Minnesota Now

ICE and Border Patrol are getting another massive budget boost after President Donald Trump signed off on a package last week directing $70 billion to these agencies over the next three years. We'll get a break down on plans for this money.A look inside a new clinic in Minneapolis trying to create an alternative, healing-centered response to sexual assault.Plus, a Minneapolis diner that shifted to a fully donation-based model during the federal surge this winter is continuing to operate under this unconventional approach. We'll check in with the owner of Post Modern Times about why he hasn't put prices back on the menu.And more Minnesota students are getting a chance to get outdoors thanks to some new state funding.And another former Minnesota athlete has gone on to win a championship after leaving the state. Our Minnesota Music Minute was “Down Home Blues” by Selby Ave Brass Band and our Song of the Day was “Just Go Home” by Nephuncle.

It was an incredibly busy weekend for sports. The NBA and NHL have their 2026 champions. The Twins have a series win. And the Lynx had fans on the edge of their seats with a close loss to the Aces. Minnesota Now sports contributors Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson joined the program with the latest sports headlines and a remembrance of legendary colleague Larry Fitzgerald Sr.

Many survivors of sexual violence receive what’s called a sexual assault forensic exam to collect evidence for law enforcement. These exams can take hours and they usually happen in an emergency room... which can be a harsh environment to spend the hours after a traumatic experience. A new clinic in Minneapolis will be the first in the Twin Cities to provide an alternative, with more focus on healing and follow-up treatment. Sahan Journal recently reported on the effort by Southside Community Health Services. And the organization’s medical director Sheila Kennedy joined Minnesota Now to talk about it.

Earlier this year, a longtime south Minneapolis restaurant stopped putting prices on its menu. The diner formerly known as Modern Times rebranded itself as Post Modern Times and shifted to a donation-based model during the Minnesota ICE surge. Owner Dylan Alverson said he wanted to create a place where anyone could get a meal, regardless of their ability to pay. Months later, the restaurant is still operating on donations and drawing national attention for its unconventional approach. Dylan Alverson, owner of Post Modern Times in Minneapolis, spoke to Minnesota Now host Nina Moini about why he’s sticking with the approach and how he’s getting neighborhood input.

President Donald Trump has signed off on a massive increase in funding for U.S. immigration enforcement. The legislation, called the Secure America Act, was approved by Congress last week, after a standoff between lawmakers. Democrats said they didn’t want to give more funding to the Department of Homeland Security after the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis this winter. But those negotiations fell apart, and now $70 billion will go to ICE and Border Patrol. Supporters say the investment will help the federal government enforce immigration laws and secure the border. Critics argue it gives too much power to the agency and not enough oversight. Heidi Altman is vice president of policy at the National Immigration Law Center. She joined Minnesota Now to talk about the bill and her concerns about what was left out.

We’re marking one year since the tragic killings of DFL state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark. A look at their legacy and how DFL state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife — who were injured in the attack — are recovering. We'll also talk another lawmaker who was targeted that night, state Rep. Kristin Bahner, on how she’s grappling with safety and running for office.Then, the man who allegedly carried out the attacks pleaded guilty Thursday morning. We’ll have the latest on the case.And we'll talk to two experts studying an uptick in political violence.Plus, the Hortmans’ children share one of their parents’ favorite songs.And we'll meet some puppies who are training to be service dogs in the Hortmans’ honor.

It’s been one year since the killing of former House Speaker Melissa Hortman, her husband Mark and their golden retriever, Gilbert.Gilbert started out as a service dog in training through Helping Paws, the Eden Prairie nonprofit that trains assistance dogs for people with physical disabilities, veterans and first responders living with PTSD. But Gilbert was ultimately deemed a little too friendly for the job, and the Hortmans adopted him as their own.In the months following their deaths, thousands of people donated to Helping Paws in their memory. That support helped create the Hortman Heroes Fund, which will train future service dogs for veterans and first responders with PTSD.MPR News host Nina Moini got a tour of the Helping Paws facility from executive director Alyssa Golob.

As Minnesotans were waking up to the news of the attacks on state Rep. Melissa Hortman and state Sen. John Hoffman on June 14, 2025, some of the state’s political leaders were also learning they might have been targeted. Authorities say they found writings by the gunman that included the names of dozens of politicians. They also say that between the attacks on the Hoffmans and Hortmans, he went to the homes of two other DFL lawmakers. One of them is Maple Grove and Osseo Rep. Kristin Bahner.A year later, like Sen. John Hoffman, she has decided to run for reelection, despite the terrifying events of last summer. Minnesota Now host Nina Moini spoke with Rep. Bahner about her decision to run again, in part, to carry on the legacy of her late colleague.

