Summer is a great time for birdwatching. With longer days and warmer weather, it's the perfect season to step outside and see what’s fluttering in your neighborhood, park, or along the shoreline. And whether you’re a seasoned “birder” or a curious newcomer, birdwatching is an increasingly popular way to connect with nature. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with Sharon Stiteler, also known as “the Birdchick,” about summer birdwatching — what to look for, where to go, and why this season is more a...
Jul 03, 2025•52 min
Progress has been made in raising awareness about mental health, but many people are still not getting the support they need. Listen to a conversation hosted by MPR News host Angela Davis about barriers to mental health care. Three women who lead Minnesota nonprofits talk about mental health needs in communities and families, the disparities in mental health care systems and how resources can support people. The discussion was recorded on May 28 at an event at the Ameriprise Financial Headquarte...
Jul 02, 2025•49 min
Across Minnesota, there are people working every day to strengthen their communities. Sometimes it starts with a small business. Sometimes, with a personal passion — and sometimes, with a gym. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with Dalton Outlaw — someone who combined all three. He’s an entrepreneur, a boxer and a community leader based in the Rondo neighborhood of St. Paul. Guest: Dalton Outlaw is an entrepreneur, boxer and community leader based in St. Paul, Minnesota. He is the founder and own...
Jul 01, 2025•47 min
Running a restaurant might seem like a dream come true — good food, great vibes, and the chance to serve up joy on a plate. But what’s cooking behind the scenes? It’s a never-ending dance of balancing budgets, managing people, and surviving the pressure of every customer, every order, and every shift. MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about what it takes to start and manage a restaurant — and keep it open. Guests: Stephanie Shimp is the president and founder of Blue Plate Restaurant...
Jun 30, 2025•47 min
In 1979, President Jimmy Carter officially recognized June as Black Music Month to honor the influence of Black musicians and artists in shaping American music. It's a reminder that Black music has been at the heart of almost every sound we know and love, including jazz, blues, rock, R&B, gospel, hip hop and even country. And in Minnesota, we’ve felt the impact — from the legacy of Prince to the Grammy Award-winning Sounds of Blackness . MPR News host Angela Davis talks with Gary Hines, the ...
Jun 26, 2025•47 min
Most Americans are eating and drinking far more sugar than is good for us. It’s easy to do. Sugar is added to everything from breakfast cereals and flavored coffee creamers to salad dressings and pasta sauces. And all of that sugar can add up. Americans consume an average of 17 teaspoons of sugar a day with some estimates as high as 34 teaspoons a day. That's about three times the daily limit recommended by the American Heart Association. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kenned...
Jun 25, 2025•47 min
After the U.S. attacked three Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend, Israel launched wide-ranging strikes on Tehran and Iran fired missiles at the largest American military installation in the Middle East. And according to President Donald Trump, Israel and Iran have agreed to a cease-fire. MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about the latest developments in the conflict between Iran, Israel and the United States. Guests: Shaherzad Ahmadi is an associate professor of history at the U...
Jun 24, 2025•46 min
President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown has sparked recent protests across the country. MPR News host Angela Davis will talk with two immigration attorneys about how Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials are trying to fulfill President Trump’s pledge of mass deportations. Guests: Alexis Dutt is a senior attorney at Karam Law, a Twin Cities law firm that focuses on immigration law. Hanne Sandison is the director of immigration legal services for Advocates for Human Rights , a nonpr...
Jun 23, 2025•47 min
Juneteenth has long been celebrated in Black communities to remember June 19, 1865, the day that enslaved African Americans in Texas learned they were free. After becoming a federal holiday in 2021, broader community celebrations began in cities around the country, including the Minnesota Orchestra’s annual Juneteenth concert tonight at Orchestra Hall in downtown Minneapolis. MPR News host Angela Davis talked with the guest conductor of the Juneteenth concert and one of its organizers about the ...
