Podcast appearances and mentions of Angela Davis

The Mississippi River has provided water, food, transportation and a place of connection for generations of Minnesotans. But its history is also marked by displacement, environmental damage and decisions that have often prioritized industry and commerce over communities and the health of the river.A new documentary, “We Are the River: How the Mississippi Shaped Minnesota,” explores the complicated history of the river and the people who have lived alongside it. Coming up at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, MPR News host Angela Davis talks with her guests about what that history can teach us about caring for the Mississippi today and in the future.Guests:Kate Beane is Flandreau Santee Sioux Dakota and Muscogee Creek. She is the executive director of the Minnesota Museum of American Art, has taught at the University of Minnesota and Minneapolis College and serves on the board of Wakan Tipi Awanyankapi, a nonprofit that oversees two Dakota sacred sites in St. Paul. Devin Ashley Brown is the founder of Sovereign Waters, a Minneapolis-based organization that creates culturally responsive pathways to water confidence, environmental connection and outdoor leadership. She works to dismantle barriers that have excluded historically underserved communities from outdoor recreation. She also attempted to be the first Black woman on record to solo the Mississippi River before flood waters ended her trip. John Anfinson is a Mississippi River historian, author and former Superintendent of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. He previously worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and is the part-time river historian at the University of Minnesota's St. Anthony Falls Laboratory. He is also a founding board member of Friends of the Mississippi River and is active in many other river-related organizations and initiatives.

Many Americans are finding it harder to stretch their budgets — and wondering when they'll feel some financial relief. Inflation, higher gas prices and difficulty keeping up with bills and other payments — like buy now, pay later loans — are straining household budgets, while tariffs and changing trade relationships, including with Canada, raise concerns about additional costs.MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about why so many people feel financially squeezed, what's driving these pressures and what they reveal about the broader economy.Guests:Chris Farrell is the senior economics contributor for MPR News and Marketplace. Catherine Rampell is economics editor at The Bulwark, an independent media company. She is also an anchor at MS NOW, formerly MSNBC, and a contributor to Marketplace. She previously worked as an opinion columnist for The Washington Post and was an economics reporter for The New York Times.Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS. Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.    

In this episode, we bring back political science professor Dr. Bikrum Gil to discuss the myth that Iran is an evil imperialist regime. The analysis goes beyond loving or hating Iran; instead, we ground the conversation in a material approach to understanding what constitutes an imperialist nation and where Iran fits within it.  We also explore a recent open letter published in the Guardian titled 'To Iran's political prisoners, trapped 'between two blades of a scissors'. It was signed by several prominent academics and activists, including Angela Davis, Robyn Kelley, and Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, among others. It also had political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal, but there is deep speculation whether he was aware his name would be used. The letter conflates the imperialist powers of the United States and Israel. Dr. Gill explains how this faulty logic is bigger than one letter but a consequence of Western knowledge production that fails for meet the moment. This leads to the broader discussion on what forms of knowledge help meet the moment, how we need to expand beyond our current canon, and what the resistance teaches us.  To Iran's political prisoners, trapped 'between two blades of a scissors' https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/ng-interactive/2026/aug/20/iran-political-prisoners Myth: "I Stand With the Iranian People…BUT" w/ Bikrum Gill https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZB39oUID1M&t=2719s Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/blackmyths

In this episode, we bring back political science professor Dr. Bikrum Gil to discuss the myth that Iran is an evil imperialist regime. The analysis goes beyond loving or hating Iran; instead, we ground the conversation in a material approach to understanding what constitutes an imperialist nation and where Iran fits within it.  We also explore a recent open letter published in the Guardian titled 'To Iran's political prisoners, trapped 'between two blades of a scissors'. It was signed by several prominent academics and activists, including Angela Davis, Robyn Kelley, and Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, among others. It also had political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal, but there is deep speculation whether he was aware his name would be used. The letter conflates the imperialist powers of the United States and Israel. Dr. Gill explains how this faulty logic is bigger than one letter but a consequence of Western knowledge production that fails for meet the moment. This leads to the broader discussion on what forms of knowledge help meet the moment, how we need to expand beyond our current canon, and what the resistance teaches us.  To Iran's political prisoners, trapped 'between two blades of a scissors' https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/ng-interactive/2026/aug/20/iran-political-prisoners Myth: "I Stand With the Iranian People…BUT" w/ Bikrum Gill https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZB39oUID1M&t=2719s Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/blackmyths

In this episode, we bring back political science professor Dr. Bikrum Gil to discuss the myth that Iran is an evil imperialist regime. The analysis goes beyond loving or hating Iran; instead, we ground the conversation in a material approach to understanding what constitutes an imperialist nation and where Iran fits within it.  We also explore a recent open letter published in the Guardian titled 'To Iran's political prisoners, trapped 'between two blades of a scissors'. It was signed by several prominent academics and activists, including Angela Davis, Robyn Kelley, and Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, among others. It also had political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal, but there is deep speculation whether he was aware his name would be used. The letter conflates the imperialist powers of the United States and Israel. Dr. Gill explains how this faulty logic is bigger than one letter but a consequence of Western knowledge production that fails for meet the moment. This leads to the broader discussion on what forms of knowledge help meet the moment, how we need to expand beyond our current canon, and what the resistance teaches us.  To Iran's political prisoners, trapped 'between two blades of a scissors' https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/ng-interactive/2026/aug/20/iran-political-prisoners Myth: "I Stand With the Iranian People…BUT" w/ Bikrum Gill https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZB39oUID1M&t=2719s Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/blackmyths

The first day of the Minnesota State Fair brings a chance to see thousands of creative works made by Minnesotans — including quilts that showcase remarkable skill, artistry and imagination.MPR News host Angela Davis talks with two quilters about what goes into making a quilt, how quilting has evolved and the community and personal stories that can be stitched into every finished piece.Guests:Brenda Lyseng is a quilter and board member of Minnesota Quilter's, Inc., a statewide quilting organization. She was the director of the organization's annual quilt show for five years until retiring from that role in 2024. Before that she was a biology professor and dean with the Minnesota State colleges and universities system.Wally Wallestad started quilting four years ago and is a member of the Minneapolis Modern Quilt Guild.Angela's guests shared these resources for beginner quilters:Melanie Ham's Beginner Quilting Tutorial VideosMinnesota Quilters Facebook Group

