Minnesota Now

St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her is under investigation over allegations of sexual harassment of city employees. MPR News reporter Estelle Timar-Wilcox shared the latest.

Plus, Elon Musk is suing Minnesota over its AI nudification ban, saying it violates the First Amendment. An expert broke down the case.

After the death of a longtime Twin Cities paramedic, we took a look at the mental health challenges facing EMS providers.

We learned about the troubling trend of resident-on-resident altercations in dementia care facilities turning deadly.

And a break from...

EMS workers are mourning the loss of one of their own. Longtime paramedic and inventory technician Chuck Brady died by suicide earlier this month. He worked with Allina Health EMS for 17 years.

Paramedics are one of the many professions that experience unique mental health challenges. EMS providers are 1.39 times more likely to die by suicide than the public according to the CDC.

Joining Minnesota Now to remember Chuck and talk about the mental health challenges EMS providers face is Brett Hopper. He is a paramedic and union president for the International Association of...

Minnesota finally has a professional football champion. The Minnesota Vixen captured their first Women's Football Alliance national title over the weekend, defeating the Pittsburgh Passion 42-14 in Ohio.

The game ended a championship drought for the country's longest continuously-operating women's tackle football team. The Vixen had reached four previous title games but had never won.

Head coach Connor Jo Lewis joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about what it’s been like to bring the title back to Minnesota.

Elon Musk is taking Minnesota to court. A lawsuit by Musk's artificial intelligence company, X.AI, argues the state's new so-called "nudification ban" set to take effect Saturday violates the First Amendment.

The ban targets technology that allows users to create and post deepfake pornographic videos or images of people without their consent. Companies that violate the law could face a hefty fine. The state Legislature passed the law almost unanimously this year.

Incoming University of Minnesota law professor and First Amendment expert Jeff Kosseff joined MPR News host Nina Moini to help...

Gladys Lynch was a retired accountant who moved into the memory care unit at Harbor Crossing in White Bear Lake, Minnesota in September 2025 after developing dementia. Only a few weeks later, she died from injuries caused by being pushed by another resident in an altercation.

According to a new KFF Health News investigation, what happened to Gladys is just one example of situations where resident-to-resident incidents in dementia care facilities have turned deadly.

KFF Health News reporter Jordan Rau joined Minnesota Now host Nina Moini to talk about the investigation. And gerontologist Eilon...

The Forest Service is opening parts of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area for overnight use. It could be a reprieve for the region's economy, which has stalled because of wildfires. We'll check in with the mayor of Ely, where most nearby entrances remain closed.

Wildfires in Canada have forced several First Nations communities to evacuate. We'll hear what a group in Thunder Bay is doing to help.

A small town on the North Shore of Lake Superior is losing its health clinic. We'll talk with two people working to improve healthcare access in...

A new state law taking effect Aug. 1 aims to put a stop to scams that have caused Minnesotans to lose nearly a million dollars over the last few years.

The schemes involve tricking people into depositing large sums of money into ATM-like machines called cryptocurrency kiosks.

State lawmakers passed a ban on these kiosks this past legislative session in light of these scams. It was signed into law by Gov. Tim Walz in May 2026.

MPR News host Nina Moini spoke to Sara Payne, assistant commissioner of enforcement with the Department...

The land just across Minnesota's border with Ontario, Canada, looks a lot like northern Minnesota. It has a similar landscape of remote forest, water, and, right now, wildfire.

There are more than 100 fires burning in Ontario and they've destroyed two First Nations communities, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Others have had to evacuate, including the Gakijiwanong Anishinaabe Nation, which has ties to the nearby Bois Forte Band of Chippewa in Minnesota.

Many evacuees are staying in Thunder Bay, where local organizations are working to support them. To learn more, MPR News host...

On Tuesday evening, the Minnesota Department of Health will hold a hearing on the closure of a primary care clinic along the North Shore. The Aspirus Health Lake View Silver Bay Clinic is set to close at the end of the year, leaving Silver Bay residents to travel at least 30 miles for primary care.

A nonprofit will be carrying a virtual option for the hearing for those who can not drive to Two Harbors, where the hearing is being held.

The closure is part of a growing trend of shrinking access to healthcare...

Forest Service officials have announced that parts of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area will reopen for overnight trips on Thursday, marking the first time visitors have been allowed back since the entire wilderness closed two weeks ago because of wildfires.