Jun 19, 2025•46 min
The last few days have been heavy in Minnesota. Many people are experiencing a collective sense of grief in the wake of the targeted fatal shootings of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband. MPR News host Kelly Gordon talks with her guests about the shared sadness, anger and anxiety — and how people can heal, together. Guests: Rabbi Marcia Zimmerman is the senior rabbi at Temple Israel in Minneapolis. Fiyyaz Karim is co-director of graduate studies and a senior lecturer who teaches addiction coun...
Jun 18, 2025•47 min
Federal authorities posted murder and stalking charges against Vance Boelter Monday, saying he went to the homes of two other state lawmakers early Saturday morning between shooting state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, and killing DFL House leader Melissa Hortman and her husband. Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson said more than 45 Minnesota state and federal officials were on Boelter’s target list — all of them Democrats. The shootings are part of a string of high-profile political violen...
Jun 17, 2025•47 min
The Trump administration’s immigration crackdown is extending to people who want to study at colleges and universities in the U.S. MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about how halting interviews for new student visa applications and banning travel from some countries could affect higher education in Minnesota. Guests: Shahzad Ahmad is associate vice president for global and multicultural engagement at St. Cloud State University . Scott Olson is the chancellor of Minnesota State — the...
Jun 12, 2025•46 min
When people think about lifting weights, they often picture building a lot of muscle or see it as a way to “bulk up.” But weight training can be a powerful tool for long-term health — helping strengthen your bones and improve your balance and mental well-being. MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about how weight training can boost your health — physically and mentally — at any age. Guests: Angela Nguyen is a certified mobility, strength and nutrition coach for American Strength Train...
Jun 11, 2025•46 min
Donald Trump’s presidency has been a busy time for Democratic attorneys general across the country. President Trump started his term with a flurry of executive orders. In response, many state attorneys general, often working together, filed their own barrage of federal lawsuits to put the brakes on what the president is trying to do. In January, 22 states and the District of Columbia challenged an executive order to freeze federal funding. In February, attorneys general from three states, includ...
Jun 10, 2025•47 min
MPR News host Angela Davis talks with her guests about how smoke from Canadian wildfires could continue to affect our air quality this summer and what we can do to stay healthy when skies are smoky. Guests: Jessie Carr is the supervisor of environmental epidemiology 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 Agen...
Jun 09, 2025•47 min
MPR News host Angela Davis talks with a brother and sister who are both award-winning storytellers. They talk about their work and how they support each other as part of our MPR News Power Pairs series. Guests: Daniel Bergin is a filmmaker, executive producer and director of history at Twin Cities PBS, where he was hired more than 30 years ago as a production assistant. He has won more than 20 regional Emmy Awards for his films covering diverse topics rooted in Minnesota history, including “Jim ...
Jun 05, 2025•46 min
More than 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Researchers continue to search for ways to prevent and treat it. And last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a blood test to help diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about the latest research and how to support people who live with dementia and their caregivers. Guests: Dr. Dongming Cai is a professor of neurology and director of...
Jun 04, 2025•47 min
Summer is starting, the days are getting warmer and if you’ve got a garden, it’s calling for your attention. Maybe you're growing tomatoes on the back deck or trying to fill your yard with vibrant flowers. Or maybe you’re just trying to stay one step ahead of those pesky weeds. Whatever your gardening goals, summer is the season when gardens can really shine — or struggle. MPR News host Angela Davis talks about what grows well in our region, how to time plantings, how to fix common garden proble...
Jun 03, 2025•47 min
Minnesota has the highest rate of people working remotely in the Midwest, according to the Minneapolis Federal Reserve. More than a third of workers in the state worked at home at least part time in 2023. But now, five years after the pandemic, the great experiment of remote work is shaking out. More employers are calling workers back to the office. On Monday, tens of thousands of state employees who had been working remotely are required to return to work in person at least 50 percent of the ti...
Jun 02, 2025•47 min
Like most school districts in Minnesota, St. Paul Public Schools is facing a complicated set of challenges. Enrollment is up a bit this year, but the small increase follows years of decline . The district faces a budget shortfall, has already made deep cuts and plans to ask voters this fall to approve a tax increase to support schools. At the same time, student performance is stuck where it was before the pandemic and proposals from President Donald Trump and from Republicans in Congress would r...
