but a lot of people don't share that sentiment. The thesis of this book I took from President Obama's speech in Selma in 2015, on the 50th anniversary of the marches from Selma to Montgomery, and it says: “Selma was not a clash of armies, but a clash of wills”, and I just apply that to our politics. Are we a country that stands up for our founding ideals and tries to make them real in our time? I think it'd be better to finally live up to our obligations to be a truly multiracial, multi-everything democracy. Your questions Listeners called into the show and asked some questions. Here is a couple of them. What was your experience, particularly about race? — Amy from Roseville Cody Keenan: To write on race I wanted to make sure that whatever draft I gave him, did right by him, I didn't want to make a fool of myself. You know, even as a white progressive, you can think you're on the right side of every issue, but you haven't necessarily lived the same life as your audience. There are limits to empathy. I'll never know what it's like to be a Black man in America. And for all the things that Barack Obama and I have in common: we're from different parts of Chicago that are just a few miles away, but worlds apart. Fortunately, even though I was the chief speechwriter, he was our chief speechwriter. I would sit down with him on the front end and prod him with questions, trying to understand what he wants to say and why. But the reason these were more difficult is that you knew that audiences wanted to hear certain things from him, and sometimes they would be diametrically opposed to what other audiences wanted to hear. Part of the challenge of writing about race is just we can do our best and we may not get quite there, that was all him. As you wrote for the President, did you hear in your mind the president speaking notes words? — Pat from Duluth Cody Keenan: My first two years as a speechwriter for him as a junior speechwriter. I didn't meet him until we were in the Oval Office. You only get inside someone's head and understand their voice after working with them one on one closely, and it took me some to understand him and hear him in my head. And yes, when I would write, I could hear him in my head, I could hear his cadence. I teach speech writing now at Northwestern University, and I tell my students to read it out loud because that's the whole point of it. A speech is meant to be delivered, you will hear in your head, and the President was good at this. He would practice on the day of a big speech and he'd say: “that sentence needs one more syllable or one less syllable.” It gets to the point where, once you're past the big picture edits, you're working it into sheet music.