The partial reopening includes nearly 40 percent of the BWCA, primarily near the Gunflint Trail. Entry points near Ely remain closed, leaving many businesses that depend on wilderness tourism waiting for more access to reopen.

MPR News host Nina Moini spoke with Ely Mayor Heidi Omerza about the latest wildfire response, communication with officials...

MPR News hosted a debate between Congresswoman Angie Craig and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan has just wrapped. We'll get analysis on what happened and how the Democratic primary race for the U.S. Senate is shaping up, with about two weeks left until election day.

Golden Valley is looking to change its zoning laws to build more duplexes and triplexes. It's a part of a wider trend to fill in the so-called "missing middle" across the Twin Cities.

And two Minnesotans are now the first in the nation to get a law degree...

John Anderson, a celebrated former University of Minnesota baseball coach, died Sunday. He was 71 years old.

Anderson became the head coach at age 26 and played a big role in putting Minnesota baseball on the map, despite the region’s cold weather. Sports contributors Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson joined Minnesota Now host Nina Moini to talk about Anderson's legacy.

Golden Valley is the latest Twin Cities suburb considering zoning changes that could make it easier to build duplexes, triplexes and other dense housing.

The idea is gaining momentum across the metro as communities look for ways to increase the housing supply without building large apartment complexes.

Laura Russ is Executive Director of the Shenehon Center for Real Estate at the University of St. Thomas. She joined Minnesota Now host Nina Moini to share more about the changing landscape in housing.

Two Minnesotans have made history by becoming the first people in the country to earn a law school degree from an accredited program while incarcerated. Maureen Onyelobi and Jeffery Young’s graduation from Mitchell Hamline School of Law marks the latest milestone in a yearslong effort to expand access to legal education into prisons.

Mitchell Hamline School of Law professor Jared Mollenkof helped Onyelobi Young navigate their studies in the first of its kind program. He joined Minnesota Now host Nina Moini to talk about it.

MPR News hosted a debate in one of the most closely watched primary races in Minnesota, the U.S. Senate Democratic primary.

U.S. Rep. Angie Craig and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan are the front runners vying for the seat that will be vacated by U.S. Sen. Tina Smith’s retirement.

University of Minnesota political scientist Larry Jacobs joined Minnesota Now host Nina Moini in the studio after listening to the debate and provided analysis.

Friday is six months since federal immigration agents fatally shot Alex Pretti on a busy corridor of local businesses in south Minneapolis. Many of those businesses became a refuge for protesters and reporters who needed a break from the freezing temperatures and tear gas outside. Flowers, ribbons and artwork still encircle the place where Pretti was shot. It’s become one of several public-made memorials to people killed by law enforcement in the city.

MPR News host Nina Moini talked with two business owners and a neighborhood resident about how their lives have changed and what th...

Vance Boelter, who shot Minnesota lawmakers last year, will be sentenced for murder Thursday. Prosecutors are urging he serve two life sentences, which Boelter seeks to serve in a Florida prison.

Alex Pretti was killed by federal immigration agents on a busy Minneapolis street six months ago. We heard more about how that block has changed since.

Congresswoman Angie Craig and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan are battling to become the Democratic nominee for a U.S. Senate seat. We got an analysis on their race ahead of their MPR News debate set for...

This Sunday, music will fill the Mississippi riverfront in north Minneapolis for the first ever Northside Jazz and Heritage Festival.

The daylong event brings together musicians, artists and vendors to celebrate the rich musical and cultural history of north Minneapolis.

Kristel Porter heads the organization behind the festival, West Broadway Business and Area Coalition. She shared more about the significance of the event on Minnesota Now.

On Monday, MPR News will host a debate in one of the most closely watched primary races in the state: the Democratic race for U.S. Senate.

Congresswoman Angie Craig and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan are the top contenders. The two of them will be in-studio on Monday at 11 a.m. in a debate hosted by MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst ahead of the Aug. 11 primary.

Larry Jacobs, a political science professor at the University of Minnesota, gave us a preview of the debate and this race.

A plan to clear St. Paul’s largest homeless encampments is facing stiff opposition. The city council held a public hearing Wednesday afternoon. We spoke to the leader of one nonprofit raising concerns about the mayor’s plan.

