
River Radio
News and information featuring interviews with prominent newsmakers from Minnesota, across the U.S. and the St. Croix Valley of Minnesota and Wisconsin. Hosted by Jim Maher and Gayle Knutson, with technical director Matt Quast.
Episodes
87 episodes
April 19, 2025 – Money Talk
Jim discusses the shaky state of the economy and markets with Chris Farrell, senior economics contributor for Marketplace and Ross Levin of Accredited Investors Wealth Management (2:00). Gayle explores the safety net’s fu...
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Season 6
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Episode 13
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51:59

March 29, 2025 –A Former Republican’s plea for President Trump to resign, plus River Radio’s political roundtable.
Gayle talks with Pennsylvania resident Grant Grissom about his full-page ad in the Sunday New York Times asking President Trump to resign (2:30). Jim discusses the first months of the second Trump administration with roundtable guests
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Season 6
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Episode 12
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56:12

March 15, 2025 – The new global world order with Fred Kaplan of Slate Magazine; Local Actor Monette McGrath on the Guthrie Theater’s “The Mousetrap.”
Host Jim Maher discusses the state of the Russia-Ukraine war and the changing geopolitical landscape with Slate’s national security columnist Fred Kaplan (2:00). Host Gayle Knutson explores the Guthrie Theater’s new production of Agatha ...
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Season 6
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Episode 11
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54:27

February 22, 2025 – Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison – On the Legal Frontlines Against the Trump Administration
Hosts Gayle Knutson and Jim Maher welcome Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison for an extended conversation about legal action by Ellison and other state Attorneys General against the Trump administration and current threats to America...
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Season 6
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Episode 10
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47:27

February 1, 2025 – PBS’ Rick Steves on how it all started; Author Ann Fourt on making the leap to expat life.
Host Gayle Knutson speaks with guidebook author and PBS travel guide Rick Steves about his travel adventures before he became famous, documented in Rick’s new book, “On The Hippie Trail: Istanbul to Kathmandu and the Making of a Tra...
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Season 6
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Episode 9
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49:47

January 18, 2025 – The Wrong and Right Ways to Deal with Hazardous Materials
Host Jim Maher speaks with scientist Kris Hansen to learn more about 3M's mishandling and deception of "forever chemicals" like PFAS (3:45). Host Gayle Knutson finds out more about Washington County's new environmental center, a place fo...
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Season 6
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Episode 8
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52:16

Dec. 14, 2024 – Trump's Next War on Immigrants
Hosts Jim Maher and Gayle Knutson explore what lies ahead as the Trump administration pursues its crackdown on undocumented immigrants. Guests include Twin Cities immigration attorney Marc Prokosch (3:00) about how the process works toda...
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Season 6
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Episode 7
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47:28

November 23, 2024 – The Fall/Winter Book Show
With the holidays approaching, hosts Jim Maher and Gayle Knutson focus on books. Jim speaks with John Vaillant, author of the 2024 Pulitzer Prize finalist for general nonfiction, Fire Weather, an account of a tragic massive Cana...
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55:48

November 5, 2024 - Election Night Coverage
The replay of a live two-hour River Radio election night special. Hosts Jim Maher and Gayle Knutson provided results on local races. Lori Sturdevant of the Minnesota Star Tribune and River Radio national political editor Brian Gruis provided an...
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Season 6
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Episode 5
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2:01:09

November 2, 2024 – Pipeline Predicaments, Old and New.
Host Gayle Knutson talks with filmmaker Mary Mazzio about her documentary, BAD RIVER, dealing with challenges to an existing Enbridge oil pipeline on tribal lands near Lake Superior (4:00). BAD RIVER screens at Marine Documentary Night on Novem...
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Season 6
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Episode 4
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48:40

October 19, 2024 – Assessing the 2024 Election; Decluttering your life.
Host Jim Maher conducts a conversation with the political roundtable, including Minnesota Star Tribune contributor Lori Sturdevant, River Radio national political editor Brian Gruis and Doug Kelley, former chief of staff to...
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Season 6
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Episode 3
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57:29

October 5, 2024 – An Election Under the Microscope; A Surprising Source of Support for Olympic Gold Medal U.S. Gymnasts.
Host Jim Maher speaks with Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon about the pressure facing election officials as November approaches and how the state is preparing for it (5:00). Host Gayle Knutson talks with former Marine resident
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Season 6
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Episode 2
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46:23

