Claim OwnershipMinnesota Now
Subscribed: 93Played: 18,862
Subscribe
© Copyright 2026 Minnesota Public Radio
Description
Live, down to earth, unscripted interviews that aim to connect, inform and entertain. Real people share real stories with MPR News host Nina Moini. It’s journalism that doesn’t take itself too seriously and puts people first.
1432 Episodes
Reverse
New data shows federal immigration agents arrested more than 3,700 Minnesotans during their surge to the state this winter. And fewer than a quarter of those who were arrested had criminal convictions. We'll talk with two reporters who dug into these numbers about what they found. Tuesday would have formally celebrated the farm labor leader Cesar Chavez. But several states including Minnesota repealed the honorary day following allegations of sexual abuse. We'll talk about the complicated emotions surrounding this day.Heightened immigration enforcement is putting pressure on Minnesota's international adoptee communities. We'll hear from acclaimed Minneapolis author Louise Erdrich about her new book of short stories.Our Minnesota Music Minute was “What I Love the Most” by Lanue and our Song of the Day was “Dark was the Night Cold was the Ground” by Ben Gateno.
Attorney Gregory Luce is working to help international adoptees secure documents they need to prove their legal status, as the Trump administration pursues its goals of widespread immigration enforcement. The state is home to a number of international, otherwise known as intercountry, adoptees, including the nation’s highest concentration of adoptees from South Korea. Many people, adoptees and parents included, might have assumed that anyone adopted by U.S. citizens would also have citizenship. But that’s not always the case. Gregory Luce is an attorney and founder of the Adoptee Rights Law Center, based in Minneapolis. He has been helping adoptees navigate what’s become a precarious situation for some and joined MPR News host Nina Moini to explain the gaps in citizenship some adoptees face.
For the past 11 years, the state of Minnesota has officially celebrated Cesar Chavez, the iconic farm labor leader on his birthday, March 31. Until this year. Governor Walz signed a bill to repeal the holiday, weeks after The New York Times reported allegations that Chavez sexually assaulted multiple women and girls, including a co-leader of the farmworker movement, Dolores Huerta.The news has shocked and hurt many who revered Chavez, especially Latinos who are sexual assault survivors. Esperanza United is a national organization, founded in Minnesota, that is focused on ending gender-based violence in Latino communities. The organization's president and CEO, Vivian Huelgo joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about how she is approaching the day.
Federal agents arrested more than 3,700 Minnesota residents during the federal government’s surge into the state this winter, according to new data released through a federal lawsuit. It’s the most nuanced data the federal government has released since the surge and includes the location where at least 3,789 people were arrested, their countries of origin and whether they have a criminal history. The data was released by the Deportation Data Project via a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit. MPR News host Nina Moini talked to Jon Collins and Kate Martin about their reporting on the numbers.
Organizers with No Kings rallies across Minnesota imparted clear instructions, don’t let the energy fade before the midterm election. Spring planting season is just around the corner, but with the war in Iran stretching into the second month, Minnesota farmers are facing tough decisions. We'll check back in with one farmer.State lawmakers are on break after reaching their first major deadline Friday. Our politics reporter Dana Ferguson will have a round up of what they've managed to accomplish so far and which bills are still alive as the session nears the halfway mark. Plus, we'll meet two Minnesota shrimp farmers who own the country's only inland hatchery. Why they're asking for help to stay afloat and what it would mean for the state's developing shrimp industry if they shut down.Our Minnesota Music Minute was “Castles” by Mason Jennings and our Song of the Day was “Saving the Beard of the Dragon” by Purple Funk Metropolis.
The Minnesota Twins are getting back into the swing of things. Their home opener at Target Field is this Friday. Plus, the high school boys basketball championships this weekend had it all: a storybook ending for a Cinderella team and a last-second steal by a powerhouse.And the sports world is mourning the loss of two Vikings greats Joey Browner and Jeff Siemon. Minnesota Now sports contributors Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson joined the program to talk about the top sports headlines.
The country’s only inland shrimp hatchery — which happens to be in Minnesota — is asking for help to stay afloat. Minnesota Shrimp got its start five years ago and they had just started to see profitability when they ran into two big setbacks: the bankruptcy of a major customer and a faulty order of shrimp. It put them on the brink of closure just as things were getting going.Barbara Frank and Paul Damhof are the owners of Minnesota Shrimp. They spoke to Minnesota Now host Nina Moini about how the shrimp farming industry and the struggles its facing.
State lawmakers are on recess this week after reaching their first major legislative deadline on Friday. It's a key point in the session when bills need to clear committees to stay alive. That means we’re nearly at the halfway mark of what’s already been a tense and high-stakes year at the Capitol. The session began amid fallout from a major ICE surge in the state, along with renewed concerns about fraud in state programs and ongoing debates over public safety. MPR News politics reporter Dana Ferguson joined Minnesota Now host Nina Moini to walk us through where things stand.
It’s been one month since the war in Iran began. And financial concerns are growing for farmers as we inch closer to spring planting season. Dan Glessing is the president of the Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation. He told Minnesota Now host Nina Moini when the war began that he was hopeful the war would be short-lived. Moini checked back in with Glessing to talk about what economic impacts Minnesota’s farmers could see as a critical time in agriculture approaches.
Minneapolis is considering building a new police training center.And U.S. Rep. Kelly Morrison is raising concerns about her visit to an immigration detention center in Texas, where some Minnesotans detained by ICE are being held.Thousands are expected to gather in St. Paul on Saturday for the third No Kings rally to protest President Trump's policies. St. Paul police shared more about their safety plans.Plus, we are just beginning to understand the wide-ranging impact of the ICE surge here in Minnesota. A new survey has some insight. And excitement is growing for the U of M's women's basketball team and its journey to a championship. We spoke to the high school coach of a star player.