As wildfires continue to burn in northeastern Minnesota, we talked to an expert about how climate change is playing a role in wildfire season.

Plus, it’s been six months since Minnesota was the center of federal immigration enforcement. What’s changed inside the Department of Homeland Security?

And, we’re finally getting a...

Caribbean music, food and culture will take over part of the Mississippi riverfront on Saturday as Carifest returns to Minneapolis. This year, the annual festival also includes a special screening of a documentary exploring the meaning of the traditional celebration known as Carnival.

James Byron, an organizer of the Twin Cities’ annual Carifest, shared more about the festivities with Minnesota Now host Nina Moini.

Six months ago, it was the height of Operation Metro Surge and Minnesota was at the center of President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement campaign. Observers were sharing videos daily of violent arrests and confrontations.

Since then, there’s been a shift in leadership and optics — and immigration enforcement has become less visible.

Nick Miroff covers immigration and the Department of Homeland Security for The Atlantic. He's been tracking the shift nationwide and shared more of his reporting with MPR News host Nina Moini.

The wildfires in northeastern Minnesota are an immediate issue that point to a more abstract one. Scientists say by pumping the air with greenhouse gases, humans are causing the land to be hotter, drier at times, and more likely to burn.

Sam Potter, an atmospheric scientist with the University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership, joined Minnesota Now to help us better understand the links.

On Wednesday, the St. Paul city council will hold a public hearing on plans to clear homeless encampments starting in August.

Mayor Kaohly Her recently announced her office is working with the county to close three encampments due to public health and safety concerns. The city says around 120 people are staying at the largest of these sites, which is in Pig's Eye Park near the Mississippi River. Advocates estimate there are 400 people between all three encampments. The city plans to close that encampment on Aug. 5.

The council has received more than 100 written comments...

A series of shootings in Minneapolis have killed one person and injured more than a dozen since Sunday. City leaders are preparing to hold a public meeting on the situation. We heard from City Council member Elizabeth Shaffer, whose ward is near where the shootings happened.

Wildfires are deflating summer travel to northeast Minnesota. We head up the North Shore to Cook County to find out how the tourism industry is doing.

Plus, we heard more about how Canadians are feeling about traveling south, with tariffs coming from the U.S.

Wildfires in northeast Minnesota have firefighters and volunteers rushing to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. But it also has people avoiding and canceling trips to the region as well. This is a big problem for the large tourism industry in Cook County. There, North Shore destinations like Grand Marais and recreation destinations like the Gunflint Trail, attract people from all over the country.

The county, farther east of the fires, is urging people to still visit the region.

Executive director at Visit Cook County and the Cook County Chamber of Commerce, Linda Jurek...

Netflix has rebooted the 1970s television adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House on the Prairie.

It was released this month and the streamer announced it’s renewing the show for a second season that will be set in Walnut Grove in southwestern Minnesota. Wilder’s family lived there in the 1870s and she channeled their time there into her writing.

Julien Nolan, director and curator of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum in Walnut Grove, joined Minnesota Now to talk about the new series.

For weeks, the U.S. has been dealing with an unpleasant public health mystery. The cyclospora parasite has infected thousands of people across the country. The largest cluster of cases is in Michigan and other midwestern states, not including Minnesota.

The Food and Drug Administration tracked the outbreak to a lettuce farm that supplies Taco Bell. Taylor Fresh Foods, the lettuce company, recalled several of its salad mix products. But the case isn’t closed, exactly.

MPR News host Nina Moini spoke with Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research an...

Minneapolis community leaders will gather Tuesday for a meeting to address a string of gun violence. Thirteen people were shot and one person was killed within 24 hours over the weekend.

The shootings took place outside Reign nightclub in Uptown and near the intersection of 19th and Nicollet Avenue in the Steven’s Square neighborhood just south of I-94. Monday night, another person was shot at the same intersection.

Tuesday’s meeting will include Minneapolis city council member Elizabeth Shaffer, Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt, members of Minneapolis police and staff from the mayor’s offi...

Wildfires are burning more than 60,000 acres and hundreds of firefighters from around the country have come to northeastern Minnesota to try and contain the flames. We got the latest from Ely and spoke to one crew that's helping to contain the fires.

The Boundary Waters is a sanctuary to many Minnesotans. One writer shared more about the mental toll of seeing the area go up in flames.

