Afleveringen
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A new report looks at the contributions of immigrants to Minnesota's economy. It found that foreign-born workers are making up an increasing share of the state’s workforce. We talk to an official behind the report about what that means for the state's economy.
A food bank in northern Minnesota is expanding to feed more people in the area. They are opening a new facility. We hear from the CEO of Second Harvest Northland.
Plus, rain in February! We check in with meteorologist Sven Sundgaard for the forecast.
And we go Out to Lunch, this time with Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth. We hear about everything from her love for spicy food to her unconventional path into politics.
The Minnesota Music Minute was Bob Dylan’s song “Girl from the North Country” and “Alive (For the Second Time)” by Faux Pseudo was the Song of the Day.
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For our newer segment Out to Lunch, we get out of the studio and into the community, where news and life is happening. We sit down with people you may have heard from on the show and get to know them at a deeper, personal level over lunch.
In this episode, we hear a conversation with the Republican Speaker of the House, Lisa Demuth. Earlier this month, she became the first Black person and Republican woman to hold the role in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
Speaker Demuth has served in the House since 2018 and represents the Cold Spring area, just southwest of St. Joseph. Before becoming speaker, she served as the Republican House Minority Leader when Democrats had full control of the House, Senate and the governor's office.
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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Second Harvest Northland will celebrate finishing the first phase of a newly-renovated food bank Thursday in Duluth.
The organization serves 15 counties in northern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin in an area spanning more than 27,000 square miles. They first identified the need for a larger facility in 2019.
Through a fundraising program called "Nourish the Northland," they raised $20 million to revitalize the food bank.
Second Harvest Northland CEO and President Shaye Moris joins MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about what’s next for the food bank.
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If you stepped outside recently, you definitely felt it. It’s starting to feel like spring!
Mild weather has wiped out most of the snow we got earlier in February. That has pushed events like the Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon to move further north in search of better snow. But it is welcome news for those who are feeling ready for winter to be over.
MPR meteorologist Sven Sundgaard joins MPR News host Nina Moini with an outlook on the changing season.
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The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and Chamber Foundation released a report Wednesday highlighting the impact of immigrants in Minnesota’s workforce. The report builds on 16 years of research examining the role of immigration in the state’s economy. The Chamber released their first immigration report in 2007.
Sean O’Neil is the director of economic development and research at the chamber and presented the report’s findings at the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce Workforce Summit in Brooklyn Park. MPR News host Nina Moini talks with him.
Find more reporting from MPR News on our website.
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Minnesota students are missing a lot of school, according to the latest data. Some lawmakers and advocates say better data would help create solutions to bring them back to the classroom. We learned about a set of bills aiming to do that.
From research groups to food shelves, Minnesota organizations have money stuck in legal limbo after the Trump administration moved to cut that spending. An expert broke down how this funding works.
A huge share of the overdose deaths in the state in recent years have happened in Minneapolis. A local journalist followed a group working on a strategy called harm reduction.
A new published collection featuring Minnesota writers turns scientific studies into poetry and prose about the needs of animals.
Our Minnesota Music Minute was “I Figured” by Lutalo and our Song of the Day was “Halfway There” by Jon Sullivan Band.
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In Minnesota, deadly drug overdoses doubled between 2018 and 2023. In Minneapolis, those deaths are disproportionately represented. In 2022, Minneapolis had nearly a quarter of the opioid deaths in the state, while the city only makes up eight percent of the population.
Southside Harm Reduction is on the front lines trying to prevent deadly overdoses in Minneapolis. They were featured in a new story and photo essay by local photojournalist Tim Evans. His essay “What Harm Reduction Really Looks Like” was co-published in The Nation and the Economic Hardship Reporting Project.
Evans joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about his essay.
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It’s been more than a month since President Donald Trump took office. The president’s executive orders since then have included cuts to funding that goes toward nonprofits and research facilities.
The cuts highlight the complex financial relationship between the federal government, state agencies and nonprofits.
Kris Norman, a professor and program director at Hamline University Center for Public Administration and Leadership, joined Minnesota Now to explain the nuts and bolts of federal government funding to state and nonprofit programs.
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On Tuesday afternoon, Minnesota lawmakers began considering legislation to help make sure students are showing up to school. According to the most recent data from the Minnesota Department of Education, in 2023, more than a quarter of students missed at least 10 percent of school.
Some lawmakers say there needs to be more effective ways of tracking who is missing a lot of school and who completely withdraws.
Matt Shaver testified Tuesday before lawmakers. He is the policy director for Ed-Allies, an organization advocating for students in Minnesota. He joined Minnesota Now to talk about why absenteeism is so harmful, why children are missing school and how new legislation could change how we track who is missing school.
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Poets and authors are turning scientific studies into creative writing projects in a new book from the University of Minnesota Press. “Creature Needs: Writers Respond to the Science of Animal Conservation” includes work by four Minnesota authors, including Claire Wahmanholm. Wahmanholm joined Minnesota Now along with Christopher Kondrich, a co-editor of the book.
MPR News host Nina Moini talked to Wahmanholm and Kondrich about bringing science into creative writing, nature’s hand in poetry and the process behind the book.
Wahmanholm will host a panel about the book at Milkweed Books in Minneapolis on Thursday, Feb. 27 at 6 p.m.
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A deadline looms Monday night for thousands of federal workers: prove that you have done work in the last week or resign. It has plunged employees and agencies into confusion. A law professor helps answer whether the move by Elon Musk is legal.