In the aftermath of the shootings that left state Rep. Melissa Hortman dead and state Sen. John Hoffman injured, we spoke to several experts who called it part of the rise in political violence they have been observing for some time across the country. Minnesota Now host Nina Moini spoke again with two of those experts a year after the attacks on how this uptick in political violence has continued to unfold.Jillian Peterson is a professor at Hamline University and executive director of the Violence Prevention Project Research Center. Larry Jacobs is a political science professor at the University of Minnesota and founder of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance.

Sunday marks one year since the deadly shootings of DFL Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. Authorities say the alleged assassin also shot state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, at their home and targeted others. The violent acts shook the state and the country. Thursday on Minnesota Now, we spent the hour looking at how people are keeping Melissa Hortman and her family’s legacy alive – and how the attack is affecting political life. Our politics correspondent Dana Ferguson covered Hortman in the Minnesota Legislature and has been following the assassination, as well as steps at the Capitol to mitigate future incidents of political violence. She joined to share more about what’s unfolded over the last year.

Operation Metro Surge caused more economic damage in Minneapolis than previously estimated, according to new numbers from the city. MPR News reporter Estelle Timar-Wilcox broke down the 700-million dollar figure, which includes everything from lost wages to mental health needs. The governor's truth council has begun collecting stories about how people were impacted by immigration enforcement this winter. Chief Meteorologist Ben Cathey assessed the storm damage from Tuesday night and gave details on another round in the forecast.And a new study has found that mosquitoes could learn to associate the smell of bug spray with dinner. Plus, a new book chronicles a hub of LGBTQ activism in Duluth and Superior in the 1980s.The Minnesota Music Minute was “Lime Habit” by Poliça and “Give it My All” by Ashley Selnes was the Song of the Day.

This weather is the perfect condition for mosquitoes to thrive. Standing water from the rain and warm humid temperatures. That means it's that time of year where you may be lathering up in your bug spray when you're outside. DEET is most commonly used to repel mosquitoes in bug spray, but new research has found that mosquitoes could learn to associate DEET with dinner. Joining Minnesota Now is one of the authors of the research, Clément Vinauger, who is an associate professor of biochemistry at Virginia Tech.

For decades, LGBTQ+ history in Minnesota has often been told through the lens of the Twin Cities. A new book out this month argues that some of the state's most important fights for LGBTQ rights happened more than one hundred miles away in Duluth and Superior, Wisconsin. "Remember the Main: The Gay Bar That Started a Movement in the Northland” tells the story of Bob Jansen, owner of the Main Club, a gay bar that opened in the 1980s. Author Meg Gorzycki told MPR News host Nina Moini the bar served as a refuge and organizing hub for LGBTQ+ people in northern Minnesota during a time when being openly gay often came with significant risk.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has filled all the seats for the truth council he created in March to document the events that unfolded during this winter’s federal immigration enforcement surge. Established by executive order, the 15-member body is tasked with collecting stories from the surge and synthesizing the findings into a final report.Jennifer Prestholdt is vice president of the council and deputy executive director of the Minneapolis-based group The Advocates for Human Rights. She talked with MPR News host Nina Moini about the work that lies ahead for the council, which she called “the first public-centered, large-scale, truth-telling process in the United States.”

Minneapolis officials released updated numbers Wednesday on how much the surge in federal immigration officials cost the city. City officials say there was nearly $700 million dollars in damage between December 2025 through April 2026. That total includes revenue businesses lost, wages workers lost and money the city spent responding to the surge.MPR News reporter Estelle Timar-Wilcox joined MPR News host Nina Moini with details from a briefing on the report.

An article out Tuesday morning shows a detailed timeline of the law enforcement response to last summer's attacks on Minnesota lawmakers and the nearly two-day-long manhunt that followed. We'll talk to a Minnesota Star Tribune reporter who wrote the story. We'll go to Newark, New Jersey and talk to a reporter who's covering protests outside Delaney Hall, the immigration detention center that resemble scenes in Minnesota over the winter.Fridley Public Schools' superintendent has been outspoken about the impacts of the surge of federal agents on students. We'll talk to her on the first day of summer. We'll learn about something called Sandbox Classroom, where St. Paul high school seniors can learn how to operate heavy equipment.Our Minnesota Music Minute was “I Can’t Fix Your Life” by Mid Dream, and our Song of the Day was “Cover Crop” by Ironstill.