A string of foodborne illness outbreaks has raised new questions about the safety of fresh produce. A major cyclospora outbreak has sickened thousands nationwide, salmonella linked to jalapeños has infected more than 100 Minnesotans and recalled alfalfa sprouts grown in the state have been connected to cases of both E. coli and salmonella.MPR News host Angela Davis talks with food safety experts about what's behind the recent outbreaks, how produce becomes contaminated and what consumers can do to reduce their risk of getting sick.Guests:Amy Johnston is a food safety expert and extension educator with the University of Minnesota. She develops education and training on safe food handling, preparation and processing for food producers, businesses and consumers. Craig Hedberg is a professor in the Division of Environmental Health Sciences at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health and co-director of the Minnesota Integrated Food Safety Center of Excellence. He studies foodborne-illness surveillance, outbreak investigations and prevention.

In the 1980s rural Minnesota was struggling with the farm crisis and the McKnight Foundation launched an experiment — the Minnesota Initiative Foundations. These six independent regional foundations across greater Minnesota were created to listen to their communities and invest in local economic development. Over four decades, they've distributed hundreds of millions of dollars in grants and loans to help address housing and child care, support entrepreneurs, train up new leaders and create a sense of belonging. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with the heads of two of the regional foundations about creative solutions to challenges facing rural Minnesota. Guests: Benya Kraus became the president and CEO in 2025 of the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, which invests for economic growth in 20 counties and one Native community in south central and southeastern Minnesota. She previously worked in advancement at Resource Rural, a national philanthropy that raised public and private funds to invest in rural and tribal communities. Brian Voerding was named president of the Initiative Foundation in 2023 after serving two years as its vice president for inclusive entrepreneurship, which is based in Little Falls, Minn. and invests in 14 counties and two Native nations in central Minnesota. He was previously editor of the Winona Daily News and executive director of Engage Winona, a nonprofit that engages and trains people to solve local problems in Winona.

Thursday will mark one year since the shooting at Annunciation Church and School in Minneapolis when a shooter opened fire during a back-to-school Mass. One hundred and sixteen bullets shattered windows of the building in less than two minutes. Two children, 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel and 10-year-old Harper Moyski, were killed. Twenty-eight other people were injured.On Monday, MPR News host Angela Davis talked with two parents of children who attend the school about how they plan to remember Aug. 27, 2025. “It's feeling really heavy,” said Brittany Haeg, whose first-grade son was shot last August and spent several days in intensive care. “We have three kids, and they're all very different ages and stages, and they feel very different about how they want to spend the day. And so, I think our day is about contingencies and contingencies for our contingencies. So we have a loose plan and a lot of adults, and we have staffed our house with friendly faces who are going to hang out there, so that we can sort of touch in and touch out throughout the day.” Haeg co-chairs the Annunciation Light Alliance, a nonprofit founded by parents to build safer communities for children, with Kristen Neville, who founded the organization. Neville is in a blended family with five children who attend Annunciation Catholic School. Like Haeg, she plans to lean into how her children are feeling. She also said she hopes to spend time with other Annunciation families.“I think our hope is to be able to spend time together with other Annunciation families. It's a comfort, and I think it's also a part of the healing journey that we have. I have a really strong sense of desire to want to give back to the community on that day, which is very much associated with what Annunciation is asking, right? People come and they ask us, ‘What can we do on this day? What are you doing?' It's a day really focused on remembrance, but it's also focused on moving your feet and on prayer. And so, I will be doing that, kind of working in the community. There's a really beautiful event that's been planned at Pearl Park by some of our representatives, and so I'll be there packing some kits for youth that experience homelessness right now.” Annunciation families push for laws to protect kids While reflecting on the last year, Haeg and Neville also talked about continuing their advocacy for changes that keep kids safe. During the legislative session earlier this year, the Annunciation Light Alliance took a nonpartisan stance and sought a layered approach to preventing gun violence with hopes of gaining support from both sides of the aisle. Parents backed a ban on assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines, as well as more mental health support funding, funding for school safety programs and safeguards for children online. The Minnesota Senate, with its slight DFL majority, passed a comprehensive package with firearm restrictions and school safety provisions in early May. However, the state House — split 67-67 between parties — did not bring the bill to the floor for a vote. Companion bills also failed to make it out of committee. State lawmakers passed two laws the Annunciation Light Alliance says will help. One adds guardrails around social media accounts for Minnesota minors. Another requires schools to set up anonymous threat reporting systems, which allow people to report tips about potential threats and help with intervention. “I think the legislative session was disappointing for some people in terms of what got passed and that the gun violence — some of those efforts didn't get passed,” said Jillian Peterson, executive director of the Violence Prevention Project Research Center at Hamline University. Peterson said it has been “inspiring” to be part of the Governor's Statewide Safety Council, which Gov. Tim Walz established in December after the shooting to examine and reduce gun violence. Haeg and Neville are also on the council. “It's commissioners from all different state agencies, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the sheriffs, the chief of police, and it's getting all these people from different perspectives into a room once a month for like a three or four hour conversation about how complicated this is, about the root causes, about mental health and gun access and radicalization and social media, with the goal of putting together a really comprehensive package of recommendations for the legislature,” Peterson said. Peterson is hopeful that the connections forged on the council will encourage change. How to honor and help Peterson, who has studied mass shootings for years, said what stands out to her about Annunciation is that people are not focusing on the shooter. Instead, they're focusing on finding solutions to help children.“I think to take a tragedy like this and spin it into something incredibly positive about protecting children and about, ‘How do we do a better job of this? How do we hold each other up? How do we take care of each other?' To me, that's a remarkable conversation to come out of something this horrific.” As we approach Aug. 27, 2026, Haeg and Neville said they are often asked what people can do to help. “Sometimes I say just spending time with your own children and being able to be present and a part of their life, so that you can be able to help them continue to grow,” Neville said. “And nurture their environment that they're in when they go to school and are good stewards of the community and really express and represent those values that then can be presented and lived. That I think is something that is really helpful. I also think there is the element of just being engaged within your community on a broader basis, finding opportunities to take action if it's something that you feel called to.” Haeg added, “Have these conversations in your communities before tragedy strikes. Have it before your Aug. 27.” Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.    

