Best of Interviews - AM950 The Progressive Voice of Minnesota

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!

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

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…

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…

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.

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

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…

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

Brett Johnson has our weekly conversation with Patrick Coolican, editor-in-chief of the Minnesota Reformer. They talked about the Reformer’s new report about how Minnesota’s Medicaid spending doubled across 14 programs at ‘high risk’ of fraud in past 5 years and White Christian Nationalism in Minnesota. Read more about what they talked about at: https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/04/21/minnesotas-spending-doubled-across-14-medicaid-programs-at-high-risk-of-fraud-in-past-5-years/ https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/04/21/cities-church-and-its-white-christian-nationalism-deserve-scrutiny/

Anita Talsma Gaul is a community college instructor from southwest Minnesota.

Do you believe in ghosts? Ever wondered if aliens from other planets visited the Earth? Have you ever thought about whether Bigfoot is real or not? Each weeknight on GhostBox Radio host Greg Bakun will have these conversations about the paranormal, ufology, Bigfoot or just the unusual bringing together guests who are experts in these…

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 Michelle Griffith’s write up on Rep. Walter Hudson, an update on the Burnsville woman still being held in ICE custody in Texas despite some serious medical issues, and Ramsey County potentially charging federal agents who committed wrongdoing during…

Richard Chew is the host of Chew’s Views based out of WCPT in Chicago, now a brand new part of the AM950 lineup weekday mornings live from 6 to 8 AM.

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

Brett Johnson has our weekly conversation with Patrick Coolican, editor-in-chief of the Minnesota Reformer. This week they talk about Reps. Elliot Engen and Walter Hudson being removed from committees after Engen’s DWI arrest, the January snow shovel attack on an ICE agent appears to be false, and the DFL’s structural advantages heading into the fall…

Ellie was joined by State Rep. Leigh Finke from district 66A in the Twin Cities to talk about her experience at No Kings and the state of LGBTQ protections in Minnesota.

Ellie was joined by Alyssa Chen, data reporter for the Minnesota Reformer, about who was arrested during ICE’s Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota. Learn more at: https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/03/31/3700-immigrants-arrested-during-operation-metro-surge/

Dave Dahl is the former chief meteorologist at KSTP-TV in St. Paul, MN. He retired from TV in 2020 after a 43-year career.

George Feltenstein is WarnerMedia’s Library Historian.

Max Nesterak is the deputy editor of the Reformer and reports on labor and housing. Previously, he was an associate producer for Minnesota Public Radio after a stint at NPR. He also co-founded the Behavioral Scientist and was a Fulbright Scholar to Berlin, Germany.

Matt McNeil was joined by author Bob Frame to talk about his new book, Making Mill City: Flour and Fortune in Minneapolis. Find the book at: https://www.upress.umn.edu/9780816667604/making-mill-city/

Matt is joined by attorney and former CIA case officer Jack Rice. They dive deep into the Iran war and whether the feds need to provide Minnesota evidence in regards to the Renee Good and Alex Pretti killings.

John Crippen is Executive Director at Hennepin History Museum.

Brett has our Tuesday conversation with the editor-in-chief of the Minnesota Reformer, Patrick Coolican. Today they talked about Medicaid funding possibly being restored to Minnesota, the financial crisis with HCMC and Michele Tafoya’s abortion stances. Learn more about what they talked about at: https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/03/23/whats-going-on-with-minnesota-medicaid-funding/ https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/03/24/hennepin-county-medical-center-is-an-important-statewide-asset-and-must-be-saved/

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.

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

Brett has our weekly conversation with Patrick Coolican of the Minnesota Reformer. Today they talk about the Minnesota legislature looking to ban online prediction markets and follow the case of a Minnesota woman with no criminal record and a serious medical condition being held at an ICE facility in Texas. Read more about what they…

A personal friend of Matt’s, Dermot Flanagan makes his annual St. Patrick’s Day visit to discuss Ireland and Irish perspectives on world events.

Cliff Schecter didn’t just discover the GOP’s bad, find our voices & switch sides. We’ve been at it for 25 yrs. Cliff wrote the ads that helped Biden beat Trump in ’20. David exposed GOP corruption as an Emmy-winning anchor at MSNBC & CNN. https://www.blueamp.co/subscribe

Joy Dolo is an Theater Artist based in Minnesota. She has worked on stages all over the Twin Cities and beyond for over a decade. She is a co-founder of Blackout Improv, the first all black improv group in MN. She Hosts American Public Media’s podcast “Forever Ago”, a history show for kids! She is…

Dr. Joe Eastman is an expert disease modeler who frequently discusses COVID, flu, measles, and more on the Matt McNeil Show.

Brett has our weekly conversation with Patrick Coolican, editor-in-chief of the Minnesota Reformer. Today they talk about the Trump administration making wire transfers harder for Somali immigrants, a possible Allina doctors strike and AI regulation at the state legislature. Find more about what they talked about at: https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/03/10/feds-making-it-harder-for-immigrants-to-send-money-to-family/ https://minnesotareformer.com/briefs/hundreds-of-allina-doctors-authorize-open-ended-strike-as-negotiations-enter-third-year/ https://minnesotareformer.com/briefs/minnesota-lawmakers-seek-to-regulate-artificial-intelligence/

Memoir and cultural essays about love, politics, parenting, and midlife selfhood. New and old work gathered into one living practice of writing out loud — using art and storytelling to reclaim power in chaotic times.

Matt was joined by Tim Whitaker, a former Christian fundamentalist and founder of The New Evangelicals. Now he exposes Christian Nationalism. Find his Substack at: https://timwhitakerspeaks.substack.com/

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

Brett has our weekly conversation with Patrick Coolican, editor-in-chief of the Minnesota Reformer. Today they talk about Angie Craig reversing her support of the Laken Riley Act, Pete Stauber inviting right wing troll Nick Shirley to the State of the Union, and Hennepin Co. Attorney Mary Moriarty seeking evidence to prosecute federal agents like Greg…

My name is Walter Rhein and I write “I’d Rather Be Writing.” This is a reader sponsored newsletter that covers a wide variety of topics. For a succinct explanation of what I’m all about, you can check my Blue Sky profile:

Matt was joined by mindfullness coach Teri Leigh to talk about navigating difficult times in Minnesota. Find more of her writing at: https://substack.com/@terileigh

Ahmed Baba is the founder of the bestselling Substack newsletter AhmedBaba.News and a columnist at The Independent. He documented every day of Trump’s first term and was among the first to cover Project 2025. He makes frequent appearances on MSNBC, and his work has been cited in The New York Times, The Washington Post, CBS…

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 editor-in-chief of the Minnesota Reformer, Patrick Coolican. This week they talked about gun safety measures being proposed at the legislature and how the groundwork for fraud in Minnesota human services goes back 50 years. Find more about what they talked about at: https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/02/24/minnesota-democrats-renew-push-for-new-gun-control-measures/ https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/02/23/report-groundwork-for-fraud-in-minnesota-human-services-goes-back-50-years/