Chatted new music with Minnesota band Sleeping Jesus. Hear the story behind their latest release 🎶

Research by the University of Minnesota's Mapping Prejudice Project has uncovered hundreds of racist property deeds in Sherburne County. Nearly all the properties were clustered around lakes, and 90 percent were added after 1948. Racial covenants became illegal in Minnesota in 1953.

Transgender Day of Remembrance is Thursday. Queer community members say the remembrance events carry a different weight this year as changes are introduced in other states — and on the federal level — designed to attack transgender rights.

Hennepin Healthcare piloted a program to add qibla stickers to its ER in 2021. It is now expanding the program to its in-patient and acute psychiatric services department.

Northern lights lovers didn’t have to go far to see them ripple across the sky Tuesday evening. A show that included vivid red auroras visible to the eye, not just the camera. We want to see your aurora photos. Message them to us or email them to [email protected].

Had the chance to talk with Winona-based band Afflatus about the inspiration behind their new album ”Painted Turtle.” Check it out here 🦢

A dragonfly! In November?! Yup, it’s called the Autumn Meadowhawk for good reason #invertebrates 🌿

Tomorrow is Election Day! Check out the MPR News Voter Guide for information about what you'll see on your ballot.

Hiahli’s latest single, born from one broke week and a van jam session, turns struggle into a celebration.

Fans across the WNBA have shown an outpouring of support on social media for players and coaches since recent press conferences have emphasized disparities in the league. And in Minnesota, Lynx Forward Napheesa Collier and head coach Cheryl Reeve have reignited calls for change.

There’s a new polar bear at Como Park Zoo and Conservatory. The zoo announced Friday that Astra, the 4-year-old female polar bear from Washington state, arrived at the zoo Thursday evening.

Two thousand people are expected to turn out next month when Split Rock Lighthouse and the Minnesota Historical Society host a memorial to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald on Nov. 10.

The exhibition features artists — all based in Minnesota — who offer perspectives on gender, sexuality and queerness, drawn from their experiences as trans and queer people or as caregivers within those communities.

The Voter Guide is live! Check it out. And remember, Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 4 (with early voting happening now).

There’s four games remaining in the league’s regular season, and while the Lynx were the first team to clinch a playoff spot, the team remains committed to closing the season off strong. Monday night, the Lynx rallied against the Dallas Wings for a 96-71 win beating Minnesota-native Paige Bueckers.

It's called fashion.

Twin Cities musicians Jackie Rae Daniels and Nate Baker’s new EP “Amerikinda Minnesorta Folk” showcases some of their favorite numbers and the depth in their rich sound that enhances the duo’s acoustic storytelling.

Nursing homes are designed to care for patients with physical infirmities. But nationwide, 1 in 5 residents has been diagnosed with a serious mental illness — conditions few of the facilities are equipped to handle. By @egawthrop.bsky.social: www.apmreports.org/story/2025/0...

The Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot Amir Locke — and, until recently, led MPD’s use-of-force training — is not the only trainer whose record has raised concerns over the department’s commitment to changing its culture.

MPR News’ parent company to lay off 5–8% of staff amid $6M budget gap tied to state and federal funding cuts.

The Senate voted to approve a $9 billion rescission package aimed at clawing back money already allocated for public radio and television. In Minnesota, that funding totals $17,228,752 across 16 organizations. Read the full story here: www.mprnews.org/story/2025/0...

Researchers with the University of Minnesota Duluth’s Large Lakes Observatory have discovered a new microbe hidden deep in the oily rudder shaft of its research vessel the Blue Heron.

I had the opportunity to catch up with the Twin Cities band Gifted Handz. Hear more about how they met, their music, goals and about their piece “Freedom’s Intro.”

Creativity + archival material + a beloved game...What do you get? Archival footage bingo at the Minnesota History Center. Read about the new event here:

It was a big day for Minnesota's women's basketball and a fight for home court advantage: the Lynx on their own hardwood and Paige Bueckers back in her home state. I had the opportunity to chat with her former coach, fans and Lynx fans. Check out what they had to say about the matchup. 🏀🏀

St. Paul officials haven’t determined what caused a 35-foot-deep sinkhole on West Seventh Street. They also say the fix could take a couple of months to repair.

