Minnesota Now

A Twin Cities man is in custody on terrorism charges for making plans for an attack at the Mall of America. We got more details of the case and heard more about how federal agencies track and charge people who become radicalized. Journalists with ProPublica tracked down evidence of hundreds of U.S. citizens who have been detained by federal agents while the Trump administration carried out its imm...

Ananya Dance Theatre in St. Paul is known for making dance performances about the world around us that tackle questions about power, injustice and social change. Now, the company is turning its attention to recent crises here in the Twin Cities, focusing on Operation Metro Surge over the winter. Their show called “Prem | Love: An Occupation” premieres Saturday at The Southern Theater in Minneapoli...

In early January, at the peak of what the Trump administration called Operation Metro Surge, two Target employees in Richfield were pinned to the ground and aggressively detained by federal agents. They are U.S. citizens and were eventually released, but suffered injuries during the arrest. They are among the more than 500 U.S. citizens who were detained and held during the current administration...

Federal prosecutors announced terrorism charges against an 18-year-old in the Twin Cities who they said had plans to commit a mass shooting at the Mall of America. For additional context on this story, Minnesota Now spoke to Mark Osler who was an assistant U.S. attorney in Michigan in the late 1990s. He was also a former deputy Hennepin County attorney. Now, he’s a law professor at the University...

Multiple Twin Cities police chiefs and county sheriffs have called for the creation of a regional task force after a string of shootings involving Somali youth. Law enforcement have described the incidents as gang violence. But what defines a gang? We talked to a researcher. A local nonprofit supporting the economic stability of immigrants is starting a new chapter in a new home. The CEO of Commun...

A nonprofit that aims to help immigrants find economic stability and success has expanded its headquarters in the Twin Cities metro. Communities Advancing Prosperity for Immigrants, or CAPI is celebrating a grand reopening this weekend. It’s the end of a yearslong process of moving the organization’s services to Brooklyn Center, which has become one of the most diverse communities in the state. CE...

A new LGBTQ+ magazine and website has launched in Minnesota, three months after Lavender Magazine shut down its operations after a 30-year run. Lavender was a mainstay for the LGBTQ+ community in the state. Q Minnesota was created by several former Lavender staffers. The very first issue came out last Thursday. For more about the launch and what’s ahead, MPR News host Nina Moini spoke with Q Minne...

A string of shootings involving Somali youth has set off questions around youth gun violence and what law enforcement are calling gang violence. Some Somali leaders say this could fuel more racist rhetoric against the Somali community. For more context and perspective on gangs and gun violence, MPR News host Nina Moini spoke with Metro State University professor James Densley, an expert on gangs.

A group of Twin Cities elected and law enforcement officials are calling for a regional task force to address recent shootings that they say involved Somali youth, and Somali leaders are pushing back on hateful comments that followed those events. A national exhibit debuting in St. Paul this month confronts the Catholic Church's role in slavery in the U.S. We'll talk with a descendant of one of th...

A new immersive exhibit opening at the University of St. Thomas this week is asking visitors to confront a painful chapter in the history of the Catholic Church and U.S. slavery. “What We Inherit: Truth, Repair, and a Promise to the Future” tells the story of more than 300 Black people who were enslaved by the Jesuits and sold in 1838 to help pay the debts of Georgetown College. The exhibition, wh...

Tuesday night on Food Network, Minnesota chef Yia Vang will compete for $25,000 on the cooking competition show “Bobby’s Triple Threat.” The show, hosted by chef Bobby Flay, pits a challenger against three of Flay’s “titans,” or chefs selected by Flay. Vang will face each chef in a three-round competition, with the winner determined by a judge in blind taste tests. Vang, who has competed on cookin...

Lawyers of Minnesotans being held in immigrant detention say ICE is using a new tactic to keep people in detention. We'll hear more about two men who were arrested again by ICE after they were supposed to be released. Minnesota's agriculture commissioner was at a conference with some of the state's most important trade partners last week. We'll hear what he discussed with representatives from Cana...