Most classrooms have desks, whiteboards and textbooks. But one new Saint Paul Public Schools classroom has excavators, loaders and piles of dirt.The district's new Sandbox Classroom opened in May, giving seniors hands-on experience operating heavy equipment through a partnership with the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 49. School leaders say it is the first program of its kind in the Twin Cities, creating a direct pathway from high school into construction and operating engineer careers.Dusty Thune teaches the class for Saint Paul Public Schools and spoke with MPR News host Nina Moini about it.

A situation unfolding at an immigrant detention center in Newark, New Jersey has some drawing parallels to events that unfolded in Minnesota over the winter as federal immigration agents surged into the state.On May 22, hundreds of immigrants inside the Delaney Hall detention center began what advocates call a hunger and labor strike. Protesters have gathered outside the facility, and at times turned into clashes with federal agents. Arya Sundaram has been reporting on the situation at the Delaney Hall ICE detention center for Gothamist, a nonprofit newsroom by WNYC. She joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk more about it.

A new Minnesota Star Tribune investigation is providing the most in-depth timeline yet of the law enforcement response following the killings of State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark and the shootings that injured State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette. The shootings led to a 43-hour statewide manhunt for the suspect, Vance Boelter, who is currently in federal custody awaiting potential trial. Minnesota Star Tribune reporter Jeff Day wrote the story and joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about it.

For students at Fridley Public Schools, Tuesday is the first day of summer break. It comes after a tumultuous school year for many districts, including Fridley, which had to contend with the disruption of Operation Metro Surge. Joining Minnesota Now host Nina Moini to reflect on this school year and look at the recovery ahead for students and staff is Fridley Schools Superintendent Brenda Lewis.

Minnesotans will have a chance Monday night to weigh in on the proposed merger between Sanford Health and North Memorial Health. Ahead of it, we'll talk to state Attorney General Keith Ellison about the power he holds to review — and potentially stop —these kinds of mergers.A group of parents affected by the Annunciation Church and School shooting spent the legislative session advocating for more gun control measures. These proposals didn't pass but they say they're celebrating the small wins.And there's been several shifts to immigration policy in the last month. We'll talk to two people who have been supporting people through these shifts.Plus, how the organization River Keepers are tending to the Red River in Fargo-Moorhead. Our Minnesota Music Minute was “Little Time” by Emily Bjorke and our Song of the Day was “Out of Hand” by The Dalmatian Club.

The New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs will play Game 3 of the NBA Finals Monday night. The Knicks have quite a few celebrity fans, so part of the spectacle of the game in Madison Square Garden will be courtside fashion. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Timberwolves are offering some fashion news of their own in the off-season. The Lynx are just at the beginning of their season. And they’ve won six of their last seven games by double digits. Minnesota Now sports contributors Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson joined Minnesota Now with the latest sports headlines.

At the edge of Fargo, North Dakota, a metal archway hangs over a walking path. It depicts silhouetted figures passing sandbags and piling them next to a firefighter. This monument is titled "The Spirit of the Sandbagger” is a tribute to the community’s response to major floods in the past. Off to its side is a bridge that goes from Fargo to Moorhead over the Red River. The two communities are linked by the river — and its risk of flooding. Recently, the Minnesota legislature approved $10 million for flood mitigation infrastructure. And the area will soon have a massive diversion project built to send floodwaters away from the two cities. But flooding aside, a local group is working to connect people with the river in other ways. Christine Holland is CEO of the Fargo-Moorhead-based group River Keepers. Recently, she helped Minnesota Now learn more about the Red River from the water. Minnesota Now host Nina Moini and producer Alanna Elder climbed into kayaks and paddled out from under the bridge.

On Monday evening members of the public will have a chance to weigh in on a proposed health merger. Sanford Health and North Memorial Health announced last month they’d reached an agreement to combine. Sanford is based in South Dakota and operates in several midwestern states, especially in rural areas. North Memorial runs two hospitals and a network of clinics in the northern Minneapolis suburbs. A merger between California-based Sutter Health and Allina Health is also in progress. Minnesota’s Attorney General has the power to review health mergers in the state and potentially sue to stop them, under a 2023 law. Attorney General Keith Ellison is currently running for reelection. His office is hosting Monday’s public forum in Robbinsdale. He joined Minnesota Now host Nina Moini to talk about his office’s role in healthcare mergers.

