While “HBCU” might not be a household name in Minnesota, students and graduates of these 107 schools represent a thriving culture and network, especially in the southern United States.

And, their impact is significant. A recent report by Forbes magazine reveals that HBCUs have produced about 80 percent of Black judges, 70 percent of Black doctors and dentists, 50 percent of Black engineers, and 40 percent of Black lawyers. And about half of the nation’s Black teachers graduated from an HBCU.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with several graduates of HBCUs and a leader from an organization that supports these schools. They’ll talk about the history of these institutions and why they still matter today.

Guests:

• Laverne McCartney Knighton is an area development director for the United Negro College Fund. She oversees fundraising and scholarship programs in Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska and the Dakotas.
• James Burroughs is the senior vice president of government and community relations and the chief equity and inclusion officer at Children’s Minnesota — Minnesota’s largest pediatric hospital. He also attended Morehouse College, an HBCU in Atlanta, Ga.
• Zarina Sementelli is a recent law school graduate who grew up in Minnesota. She graduated from Spelman College, an HBCU in Atlanta, Georgia, and California Western School of Law.

Guests:

• Caddy Frink is the director of programs for Minnesota Recovery Connection, a nonprofit that works to increase access to the support, care and resources needed to achieve long-term recovery from substance use disorders.

• Edward Hovelman is a peer recovery specialist and the director of bilingual programs at the Minnesota Recovery Connection.

If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. To learn how to get support for mental health, drug or alcohol issues, visit FindSupport.gov. To find a treatment facility or provider go to FindTreatment.gov or call 800-662-HELP (4357).

Turkeys have made a remarkable comeback in the last few decades after being driven entirely out of Minnesota. Deer, squirrels, rats and racoons are regular visitors to many people’s back yards. And, a relatively new research project is documenting how coyotes and foxes are vying for territory in city neighborhoods.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks about the secret lives of wild animals in our midst and how they interact with each other and with us.

Guests:

• Geoff Miller is a post-doctoral associate in the department of fisheries, wildlife and conservation biology at the University of Minnesota, where he works with the Twin Cities Coyote and Fox Project. His research focuses on how coyotes and foxes live in urban areas, and interact with each other and humans.
• Marlene Zuk is a professor in the department of ecology, evolution and behavior at the University of Minnesota. Her newest book is “Outsider Animals: How the Creatures at the Margins of Our Lives Have the Most to Teach Us.”

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.    

But that fast emergency response starts somewhere else — with a person answering the phone.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with a 911 call taker, a dispatcher, and the director of Minneapolis’s 911 call center about what happens after the phone rings — how they gather critical details, move information through the system and send help where it’s needed.

Guests:

• Joni Hodne is the director of the 911 Emergency Dispatch Center in Minneapolis. She oversees the city’s 911 operations, including staffing and training.
• Lori Patrick is a dispatcher who has been working at the 911 Emergency Dispatch Center in Minneapolis for over 30 years. She dispatches first responders in the field, relaying crucial information in real time.
• Ben Jacobs is a call taker for the 911 Emergency Dispatch Center in Minneapolis. He takes emergency calls, gathers critical information and often helps callers stay calm in emergencies.

But these days, fewer people are visiting.

Like other cultural institutions across the country, the St. Paul museum has struggled to lure people back after the COVID-19 pandemic. Attendance is half of what it was in 2019, forcing the museum to eliminate summer camps, lay off employees and make other cuts.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks about what contributed to the drop in visitors and how the museum is trying to sell more people on its cool collections, current exhibits and educational programming.

Guests:

• Alison Rempel Brown has been the president and CEO of the Science Museum of Minnesota since 2016. She was previously chief of staff at the California Academy of Sciences.
• Colleen Dilenschneider is founder and managing member of IMPACTS Experience, a market research firm that works with cultural organizations, including museums, zoos, aquariums and science centers. She is based in Chicago.

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. 

Guests:

• Dr. Alice Knoedler is an allergist and immunologist at Midwest Allergy and Asthma, which is part Midwest Ear, Nose and Throat Specialists, a group of clinicians based in and around the Twin Cities.
• Dr. Zachary Rubin is a pediatrician and allergist who practices at Oak Brook Allergists in Chicago. He is also author of the recently published book, “All About Allergies: Everything You Need to Know About Asthma, Food Allergies, Hay Fever, and More.”

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

One of the most prominent is the Bush Foundation. Founded in 1953 by 3M executive Archibald Bush and his wife Edyth, the foundation gives grants in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and the 23 Native nations sharing that geography.

Its funding is helping train Ojibwe language teachers, create a loan pool for Black homebuyers and launch Latina child care businesses.

It’s supported everything from duck habitat restoration in South Dakota to programs for entrepreneurs in rural Minnesota. And it invests in emerging leaders through its longstanding Bush Fellowship program.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with the president of the Bush Foundation, Jen Ford Reedy, about how philanthropy is changing, how it shapes a community and how the Bush Foundation has responded to community upheavals, including the recent immigration enforcement surge and the murder of George Floyd.

Guest:

• Jen Ford Reedy has been president of the Bush Foundation since 2012. Reedy was previously chief of staff and vice president of strategy for the St. Paul and Minnesota Foundation, where she led the creation of GiveMN.org and Give to the Max Day. She has also worked as a consultant with McKinsey and Company and directed the Itasca Project, a CEO-led regional civic initiative in the Twin Cities. She sits on the board of the Council on Foundations.

Editor’s note: MPR has received funding from The Bush Foundation.

Crop prices are fluctuating, the cost of fuel and fertilizer remains high, and tariffs and global trade uncertainty are adding another layer of pressure on farmers trying to make a profit.

As spring planting season begins, farmers need to make some big decisions — facing a lot of unknowns.

For many families, farming is not just tied to income, but to identity, tradition, and generations of work. So when things feel unstable, the impact goes far beyond the farm.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks about how Minnesota farmers are managing the challenges.

Guests:

• Thom Petersen is the commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Before being appointed commissioner, he was the director of government relations for the Minnesota Farmers Union. He has spent most of his life working for a horse and farm business.
• Megan Horsager is a farmer in Chippewa County. She works on Stevens farms with her family, where they raise sugar beets, corn, soybeans, alfalfa and silage.

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.   

That’s the lucky situation in which Brian Bruess finds himself.

He is president of the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University and the first president to lead both schools. His wife, Carol Bruess, is nationally known for her research on relationships and communication and is the schools’ scholar-in-residence for relationships and dialogue.

MPR News host Angela Davis continues her Power Pairs series talking with Carol and Brian about how they’ve supported each other in marriage, careers and creating community on campus.

Guests:

• Brian J. Bruess is the president of the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University outside of St. Cloud, Minn. He started in July of 2022 and is the first person to serve as the joint president for both schools. He was previously president of St. Norbert College in eastern Wisconsin. Before that he worked for over two decades in administration at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minn.
• Carol Bruess is scholar in residence for relationships and dialogue at the College of St. Benedict and Saint John’s University and professor emerita of communication and family study at the University of St. Thomas. She researches, speaks and writes about how to create healthy relationships. She’s the author of five books, including “What Happy Couples Do,” and “Family Communication in the Age of Digital and Social Media.”

Do you know a Power Pair?

“Power Pairs” is a series featuring prominent Minnesotans in a close relationship. You may know of them separately but they reveal a new side of themselves when they sit down together. Listen to past interviews here and submit your idea for a future Power Pair here.

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.    

Faith leaders showed up. Churches became distribution hubs for food and diapers. Nonprofits organized ride shares and distributed rent money. Clergy mobilized to protest, sing, champion and, in some cases, face arrest. “Our faith compels us,” was the common refrain.

“Operation Metro Surge” is over now. But churches, mosques, synagogues and faith-based nonprofits say their work is just ramping up.

A group of faith leaders joined MPR News host Angela Davis for a North Star Journey Live event at our studios in downtown St. Paul on Thursday, March 26, to talk about what they experienced on the front lines of the immigration enforcement surge and how their faith both compelled and comforted them. They also shared gifts from their own faith traditions to help Minnesotans process our collective moral injury.

Guests:

• JaNaé Bates Imari is a minister and the co-executive director of ISAIAH, a multi-racial, multi-faith, nonpartisan coalition of faith communities in Minnesota.
• Rev. Hierald Osorto is senior pastor of St. Paul's-San Pablo Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, a multicultural, multilingual, inclusive Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) congregation.
• Rabbi Arielle Lekach Rosenberg is lead rabbi at Shir Tikvah Synagogue, a reform congregation in south Minneapolis.
• Imam Mowlid Ali serves as an imam and youth counselor at Abubakar As-Saddique Islamic Center in Minneapolis.

Subscribe to MPR News with Angela Davis on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

Guest:

• Natalie Moore is a senior lecturer and director of Audio Journalism Programming at Northwestern University in Illinois. She was a reporter and editor at the Chicago public radio station, WBEZ, for 17 years where she was known for her reporting on segregation and inequality.

  
  

  She writes a monthly column for the Chicago Sun-Times and she is also the author of “The South Side: A Portrait of Chicago and American Segregation.” And she is co-author of “The Almighty Black P Stone Nation: The Rise, Fall and Resurgence of an American Gang” and “Deconstructing Tyrone: A New Look at Black Masculinity in the Hip-Hop Generation.”

The hospital provides emergency trauma and burn care to patients from across Minnesota and trains more than a third of the region’s future doctors.

But that mission comes at a cost. The public hospital serves more low-income and uninsured patients than other hospitals, leaving it especially vulnerable as federal Medicaid cuts take hold and the number of uninsured Minnesotans rises. Add in other mounting financial pressures, and leaders say the system is being pushed to the brink.

HCMC has already eliminated 100 positions, reduced services and is now seeking sales tax revenue just to stay afloat.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with her guests about the financial crisis at HCMC, why other hospitals are also struggling and some possible solutions.

Guests:

• Jan Malcolm was appointed by Gov. Tim Walz as his senior adviser on hospitals and health systems. She served as Minnesota’s health commissioner under three governors, stepping down in 2023 after guiding the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She previously served in executive positions at Allina Health and HealthPartners.
• Dr. Rahul Koranne is president and CEO of the Minnesota Hospital Association. He leads the organization in advocating for Minnesota's hospitals and health systems, focusing on sustainability, workforce challenges and community health. He previously served as the MHA's chief medical officer.

Layoffs are happening across industries, and for recent graduates just starting out, getting a foot in the door can feel harder than ever.

If you’re not out of work, you likely know someone who is — a friend, a partner or a family member.

For a lot of us, work is tied to our sense of purpose, identity and even self-worth. So, a job loss can ripple beyond the loss of a paycheck.

MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about what unemployment can do to our mental health — and how people are coping.

Guests:

• Connie Wanberg is a professor and a leading researcher on unemployment and job search behavior at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.
• Eli Blase is a therapist who owns Blase Therapy Solutions, a private practice based in south Minneapolis.

He ended up in prison, where he started college and embarked on his life’s work of figuring out what it takes to create more paths forward for Black Americans and other groups left out of mainstream economies.

He worked with homeless teens in the Twin Cities and got a master’s degree from Harvard University. He also founded a nonprofit that promotes cooperatively-owned businesses and distributes “wealth-building” grants to people who are descendants of the transatlantic slave trade.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with Repa Mekha about his life and vision for building wealth and wellbeing for Black Minnesotans.

And it’s happening quickly. 

Some leaders in the state’s tech sector say Minnesota has the opportunity to lead — by bringing companies together, developing talent and thinking carefully about how technologies like AI are built and used. 

MPR News guest host Chris Farrell talks with some of those leaders about the opportunities, the concerns and how Minnesota is preparing people for a changing workforce.

Guests:

• Joel Crandall is the president and CEO of the Minnesota Technology Association.  
• Elizabeth Adams is the founder and chief engagement officer of the Minnesota Responsible AI Institute.  

MPR News host Angela Davis talks about the science behind maple syrup, how climate change is affecting the sap season in Minnesota and what trees may better withstand climate change. 

Guests:

• Laura Irish-Hanson is an extension educator at the University of Minnesota.
• Brandon Miller is an assistant professor of horticulture and curator of Plant Collections at the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.

And, the counselors themselves are also feeling the strain.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with two mental health professionals about how therapists are coping with stress and burnout, and how all of us can take care of ourselves in difficult times.

Guests:

• Darcie Davis-Gage is director of the Minnesota Center for Rural Behavioral Health at Minnesota State University Mankato, which provides mental health counseling in southern and central Minnesota and clinical training for students. She is a licensed mental health counselor and previously worked as a clinician and educator in Iowa.
• Nancy Rocha is a licensed clinical social worker and clinical manager at Canopy Mental Health & Consulting with locations in Northeast Minneapolis and Richfield, Minn. She sees clients and provides oversight and support to the clinical team.  

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.    

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.     

Guests:

• Ethelind Kaba is the executive director of the Ann Bancroft Foundation, a nonprofit that works to empower girls to achieve their highest potential and dreams. 
• Gloria Perez is the president and CEO of the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota. She is a former president and CEO for the Jeremiah Program, a nonprofit that aims to end poverty for single mothers and children. And she was the executive director of Casa de Esperanza – now Esperanza United – where she mobilized Latinas to end domestic violence. 

Guest:

• Sven Sundgaard is an MPR News meteorologist.

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.     

MPR News host Angela Davis talks about symptoms that shouldn’t be ignored, common misconceptions about family history, and what treatment looks like today.

These local changes are closely linked to global warming, as greenhouse gases released by human activities continue to heat the planet.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with a climatologist and a climate journalist about how seasons in Minnesota are changing, how the state is doing on its goals to reduce carbon emissions and how the Trump administration has pulled back on addressing global warming.

It’s getting more expensive to buy a vehicle. Prices for new cars are high and so are interest rates, leaving many buyers stretching payments over six or even seven years to keep monthly costs manageable. 

Used cars aren’t as affordable as they used to be and insurance and repair costs are rising too. 

At the same time, the types of vehicles on the market are shifting. Electric vehicles are more common. So are SUVs.

So, what does this all mean if you’re thinking about buying a car?  

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with her guests about the economics of buying a car in 2026 — what's driving prices, how financing is changing and what buyers should know before heading to the dealership.

Guests:

• Chris Farrell is senior economics contributor for MPR News and Marketplace. 
• Joseph Yoon is the consumer insights analyst for Edmunds, an online resource for researching and buying both used and new vehicles. 

In the past, young offenders were charged much like adults. They were sent to court and often placed on probation or assigned community service.

The new approach, sometimes called restorative justice, goes deeper. It pulls in members of the community, considers why the crime happened and helps young people understand the harm they caused while also holding them accountable.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks about why more communities across Minnesota are using restorative justice and about a new a study in Ramsey County that shows it dramatically reduces repeat offenses.

Protein powders are marketed to young men who want to bulk up and to women in menopause to prevent losing muscle mass.

It’s also being added to everything from cereal to bagels, pasta and pancake mix.

And, in January, federal dietary guidelines nearly doubled the amount of protein per day Americans are recommended to consume, with a focus on meats and full-fat dairy products.

So, with all the protein hype, how much do we really need?

MPR News host Angela Davis talks about our current protein obsession along with smart and budget-friendly ways to get the nutrition we need for a healthy life.

Guests:  

• Tara Schmidt is a registered dietitian and instructor of nutrition at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. She is also the lead dietitian for the Mayo Clinic Diet, host of the podcast “On Nutrition,” and co-authored “The Mayo Clinic Diet: Weight Loss Medications Edition.”  
• Aimee Tritt is a practicing dietitian in private practice. She is also a clinical assistant professor of nutrition at the University of Minnesota in the College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resource Science.  