It was one of those sports moments that felt like magic: a close game that would decide who went home, and who moved on in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament. Then Gopher guard Amaya Battle got the ball and shot a perfect, game-winning swish with less than a second left on the clock. Battle’s former coaches, Tara Starks and Alexis Garcia, watched from Hopkins High School as the University of Minnesota beat Ole Miss, earning a ticket to the Sweet 16 for the first time in more than 20 years. Hopkins head girls basketball coach Tara Starks joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about Battle and the big upcoming game.
Findings from one of the first comprehensive surveys of the impacts of the surge of federal agents are out — and they show there were broad negative effects on people in the Twin Cities. The U.S. Immigration Policy Center at the University of California San Diego is behind the research. Between mid-February and early March, they surveyed more than 700 people in Minneapolis and more than 600 people in St. Paul. Tom Wong, the director of the center, joined Minnesota Now to break down the economic, health, education, and public safety impacts the study found.
Tens of thousands of people from across Minnesota and across the country are expected in St. Paul on Saturday for the No Kings rally. The political protest at the State Capitol is the flagship event on a day when thousands of other rallies are planned across the country. The event is protesting Trump administration policies. It will feature local officials and activists, alongside celebrities like Jane Fonda, Bruce Springsteen and Joan Baez. This is the third No Kings rally since President Donald Trump took office and organizers expect Saturday’s event to be the biggest.State and local law enforcement are making security plans to keep the event here in St. Paul safe. St. Paul Police Deputy Chief Kurt Hallstrom spoke to Minnesota Now host Nina Moini about the plans.
The Minneapolis City Council is set to vote Thursday on funding for a new police and emergency responder training facility.A proposal before the council would allocate close to $5.6 million to acquire land for the facility. The money would come out of other parts of the city budget, including animal control and traffic safety.MPR News reporter Estelle Timar-Wilcox joins Minnesota Now host Nina Moini to provide an update.Read the latest on this story at MPRnews.org.
Minnesota officials are suing the Trump administration for access to evidence in the three shootings by federal officers.Plus, the city of Brooklyn Park is having a group home boom, but city leaders are questioning how well some of these facilities are caring for vulnerable residents.Two women in Minnesota died in domestic violence incidents 12 days apart. Their cases bring to light the legal limitations of orders for protection. Plus, a new business incubator has opened in the historic Rondo neighborhood of St. Paul. Chief Meteorologist Paul Huttner shared how long the warm weather may last.And an event series uses headscarves as a starting place for connection and storytelling. The Minnesota Music Minute was “butterflies” by runo plum. “Bona Fide“ by Charlieboy was the Song of the Day.
The clothes people wear often tell stories about who we are and that can be especially true with what we wear on our heads. Headscarves, headdresses and other head coverings hold religious and cultural significance across many groups. For years, Rose McGee has gathered Minnesota women together to share about their lives, backgrounds and style, with headscarves as a starting place. She joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about a Headscarf Story Circle happening in Rochester Saturday. The event is the second of a three-part series organized by the Minnesota Humanities Center and Rochester Women’s Magazine.
A new retail and business incubator space has officially opened in the historic Rondo neighborhood of St. Paul. Rondo Exchange on Selby Avenue is now home to four new businesses that span photography, visual art, self-care products and digital illustration. The Rondo Community Land Trust is behind the incubator, which aims to provide retail space and support to creative entrepreneurs. The land trust's larger mission is to foster community wealth and stability in Rondo, a community that was fractured more than 60 years ago when the construction of I-94 displaced many long-term residents from the predominantly-Black neighborhood.Mikeya Griffin, president and CEO of the Rondo Community Land Trust, joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about Rondo Exchange.
This month, two women were killed in domestic violence incidents 12 days apart. Ashley Kittelson was allegedly killed by her husband in International Falls on March 6. Jennifer Marsaw and her 5-year-old son, were allegedly killed by her husband in Anoka County on March 18. Marsaw’s husband has been charged with two counts of murder. Their two cases share a common thread. Both women filed orders for protection from the men accused of killing them. Violence Free Minnesota co-directors Nikki Engle and Katie Kramer joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about legal systems of protection and how they’re advocating to make those systems function better. If you or someone you know is in a dangerous situation with a partner, a 24-hour statewide domestic and sexual violence hotline. The number to call Minnesota Day One is (866) 223-1111 or you can text (612) 399-9995.
State lawmakers are considering creating a new state office focused on stopping fraud. That proposal passed in the Senate with support from both parties. But in the House, it's been stalled. We’ll learn about the sticking points and where things stand.Minneapolis has been in the global spotlight this year, again. We'll learn how the city's tourism agency is trying to convince people to visit after the ICE surge. The Trump Administration canceled a report about the health of nature across the country. But scientists are publishing it anyway. We'll talk to a Minnesota professor who's part of the project. It's syrup season! We'll head north to hear about the joys of tapping trees and boiling sap in Grand Rapids, Minn.Our Minnesota Music Minute was “Dicey (The Floor Song)” by Bryn Battani and our Song of the Day was “Seven Corners” by Mucilage.
Many Minnesotans are currently experiencing the sweet spot of a generations-old springtime tradition. The time to tap for maple syrup comes each spring, as the temperature is wobbling between freezing overnight and thawing during the day. This time is not just about making a sweet treat to add to our pancakes. It's a long process that invites people to pause to observe details of the earth waking up from winter. That's what an upcoming event in Grand Rapids, Minn., aims to encourage. The Forest History Center is celebrating this spring with an event called Maple, Music and Phenology. The center's program supervisor, Bryan French, is boiling gallons upon gallons of maple sap to make syrup for the event on Saturday afternoon. He joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about it.
Comments
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States