In the last month, there has been a flurry of changes in immigration policies. On Friday, a federal judge ruled the Trump administration must resume processing asylum applications from 39 countries. The administration also sought to make major changes to the green card application process. That’s all happening with Operation PARRIS in the background, which is an effort to re-vet the applications of thousands of refugees in Minnesota for potential fraud or other crimes. That launched this past winter.Minnesota Now’s next two guests have been supporting people who have been navigating all of these shifts. Corleen Smith is immigration services director at the International Institute of Minnesota and Michelle Drake is a lawyer with Berger Montague.

Deb Jenkins has lived in the Fargo-Moorhead area for more than 50 years. Through that time, Jenkins has witnessed all the changes this place has gone through. She’s also changed it in more ways than one — as a nurse, chef, and community member. But many may have known her first as a musician.We talked to Deb about what’s kept her in the Fargo-Moorhead area after all these years and how she’s found new ways to make it a more vibrant place. She also performed an original song called “Leaves” and a cover of “The Hunter” with her husband Mike on the keyboard for our live Minnesota Now show at the Moorhead Public Library.

In the heat of late spring in western Minnesota, insects buzz around and green sprouts push up from rich, dark soil. This means it’s go-time for farmers like Noreen Thomas. Thomas and her family produce vegetables, flowers, grains, eggs and seeds on Doubting Thomas farms near Moorhead. They sell to regional grocers, bakeries, and breweries as well as award-winning restaurants around the country. The farm also makes space for other producers raising honeybees, grazing cattle and harvesting herbs and Thomas mentors other women in agriculture. She joined MPR News host Nina Moini in front of a live audience at the Moorhead Public Library to talk about her journey into farming and her community-centered approach to agriculture.

Fowzia Adde is the founder and executive director of the Immigrant Development Center in Moorhead. It’s an organization that helps immigrants and refugees navigate everything from higher education to entrepreneurship and small business loans. Adde is also leading an ambitious effort to create a cultural mall in downtown Moorhead, a project she hopes will become a hub for immigrant-owned businesses and community gathering. She talked to MPR News host Nina Moini in front of an audience at the Moorhead Public Library about her own experience coming to the United States more than 20 years ago. At that time, she learned that her nursing credentials did not transfer to the professional world in the Red River Valley. That experience sparked her passion to help others settle in the region.

Minnesota Now with Nina Moini recently recorded a program at the brand new Moorhead Public Library. The building is a cornerstone of a downtown that is currently being built up. Moorhead Mayor Shelly Carlson joined the program in front of a live audience to talk about how the city is looking to distinguish itself and to become a destination.

Minnesota Now went to Moorhead’s new public library for a special edition of the show. It was recorded in front of a live audience. MPR News host Nina Moini talked with community leaders from the Fargo-Moorhead area:Shelly Carlson, Mayor of Moorhead. Fowzia Adde, an immigrant advocate who is helping newcomers navigate life in the area. Noreen Thomas, a farmer who’s planting seeds on the land and in her community. Deb Jenkins, a musician who has witnessed the region evolve and contributed to its vibrancy over the last five decades. Plus, Tadeo Ruiz-Sandoval and Harshawn Ratanpal shared reporting from Fargo-Moorhead and asked audience members for their takes on life in the region.

Minnesota's hospitality and leisure businesses lost more than 4,000 jobs and more than $70 million in wages during this winter's surge of federal immigration agents. We learn about the latest the ongoing impacts of Operation Metro Surge. Millions of people in Somalia are facing hunger as the country faces what experts have called its worst drought year on record. A Minnesota-based organization is working to provide relief. And a St. Paul theater where renowned playwright August Wilson began his career is putting on one of his earliest works. Plus, Minnesota was once covered by tall grass, but few such prairies remain. Minnesota Now took a visit to the Bluestem Prairie in the Fargo-Moorhead area to learn what it takes to preserve this landscape.