Guest:

• Sarah Moberg is the chief executive officer at Second Harvest Heartland, which is one of the largest food banks in the country. It provides services in central and southwest Minnesota and western Wisconsin. She worked at General Mills for 25 years, where she was most recently the senior director of Innovation, Technology and Quality.

For help finding free food, call or text the Second Harvest Heartland helpline: 866-844-3663.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.     

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.
Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.     

Some child care centers are reporting drops in attendance as families keep children home out of fear. And, staff members are strained as they worry about their own safety.  

MPR News host Angela Davis is joined by early childhood education reporter Kyra Miles to talk about how the increase of federal immigration agents is affecting the child care industry and children, families and child care workers. 

Guests:

• Kimberli Benhoff is the program director of Rise Early Learning Center in St. Louis Park.
• Tiffany Taylor is a teacher at South Metro Childcare Academy in Bloomington. 

For some, that means tuning out the headlines to binge a new show or watch a must-see film.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with NPR’s TV and media critic and a Twin Cities entertainment writer about what they’re watching — and the hottest shows and movies right now.

Guests:

• Eric Deggans is the TV critic, media analyst and guest host at National Public Radio.  He is also the Knight Professor of Journalism and Media Ethics at Washington and Lee University in Virginia. 
• Lily Osler is an entertainment writer based in the Twin Cities. Her writing has been published in the New Yorker, Racket and Reactor. She is also the managing editor of Episodes, a newsletter and pop-culture blog. 

MPR News host Angela Davis talks about what the president said — and didn’t say — with a historian, a political scientist and our listeners.

Guests:

• Yohuru Williams is a distinguished university chair, professor of history and founding director of the Racial Justice Initiative at the University of St. Thomas.
• Whitney Court is a professor of political science and chair of political science at the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University.

So what does that mean for local journalism?

MPR News host Angela Davis talks about how newsrooms are trying to adapt to changes in news consumption with the editor of the Minnesota Star Tribune.

Guest:

• Kathleen Hennessey is the editor and senior vice president of the Minnesota Star Tribune. Prior to her current role, she was deputy politics editor for the New York Times. Before that, she led the regional politics team for the Associated Press. She covered the White House during President Barack Obama’s second term for the LA Times and the Associated Press and was the White House editor and deputy bureau chief for the Associated Press during President Donald Trump’s first term.

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

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Minneapolis officials estimate the city lost more than $200 million in economic activity in a single month. And, when spending contracts this quickly, the impact ripples through industries far beyond those directly touched by immigration enforcement.

MPR News host Angela Davis takes a look at the economic impact of ICE, proposals from local and state governments to support struggling businesses and how to move forward.

Guests:

• Chris Farrell is the senior economics contributor for MPR News and Marketplace. 
• Neil Linscheid is a state specialist in entrepreneurship and expert in community economics for University of Minnesota Extension. He works alongside local leaders to develop practical, community-centered strategies that build and drive long-term economic health. 

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.
Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.  

For 45 years, it’s built a sense of community among its singers and has spread joy and awareness in the broader community.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with the artistic director and chorus members about the choir’s history and how music can heal and bring people together through hard times.

Guests:

• Gerald Gurss has been the artistic director of the Twin Cities Gay Men's Chorus since 2018. He is also a composer and has served as artistic director and founder of choruses in North Carolina.  
• Carlos Saldaña sings tenor with the Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus. He joined the chorus in 2013 and has also served in several roles, including as a member of the board of directors.  
• Mikal Nabors is a tenor with the Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus. He joined the chorus in 2011 after singing with the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus.  

Guest:

• Melvin Carter III served as mayor of St. Paul for eight years. Elected in 2017 and reelected in 2021, he was the city’s first African American mayor. Prior to his election as mayor, he served as St. Paul City Council member for Ward 1, representing the neighborhood he grew up in. He is the founding board chair of the St. Paul Promise Neighborhood and served as the director of the Minnesota Office of Early Learning. He has roots that go back four generations in St. Paul. His father was a St. Paul police officer and his mother was a teacher and Ramsey County commissioner.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said Thursday he’ll back an aid package to support state businesses, especially immigrant-owned business, hurt by the surge of federal immigration agents in Minnesota over the past two months.

Walz told reporters he’ll propose a $10 million emergency fund, similar to an effort during the COVID-19 pandemic, that would offer forgivable loans targeted at small businesses.

During this special coverage following the announcement from Homan, MPR News host Angela Davis talks with guests about the impact of the immigration surge on the community. Plus we’ll hear live coverage of Gov. Walz’s announcement and comments regarding the federal immigration actions.

Guests:

• Michael Lansing is a professor of history of Augsburg University who has studied the history of policing in Minneapolis.
• Brian Bakst is the MPR News politics editor.
• Dana Ferguson is a politics reporter for MPR News.
• Zachary Aaker is an immigration attorney at Martin Law in Bloomington, Minn.
• Zena Stenvik is the superintendent of Columbia Heights Public School District.
• Brenda Lewis is the superintendent of Fridley Public Schools.

Many people — especially immigrants and their families — are feeling unrelenting stress. Others are feeling anxious and exhausted as their workplaces, schools and neighborhoods navigate sudden changes and loss.

Coming up at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, MPR News host Angela Davis talks about how to live through a crisis — how to process grief, protect yourself when anger is everywhere and cope when you feel overwhelmed without resorting to “toxic positivity.”

MPR News host Angela Davis hears from mail carriers about how ICE activity is affecting their work and the people they serve, and how their familiar routes feel different.

Guests:

• Artis Curiskis is a reporter and producer for the Center for Investigative Reporting — a nonprofit, independent, investigative newsroom that produces the radio show “Reveal,” the print magazine Mother Jones and the podcast “More To The Story.” You can hear his recent report about the changes mail carriers are noticing on their routes here: How Minneapolis Taught America to Fight Back.
• Luke Ferguson is a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier who delivers along a Minneapolis route ten blocks from where he grew up.

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.     

Builders and remodelers who rely on immigrant labor say enforcement activity is making it harder to keep crews on the job. Many immigrant workers are staying home out of fear — worried about being detained, questioned and harassed by immigration officers. 

And when crews aren’t available, projects drag on and costs rise.  

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with a homebuilder and a labor organizer about the impact of federal immigration enforcement on workers, businesses and the construction industry.

Plus, MPR News senior economics contributor Chris Farrell shares the latest economic news headlines.

Guests:

• Dave Remick is the owner and president of McDonald Construction, a smaller, custom homebuilding company based in Burnsville, Minn. with projects throughout the greater Twin Cities.  
• Patricio Cambias is an organizer with Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en la Lucha, an organization working to protect worker rights and improve conditions for non-unionized workers in the construction industry in the Twin Cities metro area. 

Artists are often among the first to translate historic moments like this — to give shape to emotions that can feel overwhelming or hard to name. Through poetry, visual art, murals, performance, and music, they help communities process what’s happening in real time. 

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with a poet, a ceramic artist and a graphic artist about what they’re seeing, feeling and creating in this moment.

Guests:

• Junauda Petrus is the Poet Laureate for the city of Minneapolis. She is an author, playwright, filmmaker and co-founder of the experimental artist collective, Free Black Dirt. She is the author of the award-winning young adult novel, “The Stars and the Blackness Between Them,” and the children’s book, “Can We Please Give the Police Department to the Grandmothers?”   
• Terresa Hardaway is the owner and creative director of Blackbird Revolt, a social justice-based design studio in Minneapolis. She’s an associate professor of graphic design and the director of Design Justice in the College of Design at the University of Minnesota. She is also the owner of Black Garnet Books in St. Paul. 
• Sayge Carroll is an artist and co-founder of Mudluk Pottery Studio in Minneapolis.  

Advocates report a surge in calls to tenant hotlines and emergency assistance programs, particularly in immigrant communities, and some leaders are calling for a temporary ban on evicting tenants.

MPR News host Angela Davis discusses how immigration enforcement is upending people’s livelihoods and how communities are responding.

MPR News host Catharine Richert and her guests take a hard look at how these technologies work, where the law draws the line, and what the expansion of digital surveillance means for privacy for all of us. If you've ever wondered how much your digital footprint can reveal, join us for tonight's conversation.

Guests:

• William McGeveran is the dean of the University of Minnesota Law School where he teaches data privacy.
• Shubhanjana Das is a reporter with the Sahan Journal. 

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.   

At the center of that conversation is the city’s community safety commissioner, Todd Barnette.

He oversees the Minneapolis Police Department along with the city’s fire department, 911 services, emergency management and neighborhood safety programs — with the goal of improving communication, accountability, equity, and service delivery.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with Barnette about leadership, reform, and the path forward.

Guest:

• Todd Barnette is the community safety commissioner for the city of Minneapolis. Before his current role, he served 17 years as a judge in the Hennepin County District Court, including terms as presiding judge of drug court, presiding judge of the criminal division, and chief judge, where he was the first person of color to hold the position. He is also an adjunct faculty member and mentor at the University of St. Thomas Law School.

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.     

Guests:

• Brenda Lewis is the superintendent of Fridley Public Schools.
• Christine Tucci Osorio is the superintendent for School District 622 which includes North St. Paul, Maplewood and Oakdale.

Immigrant-owned businesses — and companies that rely on immigrant workers — have been hit especially hard. Employers say many workers are staying home, worried about being stopped or detained by immigration officers. At the same time, customers are also staying away, as fear and tension ripple through communities following the recent killings of two U.S. citizens, Alex Pretti and Renee Good.

The result? Short-staffing, reduced hours, lost revenue — and a lot of uncertainty about what comes next.

MPR News guest host Chris Farrell looks at how this surge in enforcement is disrupting business as usual and what people can do to support their local shops and restaurants.

Guests:

• R.T. Rybak is the president and CEO of the Minneapolis Foundation, which just announced plans to distribute $3.5 million to businesses hurt by the immigration enforcement surge. He is also a former mayor of Minneapolis.
• Miguel Hernandez is the owner of Lito's Burritos, with locations on Lake Street in Minneapolis and Richfield. He grew up working in his parents’ Richfield restaurant, El Tejaban Mexican Grill. 

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.      

Patients are canceling appointments, delaying treatment and avoiding care altogether — not because they aren’t sick, but because they’re afraid.  

That fear has very real consequences. When people delay care, their health suffers, and puts a strain on families, clinics and the broader health care system.  

Coming up at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks about how ICE’s presence is reshaping access to health care in Minnesota — what providers see on the ground, what it means for public health, and how clinics and hospitals are responding. 

Across Minnesota, people are supporting immigrant neighbors who are too afraid to leave their homes.

Volunteers are delivering groceries and giving rides. They’re helping with rent and pitching in with everything from dog walking to legal services.

The support is grassroots, organized through local neighborhood groups, congregations and school communities. 

MPR News Guest host Catharine Richert talks with guests and listeners about what volunteers are doing, what motivates them and the impact they’re having.

The federal government’s account of what happened differs starkly from bystander video footage. Civil liberties groups say that’s exactly why independent observation and documentation of law enforcement actions is important.

Documentation can be a tool for accountability, legal challenges and public trust. But misunderstanding your rights can put you at risk.

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert explores what constitutional observers are, what rights they have and what can be considered interference. 

Guest:

• Francisco Segovia is the executive director of COPAL, a Minneapolis nonprofit serving Minnesota's Latino communities.

A recent protest inside a church has also raised questions about free speech, religious freedom and the role of faith leaders in moments of moral conflict.

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert explores how churches and other religious communities are responding to the legal and moral questions raised by federal actions in Minnesota and why immigration enforcement has become such a flashpoint for people of faith.

Stress in young people might show up as sleeplessness, trouble focusing in school or a deep sense of worry about family safety.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks about what children, teenagers and young adults are experiencing right now and how the adults in their lives can support their mental health.

Guest:

• Ana Mariella Rivera is a licensed clinical social worker and therapist in private practice in St. Paul who works with teenagers, young adults and families. She is also an adjunct professor of social work at St. Catherine University.

Resources shared during the show: ”Good People Everywhere” by Lynea Gillen, ”Something Happened to My Dad: A Story about Immigration and Family Separation” by Ann Hazzard, ”The Breaking News” by Sarah Lynne Reul and ”Most People” by Michael Leannah.

If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs immediate mental health support, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also find the number for your local crisis team here.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with Minnesotans who have had recent interactions with federal immigration officers. They talk about how enforcement is affecting daily life, public spaces and community trust.

Guests:

• Ahmed Bin Hassan is a rideshare driver who was questioned by U.S. Border Patrol agents outside the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in a now-viral video.
• State Rep. Peter Fischer, DFL-Little Canada, has represented Little Canada and most of Maplewood since 2013.
• Julie Vossen-Henslin is involved with a group of people trying to document the increased federal immigration enforcement in Willmar. She is also trying to support family members of people who are taken into federal custody.

To report incidents related to recent federal actions in Minnesota, the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office created this Federal Action Reporting Form.

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.     

King believed in justice rooted in community, in young people as leaders and in the power of any individual to create the change they want to see. 

Coming up at 9 a.m. on Monday, MPR News host Angela Davis talks with high school students across Minnesota who are engaging with King’s message in meaningful ways. They’re leading student groups, organizing for change, serving their communities and asking hard questions about equity and justice.

That’s the story of our first Power Pair of 2026, Minneapolis married couple Roosevelt and Angela Mansfield.

She is a longtime educator who taught in Minneapolis Public Schools and now serves as an assistant commissioner at the Minnesota Department of Education.

He’s a youth worker, DJ and photographer, whose art shines a light on the people and history of Black communities in the Twin Cities.

They met through their shared love of hip-hop.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with the Mansfields about their work, their relationship and their commitment to supporting young people in stressful times.

Guests:

• Angela Mansfield is an assistant commissioner in the Minnesota Department of Education in the Office of Educational Opportunity. She started nearly eight years ago at the state agency as a teacher training specialist. She also founded and ran a charter school and taught in Minneapolis Public Schools.   
• Roosevelt Mansfield is a photographer and DJ who has worked as a behavioral specialist and in other roles in public schools. He’s also the founder of The Purpose, an organization that supports young people of color through cultural education, photography and entrepreneurial skills.  

Cancer is still deadly. But thanks to advances in detection and treatment, cancer for some people has turned into a manageable condition.

A report from the American Cancer Society out this week shows that for the first time that the five-year survival rate for all cancers has reached 70 percent.

Tumors are being found at earlier stages, when treatment can be more effective. Surgery and radiation have gotten more precise.  Researchers have refined their understanding of different types of cancers and developed new drugs that zero in on the unique biology of specific tumors.

Maybe most importantly, researchers are figuring out how to use the body’s own immune system to fight cancer in ways that doctors couldn’t have imagined 20 years ago.  

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with her guests about how cancer treatments are improving.

Guests:

• Dr. Emil Lou is a medical oncologist and professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School who sees patients at M Health Fairview Masonic Cancer Clinic. He specializes in gastrointestinal cancers, such as colorectal and pancreas cancers, and is also involved in cancer research.  
• Dr. Rachel L McCaffrey is a breast surgical oncologist at Allina Health who specializes in treating breast cancer. 

Maybe it was a powerful video, a striking image or a headline that made you stop scrolling.   

But was it true? In a world where artificial intelligence can generate photos, videos and even voices, it’s becoming harder to know what’s real and what isn’t.

In fact, it’s become so challenging to tell truth from fiction that many colleges are offering classes in how to spot misinformation and digital manipulation. 

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with two professors about how technology is being used to mislead and how to avoid being fooled by fake images, videos and stories. 

Guests:

• Bob Groven is a professor and Co-Chair of the Department of Communication Studies, Film and New Media at Augsburg University. He teaches the class “Defense Against the Dark Arts,” which aims to help students recognize and protect themselves from misinformation and disinformation. He is also a strategic communication consultant with over 15 years of experience in leading political campaigns. 

