Worth It podcast: Prince week, a giant pencil, pool parties and women’s sports

Each week we share the happenings around Minnesota worth your time, money and attention.

The Minnesota Star Tribune
June 6, 2025 at 10:00AM
(From left) "Worth It" cohost Aaron Brown, reporter Rachel Hutton, host Nicole Norfleet, deputy sports editor Naila-Jean Meyers, visual art critic and reporter Alicia Eler, and music critic Jon Bream.

(Listen here on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music)

We’re talking about some of the best ways to kick off a great summer. It’s the unofficial Prince Week in Minnesota, but the celebrations are legit. We’ll be your guide to the purple festivities. The state health department has cracked down on unlicensed pools and hot tubs, so what does that mean for your pool party plans? Plus, why a thousand people visit a 20-ft pencil every June and the winning Minnesota women’s sports teams to watch this summer.

On this week’s episode

This week’s guests

This week our guests are features reporter Rachel Hutton, deputy sports editor Naila-Jean Meyers, visual art critic and reporter Alicia Eler, and music critic Jon Bream.

Hosted by Nicole Norfleet and Aaron Brown, “Worth It” is a collaboration between the Minnesota Star Tribune and Lemonada Media. The production team includes Melissa Townsend, Tiffany Bui, Kryssy Pease, Zoë Jackson, Casey Darnell, Steve Nelson and Jenni Pinkley.

about the writers

about the writers

Nicole Norfleet

Night Editor

Nicole is one of the team leaders of the Today desk and typically works as the night editor. Previously, she worked as a business reporter covering beats like the retail industry and commercial real estate. In 2022, she and Jeffrey Meitrodt were named Pulitzer Prize investigative reporting finalists for their "Unsettled" series.

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Aaron Brown

Editorial Columnist

Aaron Brown is a columnist for the Minnesota Star Tribune Editorial Board. He’s based on the Iron Range but focuses on the affairs of the entire state.

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