August Wilson is one of America's most-produced playwrights. He's best known for his 10-play series, the “Century Cycle,” which includes “Fences” and “Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.” While many of his plays are set in Pittsburgh, Wilson began his career as a playwright at Penumbra Theatre in St. Paul. One of his earlier plays in the cycle, "Joe Turner's Come and Gone," is running at Penumbra through June 21.MPR News arts reporter Jacob Aloi spoke with director of the production and Penumbra founder Lou Bellamy about the play and Wilson's legacy in Minnesota.

To get to a recent live show in Moorhead, the Minnesota Now team took scenic Highway 10 from St. Paul to learn more about the state from the road. We made a series of audio postcards from notable roadside attractions, including a piece of one of Minnesota's oldest and most recognizable landscapes: tallgrass prairie. The Nature Conservancy recently acquired nearly 2,000 acres of prairieland to protect in Clay County. Their goal is to conserve the plants and create habitat for prairie chickens and pollinators. The site is one of just a few slivers of prairie in a state that used to be covered in tallgrass. Nearby is another of those slivers: the Bluestem Prairie Scientific and Natural Area, which is also protected by the Nature Conservancy. Liz Beery, the group’s associate director of grasslands, joined MPR News host Nina Moini for a walk there.

A severe drought in Somalia has displaced an estimated 200,000 people this year and put millions at risk of hunger, according to the United Nations. The U.N.’s World Food Program Director for Somalia told the Associated Press last month the drought is the country’s worst on record. It’s a result of several rainy seasons that did not yield much water and it follows years of drought and flooding extremes in the region. These climate events reverberate in Minnesota, which is home to the largest Somali population in the U.S. as well as several groups that provide aid to east Africa. Asiya Mohamed, deputy director of American Relief Agency for the Horn of Africa, joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about conditions in Somalia and efforts to provide relief.

A Twin Cities research and progressive policy group released new numbers estimating the cost of the federal government’s “Operation Metro Surge” earlier this year. An analysis by North Star Policy Action showed the state's leisure and hospitality sector lost more than 4,000 jobs and a loss of more than $70 million in wages during the first three months of the year. For more about how the analysis reached those numbers, MPR News host Nina Moini talked with the organization’s research director Aaron Rosenthal. Trung Pham of Pham’s Deli at the Midtown Global Market in South Minneapolis shared his experience as a business owner with Minnesota Now.

The state government has cut off some providers of disability and addiction recovery services from Medicaid programs, though they can appeal. We'll talk with two providers about what this means for their clients. Researchers are tracking the use of crowd-control weapons used in protests against immigration actions around the country, including during the federal surge in Minnesota this winter. We'll find out what they've learned. Many young adults transitioning out of foster care are losing their federal food benefits. We'll find out how they're responding.We'll learn how a north Minneapolis high school boosted graduation rates. We'll take a tour through a troll community in Detroit Lakes.Our Minnesota Music Minute was “Worthy of the Stone” by Secret Rivers.

The Minnesota Now team recently recorded a live show at the new public library in Moorhead. To get there, the team took scenic Highway 10 from St. Paul to learn more about the state from the road.The Moorhead show will air Thursday, and each day until then, we will make a stop along the way, with audio postcards from notable roadside attractions.This time, we visit Barefoot Frida, an enormous wooden troll that lives in the Ortenstone Gardens and Sculpture Park in Detroit Lakes. We were guided by Amy Stearns, executive director of Project 412, who says the trolls are part of a larger effort to make Detroit Lakes a more vibrant place.

A research team through the group Physicians for Human Rights combed through social media and news reports to understand exactly what happened during protests against federal immigration agents in the Twin Cities and other parts of the country last winter. Specifically, the researchers looked at the weapons law enforcement used on crowds. Chemical irritants and projectiles fall into a category called crowd control weapons or less lethal weapons. They come in a variety of products with different mechanisms, and the researchers found that some law enforcement have used them in ways that are especially dangerous to the health and safety of protesters, journalists and passersby. Scott Reynhout worked on the project with Physicians for Human Rights, and he joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about it.

It's graduation season across Minnesota, and for many students, walking across the stage represents years of hard work, support and perseverance. At North High School in Minneapolis, Friday's commencement comes with another reason to celebrate. Just a few years ago, the school's graduation rate lagged more than 20 points behind the state average. Today, according to Minneapolis Public Schools, North is on track to meet or may even exceed state benchmarks. It’s a dramatic turnaround that school leaders say reflects years of investment in students and staff. North High School’s principal, Mauri Friestleben, talked to MPR News host Nina Moini about the change.

