Minnesota Now

Ten years ago, Philando Castile was killed by a police officer in the St. Paul suburb of Falcon Heights. His death led to calls for accountability and change in policing. His mother, Valerie Castile, threw herself into that work. Four Black-led nonprofits in the Twin Cities with a combined 300-plus years of history announced they're coming together to try to have a greater impact. We'll learn more...

Valerie Castile lost her son ten years ago Monday. Philando Castile was killed by a St. Anthony police officer in a traffic stop in Falcon Heights a few days before his 33rd birthday. A jury acquitted the officer, Jeronimo Yanez, of manslaughter the following year. Since losing her son, Valerie Castile has worked to honor his memory by speaking out about his killing and joining calls for accountab...

Team U.S. plays Belgium Monday in Seattle in the round of 16. Forward Folarin Balogun may join his teammates for team U.S after his one-game suspension was lifted after intervention from President Trump. Belgium has challenged this decision. Minnesota Now sports contributors, Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson, spoke more about the World Cup, the Twins and more.

Four Black-led Twin Cities nonprofits have come together to form something they hope will help them continue to service those in need. The Legacy Stabilization Collaborative is a new joint effort between the Aurora St. Anthony Neighborhood Development Corporation, the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center, Phyllis Wheatley Community Center, and the Urban League Twin Cities. Together, these nonprofits h...

A school district is still grappling with being in the bullseye during Operation Metro Surge. We'll hear from them. Plus, a year after being federally charged for anti-ICE actions, Isavela Lopez has taken a plea deal. We'll talk to her about how the case impacted her life. A new kind of disaster recovery insurance uses sensors and AI to track wind speeds and flood levels. We'll learn about how cit...

Cities along the Mississippi River are planning to try a budding form of disaster insurance to cover things like flooding. This insurance relies on AI and satellites and sensors. And some are saying it could provide crucial help in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. Minneapolis-based journalist Katie Thornton dove into the world of what’s called parametric insurance for the magazine WIRED and...

The Fourth of July will be special at one Minnesota campground this weekend. Veterans Campground in Washington County is marking 100 years of serving veterans, as a place for rest, relaxation and belonging. Ken Larson is a Minnesota National Guard veteran and manager of the campground. He spoked to Minnesota Now host Nina Moini about how the camp has created comradery for thousands of Minnesota ve...

Fourteen Minnesotans facing federal charges for anti-ICE actions were due in court Wednesday afternoon. Supporters protested the charges ahead of the court appearance. MPR News reporter Sarah Thamer shared the latest on the case. Starting Wednesday, $90 million will go to Minnesota counties to fund upgrades to computer systems that help provide social services. Plus, a new hotline is giving people...

Minnesota gardeners are on the lookout this time of year for dark, pointy leaves and bell-shaped, purple flowers. These are tell-tale characteristics of creeping bellflower, a weed that spreads by way of sprawling roots as well as seeds. Some Minnesotans have posted yard signs and Facebook posts urging their neighbors to help keep the plant in check. And some like to cook with it. Chef and forager...

Hollywood has taught entire generations that if you’re arrested in the U.S., you have the right to an attorney. If you can’t afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. But many people may not realize that unless you can pay for a lawyer, you likely won’t meet with one until your first court appearance. Those early hours are critical to a case, according to the Legal Rights Center, a nonprof...

Starting July 1, Minnesota's counties can start a long, and some say overdue, makeover of the technological systems and online databases that keep their services running. The state legislature approved $90 million this year to help sluggish computer systems, some dating back to the 1980s, get a little zippier. Paul Verette is director of the Minnesota Association of County Social Service Administr...

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Tuesday states can ban transgender girls and women from playing on girls sports teams in schools and universities. Twenty-seven states have enacted such bans. Minnesota is not one of them. As of now, transgender girls can play on girl’s teams in Minnesota schools. For more on the ruling’s impact, MPR News host Nina Moini talked with Jess Braverman, legal director of th...