When Alan Page was a justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court he didn't decorate his chamber with Vikings memorabilia.  Instead, there was an old railroad sign on the wall that said “Colored Waiting Room.”  It was a constant and jarring reminder of Jim Crow era segregation. That sign is in the private collection of the Page family, along with thousands of other pieces of art and artifacts of slavery and segregation. Together, the objects tell the story of Black history — the ugly and the beautiful.   Justice Page and his late wife Diane Sims Page collected pieces for decades.  Many pieces are hateful, including an iron collar that locked slaves in bondage and a branding iron that marked human beings as someone's property. Other items are inspiring, like the painting of a jazz trio and a poster of Black runners competing in the 1972 Olympics.   In 2018, part of the collection was shared with the public in the exhibition “Testify: Americana from Slavery to Today.” Now the exhibit is returning to the Cargill Gallery at the Minneapolis Central Library, opening on February 1, along with a series of programs and events. Bianca Wilcox Former Minnesota Supreme Court Justice and NFL Hall of Famer Alan Page (left), his daughter Georgi Page-Smith and his late wife Diane Sims Page at the exhibit "TESTIFY: Americana from Slavery to Today". MPR News Host Angela Davis talks with former Justice Alan Page and his daughter Georgi Page-Smith about how they hope the exhibit will spark conversations about America's painful racist history and how we can address it.  Guests: Alan Page was a star defensive lineman for the Minnesota Vikings in the 1970s who went on to serve 22 years as a justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court. Georgi Page-Smith is Alan Page's daughter and a marketing and communications professional based in Brooklyn. She's also director of the Diane and Alan Page Collection and has been deeply involved in bringing the “Testify” exhibit back to the public. Kerem Yücel | MPR News MPR News Host Angela Davis talks with Alan Page talks about how they hope the exhibit "TESTIFY: Americana from Slavery to Today" will spark conversations about America's painful racist history. Here are six key moments from the conversation. The following transcript has been edited for length and clarity. Click the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. What do you remember about the beginning of the art collection? Alan Page: My late wife Diane is the heart and soul of it. She's the one that began it. She's the one that collected most of it. I got to go along for the ride. She had an incredible eye for the art and artifacts from our history. She started with an item here and an item there and started going to antique shops. We ended up finding things all over the country. In the beginning, there was no design or reason or rhyme to it all, but my wife would collect artifacts that struck her, that spoke to her sense of justice, fairness or unfairness. I opened the collection to the public because we live in a time when social justice and racial justice are at the forefront. We thought it was important for people to understand and see where we've come from. Georgi Page-Smith: In the beginning, I was not pleased, I was uncomfortable. I think the pieces are uncomfortable for a lot of people, but then it's important to go beyond that. It took me a while to see that important part of my context and our story. We had a very open floor plan for a modern home. I loved it, it was very contemporary. Then at some point, little things started appearing like figurines and tchotchkes. That's how I viewed it then. There's always another layer to the story and I wasn't seeing it because I didn't want to be part of that conversation. Tell us about the return of the exhibit in Minnesota Georgi Page-Smith: It's identical to the exhibit that we did in 2018, there have been some discoveries since then. It is free and there is a pop-up version that will be displayed in the Main St. Cloud Library in St. Cloud, Minn. and then within that regional library system, they're going to travel it around. However, the main exhibit will be located at the Cargill Gallery at the Minneapolis Central Library. It is the perfect location, it's very accessible and open to the public. You enter the gallery, and you'll see a greeting from our family. Then you'll see the White House brick that was made by enslaved people as part of the construction of the White House. Then you'll come in and you'll see the Lincoln banner, and then at some point, you'll come to a wall with a Jim Crow era sign on it. We decided to give people the opportunity to experience that moment of segregation and separation. As it continues, there's a section devoted to labor, and a section devoted to home. There are objects of oppression and objects of expression. These are fundamental pieces of our country and its history. Alan Page: The Abraham Lincoln banner is made of fabric, it is maybe two and a half feet wide by roughly three feet tall on a pole, with what he calls a pig oil lamp on top. We were told that it was from the funeral in 1865, but it may have been from 1864 as part of his campaign for reelection. On one side, it says “Uncle Abe, we will not forget you” and on the other side, it says, “our country shall be one country”. That saying for me sets out the hope that there was at the time of the Civil War. It's the hope that we haven't fulfilled today. This object is from that time period and when you are in its presence it is palpable. Steve Karnowski | AP 2018 Alan Page, NFL Hall of Famer and retired Minnesota Supreme Court justice, looks at a display which is among the artifacts of slavery and segregation collected by Page and his wife, Diane Sims Page. Your collection has a lot of signs from the Jim Crow era of segregation. What does it represent to you? Alan Page: I had a number of them there. We also had a fantastic picture of a scene from the entrance of a bus. Looking at the back of the bus, you could see that the white people were allowed to sit and the African Americans were required to sit. It made it clear to me that the law has not always been fair, and those artifacts were a constant reminder that my obligation to serve on the court was to ensure fairness for everyone. No matter who they were, their circumstances, the color of their skin, their gender, their preferences, or what part of the state they came from, everyone was entitled to a just result. What was the response to the exhibition from people in 2018?  Georgi Page-Smith: It was overwhelming. We had no idea how great the response would be, or how many people would turn out. It was a record-breaking success for the Cargill gallery. But more than that, people were moved. We had a book made by a Hasidic bookbinder in New York that was open for people to write their reflections. We got so many great stories, some of which ended up online. But also, as we watched people go through the exhibit, we saw a lot of people shaking their heads in disbelief. We've heard about these things in our history books and in school, but it's a much different thing to actually be in the realm and be in the presence of a shackle that was actually placed around a child's neck. Alan Page: Part of our hope in doing the exhibit back in 2018 was to generate conversation, and to move people to action. From almost the very beginning, on the days that Diane was down in the gallery, people would come up and talk about their memories. A lot of people who grew up in Minnesota had heard about many of these things but never experienced them. Having found themselves in the room with objects from that era, gave them a new understanding, and the sense that they had a role to play in. The name of the exhibit is Testify, and this was a place where people could testify in real-time, as they were viewing the exhibit. Why was ‘testify' chosen as the appropriate name for the exhibit?  Georgi Page-Smith: Originally, the exhibit had a different location, and they were still looking for a name. I suggested different things, but then at one point, I had been listening to the song “Testify” by Common, and that word really stuck in my head. As we developed the thoughts about the exhibit, I suggested we call it “testify” because of both of my dad's time on the court and also thinking about the black church. I've been lucky enough to attend the church over the course of years, and you see and feel the power of someone testifying and telling their story and how they came through. I also thought it was a way to invite everyone into the conversation. Tell us about the upcoming series of community events with the exhibition Georgi Page-Smith: We're calling it “Testify Tuesdays” and it's a series of workshops in partnership with a local group called Change narrative. Josefina Harris is an amazing facilitator, who has worked on a national level and we've brought her on board along with the ACLU of Minnesota and a loft literary center. They are all going to be facilitating these workshops every week. Seven out of the eight weeks will be at the library and one of the weeks will be virtual because there was a scheduling conflict. These will be workshops to coach and support people in developing their stories in the service of advocacy. For whatever purpose or initiative or cause that they feel is relevant to them. We want to help them develop their voice and tell their story to elected officials. There will be a group facilitating the workshop, then every individual who participates in the workshop will be given some prompts, and then the workshop facilitators will help them come up with some prompts that might tell their story. Alan Page: At the end of the day, it's giving people a voice to testify and to express themselves. In the courtroom, for instance, you come in, you're sworn in, and you tell your story. This is the same thing only it helps people learn how to tell their story in whatever context they want to tell it. One thing we should be very clear about, there is no particular agenda to this, the subject matter is individual. Your stories related to race Listeners called into the show and shared their stories. Here are a couple of them. Grandmother and grandsons aim to discover family history I was at the 2018 showing and I couldn't believe some of the pieces that were there. It really showed the brutality and the inhumanity. I look forward to going through the exhibit again so I can see other parts that may be that hope. It was horrific and shocking but I'm so grateful that there is a collection for us to see. I've been raising three grandsons who are reaching young adulthood, who are Black, and I would love this next time to be able to take them to see it. I believe there's a very good chance that there was slavery in their history, we haven't found a way to find that out yet. Our family came from the south and I'm just wondering how they got there. — Brenda from Woodbury Man remembers a racist experience in South VA. My whole family was raised in Milwaukee, Wis. During that period, we weren't aware of what was happening. Then my dad got transferred down to Southern Virginia. I was three years old. When my grandma came down to visit, she wanted to take me back home on the train, while sitting in the train station I still vividly remember a lit-up sign above a doorway of a separate room. I kept asking my grandma: What's that word say? because at age three you don't know how to read, and she kept trying to avoid it. She finally just yelled out: “it just says colored”, and I said: “well, what's colored?” Because I thought colored meant to take your crayons and color something. But then she said: “hush-hush, just hush”. I don't think she wanted to tell me the real reason at that young age, and I'm glad she didn't. — Terry from St. Louis Park Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or RSS. 