In northern Minnesota, the largest stretch of peatlands in the contiguous U.S. can be found. This wet terrain has taken thousands of years to form. And draws scientists and experts from around the world. That includes our Jennifer de Mooy, who spent quite a bit of time there researching for her new book: "Water, Carbon, Time: Exploring Peatlands in a Warming World." Minnesota Now host Nina Moini s...

From trade wars, to animal disease, and high diesel prices, there is a lot going on in the agriculture world. Minnesota's Department of Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen just returned from a conference where all of that was discussed with some of Minnesota's most important trade partners: Canada and Mexico. Commissioner Petersen spoke to Minnesota Now host Nina Moini with more on what he lear...

Attorneys are warning of a new strategy ICE is using in Minnesota to keep immigrants in detention. MPR News reporter Cait Kelley joined Minnesota Now to share what she’s found out.

Becca Good has spoken publicly for the first time since her partner, Renee Good, was killed by an ICE agent in January. We learned more about her family’s lawsuit against the agent and federal officials. Also, St. Paul has released the full sexual harassment investigation of its mayor, Kaohly Her. And Minnesota band Wild Horses has a new album. We got a first listen.

The city of St. Paul released Thursday the full report of the investigation into allegations against Mayor Kaohly Her. The city’s police chief, Axel Henry, alleged Mayor Her sexually harassed him and that city employees retaliated against him after he complained. The city had previously released a summary of the investigation but this full redacted report comes after City Council members called fo...

For some musicians, quitting your day job to start a band might sound like a pretty big gamble. But for Jed and Ariana LaPlant of Grand Rapids, it was the beginning of a new life on the road — and the start of Wild Horses. The group draws on bluegrass, old-time and country traditions that run deep in Jed’s family. Five years after forming the band, they’re releasing a new album Friday called “The...

The Justice Department filed a misconduct claim against federal judges in Minnesota for speaking to the press about Operation Metro Surge. Plus, we broke down statewide student test scores released Wednesday. The University of St. Thomas law school is looking back on Operation Metro Surge and how states can hold the federal government accountable when they break the law. Plus, we talked to the jou...

From silent cinema to modern movies, only one movie theater in the Twin Cities can say it has lived through it all. The Heights Theater in Columbia Heights has been running for 100 years. The one-screen theater has been through a lot in that time, as has the movie industry, and The Heights will celebrate its legacy starting Thursday, Oct. 1st. Co-owner Ryan Oestreich joined MPR News host Nina Moin...

There are more than a quarter million Somali Americans in the U.S. and more than 80,000 in Minnesota. The diaspora is a frequent target of attacks from the White House down to online influencers and commenters. Two Minnesota journalists aim to combat racist misinformation and fill coverage gaps with true stories about Somali American life, with a new digital platform called The Somali Brief. Found...

Legal experts from around the country are convening at the University of St. Thomas Friday to explore the constitutional questions that came out of this winter's surge of federal agents to Minnesota. The event looks at the power and limitations states have to hold the federal governmental accountable for unlawful actions. MPR News host Nina Moini spoke with University of St. Thomas law professor R...

The Minnesota Department of Education has released the results of this year’s Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments. Fewer than half of students statewide who were tested met math and reading standards. MPR News education reporter Elizabeth Shockman joined Minnesota Now to explain. Then, MPR News host Nina Moini talked with MDE Assistant Commissioner Bobbie Burnham about the test results as well as...

A northwestern Minnesota school board voted Monday night to roll back a ban on rainbow stickers after being sued by the ACLU. The board's now considering a new policy. Fargo-Moorhead reporter Harshawn Ratanpal joined Minnesota Now with the latest from Detroit Lakes. One Minnesota university was the first to offer a master’s degree in artificial intelligence and another is now joining them. We met...

Nearly a century ago, thousands of Minneapolis workers went on strike in the middle of the Great Depression. It turned violent and police shot dozens of strikers, killing two. Members of a Teamsters local were fighting for union recognition, better wages and limits on their working hours. The strike ultimately helped turn Minneapolis into what was known as a union town. Now, author John Hanson has...