Multiple Minnesota disability and addiction recovery services providers are scrambling to figure out what’s next after they received notice on Monday they were removed from 14 high-risk Medicaid programs.The removal came from a state Department of Human Services process to revalidate 5,000 providers by May 31. DHS was required to do so through an agreement between the state and the federal government’s Center for Medicaid Services, which was part of the Trump Administration’s campaign to address fraud in Minnesota.Jordan Hansen, CEO of YourPath, an addiction recovery services provider and Cari McCann, executive director of Great River Homes, which provides care to individuals with disabilities, say their organizations were kicked off of the Medicaid programs. They joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about what comes next.Read more at MPRnews.org.

Republican and DFL party leaders have made endorsements in major statewide races. But internal divisions remain after this weekend's party conventions in Duluth and Rochester. Residents of the Twin Cities were recognized this weekend for their response during the surge of federal immigration agents. We heard from one community leader who accepted the award on behalf of his community.Teens looking for a job this summer may find a tougher job market than in the past. The teen unemployment rate has nearly doubled over the past year.Plus, a Minneapolis theater is bringing a classic American novel to the stage. And the Minnesota Now team visited a special central Minnesota gift shop just off Highway 10.The Minnesota Music Minute was “Balloon” by Leo Kottke and Mike Gordon. “Looking for Something” by Castlebeat was the Song of the Day.

The matchup in the NBA Finals is set. The San Antonio Spurs knocked out the Timberwolves earlier in the playoffs. Now, the Spurs will face a notable former Wolves player Karl-Anthony Towns, along with the rest of the New York Knicks.It’s the Knicks first time in the finals since 1999, when they lost the title to the Spurs. The rematch starts Wednesday in San Antonio. Sports contributors Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about the finals, the Minnesota Vikings’ new general manager and why the Lynx can’t seem to help but be on top.

The Minnesota Now team recently had a live show at the new public library in Moorhead. To get there, we took scenic Highway 10 from St. Paul to learn more about the state from the road. The Moorhead show will air Thursday. Each day until then, we will make a stop along the way, with audio postcards from notable roadside places. First, we visit a place that promises to have something for everyone. Just an hour and a half north of the Twin Cities, tucked between St. Cloud and Brainerd, Treasure City is a gift shop unlike many others. Treasure City's Jennifer Janski gave us a special tour.

A beloved American novel about immigration and the Great Plains is getting a new life on stage in Minneapolis. Theater Latté Da will premiere a musical adaptation of Willa Cather’s classic novel “My Ántonia” at the Ritz Theater this week. The 1918 novel cemented writer Willa Cather as one of America’s defining literary voices. It follows a lifelong friendship between first generation immigrants on the Nebraska prairie. More than a century later, the story still resonates across the Midwest for its portrayal of resilience and belonging. Director Jessie Austrian and composer and lyricist Kate Kilbane joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about the production. It will premiere Wednesday and run through July 12th at the Ritz Theater in northeast Minneapolis.

The school year is wrapping up for high schoolers. Soon, some teens will put down their backpacks and pick up an ice cream scoop, or maybe a lifeguard whistle. It’s the season of the summer job. But this year, it may be a bit harder to find one. Over the past year Minnesota lost more than 5,000 jobs in leisure and hospitality – sectors that tend to hire youth. In March, the teen unemployment rate was 13.2 percent, nearly double what it was in March 2025, according to data from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. The higher unemployment rate could be a return to what was typical before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Oriane Casale, assistant director of DEED’s Labor Market Information Office. Casale joined Minnesota Now along with Billie Jo Greene, who helps teens find jobs as team leader of the Rural Minnesota Concentrated Employment Program in Bemidji.

Four Twin Cities leaders have received the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award on behalf of their communities. The JFK Library Foundation presents the annual award to elected officials and others who have shown courageous leadership. This year, the award committee recognized the people of the Twin Cities for the response to the surge of federal immigration agents this winter. “Their compassion and unwavering commitment to the ideals that sustain our democracy inspired communities across this country and forced the federal government to back down,” Caroline Kennedy said of Twin Cities residents when she presented the award Sunday night. MPR News host Nina Moini talked with Imam Yusuf Abdulle, one of the Minnesotans who went to Boston to accept the award. He leads the Islamic Association of North America and co-founded the Somali American Leadership Table in response to the surge.

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.