Minnesota Now

Monday marks six years since a former Minneapolis police officer murdered George Floyd, setting off waves of protest and civil unrest across the country. Several memorial events this weekend are happening in south Minneapolis at the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue, where Floyd was killed — and where activists and neighbors are still at odds with the city over how best to remember him. MPR News reporter Estelle Timar-Wilcox has been tracking the story for years. She joined Minnesota Now to talk about that debate and also the events planned this weekend.

Trump administration officials have announced new fraud charges. Meanwhile, a federal judge has sentenced the ringleader of the Feeding Our Future fraud scandal to nearly 42 years in prison. Our reporter Matt Sepic was inside the courtroom for Aimee Bock's sentencing.The city of Minneapolis is set to memorialize Birdell Beeks by placing her name on the street sign above the intersection where she was killed by a stray bullet ten years ago. Her daughter reflects on the work she's done to honor her mother's life.Plus, six years after George Floyd's murder, a look at construction at George Floyd Square. And we learned about an effort working to provide music education in Duluth and Haiti.

In the 10 years since losing her mother to gun violence Bunny Beeks has made it her mission to help other families endure these senseless tragedies and find justice. Now, she has honored her mother's legacy once again by successfully asking the city to place her name, Birdell Beeks, on the street sign over the very intersection in north Minneapolis where her life was taken in May 2016. It happened in broad daylight while she sat in her minivan in the middle of crossfire she had nothing to do with. Bunny Beeks joined Minnesota Now host Nina Moini in the studio to reflect on the time that has passed since her mother's death and the work that remains.

For the past few weeks, a group of young people in Duluth have been learning to write and perform music through the “That's a Rap!” program by the Music Resource Center and the Kako Foundation, which also provides music education programs in Haiti. They'll have their final performance Thursday night.Their instructor, Terrell Grier, and Rudy Perrault, president of the Kako Foundation, shared more about the program.

With the legislative session wrapped up, Minnesota Now dug into how crucial funding is being spent. First, how millions of dollars will help HCMC out of a financial crisis. Plus, how $90 million in technological upgrades will support counties in administrating SNAP and Medicaid. A new scorecard on school test results nationwide found large achievement gaps at Minneapolis Public Schools. Plus, Minnesota's Muslim community is tackling safety concerns after the mosque shooting in San Diego. We heard from the state's next Supreme Court Chief Justice.Meteorologist Sven Sundgaard gave the holiday weekend forecast. And a Minnesota-made podcast is helping kids navigate puberty.The Minnesota Music Minute was “Down Home Blues” by Deb Jenkins and “500 Dollars” by The Lamont Cranston Band was the Song of the Day.

Minnesota's Muslim leaders are gathering their community together after a deadly shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego in California on Monday. Minnesota's Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR-MN, gathered imams and mosque leaders along with local law enforcement to talk about the shooting and security preparations for upcoming large Muslim gatherings in Minnesota on Tuesday evening. The organization will host a virtual public training about safety protocols and tips for the Muslim community on Saturday.

Puberty is something everyone goes through in life. But it is an uncomfortable topic to talk about for many. A new podcast is putting puberty front and center of the conversation. Presented by Brains On Universe, the podcast is simply titled “Puberty (The Podcast).” It's designed for kids ages 7-12 and is also a resource for parents helping their kids navigate their changing bodies and brains. The show's host and executive producer, Molly Bloom, joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about it.

New scorecards are out for school districts across the country. Known as the Education Scorecard, the results in Minneapolis Public Schools show large achievement gaps across race and class. The findings are based on average test scores from 2022-2025. MPR News host Nina Moini talked with two guests who have worked to address educational disparities in Minneapolis about what to make of the numbers. Bernadeia Johnson was superintendent of Minneapolis Public Schools from 2010 to 2015. She is currently a professor at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Jennifer Stern is CEO of Great MN Schools, a nonprofit that works closely with public and charter schools in Minneapolis.MPR News has reached out to Minneapolis Public Schools for a statement.

An ICE agent is facing state charges for allegedly shooting and wounding a man in north Minneapolis in January. It's the second time a federal agent has been charged in relation to this winter's ICE surge. We'll have details, plus legal analysis on the case. The state legislative session is over. Among the proposals that did not pass was relief money for businesses struggling from impacts of the federal surge. College students have finished another school year transformed by AI. We'll talk to a professor who's been writing his way through the changes. We'll go to Rochester, where the city's pre-professional women's soccer team is getting ready for their first game against Eagan-based Minnesota Aurora.Our Minnesota Music Minute was “Um Dia” by D. Santos and our Song of the Day was “Valkyrie Drive” by Cardboard Fishtank.