• Lana Medina is a journalist, researcher and educator. She teaches media literacy at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. Her work explores how social media algorithms, AI and newsroom pressures shape local journalism and civic discourse. 

MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about how to manage fear, anxiety and emotional overload during stressful times.

Guests:

• Corey Yeager is a licensed marriage and family therapist who has a doctorate in family social science. He has worked for Minneapolis Public Schools and with the Minneapolis Police Department. He was a psychotherapist for the Detroit Pistons and he is the author of “How Am I Doing? 40 Conversations to Have with Yourself.” 
• Chris Farrell is senior economics contributor for MPR News and Marketplace.

In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said one of its officers fired his weapon in an act of self-defense as the woman “weaponized her vehicle.” However, elected officials and local law enforcement leaders are challenging that account, saying they see no evidence that the shooting was an act of self-defense.   

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with her guests about what’s known about the fatal shooting, what remains unclear and the legal questions it raises about federal authority, use of force and civil liberties.

Guests:

• Sarah Thamer is the senior reporter for the MPR News Race, Class and Communities team.
• Emmanuel Mauleón is an associate professor of law at the University of Minnesota who researches policing, surveillance and racial justice.
• Jenn Budd is a former senior patrol agent with the US border patrol and author of “Against the Wall: My Journey from Border Patrol Agent to Immigrant Rights Activist.” 
• Liliana Zaragoza is an associate professor of clinical law and director of the Racial Justice Law Clinic at the University of Minnesota Law School.

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Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.     

Some of the tax credits that helped lower the cost of insurance for people who buy their own plans through the Affordable Care Act expired at the beginning of January after Congress failed to reach a compromise.

Those federal subsidies were at the center of last year’s political standoff that shut down the federal government. With premiums rising, the cost of healthcare coverage is expected to be a top political issue heading into the 2026 midterm elections.

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks about why premiums are rising and what this means for Minnesotans struggling to afford coverage.

State officials say they are continuing to investigate the allegations but have not substantiated them so far.

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert will examine what the funding freeze could mean for children, families, child care providers and Minnesota politics.

Walz’s departure from the race comes as reports of fraud in state-run social service programs in Minnesota escalated in recent weeks.

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with two political scientists about Walz’s announcement and the race to replace him.

Guests:

• Kathryn Pearson is a professor of political science at the University of Minnesota. She is also an associate dean of undergraduate education and the director of the University Honors Program. 
• Cindy Rugeley is an associate professor of political science and chair of the department at the University of Minnesota Duluth.

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

Her husband, Aric Putnam, is a DFL state senator, representing District 14, which includes St. Cloud. 

Together, they’re navigating politics, education, family life and the challenges of leading in the public eye.

MPR News host Angela Davis revisits another conversation in her Power Pairs series. She talks with the Putnams about how they support each other and why they picked careers that serve their community.

Guests:

• Daniel Bergin is a filmmaker, executive producer and director of history at Twin Cities PBS, where he was hired more than 30 years ago as a production assistant. He has won more than 20 regional Emmy Awards for his films covering diverse topics rooted in Minnesota history, including “Jim Crow of the North,” “North Star: Minnesota’s Black Pioneers,” and “Out North: MNLGBTQ History.” 
• Lea B. Olsen is a veteran TV analyst who has covered the Minnesota Lynx and is a sideline reporter for the Minnesota Timberwolves. She also covers both the boys’ and girls’ state high school basketball tournaments. Beyond the court, Lea is a professional speaker and the founder of Rethink the Win — a platform that challenges athletes, coaches and parents to see sports as a powerful tool for growth, connection and lifelong impact.

Listen to all the conversations in our Power Pairs series.

Do you know a 'Power Pair? Send us your suggestions.

Rabbi Marcia Zimmerman is the senior rabbi at Temple Israel in Minneapolis.   

Frank Hornstein served for 22 years in the Minnesota House of Representatives, representing neighborhoods near downtown Minneapolis and Lake of the Isles before stepping down in early 2025.

They have raised three children together and supported each other in their individual callings through more than four decades of marriage.

MPR News host Angela Davis revisits Power Pairs conversations from 2025 this week, starting with a conversation about faith, politics and the importance of strong relationships — in marriage and community.

Guests:

• Rabbi Marcia Zimmerman is the senior rabbi at Temple Israel in Minneapolis. 
• Frank Hornstein served as a DFL representative from District 61A in the Minnesota House of Representatives for 22 years until deciding in 2024 not to seek reelection.

Listen to all the conversations in our Power Pairs series.

Do you know a 'Power Pair? Send us your suggestions.

But many people are starting to incorporate more plant-based foods into their diets, often for health reasons and out of a concern for the environment.

More vegan and vegetarian options are going mainstream. Think about “meatless Mondays” or the Impossible Burger. Don’t want cow milk? Your local grocery store’s dairy case probably carries milk made from oats, soybeans, rice, almonds, coconuts or cashews.  

MPR News host Angela Davis revisits a conversation she had about what it means to be vegan or to follow a mostly plant-based diet. What makes people decide to do it? Are there health benefits or health hazards? Can you get the protein and nutrients your body needs without eating animal products?

Guests:

• Jacque Reid is the founder of the “Vegan Sexy Cool” brand, which includes a digital lifestyle magazine and a podcast. She is also an Emmy-award winning journalist. She co-hosts the “Reid This/Reid That” podcast with former MSNBC host Joy Reid. She previously hosted lifestyle TV shows on NBC affiliates in New York and Boston and was the lead news anchor for “CNN Headline News” and the “BET Nightly News.”   
• Megan Baumler is an assistant professor and director of the Nutrition and Dietetics Program at St. Catherine University in St. Paul. She is a licensed and registered dietitian nutritionist. 

It’s a time to gather indoors and share stories that carry history, teachings and connection, passed carefully from one generation to the next.

MPR News guest host Leah Lemm talks with two Native storytellers about the significance of storytelling in our lives, particularly during the darkest days of the year.

Guests:

• Hope Flanagan is is a storyteller and teacher who works at Dream of Wild Health, a Minneapolis nonprofit organization that recovers and shares knowledge of Indigenous foods, medicines and ways of life. Stories were passed to her from Ona KingBird from Red Lake reservation. She comes from the Turtle Clan, from the people of Tonawanda, Seneca Reservation.

  
  

  Teresa Peterson is an avid gardener and author of several books, including "Grasshopper Girl," "Voices from Pejahutazizi: Dakota Stories and Storytellers," and "Perennial Ceremony." She is Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota and a member of the Upper Sioux Community.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development plans to shift money away from long-term housing programs that provide services.   

Instead, more federal money would go toward breaking up homeless encampments and to short-term shelters with work requirements and mandatory addiction treatment.  

Critics warn this could force thousands of Minnesotans back into living in their cars, onto friends’ couches or onto the streets — including people who have relied on supportive housing for years.

On Dec. 19. a judge temporarily halted the administration’s proposals, creating more uncertainty. 

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with her guests about what helps people move into permanent homes and how federal policy shifts could affect Minnesotans.

Guests:

• Chris LaTondresse is the president and CEO of Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, one of Minnesota's largest nonprofit providers of supportive housing for families, single adults and youth who have experienced homelessness. He previously served as a Hennepin County Commissioner and chaired the Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority.
• LeAnn Littlewolf is the executive director of the American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO) in Duluth. The nonprofit organization runs Gimaajii Mino-Bimaadizimin, a community center with supportive housing for women and children. She is a member of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and previously worked with the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless.  

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks about winter birdwatching, how to attract birds to your yard and how to make birding more welcoming to more people.

Guest:

• Dexter Patterson is the co-founder of the BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin, an organization dedicated to making birding more accessible and inclusive for people of color. He also co-hosts The Bird Joy Podcast and is the author of the book, “Birds of the Great Lakes."

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Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.     

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with a philosopher who says happiness — at least the way we usually think of it — is really just a feeling that comes and goes. She says what truly matters is flourishing — living in a way that reflects our values, our relationships and the kind of person we’re trying to become.

Guest:

• Valerie Tiberius is a professor of philosophy at the University of Minnesota. She is also the author of “What Do You Want Out of Life? A Philosophical Guide to Figuring Out What Matters.”

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.     

Across Minnesota, stages are booked with theater, dance and music performances — and many of the people in the spotlight aren’t even paid professionals.

They’re adults with day jobs who rehearse after dinner, all for the joy and community they find in amateur arts groups.

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks about what tapping into your inner performing artist does for your own well-being and how these local productions enrich our communities.

Guests:

• G. Phillip Shoultz III is the associate artistic director of VocalEssence and works with several of the organization’s non-professional choruses. He also oversees music at Westwood Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, is an adjunct member of the music faculty at the University of St. Thomas and is artistic director of Sing Democracy 250, which is organizing choir performances next year in all 50 states to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. 
• Dylon Starr is the director of Disney’s “Frozen” at the Rochester Civic Theatre and has acted and directed in other community theaters in southeastern Minnesota. He’s also director of programming and music at Peace United Church of Christ in Rochester.  

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks about what we know about the shootings, what research says about patterns in mass violence and what these attacks mean for communities processing fear and grief.

Guests:

• James Densley is professor and department chair of criminology and criminal justice at Metro State University and co-founder of the Violence Prevention Project Research Center at Hamline University. 
• Jillian Peterson is a professor of criminology and criminal justice, director of the forensic psychology program and executive director of the Violence Prevention Project Research Center at Hamline University. 
• Rabbi Adam Stock Spilker is the senior rabbi at Mount Zion Temple in St. Paul.

Scholar and activist john a. powell says yes. He’s dedicated his life to teaching others how to belong and bridge. As the director of the Othering and Belonging Institute at the University of California, Berkeley and the founder of the Institute on Race and Poverty at the University of Minnesota, powell — who spells his name in lowercase, to signify that “we are part of the universe, not over it” — studies equity and connection.

His new book, “The Power of Bridging,” is his thesis that connecting with others and honoring their humanity is the only way to create a world where we all belong.

powell came back to Minnesota on a cold night in early December, at the invitation of The Bush Foundation and MPR, to talk with MPR News reporter and host Catharine Richert about how to do the work of bridging, even at this divisive moment in history. He shared stories from his own life, talked about how to bridge (or not) with folks who don’t want to bridge and discussed how the work of bridging and belonging is as much internal as external.

As women age, most will experience changes linked to the stop of their monthly menses, including hot flashes, bone density loss and sleep problems. But in the past two decades a strong “black-box warning” has scared many women off from seeking relief in hormone creams, patches, pills and other treatments.

The warning was added following a landmark study that linked hormone therapy to an increased risk for cancer and cardiovascular problems. Now the FDA says the risks were overblown for most women.

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks about the FDA’s change, the risks and benefits of hormone therapy and what women should consider as they decide whether to try it.

Guest:

• Dr. Jissy Cyriac is a primary care physician trained in internal medicine. She sees patients at the Menopause and Women's Sexual Health Clinic at Mayo Clinic in Rochester and is also a certified practitioner through The Menopause Society.  

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted that only infants born to mothers who test positive for hepatitis B — or whose infection status is unknown — are recommended to get that first dose immediately. 

The vote could result in new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and is a dramatic shift from the CDC’s current policy, which was adopted in 1991 and is credited with reducing childhood hepatitis B infections by more than 95 percent. 

MPR News guest host Chris Farrell talks with a pediatrician and an infectious disease researcher about what the new recommendation means for families, hospitals and communities in Minnesota that are disproportionately affected by the liver infection.

Guests:

• Dr. Leslie King-Schultz is a pediatrician at Hennepin Healthcare where she co-chairs their vaccine committee.
• Angela Ulrich is a researcher and infectious disease epidemiologist with the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. She was one of the lead authors on the Vaccine Integrity Project’s recent report about the safety and effectiveness of the hepatitis B vaccination at birth. 

But today, something new is happening. Alongside job hopping, we’re seeing a rise in job hugging — people staying put, even when they’d rather move, because the job market feels uncertain.

MPR News guest host Chris Farrell talks about shifting hiring trends, when it’s smart to switch jobs, when it’s best to stay and what it all means for our careers and workplaces.

Guests:

• Alan Benson is an associate professor at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management where he researches hiring, promotions and employment.
• Mark Sorenson-Wagner is the director of career development at the University of St. Thomas.

When coming to a new country, immigrants leave much behind. But one thing many people carry with them to start life in a new place are their family’s recipes.

MPR News guest host Kelly Gordon talks with a cookbook author and a chef from Mexico about the dishes and stories that tie us to the people — and places — we’re from.

Guests:

• Lee Svitak Dean was the longtime food editor at The Minnesota Star Tribune. She's co-author of “Kitchens of Hope: Immigrants Share Stories of Resilience and Recipes from Home.” She is also author of “Come One, Come All: Easy Entertaining with Seasonal Menus” and co-author of “The Ultimate Minnesota Cookie Book.”
• Gustavo Romero is co-owner with his wife Kate of Nixta, a tortilleria in northeast Minneapolis where they make tortillas using traditional methods and heirloom corn. They expanded next door to open the restaurant, Oro by Nixta, which was a finalist for a James Beard award and named one of the 20 Best New Restaurants of 2024 by Bon Appetit.  

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks about what we know so far, what remains unclear and the impact it’s all having on the Somali community in Minnesota.

Guests:

• State Sen. Zaynab Mohamed (DFL-Minneapolis) has represented south Minneapolis since 2023. She is the first Somali woman elected to the Minnesota Senate. She is also the youngest member in Minnesota Senate history. 
• Tatiana Padilla is a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute for Social Research and Data Innovation at the University of Minnesota where she researches how immigration enforcement affects communities.
• Steve Thal is an attorney practicing immigration law in Minnetonka.

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert marks the anniversary by talking with Splendid Table host and James Beard Award-winning food writer Francis Lam. 

They’ll talk about food during the holiday season — how to take the stress out of holiday meals, how to be a thoughtful guest and how to get out of that “same-old recipe” rut.     

Guests:

• Francis Lam is the host of The Splendid Table, a radio program and podcast produced by American Public Media. He is an award-winning food writer with contributions to The New York Times Magazine, Bon Appetit and Gourmet. His work often explores how food connects us to culture, memory and community. 

It’s a paid family and medical leave program that guarantees access to time off to bond with a new child, recuperate from a major medical issue or care for an ill family member. The program replaces a portion of someone’s wage for a leave that can span weeks.

Minnesota is the 13th state to go down this path, but its program is among the nation’s most ambitious. 

MPR News host and politics editor Brian Bakst talks with his guests about eligibility criteria, how people can tap into the program and what they and their employers need to keep in mind.

Guests:

• Dana Ferguson is a political reporter for MPR News.
• Greg Norfleet is the Paid Leave director for the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, also known as DEED.
• Justin Terch is a consultant with Terch and Associates, a human resources consulting firm. He is also president of the Minnesota State Council of the Society of Human Resource Management and he serves on the board of Essentia Health, a Duluth-based health care system that operates mainly in rural areas in the upper Midwest. 

For more information about Minnesota’s Paid Leave program, visit: paidleave.mn.gov or call 844-556-0444 or 651-556-7777. The phone lines are staffed from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, except holidays.

Korean adoptees worldwide were left reeling, including here in Minnesota, home to the largest population of Korean adoptees in the U.S. Many had already wrestled with questions of identity and racial and cultural belonging. Now even the small bits of information they had about their past could no longer be trusted.

How are Korean adoptees who call Minnesota home responding to this foundational earthquake? Earlier this month, MPR News’ North Star Journey Live project hosted a gathering of adoptees who are deeply invested in the search for truth about their origin stories at Arbeiter Brewing in Minneapolis.

Moderated by Twin Cities PBS reporter Kaomi Lee, who is herself an adoptee, the panel shared their personal histories and how the work they do today is moving the narrative forward.