In this wide-ranging conversation, Takiyah (T.D.) Harper-Shipman joins us to discuss her new book Unruly Fertility: Race, Development, and Decolonial Reproductive Politics (Stanford University Press, 2026). The discussion traces how modern states—from North Carolina to Senegal—have historically sutured Black women's fertility to the shifting demands of capitalist accumulation, deploying reproductive health policies not as benevolent care but as instruments of crisis management and labor control. Harper-Shipman unpacks the colonial origins of "womanhood" itself as a racialized labor category constructed during European enclosures, one that has always excluded Black women from its aspirational promises of citizenship, consumption, and reproductive autonomy. Drawing on Federici, Mies, Spillers, and Angela Davis, she argues that Black women enter the modern political economy as producers of workers—never citizens—and that contemporary feminist movements risk replicating white womanhood's assumptions when they abandon class analysis or ignore the chains of production behind their demands. The conversation also examines the recent closure of USAID, an institution Takiyah describes as fundamentally about the preservation of white life and the extension of U.S. empire. Rather than mourn its end, she urges us to seize this rupture and continue dismantling the colonial infrastructure of reproductive governance it represented. The conversation closes with a powerful critique of the epistemic violence embedded in global family planning campaigns—how metrics like "unmet need" were designed to serve supplier interests, not Black women's desires, and how Black women's embodied knowledge about contraceptive side effects is systematically dismissed as myth while dangerous technologies banned in the Global North are actively promoted across Africa. Throughout, we explore the Americanization of Black political identity from World War II through 9/11 to Obama's presidency, tracing how Black people have been conscripted into U.S. imperial projects through strategic moments of violence and national belonging. This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation; additional questions will be addressed in an August follow-up. T.D. Harper-Shipman is an Associate Professor and Chair of Africana Studies at Davidson College in North Carolina. She teaches courses and publishes on political economy and its intersection with race and gender in Africa. She has published in p Antipode, Oxford Academic, Third World Quarterly, and International Studies Review, among other places. She is an academic editor at Third World Quarterly and forum editor with the Miami Institute of Social Sciences. Her first book, Rethinking Ownership of Development in Africa was published with Routledge Press in 2019. She has also published in public-facing forums including Africa is a Country and the Global African Worker.   Reckoning with Empire: Defiant Scholarship with Takiyah Harper-Shipman La femme fait la maison: The Accumulation of Surplus Value through Family Planning in Burkina Faso To support our work and gain access to our discord and study groups please contribute to our patreon!

Your local library has more to offer than a good book. A library card can connect you with job-search help, classes and events, computers, free or discounted tickets to museums and even 3D printing. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with her guests about the wide range of resources libraries provide, how to access them and how the role of public libraries is changing.Guests:Jennifer Baker is community relations manager for Metropolitan Library Services Agency, or MELSA, which supports eight public library systems across the Twin Cities. She works to connect people with the resources and services available through the region's libraries.Maureen Hartman is the director of St. Paul Public Libraries. She oversees its library branches, mobile library and online services.

What happens when the organization that has managed your association for decades tells you that you have 18 months to find a new path forward? How can association leaders navigate a major operational transition while protecting their staff, serving members, and making smart decisions about what to keep in-house and what to outsource?In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Angela Davis, CEO of the Society for Pediatric Radiology (SPR), and Yasmeen Fields, CEO of the Society of Breast Imaging (SBI). Angela and Yasmeen discuss:How SPR is a community of more than 3,000 physicians, trainees, and allied professionals dedicated to improving children's health through medical imaging, while SBI represents more than 4,200 breast imaging radiologists working to minimize breast cancer mortality and suffering.Why radiology has so many subspecialty associations. As Angela explains, “children are not small adults,” and specialized areas such as pediatric radiology and breast imaging require distinct expertise, education, and professional communities.How both SPR and SBI were managed for decades by the American College of Radiology (ACR), which provided the infrastructure, resources, expertise, and operational support that allowed smaller specialty societies to grow and thrive.How ACR ultimately decided to focus exclusively on its own mission, strategic plan, and members, giving the societies it managed 18 months to transition to a new management structure.How SPR and SBI evaluated different business models, including partnering with another radiology organization, working with an association management company (AMC), and becoming fully self-managed. Both initially partnered with AMCs before ultimately becoming standalone organizations.How becoming independent required Angela and Yasmeen to assume responsibility for functions that previously existed under the ACR umbrella, including HR, accounting, technology, investments, and operational decisions.How both organizations learned not to overcommit during a major transition. Today, both organizations combine small internal staffs with strategic outsourced support.How collaboration extends across the larger “House of Radiology.” Through gatherings like the ACR Inter-Society Conference, association executives and volunteer leaders learn from one another, develop stronger relationships, and see how their individual organizations fit into the broader radiology community.References:SBI WebsiteSPR Website

We all need someone to talk to. But as we get older, it can be harder to find opportunities to build meaningful connections.MPR News host Angela Davis talks about programs that bring older adults and volunteers together through phone conversations, virtual coffee chats and in-person visits. Guests:Emma Lucchesi is the senior director of programs at Friends & Co, a Minnesota-based nonprofit that runs programs to create connection and belonging for older adults.Leigha Jensen has volunteered with Friends & Co since 2018. She is matched with an older adult who she calls regularly and now considers a good friend.