It's a good time to be a women's sports fan in Minnesota. In basketball, Lynx season is underway. In Rugby, Twin Cities Gemini won their first game Sunday. On Thursday there's a match between the state's two women's pre-professional soccer teams. It's the home opener for Minnesota Aurora and the first game of the season for the Rochester FC Loons. Rochester Coach Eric Feil and team captain Rachel Jackson joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about how the team has evolved since it launched a few seasons ago.

College students across the state have just wrapped up the school year. It was the third school year where access to generative AI was commonplace. Artificial intelligence has changed how many students – and their professors – look at getting an education. Chris Wells is chair of the Environmental Studies department at Macalester College. Like most other educators over the past few years, he's constantly navigating his students' relationships with AI and the classroom. He admits like most educators, he's still figuring it out. He writes a newsletter about what AI means for college teaching called Teaching Upside Down.Wells joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about the shifts he's noticed in the classroom, how he's changed assignments with AI in mind and how he's rethinking what getting an education means when generative AI can accomplish so much.

State lawmakers are officially on break after a busy session. Among the key issues this year at the Capitol: addressing the impacts of the surge of federal immigration agents. Several proposals were introduced, including legislation to establish a $100 million relief fund for businesses that may have lost revenue or faced other difficulties due to the surge. Gov. Tim Walz also put forth a $10 million relief package in February. Both proposals did not pass. Aaron Sepulveda is legislative and policy director with the Minnesota Council on Latino Affairs. He's been talking to businesses across the state and he told MPR News more about where things go from here.

A second ICE agent is now facing state criminal charges for actions during Operation Metro Surge. On Monday, charges were filed against Christian J. Castro who is accused of shooting and wounding a Venezuelan man in north Minneapolis in January. He's also charged for allegedly lying to law enforcement about the incident.In April, ICE agent Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr. was charged with assault for allegedly pointing his gun at two people during a February road rage incident.A judge has issued nationwide warrants for the arrests of both agents. What happens next is unclear. Lauren Bonds, executive director of the National Police Accountability Project. She said it's novel legal territory. Bonds joined Minnesota Now to explain.

Parts of the North Shore and central Minnesota are still under evacuation orders after two separate wildfires broke out over the weekend. We'll get the latest from the DNR. Plus, the legislative session is over. What passed and what didn't make the cut.According to a new investigation, Minnesota's hospitals are some of the least generous in the nation when it comes to helping patients cover their bills. A closer look at why.Data also shows the percentage of Black Minnesotans in the Twin Cities who own a home has declined for the first time after rising for several years. Plus, the season may be over for several Minnesota teams after playoff losses. But for others, it's just getting started. Our sports contributors will have the rundown.Our Minnesota Music Minute was “Kdot (Untitled 05) ft. Desean Jones” by L.A. Buckner and our Song of the Day was “Disco 3 Love Sick” by Karate Chop, Silence.

There's been a seasonal shift over the last week and we're not talking about the weather. The playoffs ended in elimination for the Minnesota Frost, the Wild and the Timberwolves. But another set of sports teams are still busy, like the Twins in baseball and the Loons in soccer. The Minnesota Lynx are just getting started. Minnesota Now sports contributors Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson joined the program to help with the transition.

The Twin Cities metro area Black homeownership rate has backtracked. That's according to new data from the Minneapolis Federal Reserve. In 2023 the region's rate had risen to 34.3 percent, but in 2024 the regional Black homeownership rate fell back to 29.1 percent. The data also shows that compared to 11 other similar metro areas in the U.S., the Twin Cities has the largest gap between Black and white homeownership rates at nearly 47 percent. AsaleSol Young is the executive director of Housing in Action, a local housing justice organization that works with socioeconomically disadvantaged families to find affordable and safe housing. They joined the program to talk about what may be behind the numbers and potential solutions.

For many low-to-middle-income households, a health emergency can quickly turn into a financial one. Because nonprofit hospitals and health systems receive tax breaks, they are legally obligated to help cover some patients' medical bills. But Minnesota's hospitals do this at a lower rate, on average, than in most other states. In other words, they are some of the least charitable in the nation. That's according to a recent investigation by the Minnesota Star Tribune and the health outlet KFF News. Star Tribune reporter Jeremy Olson joined Minnesota Now to talk about what their report found.