Guests:

• Kaomi Lee is a reporter at Twin Cities PBS. She is also the host of Adapted, one of the longest running Korean adoptee podcasts.
• Ami Nafzger has been working on behalf of Korean adoptees for decades as the founder of the Korean-based GOAL (Global Overseas Adoptees’ Link) and the newer Minnesota-based Adoptee Hub.
• Matt McNiff is the board president and director at Camp Choson, one of many Korean culture camps started in the Upper Midwest in response to the wave of adoptions from Korea.
• Cam Lee Small is a licensed clinical therapist who specializes in adoption literacy, working both here in the Twin Cities and online. He’s also the author of “The Adoptee’s Journey.”
• Mary Niedermeyer is the CEO of Communities Advancing Prosperity for Immigrants, also known as CAPI, a Minnesota-based nonprofit.

Correction (Dec. 2, 2025): An earlier version of this story had an incomplete title for CAPI. The story has been updated.

Find a resource guide to learn more about this topic at MPRnews.org.

Her sermon — at that moment and in that setting — sparked conversations about how people decide what to stand for and how they respond when those choices are difficult. Those questions are at the heart of her latest book, “We Can Be Brave,” an adaptation for young readers of her bestseller, ”How We Learn to Be Brave.”

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with Budde — and the theologian who helped adapt her book — about being brave in life’s hardest moments and how they define courage in personal and public life.  

Guests:

• Mariann Edgar Budde is the first woman elected spiritual leader for the Episcopal Diocese of Washington which includes the Washington National Cathedral, other congregations and Episcopal schools in the District of Columbia and four Maryland counties. Previously, Bishop Budde was a parish priest at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Minneapolis for 18 years. She is the author of “How We Learn to Be Brave” and the adaption for young readers, “We Can Be Brave: How We Learn to be Brave in Life’s Decisive Moments.”
• Bryan Bliss is a writer, priest and theologian. He is chaplain and chair of the religion department at Breck School, a private school in Golden Valley, Minn. He helped adapt Bishop Budde’s book for young readers and he is the author of “We’ll Fly Away,” a novel based on his experience witnessing an execution as a member of the press.

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks about food insecurity and the stigma that often surrounds it.

Guests:

• Karen Tolkkinen is a columnist for the Minnesota Star Tribune who writes about issues and people of greater Minnesota. She recently wrote a column about her experience turning to food assistance at two different points in her life.
• Susie West is a University of Minnesota Extension educator who manages and leads a program that helps make food shelves more dignified and inviting — places where families can choose food the way they would in a grocery store.

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Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.     

It’s convenient, but those playlists, now starting to incorporate AI, rarely surprise us.

Maybe that’s why some college radio stations are making a comeback. They offer something more personal — real human voices and a space where music discovery feels spontaneous and driven by curiosity not calculations.

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with two students who are passionate about college radio and help run their college stations. They’ll talk about what makes college radio special and what it offers to listeners.

Supporters say the parenting approach builds resilience and responsibility. Critics worry it can cross into neglect or leave kids without the guidance they need.

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with a parenting researcher about when stepping back helps children grow, when intervention matters and how families can find the balance between independence and safety.

Guest:

• Christopher Mehus is a research associate professor in the Department of Family Social Science at the University of Minnesota.

What would it take to bring more dialogue, respect and effectiveness to politics?

A first-of-its-kind program from the Citizen’s League is starting small and personal, with an “exchange” program for pairs of state Republican and DFL legislators. The goal is to build genuine relationships across the aisle and help legislators gain firsthand insight into a region of Minnesota different from their own.

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert reported on one of the first legislator pairs to participate. On Tuesday, she sat down to talk more with them and with the program’s founder about what it takes to build bipartisan trust.

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with two political scientists about what the deal to end the shutdown tells us about power, priorities and politics in Washington.

Guests:

• Larry Jacobs is a political scientist and founder and director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota. He is also the author of “Democracy Under Fire: Donald Trump and the Breaking of American History.”
• Cindy Rugeley is an associate professor of political science and head of the Political Science Program at the University of Minnesota Duluth.

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.     

On Nov. 15, 2015, the unarmed 24-year-old was shot during a confrontation with two Minneapolis police officers. He died the next day. 

In the weeks that followed, hundreds of people protested outside the Minneapolis 4th Precinct in Minneapolis — demanding the names of the officers and the release of any video. Protesters marched to the government center and shut down Interstate 94.  

It was a level of activism that Minnesota hadn’t seen before, building on the long despair and anger in Black communities following shootings of other unarmed Black men, here and elsewhere. And it set the stage for protests that followed the police killings of Philando Castile in 2016 and of George Floyd in 2020.  

MPR News guest host Brandt Williams talks about how protests following Jamar Clark’s death took shape and how they changed the public response to police shootings and policing.

Guests:

• Nekima Levy Armstrong is a civil rights lawyer and past president of the Minneapolis NAACP. She was among the leaders who helped organize protests following Jamar Clark’s fatal shooting and was an advisor to Black Lives Matter Minneapolis.  
• Raeisha Williams was an activist and communications director for the Minneapolis NAACP in the months following Jamar Clark’s death. She now runs a nonprofit organization called Guns Down Love Up.  

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THC drinks are on store shelves. People talk about edibles and dispensaries as casually as they talk about coffee or craft breweries. 

For many young adults, cannabis has become part of everyday life — a way to unwind, manage stress or hang out with friends. Using it carries far less stigma than it once did and many people see it as safer than alcohol or tobacco. 

But even with growing acceptance, questions remain about how cannabis affects young adults, including their mental health, motivation, sleep, and focus.

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert explores what research shows — and what we still don’t know — about marijuana, health and young people.

Guests:

• Heidi Glesmann is the substance use prevention, education, and recovery unit supervisor at the Minnesota Department of Health. She oversees the Be Cannabis Aware campaign, which is focused on educating youth under age 25, and the adults who support them, about cannabis use. 
• Sylia Wilson is a researcher and associate professor at the Institute of Child Development in the College of Education and Development at the University of Minnesota. Her work looks at how substance use affects young people’s health, behavior and development. 

Are companies cutting costs because consumers are stretched thin? Or are different economic forces all hitting at the same time? 

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert takes a closer look at what’s happening in the economy. Richert and her guests will dig into what’s driving job cuts, why affordability continues to strike a chord with voters and what these trends could mean for the months ahead. 

Guests:

• Chris Farrell is the senior economics contributor for MPR News and Marketplace.
• Louis Johnston is a professor of economics at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University.

Fifty years later, the sinking of the Fitzgerald remains one of the most haunting and mysterious maritime disasters in American history. MPR News guest host Dan Kraker talks with a Great Lakes historian about the ship's final, fateful voyage and why the tragedy holds meaning for many Minnesotans.

Guest:

• Frederick Stonehouse is a Great Lakes historian, lecturer and the author of more than 30 books on maritime history, including “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.”

But what’s made Dan’s work so memorable isn’t just what he’s covered. It’s how he’s covered it — with patience, curiosity, and a deep respect for the people he meets along the way. 

Now, after 38 years with MPR News, Dan is retiring. At an event in Moorhead in late October, MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talked with Gunderson about storytelling, some of the people he’s met over the years and what he’s discovered about Minnesota along the way. 

Guest:

• Dan Gunderson is a reporter based in Moorhead. He covers general news for a wide swath of western Minnesota and eastern North Dakota with a focus on the environment, agriculture and Indian Country. He has reported for MPR News since 1987.

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But a growing number of people are choosing to return to the earth in more environmentally friendly ways.

Some are choosing water-based cremation, which doesn’t burn fossil fuels. Others are planning simpler death rituals that skip embalming, steel caskets and concrete burial vaults. Instead, the body is placed in the ground in a biodegradable basket or shroud and allowed to decompose as quickly and as naturally as possible.

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with her guests about rising interest in these greener options and some of the questions and concerns that surround them. 

Guests:

• Angela Woosley has been a licensed mortician in Minnesota for 20 years. In 2020 she started her own funeral care business focused on natural death care, Inspired Journeys. She previously worked for a funeral home and taught in the Program of Mortuary Science at the University of Minnesota.   
• Taelor Johnson is the communications director for Interra Green Burial by Mueller Memorial in St. Paul and White Bear Lake. She’s the third generation working in the family-run funeral home.  
• MPR News correspondent Dan Kraker is based in Duluth and covered efforts to establish a green cemetery in Carlton County, Minn.

Many older Minnesotans are scrambling to find new insurance plans after some insurers stopped offering or scaled back Medicare Advantage plans.

People who buy their own insurance will see premiums jump next year as much as 26 percent on the individual market. Workers who get insurance through their employers are also looking at higher premiums.

And the federal tax and spending bill signed by President Donald Trump this summer is expected to push as many as 140,000 low-income Minnesotans off Medicaid.  

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert looks at how the rising costs of medical care along with changes in state and federal policies are reshaping health care in Minnesota.

If you’re looking for more information, here are some resources that were mentioned during the show

• Contact Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE
• Minnesota Aging Pathways (formerly known as the Senior LinkAge line) at 800-333-2433

Guests:

• Sayeh Nikpay is a health economist and an associate professor in the Division of Health Policy and Management at the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health. 
• Kelli Jo Greiner is a health care policy analyst for the Minnesota Board on Aging and the Minnesota Department of Human Services. 

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Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.     

Does a president have the authority to deploy state National Guard units against a governor's objection? If so, what does that mean for the balance of power between civilian and military authority?

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with a political scientist who studies civil–military relations and a law professor who studies national security to help us understand what’s at stake — legally, politically, and for the U.S. tradition of keeping the military out of domestic affairs.   

Guests:

• Laura Dickinson is a professor of national security law and constitutional law at the George Washington University Law School. She is also the author of “Outsourcing War and Peace.”
• Ron Krebs is a Distinguished McKnight University Professor and professor of political science at the University of Minnesota where he studies civil-military relations and security policy. He is also the author of “Narrative and the Making of US National Security” and “Fighting for Rights: Military Service and the Politics of Citizenship.” 

But not today. Thanks to soaring tuition costs and weighty student loans, many people are questioning the value of college. A 2025 Pew Research poll found that only one in four U.S. adults says it’s “extremely or very important to have a four-year college degree” to get a well-paying job.

And many young Americans — including Black, Latino and Indigenous students — contend they can build solid careers without seeking further education. In a 2025 survey by New America, a majority of young Americans agreed “there are lots of well-paying, stable jobs that people can find with only a high school diploma or GED.”

So is college still worth it — especially when it comes to low-income or first-generation students?

MPR News’ North Star Journey Live project teamed up with Sahan Journal Community Conversations in October to host a panel discussing the pros and cons of higher education. They also discussed other burgeoning post-secondary options, like trade schools, apprenticeships and becoming an entrepreneur.

Guests:

• Frida Torres Macal is the founder of That Social Invite, an independent social media marketer focused on helping women-owned businesses and professionals grow.
• Marquan Harper is a sophomore at the University of St. Thomas, where he is double majoring in Digital Media Arts and Marketing Management. He’s also the founder of Ador Hospitality, a Midwest-based hospitality group dedicated to enhancing the nightlife experience for young adults aged 18-24.
• Jalayah Johnson is enrolled at the Finishing Trades Institute of the Upper Midwest as a second-year glazer apprentice for the Empire House.
• Ali Osman is a high school counselor at South High School in Minneapolis.
• Jessica Yang is the senior implementation manager at the Get Ready GEAR UP Minnesota program administered through the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

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Throughout folklore and pop culture, some pointed-hat witches have established their unforgettable characters, both evil and good, from the Wicked Witch of the West, in the 1939 “Wizard of Oz” film, and Hermione Granger in the “Harry Potter” series.

So, why are witches so popular? And why can’t pop culture seem to get enough?

Coming up Friday at 9 a.m., MPR News host Jacob Aloi, reporter Alex V. Cipolle and editor Max Sparber spend an hour exploring witches across history and culture. With their guests, the MPR News arts team will talk about the witches in one of Shakespeare’s best-known plays, as well as witches in TV, film, music and books.

Following a meeting Thursday between President Trump and China’s president Xi Jinping, there is hope that China will resume buying at least some soybeans and other export crops from the U.S.

But Minnesota farmers are still suffering from the fallout of the trade war. They’re also grappling with inflation, tighter credit and increasingly unpredictable weather. And, the federal government shutdown has slowed access to farm loans, crop insurance, disaster aid and other programs.

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with a farmer and Minnesota’s agricultural commissioner about these challenges and what’s next.

One of the most common misunderstandings relates to age. A woman’s fertility declines as she ages, but many people underestimate just how much harder it can be to get pregnant in their 30s and 40s.

And, most people also think fertility treatments are more likely to be successful than they are.  

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with two doctors about what affects the likelihood of getting pregnant and the things people wished they’d known before trying to have a baby.

Guests:

• Dr. Suzanne Darnell practices obstetrics and gynecology at M Health Fairview. She’s also an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School.   
• Dr. Tana Kim is a reproductive endocrinologist and the IVF director at Reproductive Medicine & Infertility Associates (RMIA) in the Twin Cities. She is board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology as well as reproductive endocrinology and infertility.  

The funding dispute has halted paychecks for hundreds of thousands of federal workers and disrupted key services — from food assistance and small business loans to national parks and research programs.

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with a political scientist about how we got here, how the budget impasse is affecting people and what it reveals about the balance of power in Washington.

Guest:

• Kathryn Pearson is a professor of political science at the University of Minnesota. She is also an associate dean of undergraduate education and the director of the University Honors Program.

A high credit score can open doors. It can help you get a lower interest rate on a car loan, qualify for a mortgage or even make it easier to rent an apartment. 

But a lower score? It can quietly cost you thousands of dollars in higher interest payments over time — money that could be going towards your savings, your home or your future. 

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with a financial coach about what determines your credit score, simple steps to improve it and the smart choices that can strengthen your financial health for years to come. 

Guest:

• Demitri McGee is a financial coach, certified housing counselor and youth director at Build Wealth Minnesota, a nonprofit opportunity center dedicated to helping families through financial education, personalized coaching and community-based programs.

Doctors are retiring. Hospitals are closing. There’s a lack of mental health care providers across the board. Plus, rural health facilities rely disproportionately on Medicaid reimbursement to stay afloat — and that program is facing $1 trillion in cuts thanks to President Trump’s self-titled Big Beautiful Bill.

But if you zoom in to individual communities, the picture is tinged with determination.

While they admit to discouragement, leaders are trying to find new ways to pay for needed health care, and concerned citizens are stepping forward to help each other. Kerri Miller heard that and more in Owatonna, at the final Rural Voice town hall of the season.

Southern Minnesotans gathered on Sept. 29 at Mineral Springs Brewery to share personal stories of long waits to see doctors, of their hometowns losing cherished hospitals, of children in crisis with no therapists available to help.

But they also shared ideas about how to face the challenges ahead, like public health and the private sector forming new partnerships, and community groups innovating to make sure health care is accessible and affordable.

 Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

Some parents celebrate the new freedom. Others struggle with the sudden quiet. Most experience a bit of both.

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with a psychologist and a social worker about the emotional mix of pride, grief, and rediscovery that comes with an empty nest — and how to find balance and meaning in this new stage of life.

Guests:

• Melissa Lundquist is an associate professor in the School of Social Work and director of the undergraduate social work program at the University of St. Thomas. 
• David Nathan is a psychologist with Allina Health in St. Paul. 

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Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.     

These are the facilities that power artificial intelligence, store medical data and save your family photos to the cloud.

Data centers have promised jobs and investment in local communities, ranging from Twin Cities suburbs like Rosemount and Farmington, to small rural towns like Cannon Falls and Hermantown. 

But there are concerns about how they could impact the local electrical grid and water supply.