Schools across Minnesota are starting the new school year. For families with a child entering high school, the transition can bring harder classes, changing friendships and new social pressures — along with more independence and opportunities to grow.MPR News host Angela Davis talks with her guests about how parents can support teenagers through the transition into high school. They'll discuss how to keep communication open, when to step in and step back, and how to recognize when a child may need additional support.Guests: Sharon Powell is an extension educator with the University of Minnesota. She develops resources to help families navigate major transitions. Christine Paton is a guidance counselor at Minnehaha Academy, a private K-12 school in Minneapolis. She helps students with academic planning, personal growth, social and emotional well-being and preparation for life after high school.

American Indians on tribal lands in the United States have historically faced some of the nation's worst economic conditions. Casinos have helped improve bring jobs and development to many Minnesota tribes over the past four decades. And, now, the number of other types of businesses owned by Native entrepreneurs and tribal governments is growing — and becoming more diverse. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with MPR News senior economics contributor Chris Farrell and two Native business owners featured in the new series from MPR's Upper Midwest Newsroom “Beyond the Bet,” exploring the diversification of Native entrepreneurship. Guests: Robert Blake is the founder and CEO of the solar development business Solar Bear. He is also founder and executive director of Native Sun Community Power Development, a nonprofit organization that is building out an electric vehicle charging network on tribal lands and promoting clean energy through education and workforce training. He lives in St. Paul and is a citizen of the Red Lake Nation of Ojibwe people in northern Minnesota. Madonna Peltier-Yawakie is co-founder and president of Turtle Island Communications, Inc. based in Brooklyn Park, Minn. The company provides engineering and technical consulting services to tribes, states and federal agencies to expand broadband internet service in reservation communities. She is a citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians in North Dakota.Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS. Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.    

This is the second of a two-part interview with journalist John A. Jenkins. His book is "Summer of '71: Five Months That Changed America." Jenkins writes in the introduction: "[I]t is hard to overstate the importance of the events that defined the American experience during the fateful five months of May through September 1971." A good portion of the first part of the interview with John Jenkins focused on Daniel Ellsberg and the publishing of the Pentagon Papers. This discussion opens with the history of Angela Davis and the Soledad Brothers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For nearly 150 years, Pillsbury United Communities has worked across Minneapolis to provide everything from youth programs and employment services to food assistance and a world class theater. Its work is rooted in a simple idea: The people who live in the neighborhood are the ones who know how to make their lives there better. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with the new president and CEO of Pillsbury United Communities about taking the helm at a time when local communities are facing so many challenges, and how the arts and connection can help people heal. Guests: Signe Harriday is the new president and CEO of Pillsbury United Communities, one of the Twin Cities' oldest and largest nonprofits. The organization runs several community centers in Minneapolis and programs aimed at uplifting communities. She previously acted, directed and taught with Pillsbury House + Theatre before becoming the organization's artistic producing director in 2021. Antonio Cardona is director of advancement at Pillsbury United Communities. He was previously the vice president of career readiness at Project for Pride in Living. Before that, he worked at Pillsbury for 15 years, primarily overseeing workforce development and charter schools.

This is the second of a two-part interview with journalist John A. Jenkins. His book is "Summer of '71: Five Months That Changed America." Jenkins writes in the introduction: "[I]t is hard to overstate the importance of the events that defined the American experience during the fateful five months of May through September 1971." A good portion of the first part of the interview with John Jenkins focused on Daniel Ellsberg and the publishing of the Pentagon Papers. This discussion opens with the history of Angela Davis and the Soledad Brothers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis are coming home to Minnesota for a special concert at the Minnesota State Fair. The Minnesota music legends are the award-winning songwriting and production duo behind dozens of hits for some of the biggest names in music and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with the longtime friends and creative partners about their Minnesota roots, the story behind their successful careers and the friendship that has kept them working together for more than 50 years. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis Guests: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis are a Grammy Award-winning songwriting and production duo from Minnesota who have created hits for artists including Janet Jackson, Prince, Mariah Carey and Usher. They have been friends and creative partners for more than 50 years.Do you know a Power Pair?“Power Pairs” is a series featuring prominent Minnesotans in a close relationship. You may know of them separately but they reveal a new side of themselves when they sit down together. Listen to past interviews here and submit your idea for a future Power Pair here.Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.  

Seminario de Lecturas sobre el Pensamiento de Angela Davis

Public office has always been demanding, but the stress of leadership seems to be taking a bigger toll on elected officials' mental health. Several city council members in Minnesota recently shared their struggles with mental health, including a Minneapolis council member who took a break to attend to depression and anxiety. Earlier this year, St. Paul's city council president resigned, citing “the “constant stressors of public leadership.” At a national level, a U.S. representative from New Jersey disclosed in June that he was being treated for depression after a four-month absence from Congress. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with a therapist and a city council member about burnout and stress among elected officials and what to do about it. Guests: Aurin Chowdhury is a member of the Minneapolis City Council representing Ward 12 in southeastern Minneapolis. She was elected in 2023 after serving as manager of constituent services for a state senator and a policy aide for two Minneapolis council members. She recently shared her struggles with her mental health in a newsletter with constituents. Noel Nix is a therapist with Vibrant Life Therapy working toward a professional clinical counseling license. He has a master's degree in counseling psychology from the University of St. Thomas and previously worked for more than a decade in municipal government as a city council aide and in public engagement for the City of St. Paul.

John A. Jenkins has been a journalist most of his life in the city of his birth, Washington, DC. He says he's never known another summer like the one 55 years ago. His book, "Summer of '71: Five Months That Changed America," focuses on well-known names from that era: Daniel Ellsberg, Neil Sheehan, Henry Kissinger, Sarah Weddington, and Angela Davis. John Jenkins writes that "each main character has an important back story that sets them up for the summer of '71 to come." He also writes: "My purpose here is to show the drama, the pain, and the hope of a summer when America faced some of its greatest challenges at home and abroad." This is part one of a two-part interview with Mr. Jenkins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Public trust is essential to effective leadership, but it can be difficult to build and easy to lose.Recent allegations of sexual harassment involving St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her have prompted conversations about workplace conduct, accountability and the responsibilities that come with public office. MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about the standards we hold elected officials to and how power, race, gender and politics shape how we think about allegations against public figures.