We're tracking two large wildfires that sparked over the weekend. The first, the Stewart Trail Fire, burned dozens of buildings on the North Shore and it's more than 60 percent contained as of Monday morning.Meanwhile in Crow Wing County, north of Brainder, is the Flanders Fire. It's about 20 percent contained and evacuation orders remain in place. William Glesener has been following both of those fires and helping coordinate firefighting efforts. He is the wildfire operations supervisor at the Department of Natural Resources and spoke to Minnesota Now host Nina Moini with a status update on the wildfires across the state.

Short-on-sleep Minnesota lawmakers are at the Capitol for a session sendoff. They can't pass any more bills; that deadline arrived at midnight. But they're counting up the wins and losses from a three-month stay in St. Paul. They're also bidding farewell to colleagues who have already announced they won't be back in 2027. Peter Cox has an ear on the House and the Senate but took a quick break to bring the latest on Minnesota Now.

Minnesota lawmakers and Gov. Tim Walz have brokered a budget deal. It includes funding for HCMC, cuts to vehicle registration fees and property tax relief. We broke down the agreement and checked in on what work still needs to be done in the final days of the session. A new Minneapolis-based study shows that hospitals are an important place for gun violence prevention. And, there's a growing list of cities choosing to fly Minnesota's old flag instead of the new one. A look into the debate.Plus, a new project is mapping 50 years of Hmong history in Minnesota. And, Art-A-Whirl is a big weekend for painters, photographers and other artists. But it's becoming a landmark event for music, too. We'll look at the lineup.

From the first Hmong businesses, to homes that became museums and a regenerative Hmong farm, a new map seeks to document important historical and cultural sites for the Hmong community in Minnesota. Led by the Hmong Museum, the Hmong StoryMap Project shares the stories behind more than 20 places across the state. It covers some 50 years of history since the first Hmong family arrived in Minnesota. And after a yearlong effort, the digital map will finally be unveiled on Saturday. We heard more about the project from two people who were a part of it. Bee Vang-Moua is a writer and researcher for the story map. Pheng Her is the founder of Guerilla Pastures, which is one of the places on the map.

A new study is looking at how hospitals can play an important role in gun violence prevention. HCMC and The Violence Prevention Project teamed up and compared hospital data with homicide data in Minneapolis. They found from 2013 to 2022, that 1 in 50 people admitted to HCMC with a violent trauma injury, ended up later involved in a homicide, as a victim or perpetrator. Joining Minnesota Now host Nina Moini to dig into the data is two authors of the study. Jillian Peterson is with the executive director of The Violence Prevention Project and Dr. Derek Lumbard is a trauma surgeon at HCMC.

Northeast Minneapolis' beloved Art-A-Whirl returns this weekend. For more than 30 years, painters, printers, sculptors, jewelry makers, glass blowers and more have flung open the doors of their studios and invited guests to check out how they make their art, to buy their art, and to even make art of their own. But there's another side of the weekend, too, that's been growing larger and larger since the festival began in 1995. It's live music! The venues and schedules are stacked this year with bands out to show their stuff. Diane Miller, host of the Local Show on The Current, joined to help us parse through the thick lineup.

Leaders at the Minnesota Capitol have a budget deal – and four days left to finish the legislative session. House and Senate leaders along with Gov. Tim Walz reached the spending agreement Wednesday night.It includes anti-fraud measures, cuts to vehicle tab registration fees and money to help a critical hospital in Minneapolis stay open. MPR News Politics Editor Brian Bakst joined Minnesota Now to talk about the deal and what remains unresolved.

State health officials say they're monitoring a Minnesotan who may have been exposed to hantavirus. The person was briefly in contact with a cruise ship traveler who tested positive for the virus. The Minnesota Department of Health says the individual is not currently showing symptoms and the risk to the public remains very low. Hantavirus is normally passed on by rodents but the Andes strain linked to the cruise ship outbreak is the only known type that can spread person-to-person. Dr. Ruth Lynfield, epidemiologist at the Minnesota Department of Health, shared more about the steps being taken and what to know about the virus.

A Minnesotan may have been exposed to hantavirus. The Minnesota Department of Health is monitoring this person for symptoms. The state epidemiologist explained this virus, how it spreads and how health officials are making sure it stays contained. You might be looking at gas prices and thinking it's time to go electric. We checked in on the state of the EV industry in Minnesota. Plus, prediction markets are on their way to being banned in Minnesota. But the ban is likely to face legal obstacles. It's a picture-perfect spring day. We got an extended forecast from MPR News Meteorologist Sven Sundgaard. This weekend, a herd of bison will be released in the St. Croix River Valley. We learned how the animal is crucial to habitat preservation.

