Minneapolis singer, rapper and writer Dessa has risen to fame over the past two decades through her genre-defying solo performances and collaborations with groups like the Minnesota Orchestra and Doomtree.Dessa is releasing a new single “Camelot” off her new EP on Friday. She joined MPR News host Nina Moini to share a sneak peek of her new project and reflect on her two decades in the Twin Cities music scene and beyond.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency recently released an analysis of the water quality of rivers, lakes and streams across the state. While the Blue Earth River in southwestern Minnesota has improved, scientists are still seeing the effects of the June 2024 Rapidan Dam failure on the river’s water quality.MPR News senior reporter Hannah Yang has been covering the impacts of the dam failure, which released more than a century’s worth of sediment buildup into the Blue Earth River. She joined Minnesota Now to share what she’s learned, as a part of a regular check-in with reporters in Greater Minnesota.
The state of Illinois and the city of Chicago are suing to stop the deployment of Texas National Guard troops to the Chicago area. The Trump administration says it needs the National Guard troops to protect federal agents who are carrying out immigration enforcement orders. A bipartisan group of former governors is asking to get involved in the case in support of Illinois and Chicago leaders. Among them are two former Minnesota governors, Democrat Mark Dayton and Arne Carlson, who served as a Republican but has since moved away from the party. Carlson joined MPR News host Nina Moini to share more.
Federal judges are deciding whether the National Guard can continue to deploy in Chicago. Two of Minnesota's former governors are signing their support to sue the Trump administration over it. Former Republican Gov. Arne Carlson will weigh in.The University of Minnesota's regents faced some tough decisions over their budget and the historic Eastcliff Mansion Thursday. We get an update on that. Plus, MPR News senior reporter Hannah Yang lets us in on her process covering flooding and water quality in southwestern Minnesota.And one of Minnesota's favorite musicians Dessa brings us her brand new music.The Minnesota Music Minute was “Just Another Sucker feat. Prince” by 94 East.
Within a week, there was vandalism at a Minneapolis synagogue and a fire and break-in at a Minneapolis mosque. We talk to faith leaders from both houses of worship about their concerns around targeting religious institutions. After ICE agents arrested a construction crew while they were working on a roof in St. Paul, concerns are growing within the immigrant community. We check in with an advocacy group about what they are hearing from immigrant workers. Plus, the Crown Prince of Norway is in the Twin Cities. We talk to the Norway House about the significance of his visit and Minnesota's deep ties to the country.
The first group of Norwegian immigrants arrived in the U.S. on a ship from Norway 200 years ago. And this week, Norway's Crown Prince Haakon, the heir to the Norwegian throne, is in Minnesota to recognize the unique ties the state has had to the country since 1825. On Tuesday, Haakon visited Norway House in Minneapolis. He was greeted by hundreds of community members waving Norwegian flags and he cut the ribbon for a library connecting Minnesotans with Norway. Sandy Ulsaker Wiese is board chair of the Norway House. She joined MPR News host Nina Moini to explain the significance of the Crown Prince’s visit and how Norwegians have shaped Minnesota.
A recent raid on a construction site in St. Paul has alarmed neighbors and immigrant advocates. ICE confirmed agents arrested four people who were working on a roof project on Thursday. A spokesperson for the agency said three of the four had criminal convictions but did not provide names or further information. MPR News has not independently verified those details. At a vigil, immigrant advocates said arrests like these are creating a climate of fear. MPR News host Nina Moini talked to Merle Payne about how this moment is impacting people working in the Twin Cities who could be subject to immigration arrests. Payne is executive director of the worker advocacy group, CTUL.
Wednesday morning, security guards at Temple Israel in Minneapolis discovered the synagogue had been vandalized with what synagogue leaders are calling antisemitic rhetoric. The vandalism at Temple Israel comes on the heels of a break-in at Alhikmah Islamic Center in Minneapolis on Tuesday. The week prior, there was a fire at the same mosque. Police are investigating whether the two mosque incidents are connected. For more, MPR News host Nina Moini talked with Temple Israel Senior Rabbi Marcia Zimmerman and Jaylani Hussein, executive director of Minnesota’s Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.Correction (Oct. 8, 2025): A previous version of this story misstated the day of the mosque break-in. The above version has been updated.
Tuesday marks two years since the beginning of the war in Gaza. Currently, there is a new round of peace talks between Israel and Hamas over a plan drafted by the U.S. The war began when Hamas militants stormed across the border, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. 48 hostages remain in captivity. Israel responded by launching an attack in Gaza, which has killed 67,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. College campuses have been a flashpoint for the war. On Tuesday, the University of Minnesota is both a place of protest and place for support for Jewish students. Rabbi Jill Avrin is the director of campus affairs for the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas. She spoke to MPR News host Nina Moini about working with Jewish students across the spectrum of political beliefs.
Soybean farmers are getting hit by the U.S. trade war with China. They could catch a break if the federal government moves forward with plans to send out billions of dollars in aid. We talked with an agricultural economist about what a bailout would mean for Minnesota growers.It's been two years since the Hamas attack on Israel and the onset of war in Gaza. In the U.S., college campuses have been central to clashes in public opinion. We talked to a rabbi who is working for the University of Minnesota to support Jewish students who hold a wide range of views of the conflict.We met a Minneapolis writer with roots in St. Paul. As a child in the 1960s, she watched Interstate 94 tear through her family’s historically Black neighborhood. Now, she's out with a new novel about a little girl having that same experience. It's called “The House on Rondo.”Our Minnesota Music Minute was “No Water” by Libianca and our Song of the Day was “Never be the Same” by Sarah Morris.