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with her guests about the resources these centers use and what that means for Minnesota communities.

Guests:

• Gabriel Chan is an associate professor at the University of Minnesota studying policy and institutions related to clean energy transitions and the environment. He’s also the co-director of the Center for Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy and the Electric Cooperative Innovation Center at the University of Minnesota. 
• Kathryn Hoffman is the CEO of Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy. She leads a group of lawyers who take cases around the state to protect Minnesota’s environment. Currently her team has lawsuits against the cities of Faribault, Lakeville and North Mankato for a lack of transparency around data centers. 

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Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.  

This September, Miller took the same question to Wadena. Social isolation is when a person objectively doesn’t have relationships or contact with others. It’s similar to loneliness, which is when people subjectively feel isolated. Both are rampant in rural communities, especially among older residents. And because social isolation is tied closely to other health outcomes, it has implications for all.

Wadena residents swapped stories of recognizing isolation in their community. They also shared ideas for combatting it, which ranged from systemic overhauls, like bringing in more therapists, to more personal interventions, like how churches and community organizations can respond to neighbors who seem alone.

 Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

They turned out to be so effective at helping people lose weight that new versions were approved for weight loss. And now, their use has skyrocketed.

One in every eight American adults has taken what are known as GLP-1 drugs.

They not only lead to health benefits associated with weight loss, like lower risk of heart attack and stroke, they also seem to tame addictive cravings and boost sleep.

Coming up at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with a doctor and a dietitian about the exploding popularity of GLP-1 drugs, side effects and how to use them responsibly.

As one of the state’s most influential voices for mental health, she’s helped raise awareness, change laws and expand access to care.

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with Abderholden about how far Minnesota has come — and what work still lies ahead.

MPR News editor and guest host Leah Lemm talks with reporters from our Native News team about how they cover Minnesota’s Native communities, tribal nations and people every day. From cannabis to land return, cultural events and arts, they’re steeped in Native journalism all year long.

Guests:

• Melissa Olson is an award-winning reporter for MPR’s Native News team. She is a member of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.
• Chandra Colvin is a citizen of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa and a member of MPR’s Native News team. She started at MPR News as an intern and now covers Native American communities in Minnesota for us through Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities.

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

Since 2005, more than 3,200 print newspapers have vanished, according to Northwestern University’s 2024 report on the state of local news.

But one thing that still makes local journalism powerful is when reporters live in the places they cover. 

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with reporters who do just that. They’ll talk about what it means to report on their own communities and why that connection matters. 

Guests: 

• Tadeo Ruiz Sandoval is an MPR News reporter based in the Fargo-Moorhead area. He covers the region with a focus on agriculture. Tadeo started his journalism career as an intern at KMUW, the NPR Station in Wichita, Kan. In 2024, he interned at The Wall Street Journal where he produced and hosted a miniseries on Gen Z’s debt.
• Molly Castle Work is an MPR News reporter based in Rochester. She covers health care in southeast Minnesota. Prior to joining MPR News, Molly worked as an investigative reporter at the Rochester Post Bulletin and later as a correspondent for KFF Health News in California. 
• Dan Kraker is an MPR News correspondent based in Duluth where he covers the people, economy and environment of northeast Minnesota. Before joining MPR News, Dan worked at KNAU Arizona Public Radio for 11 years. He covered northern Arizona’s Native nations and then served as news director. He also contributes regularly to National Public Radio programs and Marketplace.

It’s become a cultural hub for music lovers across Minnesota.

It’s where local artists are played alongside national names, and for many musicians, hearing their song on The Current isn’t just exciting — it’s a career milestone.

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with some of The Current’s staff. They’ll pull back the curtain on The Current’s sound and how it all comes together.

Guests:

• Lindsay Kimball is the program director of The Current. She started her career at The Current as an intern in 2005.
• Amber Hoback is the music director of The Current. She curates the station’s playlist and works to shape the sound of The Current.
• Gannon Hanevold is a weekend host at The Current. You can hear him every Saturday and Sunday from 3 to 7 p.m.   

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.
Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.    

Guest:

• Duchesne Drew is senior vice president at American Public Media Group and president of Minnesota Public Radio. He leads the teams that produce MPR News, The Current, APM Reports and YourClassical MPR.

Editors note: MPR receives money from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. When reporting on the business of MPR and public media, we do so independently from news executives and do not let them review material before it runs. 

So on Sept. 8, Kerri Miller took the Rural Voice town hall series to Foxhole Brewhouse in Willmar to talk with community members about how they’ve successfully built an inclusive city.

The conversation focused on how the region evolved over the last few decades to include immigrations from Africa, Mexico and other countries and discuss the positive impact that integration has had on the local culture and economy. Participants also discussed ongoing challenges, like political representation for newcomers and institutional discrimination.

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

But when the law went into effect last year, some schools weren’t sure how best to put it into practice.

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with two graduate students who created the Minnesota Menstrual Products in Schools Toolkit to help school staff navigate implementing the law.

They shared what they learned about the needs inside schools and why they believe their toolkit can make a difference for students and educators alike.

The move marked a shift in monetary policy as the central bank responds to what Fed Chair Jerome Powell described as a “really cooling off” labor market, while continuing to monitor inflation.

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert and senior economics contributor Chris Farrell talk about the reasoning behind the Fed's decision and what the rate changes could eventually mean for your credit cards, mortgage, savings account or investments. 

Guest:

• Neel Kashkari is president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. It’s one of the Federal Reserve System’s 12 regional banks with a district that includes Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Northern Wisconsin, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

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Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.     

Federal tax credits can cut the cost, but the clock is ticking.

President Donald Trump’s tax and spending bill passed this summer is doing away with several energy incentives that encouraged homeowners to reduce their energy use and switch to cleaner energy sources.

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with her guests about the tax credits and home energy efficiency.

You can also find more information on home energy audits, how to get started on home energy efficiency projects and rebate, tax credit and financing programs at the Center for Energy and Environment.

Moderated by Rural Voice co-founder and MPR News host Kerri Miller, the discussion featured a variety of voices and opinions emphasizing the inherent nature of treaty rights and the importance of Native Minnesotans relationship to the land.

Participants also touched on the challenges of building a Native middle class, how current tribal members are dealing with generational trauma and the importance of Native businesses in the area to create true economic vitality.

Case numbers often rise when we spend more time indoors, so what can you do to keep yourself and others COVID-free?

Just last week, an advisory panel with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surprised many by not recommending COVID-19 vaccines for high-risk groups like seniors. Instead, they said decisions should be made individually — in consultation with a doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

MPR News guest host Kelly Gordon talks with an infectious disease physician about what you can do to lower your risk of catching or spreading COVID-19 as the weather turns cold.

These tools can be fun, creative and social, but they also carry real risks, ranging from misinformation to cyberbullying and grooming by online predators. 

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks about how to keep kids safe without shutting them out of the digital world. 

She’ll talk with her guests about what’s working, what isn’t and how families can find some balance online.  

People expressed sorrow, shock and anger. They shared critiques of Kirk’s conservative views. In some cases, what people said or posted about his death got them in trouble at work.  

Last week ABC pulled comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s show off the air “indefinitely” after Kimmel’s comments on how MAGA was characterizing Kirk’s killer. The announcement came just hours after the chair of the Federal Communications Commission suggested in a podcast that the FCC could use its power against ABC unless the network acted against Kimmel. 

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with her guests about freedom of speech — and workplace issues. When can something you say get you in trouble on the job?

Guests:

• Phillip Kitzer is an employment law attorney in Minneapolis. He served on the board of directors of the Minnesota affiliate of the National Employment Lawyers Association and sits the governing counsel for the Labor and Employment Section of the Minnesota State Bar Association.
• George Vergolias is a workplace resilience consultant and chief clinical officer at R3 Continuum, a Minnesota-based company that develops behavioral health solutions for organizations that need help managing workplace disruption and stress.

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

Dizziness is one of the most common reasons people show up at a hospital emergency room.  

But there are different kinds of dizzy. A lot of people, especially as they age, live with the feeling of being just a little unsteady or off balance.  

Others have experienced true vertigo. That's when the room seems to swirl and tip to the point where you might feel nauseous.  

Dizziness shouldn’t be ignored. Depending on the cause, it can often be treated with medication, surgery or physical therapy exercises. And, it could be a sign of a serious underlying medical issue. 

MPR News guest host Kelly Gordon talks with medical providers to sort through our dizzy symptoms.  

Wake boats are designed to create large waves for surfers to ride. But those waves don’t just disappear. A new University of Minnesota study shows they can stir up sediment, muddy the water and release phosphorus, which causes algae blooms.

MPR News guest host Kirsti Marohn dives into the science and what it means for lake lovers.

Guests:

• Jeff Forester is the executive director of Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Advocates, a nonprofit that represents lake associations and property owners. 
• Jeff Marr is the associate director of engineering and facilities at the University of Minnesota’s St. Anthony Falls Laboratory. He was a lead researcher on a recent study that looked at what happens under the lake surface when different types of recreational boats travel at different speeds.

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Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

Guests:

• John Hinderaker is the president of the Center for the American Experiment, a conservative policy advocacy group based in Minnesota.
• David Schultz is a professor of political science and legal studies at Hamline University.
• Shannon Watson is the executive director of Majority in the Middle, a Minnesota nonprofit that promotes civility in public life.

These are just some of the questions flying around following turmoil at federal health agencies.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has fired the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, laid off workers, overseen changes in COVID-19 vaccine recommendations and replaced the committee that sets broad vaccine guidance for the nation.

Former leaders of the CDC under both Republican and Democratic administrations recently warned that the nation's public health system is a “raging fire” under Kennedy’s leadership.

MPR News guest host Chris Farrell talks with a pediatrician and a professor of public health about what this means for public health in Minnesota and for people just trying to get their fall shots.

Guests:

• Dr. Rebecca Wurtz is a professor in the division of Health Policy & Management at the University of Minnesota. She is also a board-certified infectious disease physician and has worked in public health roles in government and private sector settings.
• Dr. Gigi Chawla is a pediatrician and the chief of general pediatrics at Children's Minnesota.

We often second-guess ourselves: Am I doing this right? Am I messing my kid up forever?

Trust us, you are not alone.

And maybe you’ve heard the term “attachment” thrown around in parenting circles — the deep emotional bond that can form between a child and their primary caregivers.

But what does it really mean? And how does it shape a child’s development?

MPR News guest host Kelly Gordon and early childhood education reporter Kyra Miles talk with a developmental psychologist about how to create parent-child attachment and how to know if we’re getting it right.

MPR News guest host Catherine Richert talks with a pediatrician and a researcher about what we know about what works to prevent gun violence and what steps policymakers might take. 

Guests:

• James Densley is a professor and chair of criminology and criminal justice at Metro State University. He is also co-founder of the Violence Prevention Project Research Center at Hamline University.
• Dr. Marc Gorelick is a retired president and CEO of Children's Minnesota. He is a pediatrician, former pediatric emergency medicine physician and author of “Saving Our Kids: An ER Doc's Common-Sense Solution to the Gun Crisis.” He also serves on the MPR Board of Trustees.

But what happens when the words on the page or screen don’t come easily — when they blur, flip, or just don’t make sense?

For as many as one in five students, that’s the reality of dyslexia. It’s one of the most common learning differences, yet it’s still widely misunderstood.  

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert and her guests will talk about how dyslexia is assessed and how resources and teaching approaches can make reading easier for children and adults with dyslexia.

Guests:

• Liz Adams is a neuropsychologist who owns and manages Minnesota Neuropsychology, which specializes in assessing dyslexia, ADHD and other learning differences in children and adults. 
• Evelyn Haselmann is the CEO of the 20% Club, a dyslexia tutoring center based in White Bear Township, Minn. She also serves as a board member for Decoding Dyslexia Minnesota, an organization that advocates for awareness, teacher training and stronger policies to support students with dyslexia across Minnesota.  

Will my child make friends? Keep up with the schoolwork? And underneath it all — will they be safe? 

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks about the signs and causes of back-to-school anxiety and what parents can do to support their children and teens.

Guests:

• Katie Lingras is an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral science at the University of Minnesota Medical School and a licensed child psychologist with M Health Fairview.
• Amy Klinger is co-founder and director of programs for the Educator's School Safety Network, a non-profit that works with schools nationwide to identify and meet safety needs. She is also a professor of educational administration at Ashland University in Ohio. And she is a former elementary and middle-school principal.

Wednesday morning, a shooting during a worship service at the Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis left two children dead and 17 injured.

We hear about the violence and the investigation, but what often gets less attention is what comes after — the grief, anger, fear and the long and difficult process of healing. 

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with two therapists and a violence prevention researcher about why this kind of loss is so difficult and what communities can do to support each other.

Guests:

• LaReesa Hooper is a therapist and founder of Therapeace Counseling in St. Paul. She is a licensed marriage and family therapist and licensed alcohol and drug counselor. 
• Jillian Peterson is a professor of criminology and criminal justice at Hamline University, director of their forensic psychology program, and executive director of the Violence Prevention Project Research Center at Hamline University.
• Shanelle Wenell is a licensed marriage and family therapist with Therapeace Counseling in St. Paul. She is a licensed associate marriage and family therapist, specializing in helping people heal from trauma, including neglect and abuse as children.

As teachers kick off the new school year, they may ask themselves, “Will I be able to reach that one struggling student? Will I make the difference they need?”

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with a former secretary of the U.S. Department of Education who says teachers saved his life.

Join Angela when she talks with John B. King Jr., who says the best teachers didn't just teach him subjects — they taught him that he mattered, that his voice had value and that his dreams were worth pursuing.

Guest:

• John B. King Jr. is the chancellor of the State University of New York. He was secretary of the U.S. Department of Education during President Barack Obama’s administration. He has been a high school social studies teacher, a middle school principal and a college professor. He served as New York State Education Commissioner and was the president and CEO of the Education Trust, a national education civil rights organization. And he is the author of "Teacher By Teacher: The People Who Change Our Lives.”

Infant care in the state averages nearly $1,900 a month — that's more than most families pay for a mortgage and is more than the cost of in-state tuition at some public colleges. 

And Minnesota isn’t alone. In more than 40 states, parents say child care is the single biggest expense in their households. 

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with leaders in early childhood education and child care policy to help us understand what’s behind these rising costs and what families are doing to make it work. 

Guests:

• Angela Clair is the director of early childhood services for the Wilder Child Development Center in St. Paul, an early childhood facility that provides care, education and family support to families across the Twin Cities. 
• Clare Sanford serves as Government Relations Chair on the board of the Minnesota Child Care Association. She is also vice president of government & community relations for New Horizon Academy, a family-owned, Minnesota-based child care provider.    

Here are some more resources that were mentioned during the show:

• Kids Count on Us Coalition
• Kids Count on Us Newsletter Sign Up

Because you’re a thoughtful guest, you ask, “What can I bring?” And then you freeze. You wonder what you can pull off that everyone will love and will disappear from the table first.

So, what will you bring?

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with a cookbook author who shares recipes designed to travel well, taste amazing and win you the title of ‘best guest ever.’

Guest:

• Casey Elsass is a food writer, recipe developer and cookbook author whose writing has appeared on Tasty, Epicurious, Food Network Kitchen, Delish, and Food52. His first solo cookbook is “What Can I Bring? Recipes to Help You Live Your Guest Life.” 

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

Well, you aren’t alone. 

More people are looking for ways to step back from constant notifications, endless scrolling and that feeling of always being “on.”  

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with two experts about digital detoxing — what it means, why it’s so hard to unplug and how taking a break from our screens can help us feel more present, focused and connected.