At last report, the Camp House and Jenkins Creek fires had burned nearly 3,000 acres combined and destroyed dozens of structures about 40 miles north-northeast of Duluth. A third fire northwest of Duluth — the Munger Shaw Fire — also prompted evacuations late Monday.

All of the bunnies 🐰🐰🐰

Here we are again. Experiencing Déjà vu? The Timberwolves are chasing their first-ever NBA Finals appearance for a second consecutive time after their failed attempt last season. After knocking out the Lakers, they now face the Golden State Warriors Tuesday in Round 2.

Need some mallard magic this morning? Check out this mama who has taken over an unused eagle nest that just so happens to have a DNR cam. 🦆

Varnish has faded its 119-year-old paint, but an artwork at the State Capitol still captures the grim reality of The Battle of Nashville, which involved hundreds of Minnesotans.

What a group 🎶

The provocative comment and amplification by Musk has sparked discussion about the possibility. Trump can pardon Chauvin’s 20-year federal convictions for violating Floyd’s civil rights, but pardoning or commuting Chauvin’s 22 ½ year state sentence is out of his jurisdiction.

The event for sex workers and their allies praised the best in the businesses while advocating for stronger labor protections for dancers and sharing the importance of decriminalized sex work.

What’s better than stars?!? WHOLE PLANETS! And many of them! Catch them tonight and tomorrow. 🪐

Iowa’s saturated buffers aren’t as effective as promised. Even if they met advertised standards, the state would need to increase installations exponentially to make even a marginal difference in water quality. youtube.com/shorts/Mgq3f...

Third graders in Steubenville, Ohio, are among the best little readers in the nation. For nearly 20 years, the elementary schools in this economically depressed area have produced better readers than some of the wealthiest places in the country. www.apmreports.org/story/2025/0...

There's a school district in Ohio where virtually all the students become good readers by third grade. And Steubenville is a Rust Belt town where the state considers almost all the students "economically disadvantaged." How do they do it? Episode 11: soldastory.org www.youtube.com/shorts/KsBNf...

A Minnesotan employed with the U.S. Forestry Service in Colorado has her job back a week after being laid off. She was terminated from her position as a result of the Trump administration’s reduction in federal workers, including about 3,400 Forest Service jobs.

Never before has there been a broad-ranging exhibition of Minnesota puppetry from across the state, which is one of the nation’s hubs for the art form.

Minnesota native Mary Bue has carved a unique space within the music scene, using her art for healing. Her latest album “The Wildness of Living & Dying,” to be released Sunday, explores humanity, love, healing and trauma.

When we first started working on this in December, I was surprised there wasn’t already a resource to easily find Black history sites in Minnesota. This map is a culmination of months of research and reporting. Enjoy!

Wednesday at 9am on MPR News, listen to my report on what Minneapolis police officers & community members learned about slavery, racial segregation & mass incarceration when they went to Montgomery, AL to tour museums. Will a better understanding of history help them? www.mprnews.org/episode/2025...

Minnesota Third-District Democratic Rep. Kelly Morrison, who is one of a handful of physicians in Congress and health care providers nationwide who are sounding the alarm over Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s qualifications and skepticism of medicine.

State Rep. Leigh Finke, DFL-St. Paul, is the first openly transgender person to serve in the state Legislature, and she talked to Minnesota Now host Nina Moini about how this order could impact the trans community.

A University of Minnesota student is speaking out after several right-wing commentators criticized his videos on social media related to a gender-affirming operation, drawing hateful attention and leading Meta to shut down his accounts on Instagram and Facebook.

Opening this weekend! Minneapolis-based artist Flahn Manly's new exhibit is about the power of joy, love and peace to fight hate and fear.

Favorite name for a snowplow? Time to vote! But I wouldn’t mind hearing about your favorites out of the 50 finalists.

The Doomsday Clock now stands at 89 seconds to midnight, the closest to catastrophe in its nearly eight-decade history. Here's a look at how — and why — it's moved.

Front-facing staff at the Guthrie, represented by IATSE Local 13, are negotiating their first union contract with management, facing disagreements over DEIA language and labor protections.