John A. Jenkins has been a journalist most of his life in the city of his birth, Washington, DC. He says he's never known another summer like the one 55 years ago. His book, "Summer of '71: Five Months That Changed America," focuses on well-known names from that era: Daniel Ellsberg, Neil Sheehan, Henry Kissinger, Sarah Weddington, and Angela Davis. John Jenkins writes that "each main character has an important back story that sets them up for the summer of '71 to come." He also writes: "My purpose here is to show the drama, the pain, and the hope of a summer when America faced some of its greatest challenges at home and abroad." This is part one of a two-part interview with Mr. Jenkins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you have student loans, keeping up with the rules hasn't been easy. Over the past few years borrowers have navigated payment pauses, loan forgiveness efforts, court challenges and the return of monthly payments.Now, another major change has arrived. As of July 1, new federal rules have reshaped parts of the student loan system, restricting repayment options for many borrowers and borrowing rules for future students.MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about what these changes mean for borrowers, how they affect monthly payments and how people can make informed financial decisions about their student loans. Guests:Chris Farrell is a senior economics contributor for MPR News and Marketplace. Shannon Doyle is a certified financial counselor and program director of partnerships and education with LSS Financial Counseling. Here are some resources that were mentioned during the show:Federal Student AidFederal Student Aid EstimatorSubscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS. Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.    

The Trump administration last week put a new freeze on Medicaid funding for Minnesota, citing concerns over fraud. The nearly $200 million in frozen payments follows previous funding pauses, for a total of nearly $550 million. While federal authorities insist they are protecting taxpayer money, Minnesota state officials argue that the move is punitive and harms vulnerable people who rely on Medicaid programs. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with the head of the state's Medicaid programs about how the state department is responding to Medicaid fraud cases and the impact of funding freezes on providers and patients. If you suspect fraud in a program run by the Minnesota Department of Human Services, you can find information on how to report it on the DHS fraud reporting website. The Minnesota Department of Human services also has information on what people can do to find a new provider if their provider has been disenrolled from the Medicaid program. Guest: John Connolly is temporary commissioner and state Medicaid director for the Minnesota Department of Human Services. Before being appointed as interim head of the department in 2026, he was a deputy commissioner.

For many people, going to the dentist is easy to put off — until something hurts. Millions of Americans don't get regular dental care because of cost, lack of insurance, difficulty of finding a provider or fear of the dentist. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with two experts about why oral health matters, the barriers that keep people out of the dentist's chair and what's being done to make dental care more accessible.Guests:Dr. Elmi Abdulkadir Elmi is a dentist and co-founder of All About Dentistry, a general dental practice with locations in Burnsville and West St. Paul. He was also selected as a 2026 Bush Fellow, recognized for his work expanding access to oral health care. Dr. Sheila Riggs is an associate professor of dental public health in the School of Dentistry at the University of Minnesota and chair of the Association of Critical Access Dental Providers of Minnesota. Here are some of the resources that were discussed on the show:Dental Clinics and Services - Help Me ConnectPublic Resources | Minnesota Dental AssociationUniversity of Minnesota Dental ClinicsSubscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. 

Buying a house or condo is becoming harder for many people in Minnesota. The math is simple. Home costs are rising and most people's incomes aren't keeping up. But solutions are more complicated. Communities need to build more low-cost homes, help buyers with down payment assistance and lower-interest loans, and help current homeowners maintain and stay in their homes. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity's CEO Chris Coleman about how the nonprofit organization is working on all these fronts to tackle the housing affordability crisis. Guest: Chris Coleman became president and CEO of Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity in 2018 after serving as mayor of St. Paul from 2006 to 2018. He worked previously as an investment advisor for RBC and served for six years on the St. Paul City Council.Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity uses thousands of volunteers every year. Learn more on their website's volunteer page.

Layoffs have become a recurring headline this year, with companies in technology, finance, manufacturing and other industries announcing job cuts.But at the same time, unemployment remains relatively low, applications for unemployment benefits are near historic lows and Minnesota recently added jobs, according to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. So what's really happening in the job market? MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about what's driving recent layoffs, where job opportunities might be, and what it all says about the economy.Guests:Chris Farrell is a senior economics contributor for MPR News and Marketplace. Angelina Nguyen is the director of the Labor Market Information Office at the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.Kyle O'Keefe is a district president at Robert Half, a recruiting and business consulting firm. Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.    

Black Power! A name with a ring to it on both sides of the Atlantic, taken as a sign of Black American rage incarnated by a few names: Malcolm X, Stokely Carmichael, the Black Panthers, Angela Davis. Behind these archetypes of the 1960s and 70s stood a political movement as mutable as it was international, that of Black Power, with the goal of bringing about a global uprising. This insurrection of Black worlds has haunted the West for centuries, rumbling beneath the words of Frantz Fanon and Lorraine Hansberry, the films of Melvin Van Peebles and Sarah Maldoror, in the albums of Sun Ra and Archie Shepp, the poems of Amiri Baraka and Sonia Sanchez. In Fantômes de la révolution noire: Une Histoire culturelle transatlantique ([Ghosts of the Black Revolution: A Transatlantic Cultural History] Éditions Ròt-Bò-Krik, 2026), Grégory Pierrot evokes the ghosts of Black Power and shows that the arts are real laboratories where the Black Revolution is formed, reinvented, and broadcast. Guest Grégory Pierrot is Associate professor of English at the University of Connecticut, where he studies the cultural and artistic networks of the Black Atlantic. In addition to Fantômes de la révolution noire published by Ròt-Bò-Krik earlier this year, Dr. Pierrot has translated and co-translated a series of essays and novels from and into French, and edited or co-edited several volumes concerning the literature of and about the Haitian revolution in French and English. He is also the author of The Black Avenger in Atlantic Culture and Decolonize Hipsters. Host Gina Stamm is Associate Professor of French at The University of Alabama, with research concentrated on the environmental humanities and speculative literatures of the 20th and 21st centuries, from Surrealism to contemporary science fiction and feminist utopias, in Metropolitan France and the francophone Caribbean, with a book manuscript under review on posthumanist ecological engagement in the surrealist movement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-american-studies