It's been more than 60 years since the construction of Interstate 94 destroyed much of the historically Black St. Paul neighborhood known as Rondo. Minneapolis writer Debra J. Stone remembers visiting her grandparents as a child in Rondo every Sunday without fail. She even remembers playing in an enormous dirt pit from I-94 construction growing near their house. It was only when her grandparents' house was demolished that she realized the effect the interstate would have. Debra wrote a novel about a little girl, not unlike herself at the time, grappling with the destruction of the Rondo neighborhood in 1963. The book is called “The House on Rondo,” and it is out Tuesday. She spoke to MPR News host Nina Moini about her experience growing up visiting Rondo and her new book.Debra will read from her new book at Black Garnet Books in St. Paul for a book launch event on Oct. 11.
As soon as Tuesday, the Trump administration is expected to announce a significant bailout package to help soybean producers and other farmers. President Donald Trump’s trade policies have had an outsized impact on farmers. China, the biggest buyer of U.S. soybean exports, isn’t buying any beans. It’s leaving Minnesota’s soybean farmers in a lurch. Ed Usset is a grain market economist for University of Minnesota Extension. He joined MPR News host Nina Moini to explain why soybean farmers need government assistance and the potential impact of that federal aid.
The city of Minneapolis is celebrating its second annual Latino Business Week. But how has the city's Latino community been navigating business during the Trump administration's immigration actions? We'll hear from a restaurant owner and Minneapolis city council member Jason Chavez.The Trump administration says Minnesota violated federal civil rights law. That's because the state allows transgender student athletes to compete in sports consistent with their gender identity. If Minnesota doesn't comply, the state could lose funding for education. We'll break it down with an education civil rights lawyer.Plus, what's next for the Minnesota Vikings after they stay undefeated in London, with our sports contributors Wally and Eric.Our Minnesota Music Minute was “When I Was Younger” by WILD HORSES and our Song of the Day was “Autumn Almanac” by The Kinks.
Business owners and city leaders kicked off the second annual Minneapolis Latino Business Week. The city partnered with multiple community organizations to put on training events, mixers and a celebration highlighting the many businesses led by Latinos in the city. The recognition week comes amid a year of highly restrictive enforcement and efforts to limit both illegal and legal immigration by the Trump administration. The heart of Latino Business Week is at Midtown Global Market in Minneapolis. One business owner, Wilin Castro, runs a restaurant there called Andy's Garage. He joined MPR News host Nina Moini along with Minneapolis City Council Member Jason Chavez.
The Minnesota Vikings remain undefeated in London. They kept the streak alive Sunday with a comeback against the Cleveland Browns. Jordan Addison caught a touchdown pass from Carson Wentz with 25 seconds left in the game. That play made the final score 21-17. The team has now played five regular season games in London, starting in 2013. It’s part of the NFL’s effort to grow its fan base in the United Kingdom.Lynx player Napheesa Collier made national headlines when she called out WNBA leadership — specifically, league commissioner Cathy Engelbert. Now Collier has canceled a meeting with Engelbert that was scheduled after this dispute. Joining MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about this plus other Minnesota sports news are contributors Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson.
The Trump administration says Minnesota is in violation of Title IX due to a policy that lets transgender student athletes compete in sports consistent with their gender identity. Title IX is a federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in programs that receive federal funding. Administration officials say Minnesota must end its policy by Thursday or risk losing federal education aid. Previously, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has argued that the policy is consistent with Minnesota’s human rights laws.Joining MPR News host Nina Moini to break this down is Jessica Heiser, a Minnesota-based education civil rights lawyer with Imprint Legal Group.
Thursday is the second day of the federal government shutdown. We learn how Minnesotans could be impacted.There are now 18 measles cases confirmed in Minnesota. We talk to an infectious disease expert with the state health department about efforts to stop the dangerous disease. We learn about the Lower Sioux Indian Community's work building homes out of hemp.Since the U.S. started a trade war with China, making magnets in the U.S. has been difficult. A new plant in Minnesota could change that.We hear how a woman was comforted after a huge loss in our “Thank You, Stranger” series.Plus, we go to MPR’s archives for a conversation with the late Jane Goodall.And it's the 75th anniversary of Charles Shulz's “Peanuts” comics! We look back at the St. Paul cartoon that changed the world.
Minnesota Now’s series called “Thank You, Stranger” explores the small acts of kindness that make a big impact.Minnesota Now producer Ellen Finn spoke to Becky Miest in Northfield. A stranger helped pick her back up after an emotional journey with her cat. In our series Thank You, Stranger, we hear the stories of how strangers can make our lives a little brighter or lift us up in a difficult moment. If you have a story to share about a stranger who made your life a little brighter, we want to hear it.Contact us at minnesotanow@mpr.org or (612) 361-1252.
The Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed 10 new cases of measles since Monday, bringing the total to 18 cases in the state. Meanwhile, national health officials reported there is a total of more than 1,500 cases across the country. That’s the highest number since the disease was declared eliminated from the U.S. in 2000. Jessica Hancock-Allen, the director of the Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Prevention and Control Division at the Minnesota Department of Health, joined MPR News host Nina Moini to explain the situation.
It’s been 75 years since Charles Schulz’s beloved comic strip “Peanuts” debuted on October 2, 1950, in St Paul.Charlie Brown, Snoopy and their friends have had a huge impact on culture in Minnesota and around the world. Kate Roberts, senior exhibit developer at the Minnesota Historical Society and self-proclaimed “Peanuts” superfan, joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about the comic’s legacy.