Minnesota Now

Minnesota Now’s series called “Thank You, Stranger” explores the small acts of kindness that make a big impact.Kyrra Rankine’s morning started off like any other — then she found out her car had been towed. It was a classic bad day, the kind that any of us could have. But the kindness she encountered in the aftermath only comes along once in a while.Minnesota Now producer Aleesa Kuznetsov spoke with Rankine about the help she received in this installment of “Thank You, Stranger.”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 [email protected].

A southern Minnesota congressional race is too close to call. Democrat Jake Johnson has around 300 votes more than Republican incumbent Brad Finstad. That likely means it’s headed for a recount. We talked to the Secretary of State about how the recount process works.With a new ICE detention facility opening in Minnesota soon, lawyers and immigrant advocates are gathering to discuss detention and deportation. From the Covid-19 pandemic to George Floyd to political and mass shootings, and Operation Metro Surge — Minnesota has been through a lot. We learned about a new report on collective trauma in the state.Plus, how the annual “Girlhood Summit” is helping youth gain new skills and find community.The Minnesota Music Minute was Maurice Ravel’s “A Barque Upon the Ocean” performed by the Minnesota Orchestra.

On Saturday, some 200 middle and high school-aged girls and gender-expansive youth from across Minnesota will come together for the third annual “Girlhood Summit.”It’s a day-long event organized by the Ann Bancroft Foundation. And young people will get the chance to learn about everything from personal finance to managing stress and bringing their ideas to life. We heard more about the summit from Ethelind Kaba, executive director of the Ann Bancroft Foundation, and Madeline Lemmer, who has been involved with the summit since the first year and is this year’s volunteer coordinator.

Minnesotans know that the state has been through a lot over the past six years. The COVID-19 pandemic, the murder of George Floyd, fraud scandals, the Annunciation Catholic School shooting, the killings of Melissa and Mark Hortman and Operation Metro Surge. It’s kept the state under a microscope — and affected each of us in very different ways. A new report from the mental health advocacy group NAMI Minnesota looks at what happens when traumatic events affect not just individuals, but entire communities, and when those experiences start to pile up. Marcus Schmit, executive director of NAMI Minnesota, joined Minnesota Now to talk more about their latest report.

The most recent data from the Deportation Data Project shows more than 2,300 non-citizens who were arrested in Minnesota during the federal immigration enforcement operation this winter were deported or left the country.Immigration lawyers and advocates are still working with people who have been deported or are in ICE custody — navigating the complex legal system that comes with it. That’s the focus of a University of Minnesota Law school forum taking place Friday. Sarah Brenes, executive director of the Binger Center for New Americans at the U of M, spoke with MPR News host Nina Moini about the event.