Guests:  

• Erin Walsh is the co-founder of the Spark & Stitch Institute, a Minneapolis-based organization that helps families, schools and communities navigate the connection between child development, technology and relationships. She is also the author of “It’s Their World: Teens, Screens, and the Science of Adolescence.”  
• Tyler Rice is the co-founder and CEO of the Digital Wellness Institute, an educational and training organization that helps people and organizations build more mindful and balanced relationships with technology. He is also the author of “Tactical Disconnection,” a book about rethinking how we use technology in our daily lives. 

Every generation has its own way of speaking, but Gen Z slang is unique. Influenced heavily by social media trends, it’s shaped by internet culture and can spread at lightning speed. 

MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests break it all down. Where does this generation’s slang come from? What does it say about how young people connect, express themselves and even challenge the way we use language?

Guests:  

• Tish Jones is a poet, emcee and hip-hop theater artist from St. Paul. She’s the founder and executive director of TruArtSpeaks, a St. Paul arts and culture organization that provides mentorships, workshops and other opportunities for artists and art leaders.
• Alayo Tripp is a linguist and cognitive scientist studying language development. They are also an assistant professor of computational language science at the University of Florida. 

Was there any slang you’re curious about that we missed in the show? Check out the list below for more words and phrases.

• 100 Current Slang Terms Teens and Gen Z Use Daily

Ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft have been growing at breakneck speed.

But the fast growth — and increased focus on profits — has changed the experience for some drivers and riders. It’s also prompted some states, including Minnesota, to pass minimum wage guarantees for drivers.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with her guests about how rideshare works and how it’s changing.

Guests:  

• Sergio Avedian is senior contributor for The Rideshare Guy, a driver advocacy blog and YouTube channel. He drives for multiple ridesharing and food delivery services in Los Angeles.
• Said Mohamed has been a rideshare driver for nine years and is a former taxi driver. Since moving to the Twin Cities from southern California three years ago, he’s driven over 11,000 rides. He’s also an organizer for SEIU Local 26, a union that wants to represent rideshare drivers.

We’ve got the inside scoop on why the Guthrie’s “Cabaret” is getting rave reviews. Also, as “The Great Gatsby” turns 100, why is this novel with Minnesota roots worth another read?

Plus, we’ll tell you about the Culinary North Stars that are pushing the boundaries of the Twin Cities’ dining scene.

Read more about the Culinary North Stars, Gatsby’s centennial, Gatsby remixes and the Guthrie’s production of “Cabaret”.

This week our guests are taste editor Nicole Hvidsten, general assignment reporter Zoë Jackson, interim books editor Chris Hewitt, theater critic Rohan Preston and digital food and culture producer Abby Sliva.

To support “Worth It” and the important work of the Minnesota Star Tribune, subscribe today by visiting Startribune.com/WorthItToSubscribe.

Stay up to date with the Minnesota Star Tribune at @startribune on TikTok, Bluesky, X, Facebook, and Instagram. Lemonada Media is on X, Facebook and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

Across Minnesota, thousands of volunteers are showing up every day — to stock food shelves, tutor students, plant community gardens, organize donation drives and more.

And the way we serve is changing.

Today, it’s easier than ever to sign up for one-time events, find projects that line up with your skills or passions and even volunteer virtually from your computer.  

MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about why volunteering matters, how it strengthens communities and how you can find opportunities that fit your interests and schedule.

Guests:

• Niila Herbert is the executive director of the Minnesota Alliance for Volunteer Advancement.
• Melissa Wilson is the senior director of engagement at Greater Twin Cities United Way. She leads the United Way’s Volunteer United program, which promotes volunteer opportunities and events.  

Maybe it’s time to think about how you manage your time.

MPR News Host Angela Davis talks with her guests about how to reflect, set priorities, plan and create new habits so you can spend more time on what matters.

Guests:

• Theresa Glomb is a professor of organizational behavior and chair of the Work and Organizations Department in the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. She researches and speaks about how small changes at work can improve performance, meaning and well-being.  
• Anna Dearmon Kornick is a time management coach and public speaker based in New Orleans. Her podcast “It’s About Time” has been downloaded nearly 1 million times since it was launched in 2019. She’s also the author of “Time Management Essentials: The Tools You Need to Maximize Your Attention, Energy and Productivity.”  

Most Americans — 83 percent of U.S. adults — use streaming services, according to the Pew Research Center.

Social media is competing with traditional outlets for our attention and trust.  

And mergers are reshaping who creates, distributes and profits from the content we watch, read and listen to.  

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with a media analyst and a pop culture critic about how technology, business and culture are transforming the media landscape and what it means.

Guests:

• Eric Deggans is TV critic, media analyst and guest host at National Public Radio. Next month, he begins teaching as the Knight Professor of Journalism and Media Ethics at Washington and Lee University in Virginia. His book on how media outlets use racial issues to draw audiences is “Race-Baiter: How the Media Wields Dangerous Words to Divide a Nation.”
• Neal Justin is the pop culture critic for the Minnesota Star Tribune. He is also an adjunct instructor at the University of St. Thomas. 

A federal tax credit that lowers the cost of EVs is set to expire at the end of September — much earlier than planned. The change is part of President Donald Trump’s major tax and spending bill, which eliminated several incentives for electric vehicles. 

EVs have come a long way in the last few years. They made up nearly 8 percent of new cars sold last year in Minnesota and more than 100 electric vehicle models are now for sale in the U.S. (A side-by-side comparison of models can be found here.)

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with her guests about how public funding changes could affect the shift to electric, if now is a good time to swap the pump for a plug, and how far you can really go on a charge.

Guests:

• Jukka Kukkonen is the founder of Shift2Electric, a Minnesota-based electric vehicle consulting and training company. He’s also an instructor at the University of St. Thomas where he teaches courses about the EV market and technologies.  
• Katelyn Bocklund is the facilitator of Drive Electric Minnesota, a coalition that works to make electric vehicles more mainstream and easier to use in Minnesota. She’s also a senior program manager of transportation at the nonprofit policy organization Great Plains Institute.   

The sidelines have become a source of frequent criticism, confrontations and stress — driving some coaches and officials to walk away from the game entirely. 

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with two coaches about how they set expectations for parents, players, and fellow coaches — and what it takes to cool down when behavior off the field gets too heated. 

Guests:

• Hisham Sorour is the director of coaching and player development for Mankato United Soccer Club, which has teams for players who are 5 to 18 years old.
• Russ Turner is the director of The Training Institute at People Incorporated Mental Health Services. He is the head coach for boys’ soccer at Cretin Durham-Hall High School, and a boys and girls coach at St. Paul Blackhawks Soccer Club.   

A caller recommended the book, “My Mom Thinks She's My Volleyball Coach… But She's Not!” by Julia Cook.

About one in 10 kids live with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and among 14-year-old boys, that number jumps to nearly one in five.

The commonly prescribed medications can make a big difference in behavior and self-esteem, but they don’t always lead to better learning or performance in school.

So, what are we getting right — and wrong — about ADHD?

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with a journalist and a pediatrician about how researchers and clinicians are changing how they think about and treat ADHD.  

And we want to hear from you, too.

Does your child have a diagnosis of ADHD or were you diagnosed when you were young? What is your experience with stimulant medications? What else helps you manage symptoms?

Guests:

• Lauren Girard has been a kindergarten teacher for 15 years. She teaches at Overland Elementary School in Rochester, Minn. She is also the parent of a child born during the early months of the pandemic.
• Lelandra Ross is a lead specialist in early childhood education at Bruce Vento Elementary School in St. Paul, Minn. She works with staff and parents to support early childhood family education, early childhood special education, three-year-old Head Start and pre-kindergarten programming. She has also been a pre-K teacher.

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.     

From writing emails to screening job applications, AI tools are showing up in offices, warehouses and other workplaces. 

But are employers ready? How are they setting expectations and drawing ethical lines around using this powerful technology? 

MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about the growing role of AI across different industries and how organizations are responding.

Guests:

• James Holmberg is the co-founder of VILAS, an organization focused on helping businesses understand, navigate and explore using artificial intelligence. 
• Eran Kahana is an attorney for Maslon LLP, a business law firm based in Minneapolis. He specializes in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, privacy and intellectual property law. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota Law School.  
• Chris Farrell is the senior economics contributor for MPR News and Marketplace. 

Guests:

• Junauda Petrus is the poet laureate for the city of Minneapolis. She is an author, playwright, filmmaker and co-founder of the experimental artist collective, Free Black Dirt. She is the author of the Coretta Scott King Award-winning young adult novel, “The Stars and the Blackness Between Them,” and the children’s book, “Can We Please Give the Police Department to the Grandmothers?” 
• Tish Jones is a poet, performer and educator in St. Paul. She’s also the founder and executive director of TruArtSpeaks. 

The numbers back it up. A Pew Research study found that nearly half of Americans say dating is harder than it was a decade ago.

So, what’s changed? Why is dating so difficult for so many people?

Dating apps have transformed how we can meet, but it’s not clear if they are helping or hurting. In the 1990s, nearly 20 percent of couples met in a bar or restaurant. Today that number is down to just 8 percent.

MPR News host Angela Davis revisits a conversation she had earlier this year with a dating coach and a therapist to help break down the challenges of modern dating — and provide some advice for what you can do to make it easier.

Guests:

• Deanna Pelley is a public speaker, podcaster and mental health therapist with Emerge Therapy based in Minneapolis.
• Alex Merritt is a Minneapolis-based dating coach, known as the “Love Engineer.” Alex leads relationship workshops and does one-on-one advising on how to find love.  

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. 

Here in Minnesota, one radio station has been keeping that spirit alive for more than 50 years — Jazz88 (KBEM-FM).

Launched in 1970 as part of Minneapolis Public Schools, Jazz88 has been a hub for jazz lovers, educators and musicians, introducing generations to a timeless genre while adapting to changing times. 

MPR News host Angela Davis revisits a conversation she had earlier this year with some of the voices behind Jazz88, as well as a musician who performs around the Twin Cities. They explored the station’s impact, its evolution and the artists shaping jazz.  

Guests:

• Sean McPherson is the music director and afternoon host of Jazz88 (KBEM-FM). Previously he was an on-air host for The Current, Minnesota Public Radio’s alternative music station.  
• Emmanuel Hill is the executive producer of MPS Voices, a Jazz88 livestream focused on broadcasting student voices in Minneapolis Public Schools.  
• Eli Awada is a Twin Cities musician, pianist and keyboardist for the jazz collective Room3.

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.
Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. 

Her husband, Aric Putnam, is a DFL state senator, representing District 14, which includes St. Cloud. 

Together, they’re navigating politics, education, family life and the challenges of leading in the public eye.

MPR News host Angela Davis continues her Power Pairs series with a conversation about how they support each other and why they picked careers that serve their community.

Guests:

• Laurie Putnam is the superintendent of St. Cloud Public Schools.  
• Aric Putnam is a DFL state senator representing District 14, which includes St. Cloud and surrounding communities. 

Check out Angela’s previous Power Pair conversations.  

Do you know a Power Pair?

We’d love to hear your ideas for Power Pairs to interview. Send us your suggestions.

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

The changes to Medicaid are estimated to result in nearly 10 million more people going without health insurance by 2034, according to the Congressional Budget Office.  

Medicaid is the public insurance program that covers most health care and long-term care for 83 million low-income and disabled people in the United States. Nearly a quarter of Minnesota’s residents are on the state’s Medicaid program, which is known as Medical Assistance. 

MPR News host Angela Davis talks about what this means for Minnesotans, including new work requirements and restrictions that will reduce funding for the program.  

Guests:

• John Connolly is deputy commissioner and state Medicaid director for the Minnesota Department of Human Services.   
• Sue Abderholden is the executive director of NAMI Minnesota, the Minnesota chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

He helped shape content at Google and YouTube, led Minnesota’s Department of Employment and Economic Development, and now serves as publisher and CEO of the Star Tribune. 

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with Grove about the future of media, the role of public service, the influence of technology and what it means to come home to the Midwest.

Guest:

• Steve Grove is the CEO and publisher of the Minnesota Star Tribune. He was commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development during Governor Tim Walz’s first term. Before moving back to his home state, Steve built a career in Silicon Valley as an executive at Google and YouTube. He is the co-founder of Silicon North Stars — a nonprofit he started with his wife, Mary — to educate and inspire young Minnesotans to pursue careers in technology. He is also the author of the new book, "How I Found Myself in the Midwest." 

More older Americans are entering retirement weighed down with debt in the form of mortgages, credit card balances, medical bills and even student loans.  

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with guests about what’s behind the trend of rising debt in retirement, what lies ahead and ideas for tackling it.

Guests:

• Chris Farrell is the senior economics contributor at MPR News and Marketplace and author of the recent 12-part series on Marketplace and Next Avenue, Buy Now, Pay Later, about the debt burden of older Americans nearing and during retirement.
• Henry Rucker is associate director of Homeownership and Financial Coaching at Project for Pride in Living, a Minneapolis nonprofit organization that focuses on affordable housing and career readiness for low-income households.  

Some community leaders began asking: How do we make real, lasting change — especially when it comes to racial and economic justice? 

That question sparked the creation of the Groundbreak Coalition — a multibillion-dollar effort to close the racial wealth gap by rethinking how we invest in homes, businesses, and communities. 

Listen to a conversation moderated by MPR News host Angela Davis about how a moment of crisis inspired a long-term strategy to build Black wealth — and why economic justice is essential to racial justice. 

The discussion was recorded at a national conference in Minneapolis organized by the Council on Foundations.

Panelists:

• Tonya Allen is president of the McKnight Foundation whose leadership has helped shape a philanthropic vision rooted in equity and systemic change. She is also the chair of the Groundbreak Coalition. 
• R.T. Rybak is the CEO of the Minneapolis Foundation and former mayor of Minneapolis. 
• David Mortenson is the chairman of M.A. Mortenson Company — one of the nation’s leading construction and real estate development firms. He also serves on the board of directors for the Mortenson Family Foundation. 

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.     
Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.     

Whether it’s going on a walk down a tree-lined street, splashing in a lake or just eating outside with a view of a garden, spending time in a natural setting can boost our mood.  

And that’s not all.

Growing research shows that spending time in nature can lower blood pressure, improve attention and reduce symptoms of ADHD, prevent near sightedness and strengthen the immune system.

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with a health researcher and the director of a nature center about the healing power of the outdoors and ways to incorporate more nature into your summer.

Guests:

• Cathy Jordan is a pediatric neuropsychologist and a professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School. Her research interests focus on how environments, especially natural environments, shape children’s physical and mental development and health. She is also a consulting research director for the Children & Nature Network based in St. Paul.
• Colleen Foehrenbacher is the executive director of Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center in Lanesboro. The center is situated in 250 acres of restored prairie and mixed hardwood forest and runs a nature-based preschool, field trips for and other outdoor education programs for children, families and adults.  

That raises some big questions for parents. How do we talk to our kids about what’s going on without passing along fear or cynicism? How do we raise thoughtful, respectful people amid divisive rhetoric?

MPR News host Catharine Richert and her guests explore how parents can talk with their kids about politics without anger, divisive rhetoric and polarization. 

Guests:  

• Lindsay Cormack is an associate professor of political science at the Stevens Institute of Technology. She is also the author of, “How to Raise a Citizen (And Why it’s Up to You to Do It)”  
• Bill Doherty is a professor emeritus in the Department of Family Social Science at the University of Minnesota. He is also co-founder of Braver Angels, a nonprofit that seeks to restore trust, respect and goodwill in American politics.

For many millennials and Gen Z, it’s not about watching the 6 o’clock news or reading the headlines in the Sunday paper. 

Instead, it might be watching a quick video on TikTok, spotting a trending post on Instagram or listening to a favorite podcast on a commute. 

MPR News host Catharine Richert and her guests talk about what’s shaping the way young people stay informed, what holds their attention, what doesn’t, and why it matters for the future. 