Monday marks three years since the start of the war in Ukraine. A Minnesota doctor has helped hundreds of Ukrainians get access to free prosthetics.
Plus, as we approach Ramadan, we talk to a local Muslim deli that imports thousands of dates to help people celebrate one of the holiest months of the year.
And believe it or not, baseball season is back. The Minnesota Twins’ spring training is underway. We have the latest from our sport contributors on the Twins’ preseason, plus more on an injured Timberwolves team.
The Minnesota Music Minute was “The Fortuneteller Foretold” by Ukrainian Village Band and the Song of the Day was “Everything is Happening” by Luke Zimmerman.
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The Minnesota Timberwolves get a do-over after losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Minneapolis late Sunday, 123 to 130. The two teams will play again Monday on the Thunder's home court.
Oklahoma City is the top-ranked team in the Western Conference and Minnesota is missing multiple starters due to injuries. Contributors Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson join MPR News host Nina Moini with the latest on the Wolves, plus Twins spring training and other sports news.
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The Muslim holy month of Ramadan starts on Friday. During this time, Muslims observe a strict fast from dawn until sunset. That means the breaking of the fast at sunset, known as iftar, is a special event. The fast is usually broken with dates and a drink, depending on the culture.
Since August, Muslim deli Holy Land in northeast Minneapolis has been prepping for an influx of customers. The deli has imported more than 26 kinds of dates from at least eight different countries.
Majdi Wadi is the CEO of Holy Land. He joined MPR News host Nina Moini in studio to talk about Ramadan and preparations for the holiday.
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Monday marks three years since Russia invaded Ukraine. It has become Europe’s largest conflict since World War II. Tens of thousands have been killed, entire cities have been reduced to ruins and millions of Ukrainians became refugees.
In Minnesota, a doctor has been helping those who have lost limbs in the war. The Protez Foundation, based in Oakdale, has provided hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians prosthetics.
Dr. Yakov Gradiner is the chief medical officer of the organization and Ukrainian-American. He joined MPR News host Nina Moini to reflect on the last three years.
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Federal employees filed a lawsuit over an email telling them to list their accomplishments from the last week and a warning from Elon Musk that if they do not respond, they could lose their jobs.
The lawsuit was filed in a California federal court after the Office of Personnel Management sent a mass email Saturday giving employees a deadline of 11:59 p.m. ET Monday to respond. Also on Saturday, Musk posted to X saying no response would be considered a resignation.
The situation is causing confusion and several agencies have told their staff not to respond, according to NPR.
For perspective on the lawsuit, MPR News host Nina Moini talks with Nick Bednar, an associate professor of law at the University of Minnesota who specializes in the executive branch of the federal government.
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There are people using AI to create fake nude images of other people. State lawmakers are looking at ways to stop them by holding technology companies accountable. We from the bill's author, DFL Sen. Erin Maye Quade.
Minnesota's teachers are wondering what to tell their students about the country’s polarized political climate. We listen to their conversations.
We also hear from organizers who are working to address racial economic inequality in Duluth.
Have you ever debated with a family member about getting a cat or dog? We get some advice on how to make the decision.
A history exhibit highlighting the voices of hundreds of LGBTQ+ Minnesotans is travelling around the state.
The Minnesota Music Minute was “Unguided” by ten thousand lakes. The Song of the Day was “Payer” by Brute.
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A new Minnesota history exhibit featuring the recorded voices of hundreds of LGBTQ+ Minnesotans kicked off its journey around the state Thursday.
The exhibit, “We Live On: Stories of Radical Connection” is a first for the organization Telling Queer History, which has spent eleven years gathering Minnesotans for events to remember the past and create community.
It also will be their last project. The organization is closing after it visits cities including Red Wing, Duluth and Moorhead this year. The founder of Telling Queer History, Rebecca Lawrence, joined Minnesota Now to reflect on Minnesota’s colorful history and the exhibit.
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The Duluth NAACP is hosting its annual Freedom Fund Dinner on Saturday. Donations from the dinner will go to the Duluth NAACP as well as a newer organization called Ignite Empower Transform.
Through its Economic Empowerment Center started last year, the nonprofit’s single employee is working to address economic and racial inequality in Duluth, one community member at a time. In Duluth and across the state, there are racial disparities in income. Black and Native American households in northeast Minnesota made $30,000 less on average than white households in 2022, according to a state analysis of Census data.
Ignite Empower Transform’s Community Coordinator Tiffany Fenner and one of the organization’s board members, Amanda Linquist, joined Minnesota Now to share more about the new nonprofit.
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Minnesota social studies teachers will gather in St. Cloud for the Minnesota Civics Summit on Saturday. Put on by the League of Women’s Voters of Minnesota, it brings together teachers and civics organizations to support teachers in engaging students during a polarizing time in politics.
Amy Anderson, the executive director for the YMCA Center for Youth Voice, and Crystal Johnson, a 12th grade government and economics teacher in Osseo and a Minnesota Council for Social Studies board member, joined Minnesota Now to talk about the summit.
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It's that time of year when you may be feeling cooped up, spending more time at home, and thinking it would be nice to have some company.
As nice as it sounds, getting a dog or a cat means a significant change to your lifestyle and your budget. It's a big change for the animal, too. So how do you know you're ready to give them a good life? When is the right time?
Our ask: Help me know when it’s the right time to get a pet
Our professional: Azure Davis, the founder of Ruff Start Rescue
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