MPR News with Angela Davis

At some point in our lives, many of us will struggle to afford groceries. A job loss, a medical crisis, a divorce, an unexpected expense — life happens. Yet shame often keeps us from seeking help at food shelves and through food assistance programs like SNAP. MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks about food insecurity and the stigma that often surrounds it. Guests: Karen Tolkkinen is a colum...

Many of us listen to music off of our phones through streaming apps with algorithms built to feed us songs it thinks we would like.  It’s convenient, but those playlists, now starting to incorporate AI, rarely surprise us. Maybe that’s why some college radio stations are making a comeback. They offer something more personal — real human voices and a space where music discovery feels spontaneous an...

“FAFO parenting” is getting attention — the idea that sometimes the best way for kids to learn is by experiencing natural consequences. FAFO doesn’t exactly stand for “fool around and find out,” but you get the idea. Supporters say the parenting approach builds resilience and responsibility. Critics worry it can cross into neglect or leave kids without the guidance they need. MPR News guest host C...

Trust in government is low. Politicians are trading personal insults on social media. And, Americans see the country as more divided than at any other time since the Civil War.  What would it take to bring more dialogue, respect and effectiveness to politics? A first-of-its-kind program from the Citizen’s League is starting small and personal, with an “exchange” program for pairs of state Republic...

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump signed a government funding bill ending a record 43-day shutdown. The legislation came after weeks of political gridlock that ended when a small group of Senate Democrats reached a compromise with Republicans. MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with two political scientists about what the deal to end the shutdown tells us about power, priorities and po...

This Saturday marks ten years since the fatal shooting of Jamar Clark .   On Nov. 15, 2015, the unarmed 24-year-old was shot during a confrontation with two Minneapolis police officers. He died the next day.  In the weeks that followed, hundreds of people protested outside the Minneapolis 4th Precinct in Minneapolis — demanding the names of the officers and the release of any video. Protesters mar...

Cannabis is going mainstream in Minnesota in ways that would have been hard to imagine just a few years ago.  THC drinks are on store shelves. People talk about edibles and dispensaries as casually as they talk about coffee or craft breweries.  For many young adults, cannabis has become part of everyday life — a way to unwind, manage stress or hang out with friends. Using it carries far less stigm...

Layoffs are climbing across industries — from tech to retail to manufacturing. And Democrats won key races last week, campaigning on promises to make life more affordable. Are companies cutting costs because consumers are stretched thin? Or are different economic forces all hitting at the same time?  MPR News guest host Catharine Richert takes a closer look at what’s happening in the economy. Rich...

In a storm that blew hurricane force winds on Nov. 10, 1975, the Edmund Fitzgerald — a massive ore carrier longer than two football fields — disappeared into the dark, frigid waters of Lake Superior. All 29 crew members were lost. Fifty years later, the sinking of the Fitzgerald remains one of the most haunting and mysterious maritime disasters in American history. MPR News guest host Dan Kraker t...

For nearly four decades, MPR News reporter Dan Gunderson told stories that remind us how much meaning can be found in everyday life. He’s covered floods and farming, faith and politics, the changing landscape of rural communities — and the people who live there.   But what’s made Dan’s work so memorable isn’t just what he’s covered. It’s how he’s covered it — with patience, curiosity, and a deep r...

When we think about what happens to our body after we die, some of us may picture a heavy, polished casket or an urn of ashes left after cremation. But a growing number of people are choosing to return to the earth in more environmentally friendly ways. Some are choosing water-based cremation, which doesn’t burn fossil fuels. Others are planning simpler death rituals that skip embalming, steel cas...

Health insurance is about to get more expensive for a lot of people — in Minnesota and across the country.  Many older Minnesotans are scrambling to find new insurance plans after some insurers stopped offering or scaled back Medicare Advantage plans . People who buy their own insurance will see premiums jump next year as much as 26 percent on the individual market. Workers who get insurance throu...

President Donald Trump’s mobilization of the National Guard in a few U.S. cities in recent months has reignited debate about when — and whether — federal troops should be used on U.S. soil.  Does a president have the authority to deploy state National Guard units against a governor's objection? If so, what does that mean for the balance of power between civilian and military authority? MPR News gu...

Traditionally, a college degree has been seen as a ticket to a secure future. But not today. Thanks to soaring tuition costs and weighty student loans, many people are questioning the value of college. A 2025 Pew Research poll found that only one in four U.S. adults says it’s “extremely or very important to have a four-year college degree” to get a well-paying job. And many young Americans — inclu...

For centuries, witches have cast their spell on our imaginations and enchanted our stories. Throughout folklore and pop culture, some pointed-hat witches have established their unforgettable characters, both evil and good, from the Wicked Witch of the West, in the 1939 “Wizard of Oz” film, and Hermione Granger in the “Harry Potter” series. So, why are witches so popular? And why can’t pop culture...

The fall harvest is wrapping up across Minnesota. But will farmers turn a profit? Following a meeting Thursday between President Trump and China’s president Xi Jinping, there is hope that China will resume buying at least some soybeans and other export crops from the U.S. But Minnesota farmers are still suffering from the fallout of the trade war. They’re also grappling with inflation, tighter cre...

Sex education in schools tends to focus on how to avoid unplanned pregnancy — but that means a lot of Americans don’t learn much about fertility. One of the most common misunderstandings relates to age. A woman’s fertility declines as she ages, but many people underestimate just how much harder it can be to get pregnant in their 30s and 40s. And, most people also think fertility treatments are mor...

In its fourth week, the federal government shutdown has become the second-longest government shutdown in American history, with no resolution in sight. The funding dispute has halted paychecks for hundreds of thousands of federal workers and disrupted key services — from food assistance and small business loans to national parks and research programs. MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks wi...

We’ve all been told that our credit scores matter — but what does that really mean?   A high credit score can open doors. It can help you get a lower interest rate on a car loan, qualify for a mortgage or even make it easier to rent an apartment.  But a lower score? It can quietly cost you thousands of dollars in higher interest payments over time — money that could be going towards your savings,...

The big picture on rural health care is grim. Doctors are retiring. Hospitals are closing. There’s a lack of mental health care providers across the board. Plus, rural health facilities rely disproportionately on Medicaid reimbursement to stay afloat — and that program is facing $1 trillion in cuts thanks to President Trump’s self-titled Big Beautiful Bill. But if you zoom in to individual communi...

The moment your last or only child leaves home can feel like both an ending and a beginning. Some parents celebrate the new freedom. Others struggle with the sudden quiet. Most experience a bit of both. MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with a psychologist and a social worker about the emotional mix of pride, grief, and rediscovery that comes with an empty nest — and how to find balance...

In the last couple of years, at least a dozen data centers have been proposed across Minnesota. These are the facilities that power artificial intelligence, store medical data and save your family photos to the cloud. Data centers have promised jobs and investment in local communities, ranging from Twin Cities suburbs like Rosemount and Farmington, to small rural towns like Cannon Falls and Herman...

In October 2023, Rural Voice co-founder and host Kerri Miller traveled to Little Falls to talk about social isolation in greater Minnesota. Community members said it’s easy to feel disconnected and alone, especially if they struggle with some kind of mental health challenge. This September, Miller took the same question to Wadena. Social isolation is when a person objectively doesn’t have relation...

Drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro were first developed to treat diabetes. They turned out to be so effective at helping people lose weight that new versions were approved for weight loss. And now, their use has skyrocketed. One in every eight American adults has taken what are known as GLP-1 drugs. They not only lead to health benefits associated with weight loss, like lower risk of heart attack and...