Black Power! A name with a ring to it on both sides of the Atlantic, taken as a sign of Black American rage incarnated by a few names: Malcolm X, Stokely Carmichael, the Black Panthers, Angela Davis. Behind these archetypes of the 1960s and 70s stood a political movement as mutable as it was international, that of Black Power, with the goal of bringing about a global uprising. This insurrection of Black worlds has haunted the West for centuries, rumbling beneath the words of Frantz Fanon and Lorraine Hansberry, the films of Melvin Van Peebles and Sarah Maldoror, in the albums of Sun Ra and Archie Shepp, the poems of Amiri Baraka and Sonia Sanchez. In Fantômes de la révolution noire: Une Histoire culturelle transatlantique ([Ghosts of the Black Revolution: A Transatlantic Cultural History] Éditions Ròt-Bò-Krik, 2026), Grégory Pierrot evokes the ghosts of Black Power and shows that the arts are real laboratories where the Black Revolution is formed, reinvented, and broadcast. Guest Grégory Pierrot is Associate professor of English at the University of Connecticut, where he studies the cultural and artistic networks of the Black Atlantic. In addition to Fantômes de la révolution noire published by Ròt-Bò-Krik earlier this year, Dr. Pierrot has translated and co-translated a series of essays and novels from and into French, and edited or co-edited several volumes concerning the literature of and about the Haitian revolution in French and English. He is also the author of The Black Avenger in Atlantic Culture and Decolonize Hipsters. Host Gina Stamm is Associate Professor of French at The University of Alabama, with research concentrated on the environmental humanities and speculative literatures of the 20th and 21st centuries, from Surrealism to contemporary science fiction and feminist utopias, in Metropolitan France and the francophone Caribbean, with a book manuscript under review on posthumanist ecological engagement in the surrealist movement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Black Power! A name with a ring to it on both sides of the Atlantic, taken as a sign of Black American rage incarnated by a few names: Malcolm X, Stokely Carmichael, the Black Panthers, Angela Davis. Behind these archetypes of the 1960s and 70s stood a political movement as mutable as it was international, that of Black Power, with the goal of bringing about a global uprising. This insurrection of Black worlds has haunted the West for centuries, rumbling beneath the words of Frantz Fanon and Lorraine Hansberry, the films of Melvin Van Peebles and Sarah Maldoror, in the albums of Sun Ra and Archie Shepp, the poems of Amiri Baraka and Sonia Sanchez. In Fantômes de la révolution noire: Une Histoire culturelle transatlantique ([Ghosts of the Black Revolution: A Transatlantic Cultural History] Éditions Ròt-Bò-Krik, 2026), Grégory Pierrot evokes the ghosts of Black Power and shows that the arts are real laboratories where the Black Revolution is formed, reinvented, and broadcast. Guest Grégory Pierrot is Associate professor of English at the University of Connecticut, where he studies the cultural and artistic networks of the Black Atlantic. In addition to Fantômes de la révolution noire published by Ròt-Bò-Krik earlier this year, Dr. Pierrot has translated and co-translated a series of essays and novels from and into French, and edited or co-edited several volumes concerning the literature of and about the Haitian revolution in French and English. He is also the author of The Black Avenger in Atlantic Culture and Decolonize Hipsters. Host Gina Stamm is Associate Professor of French at The University of Alabama, with research concentrated on the environmental humanities and speculative literatures of the 20th and 21st centuries, from Surrealism to contemporary science fiction and feminist utopias, in Metropolitan France and the francophone Caribbean, with a book manuscript under review on posthumanist ecological engagement in the surrealist movement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-studies

Black Power! A name with a ring to it on both sides of the Atlantic, taken as a sign of Black American rage incarnated by a few names: Malcolm X, Stokely Carmichael, the Black Panthers, Angela Davis. Behind these archetypes of the 1960s and 70s stood a political movement as mutable as it was international, that of Black Power, with the goal of bringing about a global uprising. This insurrection of Black worlds has haunted the West for centuries, rumbling beneath the words of Frantz Fanon and Lorraine Hansberry, the films of Melvin Van Peebles and Sarah Maldoror, in the albums of Sun Ra and Archie Shepp, the poems of Amiri Baraka and Sonia Sanchez. In Fantômes de la révolution noire: Une Histoire culturelle transatlantique ([Ghosts of the Black Revolution: A Transatlantic Cultural History] Éditions Ròt-Bò-Krik, 2026), Grégory Pierrot evokes the ghosts of Black Power and shows that the arts are real laboratories where the Black Revolution is formed, reinvented, and broadcast. Guest Grégory Pierrot is Associate professor of English at the University of Connecticut, where he studies the cultural and artistic networks of the Black Atlantic. In addition to Fantômes de la révolution noire published by Ròt-Bò-Krik earlier this year, Dr. Pierrot has translated and co-translated a series of essays and novels from and into French, and edited or co-edited several volumes concerning the literature of and about the Haitian revolution in French and English. He is also the author of The Black Avenger in Atlantic Culture and Decolonize Hipsters. Host Gina Stamm is Associate Professor of French at The University of Alabama, with research concentrated on the environmental humanities and speculative literatures of the 20th and 21st centuries, from Surrealism to contemporary science fiction and feminist utopias, in Metropolitan France and the francophone Caribbean, with a book manuscript under review on posthumanist ecological engagement in the surrealist movement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/intellectual-history