When we first meet Cristabel, the heroine of Joanna Quinn's debut novel, “The Whalebone Theatre,” she is only three. But she is already sure of herself, in the pure and defiant way that young children often are. She knows she was born to be a leader. But how does she get there? That's the story at the heart of Quinn's delightful book, which follows Cristabel and her half-siblings as they grow up on the family's lush estate in 1920s England. The grownups are dizzy with relief that World War I has ended, so they mostly exist in a haze of alcohol and amusements. The children are mostly left to themselves. That's how they end up staging their own theater, in the skeleton of a beached whale, which provides a backdrop and a direction to their young lives. When World War II breaks out, Cristabel and her siblings, now grown, find themselves in a more serious production: playing roles in the allied military effort. And they don't know how this story ends. Quinn's novel takes us from seaside England to occupied Paris, from the height of luxury to the horrors of war. “The Whalebone Theatre” was an instant best seller in the U.K., and a New York Times best seller. This week, on Big Books and Bold Ideas, she joined host Kerri Miller to talk about the insightfulness of children, how art helps us to recognize ourselves, and why — despite the glamour — she would not want to live in 1920s England. Guest: Joanna Quinn is as fiction writer with a background in journalism. “The Whalebone Theatre” is her first novel. She lives in Dorset, England, where her book is set. To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above.  Subscribe to the MPR News with Kerri Miller podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or RSS. Subscribe to the Thread newsletter for the latest book and author news and must-read recommendations. 

The new law was six years in the making and prevents business owners from paying taxes on federal COVID-19 emergency loans and grants. It had broad support among lawmakers, but more contentious tax debates loom. This is a morning update from MPR News, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.

The National Council on American-Islamic Relations said Friday it sees no evidence that a Hamline University professor's showing of an image of the Prophet Muhammad was Islamophobic. This is the evening MPR News update for Friday, Jan. 13, 2023. Hosted by Hannah Yang. Music by Gary Meister.

In November of 2003, a 22-year-old woman was abducted from the Columbia Mall parking lot in North Dakota. As her case garnered media attention from all over the country, police meticulously examined security footage to find her killer. And when he was apprehended, they found that he had been menacing women for decades. This is the story of Dru Sjodin. BONUS EPISODES patreon.com/goingwestpodcast CASE SOURCES 1. National Sex Offender Public Website: https://www.nsopw.gov/en/About/DruSjodin 2. KIRO 7: https://www.kiro7.com/news/trending/death-penalty-tossed-2003-abduction-murder-north-dakota-college-student-dru-sjodin/AU3554TNTJAIXKBLRSCBOZXX2A/ 3. Star Tribune: https://www.newspapers.com/image/250357799/?terms=alfonso%20rodriguez%20jr 4. US vs. Alfonso Rodriguez Jr.: https://www.scribd.com/document/524152891/Alonso-Rodriguez-Death-Sentence-Overturned# 5. ABC: https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=128168&page=1 6. Star Tribune: https://www.newspapers.com/image/250312329/?terms=alfonso%20rodriguez%20jr7. 7. Cinemaholic: https://thecinemaholic.com/dru-sjodin-murder-where-is-alfonso-rodriguez-jr-now/ 8. MPR News: https://www.mprnews.org/story/2007/10/16/sjodinsettle 9. Investigation Discovery: https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/video/see-no-evil-investigation-discovery/watching-dru 10. ABC: https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=127893&page=1 11. Valley News Live: https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/06/09/alfonso-rodriguez-jr-death-penalty-still-uncertain-us-attorney-general-may-withdraw-authorization-capital-punishment/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices