Minnesota Now

The second annual STEM Book Fest took place over the weekend at the Bakken Center in Minneapolis. The festival brings together authors to talk about science, technology, engineering and math.

One of the speakers was Valerie Tiberius, a philosophy professor at the University of Minnesota. She talked about the rise of people forming friendships with artificial intelligence.

Her book, called "Artificially Yours," explores what happens when people turn to AI chatbots for companionship. She joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about it.

The parents of Alex Pretti are demanding information from the Trump administration on the investigation into their son's killing by Border Patrol agents in January. We'll have updates from their first news conference, held this Tuesday morning in Minneapolis.

St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her says she plans to eventually clear what's now the city's largest homeless encampment but does not have a specific timeline. We'll hear more from the mayor.

We'll talk about the big questions surrounding AI friendships, with a Minnesota philosophy professor who wrote a book on the subject.

A new podcast from ESPN tells the story of Samia Yusuf Omar, a Somali sprinter who captured hearts when she represented her country at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Samia dreamed of competing again at the 2012 Olympics in London, but she faced enormous obstacles pursuing that goal. She died at 21 while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea in search of a better future.

The podcast, called "The Fastest Girl in Somalia," features Abdi Bile, a former world champion runner who inspired Samia. Today, Abdi lives in Minnesota, where he mentors young runners in the Somali community.

It's been a contentious few months for St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her. This summer, she received pushback after directing the clearing of an encampment near Pig's Eye Park. She then faced a lawsuit from Police Chief Axel Henry for sexual harassment allegations. The results of an independent investigation into these claims did not find evidence that she sexually harassed the Chief but did find she acted inappropriately.

Minnesota Now host Nina Moini talked to the mayor in her first sit-down interview with MPR News since these events unfolded.

With a week to go before midterm elections, national names are stepping in to support Minnesota candidates. We'll hear how President Donald Trump, former president Barack Obama and political commentator Hasan Piker are trying to reach Minnesota voters.

Researchers say northeastern Minnesota lost an estimated $9 million in economic activity due to this summer's wildfires. We'll check in with a Cook County official on how they're recovering.

And proposed changes to the U.S. Census could mean immigrants will no longer be counted.

Plus, some residents on the west side of...

The U.S. Census Bureau won’t count the nation’s population again until 2030. But the federal agency is making plans for the survey now. And the Trump Administration wants to change who gets counted, as well as the questions they’re asked.

Under a proposed rule announced last month, the census would no longer include immigrants who aren’t U.S. citizens or permanent residents. And it would stop collecting data on race, ethnicity and sexual orientation.

In Minnesota, the nonprofit Hmong American Partnership is urging people to submit public comment. Joining Minnesot...

A new study is giving us a first look at the economic impact of the wildfires this summer in the Boundary Waters.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota Duluth looked at Ely and Grand Marais, and in July alone, estimated an economic loss of $9 million.

Using cell phone ping data, the study looked at the number of visitors to each city. Because the data looks at the number of pings per day, visitors in the region for multiple days were counted more than once giving a measurement researchers called “visitor days.” In Ely, at t...

All of Minnesota’s men’s professional sports teams currently playing are all leading their respective leagues (hopefully we didn’t jinx it).

The Timberwolves are just at the start of their season. But the Vikings are one-third of the way through and are sitting undefeated. And the Wild are sitting on top of their division. Plus, for the first time in decades the Minnesota Gophers have all three Big Ten trophies.

Minnesota Now sports contributors Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson shared all of the good Minnesota sports news with host Nina Moini.

The Trump Administration wants to send federal election monitors to polls in two Minnesota counties on Election Day.

A spokesperson for the Minnesota Secretary of State's office told MPR News the U.S. Department of Justice has notified Hennepin and Ramsey counties of its plans to observe voting locations in November. The agency gave similar notice to elections staff in at least four other states, according to NPR.

MPR News host Kelly Gordon talked with Democratic Secretary of State Steve Simon about what this means for Minnesota voters.

The Department of Justice said it will send election monitors to polls in Hennepin and Ramsey counties on Election Day. We spoke to Secretary of State Steve Simon about what federal election monitors are and how his office is preparing.

A new report says Minnesotans are travelling further and waiting longer to receive medical care. We heard more about what hospital leaders are calling a crisis of care.

And a local climate scientist shared how her work has changed during the Trump administration.

Plus, a woman shouts out a thoughtful...

Minnesota Now’s series called “Thank You, Stranger” explores the small acts of kindness that make a big impact.

Roze Mulen was grocery shopping at Trader Joe’s in Bloomington when the cashier helped make her day a little bit better. She shared her story on TikTok and it got more than 50,000 views.

Minnesota Now producer Aleesa Kuznetsov spoke with Mulen about the help she received in this installment of “Thank You, Stranger.”

If you have a story to share about a stranger who made your life a little brighter, we want to h...

A University of Minnesota researcher is helping to identify priorities for climate science across the country after President Donald Trump paused and dismissed the contributors of the 6th National Climate Assessment in 2025.

Melissa Kenney is a part of a group of scientists trying to continue similar work on their own. The new paper, recently published in Earth’s Future and the Journal of the American Meteorological Society, is their first publication with Kenney as lead author.

Kenney spoke to Minnesota Now about the paper and why she felt it was important to keep th...

Hospital leaders say Minnesotans are facing a crisis of care — and they expect things to get even worse. That’s the topline of a new report from the Minnesota Hospital Association out this week.

Backed by data from 2024, it says Minnesotans are having to travel further and wait longer to get care. It’s the result of hospitals facing rising costs they’re struggling to absorb all while seeing record need.

The report warns that the system could reach a breaking point next year.

Minnesota Hospital Association president and CEO, Dr. Rahu...

What do pottery, pasta making and pickleball have in common? You can learn about all of these things through a community education class!

Minnesota school districts offer an incredible variety of classes for people of all ages, interests and skill levels.

Community education professionals from across the state gathered in Rochester this week for the Minnesota Community Education Association’s annual conference to share ideas and prepare for the year ahead.

Annette Sallman, president of the Minnesota Community Education Association, shared more with Minnesota Now.

Leadership at Red Lake Nation is in dispute after a federal investigation found child neglect and abuse in the tribe's child welfare program. Community members are now coming together to find a way forward.

A new partnership aims to train more doctors to provide obstetric care in rural communities in Minnesota.

Plus, an anthology out this week shares stories of aging from Minnesota women over the age of 65.

We've had lots of sunshine and warm fall days. How long will the warmth stick around? MPR Chief Meteorologist Ben Cathey gave...

A new anthology brings together Minnesota women over age sixty-five to reflect on what it means to age and continue to be creative. It's called "Nick of Time: Women Write about Art and Aging."

The collection was edited by Morgan Grayce Willow, Julie Landsman and Debra J. Stone. Landsman and Stone joined MPR News host Kelly Gordon with a look inside the book and the story behind it.

Nearly 30 Minnesota hospitals have stopped providing obstetric services over the past 15 years, leaving fewer options for families who need maternity care close to home, according to University of Minnesota research.

Now, CentraCare and UMN are launching a new fellowship to train family medicine doctors in obstetrics, with a focus on rural communities in the state. The first fellows will begin training next summer.

Dr. Christine Goudge, the program's director, joined MPR News host Kelly Gordon with details.

The Red Lake Nation is grappling with a federal investigation that alleged abuse and neglect in the tribe's child welfare program.

A federal notice describes the deaths of as many as eight Red Lake Nation children since 2021. It says tribal officials refused to cooperate with federal investigators, while children remained in danger.

Last month the federal government took over Red Lake Nation's child welfare program. Since then, Red Lake Nation has seen statements from tribal leaders, a dispute over who leads the tribe and a community coming together to grieve.

...

On Friday, Minnesota native and astronaut Dr. Anil Menon will have been in space for 100 consecutive days.

Since blasting off into space for his very first time in July, Dr. Menon has done his first spacewalk. As a physician, he's also been conducting medical experiments in zero gravity.

MPR News Chief Meteorologist Ben Cathey talked with Dr. Menon as he dialed in from the International Space Station. The astronaut also answered questions from kids at Farnsworth Aerospace school in St. Paul.

State law enforcement say they'll begin sharing more information on what they call group and gang violence. The approach is modeled after what’s known as the “New Jersey Strategy.” We hear from an expert about lessons learned back east.

We'll get the latest in a series about the lives that led top candidates to this year's ballot. This time, we’ll hear from Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Peggy Flanagan.

A food shelf in north Minneapolis is trying a new approach to helping people get food after hours through lockers. We’ll learn more...

Musician Charlie Parr has been a mainstay of Minnesota’s blues scene. He was born in Austin, Minn., and now splits his time between Duluth and St. Paul. He has more than a dozen albums to his name, and his latest was released on Friday, called “Rooming House.”

He joined MPR News host Emily Bright in the studio to listen to some of his music and talk about why he calls this album a “conceptual folk opera.”

Starting Wednesday, Shiloh Cares Food Shelf in north Minneapolis is trying a new solution to feed its neighbors even after it closes for the day.

It’s opening a row of food lockers that can be accessed with a code anytime. For details, MPR News host Emily Bright spoke with Pastor Jalilia Abdul-Brown, executive director of Change Starts with Community at Shiloh Temple church, who led the project.

State law enforcement officials are trying a new approach to gang violence. The call for coordination came after a string of shootings across the Twin Cities that involved Somali youth. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said the new approach is modeled after what’s known as the New Jersey Strategy.

James Densely is a professor at Metropolitan State University who researches gang violence. He joined MPR News host Emily Bright to explain the nearly 20-year-old New Jersey Strategy, what has made the model successful in the past and how it could be applied to the Tw...

Immigrant advocates in Minnesota say they're seeing the federal government revoke refugee status for some who have already been vetted. We'll hear more about how this could be a continuation of a campaign for more deportations by the Trump administration.

Election Day is just about two weeks away. We'll learn more about Republican U.S. Senate candidate Michele Tafoya.

And what role should gambling platforms have when people start to become addicted? We'll hear from a reporter who set out to answer that question.

Plus, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey is...

The Minnesota Vikings were off this weekend, but the Wild were on. They beat the Columbus Blue Jackets and forward Kirill Kaprizov is breaking records.

And as the Vikings come off their bye week, they'll face the Indianapolis Colts -- who just this morning announced they've fired their general manager. Joining me to talk about this and other sports stories are our weekly contributors, Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson.

Sports betting sites make it easy to wager on just about anything in a game. But what happens when someone shows signs of problem gambling? Do these platforms intervene, or encourage them to keep betting?

ProPublica reporter Jake Pearson spent 10 weeks testing the sports betting apps DraftKings and FanDuel. Even after losing thousands of dollars, he was invited to join DraftKings’ VIP program, which offered perks and promotions.

Pearson joined Minnesota Now to talk about what he found in his reporting.

Minnesota immigrant advocate organizations have noticed a growing number of cases in which the federal government is trying to revoke the refugee status of some people who have already been admitted — in some cases, years ago. First reported by Sahan Journal, it's a continuation of Operation PARRIS, a federal operation claiming to target fraud in the refugee program.

Joining Minnesota Now to explain why and how some of Minnesota's refugees are experiencing this is Rachel Kohler. She's the immigration services supervising attorney at the International Institute of Minnesota.

Minneapolis city council members will hear from the public Monday night about Mayor Jacob Frey's proposed budget for 2027. Producer Alanna Elder reports, supporters of local food and home energy programs are pushing back on proposed cuts to the city’s climate spending.

The Trump Administration’s investigation into Minnesota Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar is aimed at building a case to revoke her citizenship, according to a Wall Street Journal report. An immigration attorney shared more about denaturalization efforts in the Trump administration.

U.S. Senate candidates Michele Tafoya and Peggy Flanagan are set to debate Friday on MPR News. We got analysis on this closely watched race.

As Minnesota’s climate continues to change, University of Minnesota researchers are looking at ways to help forests adapt.

Plus, remember when we used walk thro...

One of the most closely watched statewide races in Minnesota is for U.S. Senate.

MPR News will be hosting a debate Friday between Democratic candidate Peggy Flanagan and Republican candidate Michele Tafoya. It is the only debate between the two scheduled so far.

For a closer look at this race ahead of the debate, Minnesota Now host Nina Moini spoke with University of Minnesota political scientist Larry Jacobs.

Our forests are putting on a show right now as they transform from their summer greens — to their fall reds, oranges and golden yellows.

But while these changes of the seasons are expected, the effects of Minnesota’s changing climate on our forest ecosystems could bring challenges.

It’s something two University of Minnesota Extension educators are looking into in order to help our trees become more climate resilient.

Anna Stockstad and Angela Gupta shared more about the “Climate-Ready Woodlands” program on Minnesota Now.

Before we scrolled through streaming services on our smart TVs, picking out a movie used to mean wandering the aisles of a video store, reading the backs of VHS tapes and DVDs, and arguing about what to watch.

A new video rental store in Minneapolis is looking to bring that experience back at a time when some people are discovering physical media like VHS for the first time.

Saturn Video is set to open a permanent storefront Saturday. Sierra Parham, the founder of Saturn Video, gave Minnesota Now a preview.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the Trump administration’s investigation into Minnesota U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar is aimed at building a case to revoke her citizenship and eventually deport her. MPR News has not independently confirmed that.

Trump administration officials have suggested the investigation relates to alleged immigration fraud. The Department of Justice searched Omar’s Washington D.C. home Monday.

A spokesperson for Omar said the investigation is politically motivated and that, “Trump’s push to strip her of her citizenship and deport her has no basis in the law and...

Minneapolis Public Schools is reversing course on its school closure plan. The district says it won't close any schools, for now. We heard about Tuesday night's school board meeting and talked with one of many parents who pushed back against the closures.

An alleged sexual assault at Cornell University has brought conversations about prevention and healing to the forefront. We'll talk to a local campus support center.

Plus, Minnesota-based Cambria is the leading manufacturer of quartz countertops. But the process behind artificial stone products is leading to illness and in some cases death...

Minnesota has a rich choral music tradition, with composers and ensembles creating new works all the time. But how does that music find its way from a composer’s desk to a choir director looking for something new to perform?

Twenty years ago, Twin Cities composers Tim Takach and Jocelyn Hagen set out to help answer that question. They started Graphite Publishing, a company that gives composers a way to distribute their sheet music while retaining a bigger share of the royalties.

Today, the business represents composers from Minnesota and around the world, wh...

For decades, the coal mining industry has been reckoning with a disease called black lung. Now a similar condition is disabling and even killing workers who cut artificial stone, for trendy quartz countertops and backsplashes. It's called silicosis, and you get it by breathing in tiny crystals of a mineral called silica.

The nation's largest manufacturer of artificial stone is Cambria, a company based in Minnesota. But California is the epicenter of silicosis cases in the U.S. and regulators in that state could soon ban the making of these products.

For more...

When a story about sexual assault on a college campus makes national headlines, it can spark difficult questions: How common is campus sexual assault? Are universities doing enough to prevent it? And what happens to survivors after the headlines fade?

At Cornell University, a former student filed a lawsuit alleging that seven fraternity members drugged and sexually assaulted her at a party in 2024. The case has drawn renewed scrutiny after no criminal charges were initially filed.

In the Twin Cities, the Aurora Center at the University of Minnesota and Augsburg University works to...

Minneapolis Public Schools leaders are backing away from a plan put forth last month to close up to sixteen schools. The decision came during a school board meeting Tuesday night.

Minneapolis Superintendent Lisa Sayles-Adams said at the meeting that the choice was based on community feedback. She added that changes still needed to happen and the upcoming budget process might be difficult.

Minneapolis school board members say in addition to not closing any schools in the 2027-2028 school year, they're committed to pursuing enrollment growth and considering changes to school start and end...

A third of seniors in Minnesota are losing health coverage as private insurers drop their Medicare Advantage plans. These plans included more coverage than Medicare alone. We'll learn more about why they're going away and what it means for older adults.

As rural health care options dwindle across the state, we'll talk to a leader of one health system that just opened a new clinic in southern Minnesota.

This week, a new housing waitlist is open for applications. It's part of a statewide program rolling out this year. We'll learn more about what...

A library in Minneapolis is celebrating 40 years of collecting and lending LGBTQ+ books, movies and other materials.

Quatrefoil Library started in 1986 as a personal collection shared among friends. Today, it has more than 25,000 items and more than 11,000 library card holders. And the library says that number doubled just in 2026.

Iggy Gehlen is the board vice president and programming chair at Quatrefoil. He talked with MPR News host Nina Moini about the importance of the library and its recent enormous growth in members.