Guests:

• Anne Guttridge is a video producer for MPR News and part of Reverb — an MPR News initiative and reporting team focused on serving younger Minnesotans.
• Olivia Cordova Kramer is a high school student at the Breck School in Golden Valley. She was a newsroom intern at the Minnesota Star Tribune.

If you’re wondering, “Why now? Why so many projects all at once?” — you’re not alone. 

MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests take a closer look at what’s behind this busy construction season. 

Guests:

• Anne Meyer is the media relations coordinator for the Minnesota Department of Transportation.  
• Charles Carlson is with the Metropolitan Council. He serves as the executive director of Metropolitan Transportation Services. 

Whether it's for health, mental clarity or out of just plain curiosity, more people are choosing to rethink why they drink alcohol.

MPR News host Angela Davis explores what it means to be “sober curious.”

Guests:

• Alexandra Zauner is the owner of Lucille’s Bottle Shop, a St. Paul business that sells non-alcoholic drinks and organizes alcohol-free events for the sober and “sober curious.” 
• Alyssa Heim stopped drinking five years ago at age 25 and now runs the Instagram page talkthemock where she shares non-alcoholic drink recipes and promotes a sober lifestyle.  

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with three children’s book authors for recommendations on great books to read this summer to keep kids’ reading skills up and their imaginations alive.

Guests:

• Shannon Gibney is an author and professor of English at Minneapolis College. The children’s books she’s written include “Sam and the Incredible African and American Food Fight” and “We Miss You, George Floyd.” She is also the co-author of “Where We Come From.” And she’s written novels and young adult fiction, including “The Girl I Am, Was, and Never Will Be: A Speculative Memoir of Transracial Adoption,” “See No Color” and “Dream Country,” both of which won Minnesota Book Awards. 
• Jessie Taken Alive-Rencountre is a Hunkpapa Lakota from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. She was a school counselor for 15 years and now works full time as an author and presenter. She received the Great Plains Emerging Tribal Writer’s Award for her first children’s book, “Pet’a Shows Misun the Light.” And she is the author of six other children’s books, including “Thunder’s Hair” and “We Are All Related.” 
• Sarah Warren is an award-winning children's book author who worked as an early childhood educator for over 17 years. Her picture books include “Beyoncé: Shine Your Light,” “Stacey Abrams: Lift Every Voice,” “Everything a Drum” and “Dolores Huerta: A Hero to Migrant Workers.” Sarah is also co-founder of Picture Book Parade, an organization that promotes literacy and diverse local authors.

Angela’s guests and listeners recommended some of their favorite books: 

“Baby Monkey Private Eye” by Brian Selznick and David Serlin  

“Llama Llama book series” by Anna Dewdney 

“The $66 Summer” by John Armistead 

“Humphrey Series” by Betty G. Birney 

“Where the Red Fern Grows” by Wilson Rawls 

“Time of Wonder” and “Blueberries for Sal” by Robert McCloskey 

“Go, Dog. Go!“ by P.D. Eastman

“Where the Wild Things Are“ by Maurice Sendak

“Sisters,” “Smile,“ “Guts,“ graphic novels by Raina Telgemeier 

“How Full Is Your Bucket“ by Tom Rath and Mary Reckmeyer 

“The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir“ and children’s books by Kao Kalia Yang 

“Click Clack Moo“ by Doreen Cronin 

“Charlotte’s Web“ by E.B. White

“One Little Lot: The 1-2-3s of an Urban Garden“ by Diane C. Mullen 

Mindy Kim Book Series by Lyla Lee 

“Front Desk“ by Kelly Yang 

“Looking for Lucy“ by Emrys Current 

“The Rithmatist“ by Brandon Sanderson 

The national unemployment rate among people age 22 to 27 with a degree is almost 6 percent, which is the highest it’s been since the pandemic. Joblessness among young workers is also worse than the overall unemployment rate of around 4 percent. And, many young graduates are working in jobs that do not require a college degree.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks about reasons why the job market is particularly hard right now for recent grads and what it takes to get a job if you’re new to the workforce.

Guests:

• Katie Jolicoeur is director of Career Services at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
• Chris Farrell is a senior economics contributor for MPR News and Marketplace.  

And whether you’re a seasoned “birder” or a curious newcomer, birdwatching is an increasingly popular way to connect with nature.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with Sharon Stiteler, also known as “the Birdchick,” about summer birdwatching — what to look for, where to go, and why this season is more active than you might think.

Guest:

Sharon Stiteler, also known as “the Birdchick,” fell in love with birds at age seven when someone gave her a Peterson Field Guide to Birds. She’s now an avid bird watcher and author of several books, including “North American Bird Watching for Beginners: Field Notes on 150 Species to Start Your Birding Adventures.” 

For more information about birding, Sharon recommends allaboutbirds.org. A good resource for younger birders is mybirdclub.org.

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. 

Listen to a conversation hosted by MPR News host Angela Davis about barriers to mental health care. Three women who lead Minnesota nonprofits talk about mental health needs in communities and families, the disparities in mental health care systems and how resources can support people.

The discussion was recorded on May 28 at an event at the Ameriprise Financial Headquarters in Minneapolis that was organized by CHC: Creating Healthier Communities, a national nonprofit based in Alexandria, Virginia, in partnership with UCare and Medica Foundation.

Panelists:

• Kimberly Spates is the chief executive officer of NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center, a federally qualified health center serving residents in North Minneapolis and Hennepin County.
• Sue Abderholden has served as executive director for NAMI Minnesota (National Alliance on Mental Illness) since 2001. She is also a community faculty member for the University of Minnesota School of Social Work where she teaches health and mental health policy.  
• Jessica Gourneau is the clinical director at the American Indian Family Center in St. Paul, where she oversees mental health, chemical dependency, and women’s health programming. She is a doctorate-level psychologist and an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa.   

Sometimes it starts with a small business. Sometimes, with a personal passion — and sometimes, with a gym. 

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with Dalton Outlaw — someone who combined all three. He’s an entrepreneur, a boxer and a community leader based in the Rondo neighborhood of St. Paul. 

Guest:

• Dalton Outlaw is an entrepreneur, boxer and community leader based in St. Paul, Minnesota. He is the founder and owner of Element Gym, a fitness facility that combines boxing, fitness, and community engagement. 

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.     

But what’s cooking behind the scenes? It’s a never-ending dance of balancing budgets, managing people, and surviving the pressure of every customer, every order, and every shift.  

MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about what it takes to start and manage a restaurant — and keep it open. 

Guests:

• Stephanie Shimp is the president and founder of Blue Plate Restaurant Company, which owns nine restaurants including Highland Grill, The Lowry and The Blue Barn at the Minnesota State Fair. 
• Joy Summers is a food and drink reporter for the Minnesota Star Tribune.  
• Chris Farrell is a senior economics contributor for MPR News and Marketplace. 

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.      

It's a reminder that Black music has been at the heart of almost every sound we know and love, including jazz, blues, rock, R&B, gospel, hip hop and even country. 

And in Minnesota, we’ve felt the impact — from the legacy of Prince to the Grammy Award-winning Sounds of Blackness. 

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with Gary Hines, the founder of Sounds of Blackness, about the history and influence of Black artists across all musical genres.

Guests:

• Gary Hines is the founder, music director and producer of Sounds of Blackness, a Grammy Award-winning vocal and instrumental group from Minnesota that blends gospel, R&B, soul and jazz music.   

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.   

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.  

Sugar is added to everything from breakfast cereals and flavored coffee creamers to salad dressings and pasta sauces.

And all of that sugar can add up. Americans consume an average of 17 teaspoons of sugar a day with some estimates as high as 34 teaspoons a day. That's about three times the daily limit recommended by the American Heart Association.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently said, “Sugar is poison,” and recommends that Americans consume “zero” added sugar.

So how much is too much? MPR News host Angela Davis talks with a doctor and a dietitian about what sugar does to our bodies and ways to cut back to improve our health.  

Guests:

• Dr. Allison Estrada is an endocrinologist at Hennepin HealthCare.    
• Alex Larson is a registered dietitian nutritionist based near Duluth.  

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.   

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.     

MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about the latest developments in the conflict between Iran, Israel and the United States.

Guests:

• Shaherzad Ahmadi is an associate professor of history at the University of St. Thomas. Her research has focused on the history of the Iran-Iraq War that began in 1980. She is also the author of “Bordering on War.”
• Eric Schwartz is a professor and chair of the global policy area and former dean of the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. He is a former president of Refugees International and served as assistant secretary of state under President Barack Obama.

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. 

MPR News host Angela Davis will talk with two immigration attorneys about how Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials are trying to fulfill President Trump’s pledge of mass deportations.

Guests:

• Alexis Dutt is a senior attorney at Karam Law, a Twin Cities law firm that focuses on immigration law.
• Hanne Sandison is the director of immigration legal services for Advocates for Human Rights, a nonprofit based in Minneapolis dedicated to promoting and protecting human rights. 
• Chris Farrell is a senior economics contributor for MPR News and Marketplace. 

Resources shared during the conversation:

U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services

Self-help materials: LawHelpMN.org

Find a free or low-cost lawyer: ImmigrationLawHelp.org

The Advocates for Human Rights: Get Help or Become a Client

After becoming a federal holiday in 2021, broader community celebrations began in cities around the country, including the Minnesota Orchestra’s annual Juneteenth concert tonight at Orchestra Hall in downtown Minneapolis.

MPR News host Angela Davis talked with the guest conductor of the Juneteenth concert and one of its organizers about the contributions of Black American composers and how classical music is being shaped by Black American music traditions, including gospel, jazz and the blues.

Tickets to the 7 p.m. concert were still available as of Thursday morning. The concert will also stream live on YourClassical MPR with host Melissa Ousley.

Guests:   

• Jonathan Taylor Rush returns to guest conduct this year’s Juneteenth concert with the Minnesota Orchestra after conducting the concert in 2024. Now based in North Carolina, Taylor Rush was associate conductor of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra from 2020 to 2023 and is in demand as a guest conductor around the world.  

• Grant Meachum is director of the Minnesota Orchestra’s Live at Orchestra Hall season, which includes the Juneteenth concert and more than twenty other special programs every year featuring film presentations, holiday celebrations and collaborations with popular artists.

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.  

Guests:

• Rabbi Marcia Zimmerman is the senior rabbi at Temple Israel in Minneapolis.  
• Fiyyaz Karim is co-director of graduate studies and a senior lecturer who teaches addiction counseling and integrated behavioral health at the University of Minnesota. 

Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson said more than 45 Minnesota state and federal officials were on Boelter’s target list — all of them Democrats.

The shootings are part of a string of high-profile political violence across the country in recent years.

MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about the rise in sharp polarization in the U.S. and the threat of political violence. 

Guests:  

• Lilliana Mason is a professor of political science at Johns Hopkins University. She is the author of “Uncivil Agreement: How Politics Became Our Identity.” And she is the co-author of “Radical American Partisanship: Mapping Violent Hostility, Its Causes, and the Consequences for Democracy.” 
• Kathryn Pearson is a professor of political science at the University of Minnesota. She is also the associate dean of undergraduate education and the director of the University Honors Program.

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.     

MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about how halting interviews for new student visa applications and banning travel from some countries could affect higher education in Minnesota. 

Guests:

• Shahzad Ahmad is associate vice president for global and multicultural engagement at St. Cloud State University. 
• Scott Olson is the chancellor of Minnesota State — the fourth largest system of state colleges and universities in the U.S. and the largest in Minnesota. He was president of Winona State University from 2012–2023. Before that, he was provost and vice president for academic and student affairs at Minnesota State University Mankato. 

But weight training can be a powerful tool for long-term health — helping strengthen your bones and improve your balance and mental well-being.  

MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about how weight training can boost your health — physically and mentally — at any age. 

Guests:

• Angela Nguyen is a certified mobility, strength and nutrition coach for American Strength Training Center in Maplewood, Minn. She is also a three-time bodybuilding “posing and presentation” winner.  
• Hegel Brandes is the manager of outpatient occupational therapy and physical therapy rehabilitation services for Hennepin Healthcare. He oversees physical therapists who create exercise treatment plans to help people recover from injuries.

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.     

President Trump started his term with a flurry of executive orders. In response, many state attorneys general, often working together, filed their own barrage of federal lawsuits to put the brakes on what the president is trying to do.  

In January, 22 states and the District of Columbia challenged an executive order to freeze federal funding. In February, attorneys general from three states, including Minnesota, sued to stop a presidential order that would have restricted health care for transgender youth. In April, a dozen states sued to halt many of the tariffs that President Trump imposed without approval from Congress.  

And on Tuesday, California state officials continued to push back on President Trump’s decision to deploy Marines and state National Guard troops to immigration protests in Los Angeles.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison about why he thinks President Trump is stepping over the legal limits of the constitution. New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin joins them later in the hour.

Guests:

• Keith Ellison has served as Minnesota’s attorney general since January 2019. Before that, he spent 12 years representing Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
• Matthew Platkin was appointed as New Jersey’s attorney general in 2022. He has also worked in private practice and served as chief counsel to New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy.

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.     

Guests:

• Jessie Carr is the supervisor of environmental epidemiology in the environmental health division of the Minnesota Department of Health. 
• Matt Taraldsen is a meteorologist and supervisor of the team that issues air quality conditions, alerts and forecasts at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.   
• Dr. Dylan Wyatt is an emergency medicine physician with Aspirus St. Luke’s health care system in Duluth.

AirNow.gov allows you to check current air quality conditions. You can also download the AirNow mobile app and sign up to receive air quality alerts and forecasts via email.

MPCA current air quality conditions: Current air quality conditions | Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (state.mn.us)

MDH air quality and health website: Air Quality, Climate and Health

MDH Wildfire Smoke web page: Wildfire Smoke - MN Dept. of Health (state.mn.us)

Minnesota Outdoor Air Quality Guidance for Schools and Child Care

DIY Air Cleaner to Reduce Wildfire Smoke Indoors

Guests:

• Daniel Bergin is a filmmaker, executive producer and director of history at Twin Cities PBS, where he was hired more than 30 years ago as a production assistant. He has won more than 20 regional Emmy Awards for his films covering diverse topics rooted in Minnesota history, including “Jim Crow of the North,” “North Star: Minnesota’s Black Pioneers,” and “Out North: MNLGBTQ History.” 
• Lea B. Olsen is a veteran TV analyst covering her 15th season with the Minnesota Lynx and is a sideline reporter for the Minnesota Timberwolves. She also covers both the boys’ and girls’ state high school basketball tournaments. Beyond the court, Lea is a professional speaker and the founder of Rethink the Win — a platform that challenges athletes, coaches and parents to see sports as a powerful tool for growth, connection and lifelong impact.

Check out Angela’s previous Power Pair conversations.  

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Researchers continue to search for ways to prevent and treat it. And last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a blood test to help diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. 

MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about the latest research and how to support people who live with dementia and their caregivers.

Guests:

• Dr. Dongming Cai is a professor of neurology and director of the Center for Memory Research and Care at the University of Minnesota. 
• Jenna Fink is the associate director for community services at the Minnesota — North Dakota Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association. 

The Alzheimer’s Association’s 24/7 Helpline is 800-272-3900.   

The association’s Minnesota-North Dakota chapter also provides local, no-cost education classes and support groups for people with dementia and their caregivers.

Dementia Friends Minnesota offers sessions to help people understand dementia and find out how to make communities dementia friendly.

Maybe you're growing tomatoes on the back deck or trying to fill your yard with vibrant flowers. Or maybe you’re just trying to stay one step ahead of those pesky weeds. 

Whatever your gardening goals, summer is the season when gardens can really shine — or struggle. 

MPR News host Angela Davis talks about what grows well in our region, how to time plantings, how to fix common garden problems and how to keep your soil — and your plants — in good shape all summer long.  