Every spring, a herd of bison stampede onto prairieland in the St. Croix River Valley. This Saturday, the Bison Festival at the Belwin Conservancy in Afton will draw hundreds of people to watch the release of the animals. The herd sticks around for the summer and helps create a healthy habitat. Belwin Conservancy naturalist Lynette Anderson joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about the incoming bison herd.

Websites like Kalshi and Polymarket have unleashed a new era of betting on sports and current events. Minnesota lawmakers Tuesday passed a bill banning these prediction markets from the state. To become law, it will need to be signed by Gov. Tim Walz.The bill is the latest move by states and tribal nations that want to reign in these platforms. If what's happened elsewhere in the country is any guide, the bill will likely attract lawsuits. A federal agency has sued five states for their attempts to regulate prediction markets. The platforms themselves have also filed lawsuits. Todd Phillips has been surveying this legal landscape. He's an assistant professor of law at Georgia State University, where he specializes on financial regulation. He joined MPR News host Nina Moini to explain.

Gas prices are continuing to climb. On Wednesday, according to AAA, the average price in Minnesota was $4.15. It's averaging even higher in the seven-county metro at $4.24. You may have looked at the price at the pump recently and wished you had an electric car. But data shows the number of Minnesotans buying electric dropped by 50 percent in the last few months of 2025. From January through October of 2025, EVs made up 8.4 percent of vehicle registrations in the state. In November and December, that dropped to 3.9 percent, according to the Minnesota Automobile Dealers Association.Association President Scott Lambert said high gas prices are unlikely to reverse the trend. He joined MPR News host Nina Moini for a check-in on the EV industry.

State lawmakers passed a bill creating a new Office of Inspector General aimed at combating fraud. Once Gov. Tim Walz signs the bill, the state will have until September 2027 to launch the office. We learned more about its responsibilities and the challenges it could face.For three families, this season marks five years since a series of shootings in north Minneapolis killed two children and critically injured another. We spoke with the grandfather of one of the victims and heard about the status of the investigations.The Trump administration is suing Minnesota over the state's climate change lawsuit against fossil fuel companies. A legal expert joined us to explain the case and its broader implications.We looked at a growing housing trend in Minnesota: luxury single-family rental homes.Our Minnesota Music Minute was “the noise” by Vinny Franco and our Song of the Day was "Climbing High" by Clover and the Bee.

This spring is five years since a tragic series of shootings on the north side of Minneapolis. Three children were hit by stray bullets within weeks of one another. LaDavionne Garrett Jr, a ten-year-old at the time, was shot and seriously injured on April 30, 2021. On May 15 and May 17, 9-year-old Trinity Ottoson-Smith and 6-year-old Aniya Allen was hit by stray gunfire. Both girls died. Despite a 180-thousand-dollar reward for information leading to arrests, only Ottoson-Smith's case has been solved. For years before, Aniya Allen's grandfather KG Wilson worked to prevent gun violence in the neighborhood and support families who lost their loved ones. He joined Minnesota Now to talk about the toll of Aniya's unsolved killing and how, all these years later, he's keeping her memory alive. Then, MPR News host Nina Moini talked with Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans about the two open investigations.

In some Minnesota suburbs, a new kind of housing development is beginning to take shape: entire neighborhoods of newly built single-family homes designed specifically for renters. Industry experts say the developments of large, luxury homes with garages and yards managed by investment companies are becoming more common.Supporters argue the communities offer flexibility and another option in a tight housing market, while critics worry they could further complicate affordability and reshape the path to homeownership for many Minnesotans. MPR News host Nina Moini spoke to Laura Russ, the executive director of the Shenehon Center for Real Estate at the University of St. Thomas, about the rise of built-to-rent housing developments and what they could mean for the future of housing in Minnesota.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is facing a new legal challenge after the federal government sued the state over its climate deception lawsuit against major oil and gas companies.The U.S. Department of Justice filed the complaint in early May, arguing Minnesota is overstepping its authority by trying to hold companies accountable in state court for global greenhouse gas emissions. The original lawsuit, first filed by Ellison in 2020, targets ExxonMobil, Koch Industries and the American Petroleum Institute. It alleges the companies misled the public about the risks of climate change in order to protect their business interests.University of Minnesota law professor James Coleman joined MPR News host Nina Moini to discuss why the new federal lawsuit could have implications for climate litigation cases across the country and what options Minnesota may have moving forward.