Black Power! A name with a ring to it on both sides of the Atlantic, taken as a sign of Black American rage incarnated by a few names: Malcolm X, Stokely Carmichael, the Black Panthers, Angela Davis. Behind these archetypes of the 1960s and 70s stood a political movement as mutable as it was international, that of Black Power, with the goal of bringing about a global uprising. This insurrection of Black worlds has haunted the West for centuries, rumbling beneath the words of Frantz Fanon and Lorraine Hansberry, the films of Melvin Van Peebles and Sarah Maldoror, in the albums of Sun Ra and Archie Shepp, the poems of Amiri Baraka and Sonia Sanchez. In Fantômes de la révolution noire: Une Histoire culturelle transatlantique ([Ghosts of the Black Revolution: A Transatlantic Cultural History] Éditions Ròt-Bò-Krik, 2026), Grégory Pierrot evokes the ghosts of Black Power and shows that the arts are real laboratories where the Black Revolution is formed, reinvented, and broadcast. Guest Grégory Pierrot is Associate professor of English at the University of Connecticut, where he studies the cultural and artistic networks of the Black Atlantic. In addition to Fantômes de la révolution noire published by Ròt-Bò-Krik earlier this year, Dr. Pierrot has translated and co-translated a series of essays and novels from and into French, and edited or co-edited several volumes concerning the literature of and about the Haitian revolution in French and English. He is also the author of The Black Avenger in Atlantic Culture and Decolonize Hipsters. Host Gina Stamm is Associate Professor of French at The University of Alabama, with research concentrated on the environmental humanities and speculative literatures of the 20th and 21st centuries, from Surrealism to contemporary science fiction and feminist utopias, in Metropolitan France and the francophone Caribbean, with a book manuscript under review on posthumanist ecological engagement in the surrealist movement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/french-studies

Your 30s are often described as the decade when you're supposed to have life “figured out.” Maybe you've built a career, bought a home, started a family or settled into the person you're going to be — but for many people, that's not what this decade looks like. MPR News guest host Kyra Miles talks with her guests about how your 30s can be a time of big transitions and changing priorities. They'll explore what research says about this stage of adulthood and why so many people feel pressure to have it all together. Guests:Audra Nuru is the director of family studies and professor at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. Her research explores how we communicate to construct identities and navigate periods of change. Melissa Ertl is a researcher and assistant professor of psychology at the University of Minnesota. She also works as a practicing therapist. Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

America's college campuses are entering a period of major change. The pool of traditional college-age students is shrinking, and many young people are rethinking whether college is worth the cost.MPR News guest host Kerri Miller and her guests talk about why colleges are expecting fewer students, how public and private institutions are preparing, and what's influencing whether — and where — young people decide to pursue higher education.Guests:Nathan Grawe is a professor of economics at Carleton College and is one of the country's leading experts on the college enrollment cliff. He is also the author of “Demographics and the Demand for Higher Education," and “The Agile College,” which helped bring national attention to the coming decline of college-age students. Suzanne Rivera is the president of Macalester College in St. Paul. She has been the president since June of 2020. Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.   Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.    

Wildfires have burned thousands of acres across northern Minnesota, sending smoke into communities around the state and prompting air quality alerts. Live updates Get the latest information on wildfires in Minnesota MPR News guest host Kelly Gordon talks with meteorologists about the combination of heat, rainfall, humidity, wind and drought that can increase wildfire risk. They'll also discuss what this summer's weather patterns can tell us about the weeks ahead, how smoke travels hundreds of miles from fires and how a changing climate is influencing fire seasons in Minnesota.Guests:Ben Cathey is the chief meteorologist for MPR News.Sven Sundgaard is a meteorologist for MPR News.Mandy Thalhuber is a meteorologist for MPR News.Jeff Masters is a meteorologist who writes about extreme weather for Yale Climate Connections, a news service that focuses on climate change. He is a former hurricane hunter and the co-founder of the commercial weather service, Weather Underground. Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.    

We're going to MY Home State of Oregon where we visit with Angela Davis, CAA - the AD at Corbett High School. Angela shares her journey as an elite HS and D-I Athlete to Coach and now the AD for the Corbett Cardinals! THIS is The Educational AD Podcast!

A deep dive on the unique mental health challenges faced by immigrants in America, produced by Call to Mind from American Public Media.Learn more and read a full transcript on our website.This episode was produced by Call to Mind, American Public Media's initiative to foster new conversations about mental health. The program was produced and written by senior producer Jessica Bari, edited by Stephen Smith and hosted by Angela Davis. It featured reporting by Jessica Bari, Cari Spencer and Kristi Marohn. The technical director is Josh Savageau, and Hans Buetow scored the show. Additional thanks to Mohammad Ebrahim for his translation. This episode was produced and mixed for Tradeoffs by Ryan Levi. The Tradeoffs theme song was composed by Ty Citerman.Find more reporting on mental health from Call to Mind on their website, on your local public radio station, or by subscribing to the Call to Mind podcast.Want more Tradeoffs? Sign up for our free weekly newsletter featuring our latest reporting on health care's toughest choices.Donate to support our work. Tradeoffs is a nonprofit, powered by listeners. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Smoke from wildfires burning in northern Minnesota and Canada has drifted into other parts of Minnesota this week and triggered air quality alerts for much of the state.MPR News guest host Kelly Gordon talks about how air quality is monitored and forecast and the health risks of breathing wildfire smoke.Guests:Kathy Raleigh is an epidemiologist who works in the environmental health division of the Minnesota Department of Health.Matt Taraldsen is a meteorologist and supervisor of the team that issues air quality conditions, alerts and forecasts at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Resources discussed during the show:Air quality forecasts: Air quality forecast | Minnesota Pollution Control AgencyCurrent air quality conditionsAirNow.gov allows you to check current air quality conditions. You can also download the AirNow mobile app and sign up to receive air quality alerts and forecasts via email.Current air quality conditions | Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (state.mn.us)Purple AirMinnesota Outdoor Air Quality Guidance for Schools and Child CareThe MPCA's Air quality and health webpage has information about health and indoor and outdoor air quality and how to prevent air pollution.The Minnesota Department of Health has an Air Quality, Climate and Health webpage.The Minnesota Department of Health wildfire smoke webpage highlights ways you can protect your health against wildfire smoke.How to make your own air cleaner: DIY Air Cleaner to Reduce Wildfire Smoke IndoorsHow to protect pets8 tips on keeping pets cool during the dangerous heat wave across Minnesota this week | MPR NewsWildfire smoke and animals | American Veterinary Medical AssociationSubscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.    