May 29, 2025•47 min
Last week, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed a multitrillion dollar bill that advances President Donald Trump’s agenda for his second term. One issue that will be debated as it moves to the Senate is the bill’s significant changes to Medicaid. Medicaid is the public insurance program that covers most health care and long-term care for 83 million low-income and disabled people in the U.S. In Minnesota, about a quarter of the population is on the state’s Medicaid pro...
May 28, 2025•47 min
This month we’ve seen many special events marking five years since the murder of George Floyd. He died on Memorial Day after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for more than 9 minutes during an arrest. What followed was chaos and many uncomfortable conversations about race. In 2021, MPR launched a podcast called Early Risers to help parents talk to kids about race. It was created in partnership with Little Moments Count , which is a collaborative of organizations w...
May 27, 2025•46 min
It was Memorial Day weekend, five years ago, when George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. Bystanders recorded the nine-plus minutes that Chauvin calmly kneeled on Floyd’s neck, as the Black man pleaded for help and air. That video rocketed from phone to phone, from media to media and sparked worldwide protests against police brutality. But for the Black community in Minneapolis, Floyd’s murder was just a chapter in a much longer story. Long before 2020, people had be...
May 26, 2025•1 hr 10 min
Mental illness is the leading cause of hospitalization for America’s military service members. Anxiety conditions and post-traumatic stress disorders lead the list of diagnoses. This special explores the mental health needs of veterans and people serving in the military We hear about how combat and non-combat military duty can impact mental health. And we explore the unique resources and support available to service members and veterans. Join Call to Mind host Kimberly Adams for “ Silent Battles...
May 23, 2025•52 min
The phrase “if only” is often used concerning a person’s mental health. If only we'd known they were hurting. If only they’d been diagnosed sooner. Roughly one in seven children between the ages of 3 to 17 has a diagnosed mental or behavioral health condition. This special looks at how critical early intervention can be in caring for children’s mental health and how they are treated. We’ll hear from experts about the safety of medicating kids and new advances in therapy. We also explore how scho...
May 22, 2025•51 min
Technology is ever-present in modern life, from remote work to communities on social media, from dating apps to telemedicine. We live with an ever-expanding array of online options and an ever-growing list of new questions about how healthy it is to spend so much time online with our devices. This broadcast special explores the influence of technology on our mental health. We'll hear from experts about how online communities, AI, influencers, and social media compromise one’s mental health. We a...
May 21, 2025•51 min
Studies show that 1 in 4 older adults live with a mental illness such as depression, anxiety and substance use disorders. But many older people don’t get the help they need. And America’s aging population is expected to double by 2050. This program explores the unique mental health challenges of older adults and the models in place to care for them. We’ll hear from mental health providers, direct care workers and older Americans living with mental health issues. The program explores therapeutic ...
May 20, 2025•51 min
An estimated 29 million Americans will suffer from an eating disorder in their lifetime. These mental illnesses can be profoundly disruptive to a person’s life and psychological wellbeing. And eating disorders can be deadly. Anorexia nervosa has one of the highest mortality rates of any psychiatric condition. Eating disorders strike a wide range of people, but deep-rooted assumptions about who suffers from these diseases often complicate the road to recovery. This special looks at eating disorde...
May 19, 2025•51 min
MPR News host Angela Davis talks with her producers about what happens behind the scenes of her 9 a.m. show. They’ll tell you all about how they pitch, research and select topics and guests and screen phone calls. Guests: Maja Beckstrom is a producer for MPR News with Angela Davis. She was a reporter at the St. Paul Pioneer Press for over 20 years before joining the 9 a.m. team almost five years ago. She was also a reporter for a newspaper in Southern California and for MPR stations in Rochester...
May 15, 2025•37 min
MPR News host Angela Davis revisits expert advice from recent Wellness Wednesday shows. High blood pressure is one of the most common health risks in the U.S. and it is becoming more common among young people. It affects about fourteen percent of children and teens, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Angela talks with two cardiologists about the dangers of untreated high blood pressure and the medications and lifestyle changes that can protect your heart. Plus, a sleep ...
May 14, 2025•37 min
