Minnesota Now

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...

A Minnesota-based organization is leading its fifth-annual run on Sept. 30 to recognize National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. The day was created to honor Indigenous children who died at residential schools as well as survivors of the institutions, where they suffered abuse and forced separation from their families and cultures. Similar boarding schools existed in the United States....

Artificial intelligence is everywhere in the headlines: from debates over data centers to concerns about the power of AI, elected officials and everyday people are figuring out the role of this technology in our lives. In greater Minnesota, two professors have recently pushed to add new master's degree programs on AI at their universities. They say it's needed to meet the challenges and opportunit...

The Detroit Lakes School Board has been trying to remove rainbow stickers from school grounds for months. It met again Monday night to debate a new policy. MPR News reporter Harshawn Ratanpal was at the meeting and joined MPR News host Nina Moini with the latest in Detroit Lakes.

Voters this November will decide on a constitutional amendment that could change how much money public and charter schools get from a state trust. A breakdown of the Permanent School Fund and what's on the ballot. St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her is facing sexual harassment allegations from the police chief. We'll hear from one city council member on why she's calling for the release of the full report f...

St. Paul City Council members Molly Coleman and Saura Jost are calling on the city to release the full report from the outside investigation into Mayor Kaohly Her. The city's HR department released a summary of the investigation earlier this month. It found that the mayor had behaved inappropriately with city employees but that her behavior did not constitute sexual harassment. The council members...

Knock on wood, because the Minnesota Vikings are undefeated for the start of the season, after their 23-16 win Sunday night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. On Monday, the team announced a trade with back up quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Lynx are off to a rough start in their playoff run. They lost 91-75 to the New York Liberty. Tuesday’s game is a must-win for the Lynx to s...

PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals,” were once thought of as impossible to remove from the environment. They’re still seen as difficult and expensive to remove from wastewater, a common place for the PFAS to be found. A pilot project in St. Cloud tested a technology to do just that, and researchers found that the process they used destroyed more than 99 percent of the PFAS they tested. Luke La...

On your ballot in November, you will be asked to vote on a constitutional amendment, which would make changes to what's called the Permanent School Fund. This fund is a trust, that supports every single public and charter school student in the state. Lawmakers are now asking taxpayers to vote to change the calculation of how much money is distributed to schools. This would allow schools to get acc...

St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry is suing Mayor Kaohly Her for sexual harassment and retaliation. We got more on the allegations in the lawsuit and next steps from MPR News reporter Matt Sepic. We also spoke to a midwife who helped support pregnant women whose families went into hiding during Operation Metro Surge earlier this year — and how her work has continued six months later. And the Minneso...

If you’re looking for a new place to catch everything from local indie films to the old classics, a brand new 36-seat micro-cinema theater opened Thursday on the East Side of St. Paul. The theater comes out of TriLingua Cinema, which has been running pop-up screenings for the last six years. It’s located in the same building as the East Side Freedom Library. TriLingua Cinema executive director Sid...