Plus, wildfires aren't the only thing impacting the border with Canada. We heard from some border businesses about deteriorating economic conditions.

And Spain...

If there’s a World-Cup shaped hole in your heart this week, you might turn your attention to Minnesota’s professional soccer team.

This week, the Loons are headed to Kansas City, which is also getting back to the regular MLS season after hosting some World Cup games.

Minnesota Now sports contributors Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson joined to talk more about this and much more.

Spain is the winner of the World Cup 2026, defeating Argentina 1-0 in Sunday’s game that both delighted and frustrated many.

Here in Minnesota, hundreds of people gathered to watch the game at the North Loop Green. There, they sported jerseys for their favorite teams, even if they weren’t playing.

It wasn’t the climactic end to the World Cup many wanted, but it did draw the eyes of the world, and it introduced many Americans to the excitement of soccer.

Minnesota soccer reporter Jon Marthaler joined Minnesota Now to tal...

As wildfires continue to burn across northeastern Minnesota, many people are worried about the smoke and air quality, as well as the danger to communities and the damage left behind.

But for many who love the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and the north woods, there's another overwhelming feeling: grief. Grief over watching a place filled with memories, traditions and a sense of peace change before their eyes. And not knowing when, or how, it will recover.

Duluth-based nature writer Stephanie Pearson experienced that firsthand. She was forced to evacuate a canoe trip...

All hands have been on deck to contain more than a dozen wildfires across northeastern Minnesota. That includes young adults who are members of the Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa, who usually spend their service term restoring habitat and managing natural resources in the region.

Brian Miller, field programs director with the Conservation Corps, joined Minnesota Now host Nina Moini to talk about what the Conservation Corps crew is up to and how they’re managing this difficult time in northern Minnesota.

Wildfires burn on in parts of northeast Minnesota. The resulting smoke has reached much of the state, creating hazardous air quality for millions. We have the latest on the fires, plus the smoke forecast for the rest of Thursday and Friday.

Minnesota is home to thousands of immigrants from all over the continent of Africa. A new coalition is working to unite the African diaspora in the region.

Plus, residents of St. Paul's west side neighborhood are working on a new name for César Chavez Street after women alleged he sexually assaulted t...

Four months ago when a New York Times investigation alleged that César Chavez – an icon of the Latino civil rights movement – had sexually assaulted young girls, the Latino community began to contend with his legacy.

In St. Paul’s West Side, which is a vibrant Mexican neighborhood, that means renaming César Chavez Street.

Some of that work begins Thursday. The West Side Community Organization is hosting its first of three community input sessions to rename the street.

West Side Community Organization Executive Director Monica Bravo spoke to Minnesota Now host...

If you think an orchestra only plays Beethoven and Brahms, think again. The Minnesota Orchestra's festival called "Summer at Orchestra Hall" opens Thursday night with a lineup that stretches far beyond the classical canon — from Grammy winning bluegrass musician Chris Thile to jazz singer John Holiday to movie scores from Star Wars and E.T.

Grant Meachum is the orchestra's director of productions and engagement and joined MPR News host Nina Moini with details on the festival.

Many Minnesotans woke up to a smoky sky Thursday morning with much of the state blanketed under unhealthy levels of wildfire smoke. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has categorized most of the state’s air quality as hazardous and unhealthy. To cope, some people are wearing N-95 masks or breaking out air filters to circulate fresh air.

But is that enough? Should we avoid going outside? And how much smoke is too much for the body? For more on the best ways to handle the smoke, MPR News host Nina Moini talked with Dr. Dylan Wyatt, ch...

A new coalition has launched to bring together members of the African diaspora in Minnesota. The Pan-African Leadership Coalition will work to address challenges that affect Pan-African communities.

For more on the effort, MPR News host Nina Moini spoke with the group’s president and chair, Habon Abdulle, who is also the founder of the nonprofit Ayada Leads.

Wildfire smoke is nearly inescapable across most of Minnesota today. Fires burning on the northern edge of the state and in Canada have filled the air with particles, not only down to the Twin Cities, but as far as Detroit and Toronto. Northern Minnesota has broken previous records for poor air quality by a long shot.

MPR News host Clay Masters joined Minnesota Now from Ely. The town is a gateway to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, which paddlers have been evacuating due to the fires. MPR News reporter Dan Kraker spoke to outfitters about the...