September 21, 2024 – Did NAFTA lead to MAGA?, and The St. Croix River’s Turtle Mystery Solved.
Hosts Jim Maher and Gayle Knutson kick off Season 6 of River Radio, speaking with Dan Kaufman, contributing writer, The New York Times and The New Yorker, on how NAFTA helped our neighboring ...
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Season 6
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Episode 1
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54:42

July 12, 2024 – Summer Special – Assessing the Supreme Court
Hosts Jim Maher and Gayle Knutson welcome U.S. District Judge John Tunheim for an extended discussion about the just-completed term of the U.S. Supreme Court and its potential ramifications for governance and the country as a whole. They...
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Season 5
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Episode 16
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42:18

May 4, 2024 – Top summer book reads; planning your summer travel.
Gayle Knutson talks to Pamela Klinger-Horn of Valley Bookseller with her recommendations for great summer reads (5:00); and Jim Maher talks summer travel with Kyle Potter of Thrifty Traveler (27:00). Also included is an update of ...
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Season 5
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Episode 15
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56:10

April 20, 2024 – Amy Hagstrom Miller on the abortion issue; The Valley Chamber Chorale
Jim Maher talks to St. Croix Valley native and prominent national pro-choice advocate Amy Hagstrom Miller about politics and health care aspects of the abortion issue (4:30). Gayle Knutson talks about the world of choir music with Dar...
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Season 5
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Episode 14
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52:58

April 6, 2024 - It Really IS All About The River
Gayle Knutson conducts her yearly interview with Greg Seitz, writer and founder of St. Croix 360, about all things St. Croix River (4:30); and Jim Maher speaks with Deb Ryun who will soon be retiring after 15 years as Executive Di...
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Season 5
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Episode 13
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48:56

March 23, 2024 – A green energy progress report; and growing up in a religious cult
This week on River Radio, Jim Maher speaks with Robinson Meyer, New York Times contributor and executive editor of HeatMap about the state of our green energy transition (4:00); and Gayle Knutson talks with Darcy Becker, who recen...
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Season 5
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Episode 12
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53:28

March 9, 2024 – Today’s Environment for Law Enforcement and The World of Under Told Stories
Gayle Knutson talks to Washington County Sheriff Dan Starry about the challenges facing law enforcement and his thoughts on the recent tragic events that took the lives of three Burnsville, Minnesota first responders (5:00); and Jim Mahe...
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Season 5
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Episode 11
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54:15

February 24, 2024 – Securing the 2024 Election and Getting a Head Start on Your Garden
This week on River Radio, Jim Maher talks to Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon about new state laws taking effect with the upcoming March 5th presidential primary election and preparations for the November election (6:00); and Gay...
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49:31

February 10, 2024 – The House Always Wins – America’s Gambling Explosion
Hosts Gayle Knutson and Jim Maher talk to, Dr. Timothy Fong, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and co-director of the UCLA Gambling Studies Program (5:00); and Brianne Doura-Schawohl, consultant and lobbyist on responsible gambling...
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Season 5
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Episode 9
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52:37

January 27, 2024 – All Creatures Great, Small and Smaller
This week on River Radio, hosts Jim Maher and Gayle Knutson talk to, Oliver Milman, Environment Correspondent for The Guardian and author of the book, “The Insect Crisis: The Fall of the Tiny Empires That Run the World" (5:00); ...
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Season 5
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Episode 8
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51:41

January 13, 2024 - Resolved: Become a Better Money Manager and Learn to Create
Jim Maher conducts a financial roundtable with Chris Farrell of Public Radio’s Marketplace and Ross Levin, financial advisor and Star Tribune columnist (4:30); and Gayle Knutson talks to Kate Seitz, executive dir...
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Season 5
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Episode 7
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51:07

December 16, 2023 - Buy Better Books and Build Baby Build!
This week on River Radio, hosts Gayle Knutson and Jim Maher talk to, Pamela Klinger-Horn, Valley Bookseller in Stillwater, MN, about top choices for books to consider this holiday season (6:00); and Adam Rogers, senior corresponde...
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Season 5
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Episode 6
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51:22

December 2, 2023 – Big Pharma vs. Americans; Extreme Athletes vs. The Impossible
Hosts Jim Maher and Gayle Knutson talk about why drugs cost so much in America and how pharmaceutical companies are trying to defend their profits with Prof. Nicholas Bagley, law professor, University of Michigan (6:00); and hear from Marius An...
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Season 5
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Episode 5
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52:02