Marquee fraud prevention legislation is on its way to Gov. Tim Walz's desk to be signed into law.A bill creating an Office of Inspector General received final approval in the Senate on Monday in a unanimous vote. The new office will have the power to review payments for public programs and take action if it spots irregularities. The office is expected to be fully operational by Sept. 1, 2027.Legislative Auditor Judy Randall is familiar with this type of work. Her office conducts routine audits of state agencies. She joined MPR News host Nina Moini to discuss the potential impact of the new office and the challenges it may face as it launches.

There's only one week left of this year's legislative session. And it's been one defined by a closely divided House and Senate. From fraud to gun control and immigration, we'll check in on what state lawmakers will be pushing for as the finish line nears.The deficit facing Minneapolis Public Schools is shrinking after district leaders say they caught a budgeting error. We'll have more on what went awry.Meanwhile, the Trump administration's Justice Department is challenging Minnesota's lawsuit against three major fossil fuel companies. Plus, we'll meet Minnesota's first ever youth poet laureate — Sienna Lee of Moorhead. And get a rundown on the playoff runs for the Wolves, Wild and Frost!Our Minnesota Music Minute was the official state song of Minnesota, “Hail! Minnesota,” and our Song of the Day was “Minnesota” by The Push Stars.

It's never a dull moment in a Timberwolves playoff series. Minnesota beat the Spurs Sunday night after San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama was ejected from the game in the second quarter. Their series is now tied and they've got another game Wednesday. Monday night though is for hockey playoffs. The Frost play Game 5 and the Wild play Game 4 in their respective series. Joining Minnesota Now to break it all down are our sports contributors, Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson.

Minnesota officially has its first youth poet laureate. Sienna Lee, a high school junior from Moorhead, was chosen for the role after a long selection process. She will serve a one-year term and become a public ambassador. The youth poet laureate program was established in 2025 by the state Legislature and is overseen by the Minnesota Humanities Center along with its national partner, Urban Word.Lee joined Minnesota Now host Nina Moini to talk about her poetry.

Minneapolis Public Schools says a budgeting error that stretches back to 2022 led to tens of millions of dollars in lost revenue and staffing cuts. Now that the budget error has been caught, it means that the district's $50 million deficit is now shrinking to about $38 million. But as first reported by Minnesota Reformer, this isn't the first big budget blunder in the district. Education reporter Melissa Whitler has looked at several issues within the district's finances. She joined Minnesota Now with more on her reporting.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey is pushing for a second term for police Chief Brian O'Hara. But he'll need to get approval from the city council to serve. We also have the story of a St. Paul family living with the aftermath of one person being detained by ICE and deported.Teenagers are doing drugs less than they did a decade ago. A school district's health services lead spoke more about that steady decline along with her observations on drug use — and mental health — for Bloomington's high schoolers.Plus, Minnesota's favorite bird is back for the season and looking for a nice place to raise their chicks. But the DNR has spotted fewer loon babies recently and is encouraging more human-made, floating nests to help.

Minnesota teens report using cannabis at half the rate they did a decade ago. That's according to survey data the state collected in 2025 and published this spring. Four percent of students in grades 8, 9 and 11 said they had used cannabis in the last year, compared to about 10 percent in 2013. It's continued to decline since the state legalized marijuana for adults in 2023. Lani Lovas oversees school nurses and sets policies as health services director for Bloomington Public Schools. She joined to provide more perspective on the findings.

During this time of year, Minnesota's beloved loon is settling back onto the state's many lakes after wintering between the Gulf of Mexico and along the southern Atlantic coast. They're looking for a good place to nest and raise their young over the next few months. But volunteers with the DNR have spotted fewer and fewer chicks growing up on Minnesota lakes in recent years. It's led the agency to study ways to make raising a loon family on one of Minnesota's lakes more desirable. One option they're looking at: human-made floating homes that loons can nest in. The DNR's loon program coordinator, Tim Mitchell, told MPR News host Nina Moini more about it and what the state bird is up to this time of year.

During the height of Operation Metro Surge, the federal government publicized the arrests of protesters and observers. We learned why prosecutors dismissed the charges in a third of those cases. Diesel gas prices are nearing a record high. We heard how that's impacting Minnesota's trucking industry and your wallet. Plus, urban flocks of turkeys are hard to miss this time of year. We got some answers about the bird from an expert. And dozens of venues across Minneapolis are inviting the public to behind-the-scenes visits for Doors Open Minneapolis this weekend.The Minnesota Music Minute was "The Window” by We are the Willows and “Get Up and Dance” by Sonny Knight and the Lakers was the Song of the Day.