Minnesota Now

On Election Day, all 435 seats in the U.S. House are up for grabs, along with 35 Senate seats and dozens of governor's races. Republicans are trying to hold on to their majorities in Congress, while Democrats are hoping to take control of at least one chamber and put a check on President Donald Trump. University of Minnesota political scientist Larry Jacobs joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk...

On the corner of East Lake Street and 27th Avenue South in Minneapolis, democracy protection volunteers have gathered every day for a week before Election Day to provide the public support and information around voting. They’re volunteering for the Immigrant Defense Network. The Lake Street location is one of 19 sites that volunteers gather at across the state – from the Twin Cities metro to Manka...

Nearly 900,000 Minnesotans have already cast their ballot, breaking the state record for a midterm election. Plus, we'll have more with an expert on why some people are turning to AI chatbots to help them research candidates and issues. Leaders of some mosques around the state say they're upping security measures as political rhetoric targeting Somali Minnesotans has ramped up in the lead up to th...

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray says the team won't be haunted by Sunday’s loss in Detroit, which ended their undefeated record this season. The Lions won 19-15. “The confidence in the group is not going to waver,” said Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Gophers had heartbreaking loss in Indiana. Minnesota kicker Luke Drzewiecki hit a 60-yard field goal with 19 s...

Halloween may be over but our next guest says there's always something spooky and mysterious lurking around the corner. Chad Lewis has spent decades researching the weird and unusual across Minnesota. He does public presentations on Minnesota's lesser known paranormal history. Lewis joined Minnesota Now host Nina Moini to talk about his favorite haunts.

On Tuesday, at dozens of polling locations across the Twin Cities, you may see people in reflective vests labeled "poll chaplains." They're nonpartisan, clergy and lay people, who are trained to bring a calm presence to Election Day. One of those people is Kelly Sherman-Conroy, a pastor at All Nations Indian Church in Minneapolis and founder and director of the Interfaith Movement Chaplains Networ...

For some voters this midterm election, the process of deciding who to vote for has changed. Instead of just searching the internet or talking to friends, some are turning to AI chatbots to research candidates, political issues and fact-check what they've seen online. The Brennan Center for Justice, a nonpartisan think tank, has been testing how AI chatbots respond to election questions and misinfo...

New statewide data shows a decrease in opioid overdose deaths but that comes along with a rise in overall drug deaths. That’s attributed partially to stimulant drugs, like meth and cocaine. We talked to a doctor who treats patients who have overdosed. St. Paul’s largest current homeless encampment sits on a site with toxic chemicals in the soil. We spoke to the reporter behind the story. We also l...

Halloween is this weekend and that means ghosts, goblins … and maybe a few bats. Bats have a spooky reputation but they’re very important to Minnesota’s ecosystems. If you want to learn all about these intriguing animals, the Minnesota Bat Festival is Saturday at the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge in Bloomington. Mammal ecologist Melissa Boman with the Minnesota Biological Survey helped...

In 2007, an MPR documentary called “Wanted: Parents” shared the story of two Minnesota teenagers who were looking for adoptive parents. It also followed an adoption recruiter, Jen Braun, who was trying to help them. Shortly after the documentary, Braun co-founded an adoption agency called Ampersand Families. She worked on a pilot program called the Homecoming Project. It aimed to prove it was poss...

At least 300 people now live at what has become St. Paul’s largest encampment. The site sits near the intersection of Randolph Avenue and Shepard Road. It grew in size after the city cleared another encampment in August. As local leaders continue to grapple with what to do, residents there say they’re dealing with mounting health issues from the toxic chemicals found in the soil. Maddie Robinson r...

New statewide health data shows a slight decrease in opioid overdose deaths in Minnesota for the third year in a row — but an increase among all drug overdose deaths. Dr. Charles Reznikoff, who works in addiction medicine at Hennepin Healthcare in Minneapolis and at Northfield Hospital, joined Minnesota Now to talk about the numbers and what’s happening on the ground.

Two conservative online influencers have been charged with voter fraud in Minnesota. They posed as Muslim Minnesotans during the August primary in an effort to make a viral video questioning voter integrity in the state. We had the latest on the case. Several major health systems in Minnesota are looking to merge. An expert shared what drives consolidation and how it impacts your healthcare. Plus,...

If scary movies are a must for you this Halloween, TriLingua Cinema in St. Paul may have what you need. On Friday, the brand new microcinema will host a Hmonglloween. The event will showcase horror films by local Hmong filmmakers. Filmmaker Lucky Cha made a movie for the event and Kang Vang curated the lineup. They joined MPR News host Nina Moini to share all the gory details.

The options for getting around the Twin Cities without your own car are shifting. A car-sharing service that gave people an alternative to owning a vehicle shut down this month. Meanwhile, Minneapolis and St. Paul are wrestling with whether to allow driverless taxis. And the long-awaited Green Line extension is expected to open next summer after years-long delays. Bill Lindeke is an urban studies...

Minnesota is quickly becoming the land of healthcare mergers. Just last week, central Minnesota's largest healthcare provider CentraCare announced it will acquire Stellis Health. The news followed an announcement last month from HealthPartners and Essentia Health saying they will combine their operations in the Upper Midwest. California-based Sutter Health plans to acquire Allina Health, which is...

The Hennepin County Attorney has charged a prominent right-wing activist and another man for misrepresenting their identities at polling places during Minnesota’s primary election in August. James O’Keefe and Cameron Higby face felony charges for unlawful voting and identity theft. Jon Collins joined MPR News host Nina Moini to explain.

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 " Artifi...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 coll...

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, vis...

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 Bi...