Supporters of what's become known as the "Minnesota 15" are expected to gather in Minneapolis for a protest Wednesday afternoon ahead of a court hearing for 14 of the defendants. The 15th defendant, Kyle Wagner, is being held in Michigan on separate federal charges and is not expected in court today. Federal prosecutors accuse the 15 Twin Cities residents of conspiring to interfere with immigratio...

The U.S. Supreme Court upheld birthright citizenship Tuesday morning in a 6-3 opinion. It ruled President Donald Trump's executive order barring citizenship to children of some immigrant parents violates the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. We'll hear reaction from Minnesota. A new report says police have violated the constitution in several cities where the federal government dropped reforms....

June is Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month. More than 100,000 Minnesotans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer's disease, according to the Alzheimer's Association. Since 2018, University of Minnesota professor Joseph Gaugler has been working to visit all 87 Minnesota counties to share information about Alzheimer's disease and learn how communities across the state are caring for people li...

The Minnesota Beethoven Festival is back in Winona for its 19th season, bringing three weeks of classical music performances and events to southeastern Minnesota. The festival, which opened Sunday and runs through July 19, celebrates the music of Ludwig van Beethoven while featuring works by many other composers and performances by musicians from around the world. Ned Kirk, the festival's artistic...

President Donald Trump has neither signed nor vetoed a massive housing bill that recently passed Congress with extensive bipartisan support. He said on Monday it's a “yawn” compared to a voter ID law he’s pressuring Congress to approve. And he said he hasn’t decided whether he’ll sign the 21st Century Road to Housing Act. If the president hasn't acted 10 days after he receives the bill and Congres...

In May of 2025, the Department of Justice dropped its oversight of the Minneapolis Police Department. The DOJ said it no longer believed that the consent decree, or court-ordered reforms, were necessary. A new report from the ACLU has found otherwise. It looked at Minneapolis police and six other police departments across the country who also had consent decrees dropped and found unconstitutional...

It's expected to be a dangerously hot and humid day for Minnesotans in central and southern parts of the state — including the Twin Cities. Our chief meteorologist Ben Cathey will have what you need to know to take care of yourself in this weather. A Minnesota-based organization supporting children with disabilities is raising concern about the Trump administration's recent announcement to move re...

Rescue crews in Venezuela are desperately searching through rubble for thousands of people still missing after two devastating earthquakes struck the country last week. Venezuelan officials say nearly 1,500 people have died, while hundreds of buildings have been destroyed or severely damaged. Minnesota's Venezuelan community is rallying to support relief efforts. Patricia Aguilar moved to Osseo as...

After Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in Tennessee this weekend, she hopped on a plane to Texas for a game against the Dallas Wings. The Lynx won 85-77, making way for Reeve to tie the WNBA record for coaching wins. Joining Minnesota Now host Nina Moini to talk about the latest in basketball and other sports news are contributors Wally Langfe...

Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Saturday. Reeve was named the Lynx coach in 2009. Since then, she's won four championships and four WNBA coach of the year awards, coached the U.S. women's basketball team to three Olympic gold medals and had six of her players inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. MPR News digital producer An...

Extreme heat is expected across much of central and southern Minnesota Monday, including the Twin Cities metro. Experts are urging people to limit time outdoors and drink plenty of water. For those who are trying to keep cool, the pool may be a popular place. MPR chief meteorologist Ben Cathey joined Minnesota Now with the latest on the heat. And Kevin O’Brien will be making sure things run smooth...

The Trump administration announced earlier this month the Department of Health and Human Services will take over responsibility of the special education office from the Department of Education. The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services oversees programs to support students with disabilities and accommodations for public education. Supporters of the move say it makes sense since t...

The Minneapolis City Council decided Thursday to put a moratorium on data center projects in most of the city until November. The ordinance makes an exception for downtown, where some say data centers will help boost declining property values. The Minnesota School Safety Center has a new director. We spoke with her about her ideas for preventing violence in schools. And a new law lays out regulati...