MPR News guest host Kelly Gordon talks with a forest ecologist about what's behind the fires burning in and near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, why they're so difficult to contain and what we can do to reduce wildfire risk. Listen Poor air quality: What causes it and how to protect your health Guest:Lee Frelich is the director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Forest Ecology.Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.  

Many Americans give up on studying another language after finishing a high school or college foreign language requirement. But some adults are diving into learning a new language to connect with their heritage, communicate with neighbors or co-workers, as a door to travel and culture, or just to give themselves a mental challenge. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with her guests about the joys and challenges of learning a new language as an adult. Guests: Amanda Dalola is an associate professor of linguistics and director of the Language Center in the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota. She studies how people learn languages. She trained in Romance linguistics, speaks several Scandinavian languages and is currently learning Finnish, Norwegian and Korean. Julian Nye has been learning Spanish for the past three years through language apps, conversation groups and St. Paul Public Schools Community Education classes. He works in human resources for a Twin Cities nonprofit organization.

Summer is heating up and temperatures over the next few days are expected to climb into the 90s in many parts of Minnesota.For many of us, that means finding ways to stay cool and maybe spending more time indoors. But public health experts say extreme heat is more than an inconvenience. It's the deadliest weather hazard in the United States — and a growing concern in Minnesota.MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about what can we do to protect ourselves, our families and our communities during stretches of extreme heat.Guests:Ben Cathey is the chief meteorologist for MPR News. He leads MPR's weather coverage including Climate Cast and the Updraft weather blog and helps Minnesotans understand everything from daily forecasts to long-term climate trends and extreme weather.Kristin Raab is the director of the Climate & Health program at the Minnesota Department of Health. Here's a link to the Minnesota Department of Health's resources for extreme heat.

Have you thought about what will happen to your home, your savings or your treasured family keepsakes after you die? If you're leaving it to your loved ones to just figure out, you might be leaving them costly and stressful problems. MPR News host Angela Davis talks about why estate planning isn't just for the wealthy, and what simple steps you can take now to reduce expenses and family conflict when you're gone.

Kimchi. Kombucha. Yogurt. Sauerkraut. Fermented foods have been part of the human diet for thousands of years but researchers are still trying to understand their potential health benefits.MPR News host Angela Davis talks with two researchers about the connection between fermented foods and our health.Guests:Andres Gomez is an associate professor of animal science and food science and nutrition at the University of Minnesota.Kylene Guse is a researcher and founder of the Living Food Initiative where she explores the connection between food, microbes, ecology and culture. She was also co-owner of the now-closed GYST Fermentation Bar in Minneapolis.

Our friendships are some of the most important relationships we have. Friends are the people we celebrate with, lean on during difficult times, and turn to when we need advice or simply someone to listen. But for many people, friendship doesn't come easily. Maybe you've moved to a new city, started a new job or are juggling work and family. Or maybe, you're rethinking what you want from your social life.MPR News host Angela Davis talks with her guests about why adult friendships can be so challenging, what healthy friendships look like and when it's OK to let a relationship go, and what it takes to build meaningful connections that last.

How can we spend less without giving up the stuff we need? Maybe you're furnishing your first apartment, replacing a broken toaster, looking for clothes for a growing child or trying to put together a professional wardrobe for a new job.MPR News host Angela Davis wraps up her “Cheap Week” series with ideas for saving money on the clothes we wear and the things that fill our homes. She and her guests talk about how to stretch your dollar by shopping secondhand at thrift stores, consignment shops and online resale sites, and how to get and give away things for free through neighborhood “Buy Nothing” groups. Guests: Roxanne Sanchez is co-owner of Nine Lives thrift store in St. Paul, which opened in 2024. She's also an administrator of her neighborhood “Buy Nothing” Facebook group and had a previous career as a costumer for television and movies.Anna Thompson is a Minneapolis mom and digital marketing strategist who loves to shop at thrift stores and online resale sites. She runs the sustainable fashion Instagram account @annazzon and previously worked as a personal stylist for Arc's Value Village thrift stores.

Going out can get expensive fast. By the time you pay for tickets, food, drinks and parking, a single outing can easily cost $100 or more. Most of us don't want to stop having fun — we just want to spend less doing it.MPR News host Angela Davis continues her “Cheap Week” series with a conversation about ways to enjoy summer — for less, or even for free. Angela and her guests talk about bargain summer festivals and live music, museum deals, affordable date nights, budget recreation and ways to have fun at home. Guests: Jessica Armbruster is a co-owner and editor at Racket, a Minnesota online news and culture website. She compiles the weekly Freeloader Friday listing of free events. She was previously the arts editor at City Pages. Alex V. Cipolle is a senior arts reporter and critic, covering arts and culture for MPR News. She previously covered the arts in the Pacific Northwest and southwest France and has written for publications including The New York Times, Fast Company, Frommer's and Hyperallergic.

Prisons won't be dismantled anytime soon. So what does—or should—prison abolition mean? Anna Terwiel draws from Angela Davis's writings a host of insights that buttress what Terwiel considers a realist political project. Among other things, she examines Davis's prison abolitionism in light of her democratic socialist commitments and her understanding of Radical Reconstruction. Anna Terwiel, Prison Abolition for Realists University of Minnesota Press, 2025 The post Thinking Beyond Prisons appeared first on KPFA.

Does it feel like every trip to the grocery store costs more than it used to? You're not alone. With food prices still high, many households are looking for ways to stretch their grocery budgets.MPR News host Angela Davis talks with two experts about smart shopping, cutting food waste and preparing healthy, affordable meals.Guests:Mary Schroeder is a health and nutrition educator with the University of Minnesota Extension and a registered dietitian nutritionist. She specializes in helping individuals and families make healthy, affordable food choices through meal planning, food budgeting and food waste reduction. She is based in Willmar, Minnesota.Jenny Breen is a chef, public health nutritionist and author of “Cooking Up the Good Life.” She teaches culinary nutrition courses through the Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing at the University of Minnesota.