Guests:

• Catherine Grant is a horticulturalist who manages the greenhouses, medicinal garden and pollinator habitat for the Department of Biology at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul.  

•  Laura Irish-Hanson is a horticulture educator with the University of Minnesota Extension. She works primarily out of the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska.  

  
  
  
  

  Here’s a list of resources that were discussed on the show:

• University of Minnesota Soil Testing laboratory
• University of Minnesota Extension

• “Hort Shorts” created by UMN Extension

  
  
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nY7GaPXLa0w&list=PLyMOSdo2sM9tCmiTBa19yapMRxPL-04Eb&index=4
  
  
  
  

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.   

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.     

But now, five years after the pandemic, the great experiment of remote work is shaking out. More employers are calling workers back to the office. On Monday, tens of thousands of state employees who had been working remotely are required to return to work in person at least 50 percent of the time, complying with a return-to-office order from Gov. Tim Walz.

Some private companies, such as 3M and Medtronic, also are dialing back their work-from-home policies and President Donald Trump has sought to end remote work for federal workers.

MPR News host Angela Davis discusses what we’ve learned about remote work — when it works and when it doesn’t — and what its future might be.

Guests:

• Chris Farrell is a senior economics contributor for MPR News and Marketplace.  
• Colleen Flaherty Manchester is a professor and faculty director of the Center for Human Resources and Labor Studies in the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. She studies flexible work and other benefits and programs offered by employers. 

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.   

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.     

Enrollment is up a bit this year, but the small increase follows years of decline. The district faces a budget shortfall, has already made deep cuts and plans to ask voters this fall to approve a tax increase to support schools.  

At the same time, student performance is stuck where it was before the pandemic and proposals from President Donald Trump and from Republicans in Congress would reduce support for public education.   

MPR News host Angela Davis talks about the challenges facing public education with St. Paul’s new superintendent, Stacie Stanley.  

Guest:

• Stacie Stanley is the superintendent of St. Paul Public Schools, the second largest school district in Minnesota. Prior to joining the district in May, she served three years as the superintendent of Edina Public Schools, as associate superintendent in Eden Prairie Schools and on the leadership team in the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District. She’s been a classroom teacher, curriculum math specialist and a principal. She graduated from St. Paul’s Central High School.

One issue that will be debated as it moves to the Senate is the bill’s significant changes to Medicaid.  

Medicaid is the public insurance program that covers most health care and long-term care for 83 million low-income and disabled people in the U.S. 

In Minnesota, about a quarter of the population is on the state’s Medicaid program, which is known as Medical Assistance. 

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with a physician and a health policy researcher about what the proposed changes to Medicaid could mean for Minnesotans.  

 Guests:

• Lynn Blewett is a professor of health policy in the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota. She is also the director of the State Health Access Data Assistance Center, a health policy research center with a focus on state policy. 

• Dr. Tyler Winkelman is a primary care physician and researcher who directs the division of general internal medicine at Hennepin Healthcare. He is also the co-director of the Health, Homelessness, and Criminal Justice Lab. 

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. 

He died on Memorial Day after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for more than 9 minutes during an arrest.  

What followed was chaos and many uncomfortable conversations about race. 

In 2021, MPR launched a podcast called Early Risers to help parents talk to kids about race.

It was created in partnership with Little Moments Count, which is a collaborative of organizations working to improve interactions between parents and their children. 

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with the original host of the Early Risers podcast, Dianne Haulcy, and the current host, Andre Dukes.  

She asked them how it’s going, and if we have made progress in engaging children in conversations about race.

Guests:

• Dianne Haulcy hosted Early Risers until 2024. She is now the assistant commissioner of early childhood at the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families. 
• Andre Dukes is the current host of Early Risers. He has spent the last decade of his career focused on child development and academic success in north Minneapolis. He is also the vice president of Family and Community Impact at Northside Achievement Zone, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit. 

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS. 

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.      

But for the Black community in Minneapolis, Floyd’s murder was just a chapter in a much longer story.

Long before 2020, people had been organizing, creating and demanding change.

Certainly, in the immediate aftermath of Floyd’s death and Chauvin’s 2021 conviction, progress was made. Businesses and institutions promised to invest in racial equity, to develop new community practices, to reckon with systems of harm.

But in the neighborhood where Floyd lived and died, has that change taken root?

That was the question at the center of a North Star Journey Live event hosted by MPR News host Angela Davis earlier this month. On May 6, a cross section of Black community leaders came together at Pillsbury House Theatre to talk about real change, deep healing and defiant hope. The conversation was candid, often surprising and ultimately inspiring.

Panelists:

• Angela Harrelson, George Floyd’s aunt and registered nurse
• Anthony Taylor, community development lead for the Cultural Wellness Center and outdoor educator-activist
• Jeanelle Austin, founder of the Racial Agency Initiative and a board member for the George Floyd Global Memorial
• Jerome Richardson, cofounder of the youth-led Minnesota Teen Activists
• Signe Harriday, artistic producing director at Pillsbury House + Theatre and lead local organizer for the Million Artist Movement
• Tabitha Montgomery, executive director of the Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association

Special guests:

• Junauda Petrus, creative activist and current poet laureate for Minneapolis
• Elder Atum Azzahir, founder and executive director of the Cultural Wellness Center

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS. 

We hear about how combat and non-combat military duty can impact mental health. And we explore the unique resources and support available to service members and veterans.   

Join Call to Mind host Kimberly Adams for “Silent Battles: Mental Health and Military Service,” a one-hour broadcast special.

If only they’d been diagnosed sooner. Roughly one in seven children between the ages of 3 to 17 has a diagnosed mental or behavioral health condition. This special looks at how critical early intervention can be in caring for children’s mental health and how they are treated.

We’ll hear from experts about the safety of medicating kids and new advances in therapy. We also explore how school often plays an enormous role in a child’s development and safety. 

Join Call to Mind host Kimberly Adams for “Treating the Young Mind,” a one-hour broadcast special. 

This broadcast special explores the influence of technology on our mental health.  

We'll hear from experts about how online communities, AI, influencers, and social media compromise one’s mental health. We also meet people whose wellbeing has been improved by new technologies.  

Join Call to Mind host Kimberly Adams for “Promise and Peril: Technology and mental health,” a one-hour broadcast special. 

This program explores the unique mental health challenges of older adults and the models in place to care for them. We’ll hear from mental health providers, direct care workers and older Americans living with mental health issues. The program explores therapeutic solutions and improved treatment systems to help older adults and their wellbeing. 

Join Call to Mind host Kimberly Adams for “The Aging Mind,” a one-hour broadcast special.

This special looks at eating disorders and the challenges of treatment. We’ll hear firsthand from people who have experienced these illnesses and experts who treat them.  

Join Call to Mind host Kimberly Adams for “Beyond the Mirror: The Challenge of Eating Disorders,” a one-hour broadcast special. 

They’ll tell you all about how they pitch, research and select topics and guests and screen phone calls. 

Guests:

• Maja Beckstrom is a producer for MPR News with Angela Davis. She was a reporter at the St. Paul Pioneer Press for over 20 years before joining the 9 a.m. team almost five years ago. She was also a reporter for a newspaper in Southern California and for MPR stations in Rochester and Collegeville.
• Cari Dwyer is the senior producer for MPR News with Angela Davis. Before joining the 9 a.m. team, she helped create exhibits for the Science Museum of Minnesota and was a producer and newscaster at Wisconsin Public Radio.
• Nikhil Kumaran is the associate producer for MPR News with Angela Davis. He has also worked for The Current and was the music director at Radio K, the award-winning student-run radio station of the University of Minnesota. He is also a concert photographer and music videographer.

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.    

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.    

High blood pressure is one of the most common health risks in the U.S. and it is becoming more common among young people. It affects about fourteen percent of children and teens, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Angela talks with two cardiologists about the dangers of untreated high blood pressure and the medications and lifestyle changes that can protect your heart.

Plus, a sleep researcher talks about the link between poor sleep and dementia, and two runners share tips on starting a running habit.

Guests:

• Dr. Jamie Lohr is a pediatric cardiologist for M Health Fairview and an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Minnesota Medical School.
• Dr. Bhavadharini Ramu is an advanced heart failure cardiologist with M Health Fairview and an associate professor in the Cardiovascular Division at the University of Minnesota Medical School. 
• Dr. Michael Howell is a professor of neurology and a sleep researcher at the University of Minnesota.  For more information about volunteering for one of Dr. Howell’s research studies, go to the Pre-screening Survey or call 763-913-8367.  
• Dr.  Kenneth Poole is an internal medicine physician and founder and captain of the Twin Cities chapter of Black Men Run.
• Andrea Haus is the community and marketing manager at Mill City Running, a Twin Cities running shop that hosts running events throughout the Twin Cities. 

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.    

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.     

For 20 years, Tom Crann has been a trusted presence on MPR News, hosting All Things Considered on weekday afternoons and connecting with listeners across the state.  

Now he’s starting a new chapter, one filled with sonatas, symphonies and a different kind of storytelling. 

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with Tom Crann about the highlights of his career in journalism and why he’s returning to his classical music roots as a host for YourClassical MPR.

Guest:

• Tom Crann is the former host of All Things Considered for MPR News. For nearly 20 years, he has covered Minnesota and national news. He is also known for his weekly “Appetites” segments about Minnesota’s vibrant culinary scene.  

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with her guests about how defunding NPR and PBS could affect public radio and TV stations around the country.

Guests:

• Maribel Pérez Wadsworth is the president and CEO of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation based in Miami, Florida. She is the first woman and the seventh president to lead the Knight foundation, which supports informed and engaged communities through investments in journalism, the arts and research in media and democracy. She is also the former president of Gannett Media and is a former publisher of USA Today. 
• Katherine Maher is the president and CEO of National Public Radio. Prior to joining NPR, she was the CEO of Web Summit, an international technology conference. Before that, she was CEO of the Wikimedia Foundation, where she was responsible for the free online encyclopedia Wikipedia.  

The federally funded program was launched in 1993 under President Bill Clinton with a simple but powerful idea that people of all ages and backgrounds could serve their communities. 

Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have joined AmeriCorps to tutor students, support seniors, clean up parks and rivers, assist during disasters and strengthen communities across the country, including here in Minnesota.  

That work is now at risk. 

Because of deep federal budget cuts by the Trump administration, 85 percent of AmeriCorps staff members are currently on administrative leave. Many have been told their jobs will come to an end this June.  

For the communities that rely on them — especially rural areas, low-income neighborhoods and schools already stretched thin—the loss could be staggering. 

MPR News host Angela Davis talks about the work AmeriCorps does in Minnesota and why it matters.

Guest:

• Brooke Rivers is a former AmeriCorps member and executive director of Reading Partners Minnesota, a nonprofit organization that recruits and trains people to teach reading to students in under-resourced schools.  
• Jesse Chang is a former AmeriCorps member and national service program director with Literacy Minnesota. He used to oversee the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits AmeriCorps VISTA program.   

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.     

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.     

The federal health department oversees agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks about how these changes are affecting public health across the country and in Minnesota.

Guest:

• Michael Osterholm is the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. He is an epidemiologist who studies infectious diseases. He is also the author of the New York Times best-seller, “Deadliest Enemy: Our War Against Killer Germs”, and '“Living Terrors: What America Needs to Know to Survive the Coming Bioterrorist Catastrophe.” He has a new book coming out this summer, “The Big One: How We Must Prepare for Future Deadly Pandemics.” 

What happens when they finally return? How do they rebuild their lives during this complex and often precarious transition?

That was the topic at a collaborative Sahan Community Live and North Star Journey Live event recorded on April 24 at the St. Paul Neighborhood Network.

Co-hosted by MPR News senior editor Brandt Williams and Sahan Journal digital producer Alberto Villafan, formerly incarcerated Minnesotans shared first-hand stories of what makes reentry such a difficult process. Community leaders and reentry advocates also shared what helps and what holds back people as they exit incarceration and reintegrate into their community.

Guests:

• Antonio Williams is the founder and executive director of T.O.N.E. U.P., a grassroots organization dedicated to empowering formerly incarcerated individuals.
• Rea Smith is the Women’s Services Project Coordinator of the Behavioral Health Division at the Minnesota Department of Human Services.
• Erick Washington is the co-founder of the Kingsmen Project.
• James Becker is the assistant federal defender and federal defender representative in the District of Minnesota Reentry Court program.
• David Riley is an addictions counselor at RS Eden, a Minneapolis-based organization that offers treatment for drug addictions, housing assistance and reentry support.

The amount Americans owed on credit cards hit an record high of over $1.2 trillion at the end of 2024.

And people are not only spending more on plastic, they’re also paying down less, carrying high balances and shelling out more in interest and also late fees.

A third of Americans now have more credit card debt than emergency savings, according to an annual survey from Bankrate.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks about why credit card debt is growing and strategies for tackling it.

Guests:

• Chris Farrell is a senior economics contributor for MPR News and Marketplace. His new 12-part series for Marketplace, “Buy Now, Pay Later,” focuses on the worrisome trend of older Americans carrying debt into retirement. 
• Joanne Lundberg is the financial counseling supervisor at LSS Financial Counseling, a service of Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota. She is based in Duluth.

Resources mentioned during the show:

The National Foundation for Credit Counseling provides advice on how to avoid and handle credit card debt and manage your credit score. It also provides referrals to nonprofit organizations that can work with people individually on reducing credit card debt.

The nonprofit organization LSS Financial Counseling runs a debt management program.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with Medaria Arradondo, the retired Minneapolis police chief, about his book, “Chief Rondo: Securing Justice for the Murder of George Floyd.”

Guest:

• Medaria Arradondo is the former police chief for the city of Minneapolis. He is president and CEO of Optimus Sui Consulting and he serves on the Board of Commissioners for the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority. He is also a member of the executive board of the Fentanyl Free Communities Foundation. And he is co-author of the new book, “Chief Rondo: Securing Justice for the Murder of George Floyd.”

Along with the warm temperatures, sunshine and fresh air comes the sneezing, itchy eyes, congestion and fatigue. 

And if your allergies seem worse than ever this year, you’re not imagining things. Experts say allergy season is starting earlier, hitting harder and lasting longer — largely due to climate change. 

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with two allergists about how our bodies are reacting to the spring allergy season and what you can do to manage your symptoms.  

Whether you’ve struggled with allergies and asthma for years or you’re just starting to notice them, they’ll cover what you need to know. 

Guests:

• Dr. Sergio Chiarella is an allergist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. 
• Dr. Alice Knoedler is an allergist at Midwest Ear, Nose and Throat Specialists, a group of clinicians based in and around the Twin Cities.  

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with a philosopher and a psychologist about the purpose of work and its value in our lives.

Angela’s guests say people feel unrealistic pressure to love their work.

Instead, they suggest trying to find work that seems worthy of your time and effort.

The Department of Education says borrowers in default should start making monthly payments or enroll in an income-driven repayment plan.

MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about how the change could affect millions of borrowers.

Guests:

• Chris Farrell is a senior economics contributor for MPR News and Marketplace. 
• Brittany Tweed is the director of financial aid for Metro State University. 

Resources shared during the show:

• Student Loan Advocate at the Minnesota Department of Commerce

• Federal Student Aid

If you’re Alex West Steinman, you create your own workplace.  

In 2017, West Steinman left a career in advertising and communications and joined three colleagues to found The Coven.

Eight years later, The Coven has two coworking sites in the Twin Cities and another five franchise locations in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Along with desk space and professional development, the coworking network provides an inclusive community that lifts up its members.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks to Alex West Steinman about her entrepreneurial journey and how to create workplaces that are welcoming.    

This conversation was made possible in part by the Minnesota Legacy Amendment's Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.