You’ve probably heard his voice guide you through some of Minnesota’s biggest news stories — steady, thoughtful and unmistakable. For 20 years, Tom Crann has been a trusted presence on MPR News, hosting All Things Considered on weekday afternoons and connecting with listeners across the state. Now he’s starting a new chapter, one filled with sonatas, symphonies and a different kind of storytelling. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with Tom Crann about the highlights of his career in journalism a...
May 13, 2025•36 min
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's board of directors to cease federal funding for NPR and PBS. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with her guests about how defunding NPR and PBS could affect public radio and TV stations around the country. Guests: Maribel Pérez Wadsworth is the president and CEO of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation based in Miami, Florida. She is the first woman and the seventh presiden...
May 12, 2025•30 min
For more than 30 years, AmeriCorps has been a powerful driver of national public service. The federally funded program was launched in 1993 under President Bill Clinton with a simple but powerful idea that people of all ages and backgrounds could serve their communities. Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have joined AmeriCorps to tutor students, support seniors, clean up parks and rivers, assist during disasters and strengthen communities across the country, including here in Minnesota...
May 08, 2025•46 min
In a little over three months, federal Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made sweeping changes to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and its priorities. The federal health department oversees agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health. MPR News host Angela Davis talks about how these changes are affecting public health across the country and in Minnesota. Guest: Michael Osterholm is t...
May 07, 2025•46 min
About 4,500 people are released from Minnesota prisons each year. Many of them have spent years, if not decades, behind bars, separated from friends, family and community. What happens when they finally return? How do they rebuild their lives during this complex and often precarious transition? That was the topic at a collaborative Sahan Community Live and North Star Journey Live event recorded on April 24 at the St. Paul Neighborhood Network. Co-hosted by MPR News senior editor Brandt Williams ...
May 06, 2025•1 hr 3 min
Credit card debt has been rising at one of the fastest rates in history. The amount Americans owed on credit cards hit an record high of over $1.2 trillion at the end of 2024. And people are not only spending more on plastic, they’re also paying down less , carrying high balances and shelling out more in interest and also late fees. A third of Americans now have more credit card debt than emergency savings, according to an annual survey from Bankrate. MPR News host Angela Davis talks about why c...
May 05, 2025•46 min
George Floyd's murder in 2020 led to calls to end police violence and racism. Five years later, advocates say not enough has changed. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with Medaria Arradondo, the retired Minneapolis police chief, about his book, “ Chief Rondo: Securing Justice for the Murder of George Floyd. ” Guest: Medaria Arradondo is the former police chief for the city of Minneapolis. He is president and CEO of Optimus Sui Consulting and he serves on the Board of Commissioners for the Minnea...
May 01, 2025•47 min
If you’re someone with seasonal allergies, you know that spring can be a mixed bag. Along with the warm temperatures, sunshine and fresh air comes the sneezing, itchy eyes, congestion and fatigue. And if your allergies seem worse than ever this year, you’re not imagining things. Experts say allergy season is starting earlier, hitting harder and lasting longer — largely due to climate change. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with two allergists about how our bodies are reacting to the spring alle...
Apr 30, 2025•47 min
Are you about to graduate from college and wondering what to prioritize when searching for work? Or are you in the middle of your career looking for a change or unsure what’s next after a layoff? MPR News host Angela Davis talks with a philosopher and a psychologist about the purpose of work and its value in our lives. Angela’s guests say people feel unrealistic pressure to love their work. Instead, they suggest trying to find work that seems worthy of your time and effort....
Apr 29, 2025•47 min
President Donald Trump’s administration said it will soon resume collections on defaulted student loans for the first time in five years. The office of Federal Student Aid may start taking funds out of borrowers' tax refunds, Social Security benefits and — eventually — paychecks. The Department of Education says borrowers in default should start making monthly payments or enroll in an income-driven repayment plan. MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about how the change could affect m...
Apr 28, 2025•48 min
When the norms and expectations of the workplace aren’t working for you, what do you do? If you’re Alex West Steinman, you create your own workplace. In 2017, West Steinman left a career in advertising and communications and joined three colleagues to found The Coven. Eight years later, The Coven has two coworking sites in the Twin Cities and another five franchise locations in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Along with desk space and professional development, the coworking network provides an inclusiv...
Apr 24, 2025•47 min
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control released new data that shows a continued increase in the number of children diagnosed with autism. One in every 31 children in the U.S. has an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. That’s up from one in 44 just a few years ago, and it’s a huge increase from the one in every 150 children who received the diagnosis twenty years ago. Autism has gotten more national attention in recent months after U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr...
Apr 23, 2025•46 min
For decades, Minnesotans and Canadians have been friends and trading partners. But President Donald Trump’s tariff policies have raised questions about the future of the relationship between Minnesotans and our neighbors to the north. MPR News host Angela Davis and Chris Farrell, senior economics contributor for MPR News and Marketplace, drove up the North Shore and across the border to talk with Canadians living in Thunder Bay, Ontario. On the way, they talked with Minnesotans who live and work...
Apr 21, 2025•1 hr 37 min
The Trump administration has proposed new executive orders and policies that are changing the lives of millions of immigrants. Dozens of international students have had their visas cancelled, birthright citizenship is being challenged and non-citizens — including those with authorization to work in the U.S. — have been removed quickly from the country without a court hearing. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with Gloria Contreras Edin, an immigration attorney who has been has been following chan...
Apr 17, 2025•47 min
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that is often misunderstood and misdiagnosed. Previously known as manic depression, people with bipolar disorder experience intense mood swings that go far beyond the typical highs and lows of life. During a mania episode, people feel intense energy. Their thoughts race and they have trouble sleeping. Some people feel like they have superpowers and can do almost anything. Then they crash into a deep depression. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with a...
Apr 16, 2025•47 min
Scams are becoming more common and more expensive. Last year, more than 2.5 million Americans reported that they had been scammed. And that number has been increasing, along with the losses. The amount of money lost to scammers in 2024 topped more than 12 billion dollars. That’s up from about $2 billion in 2019, according to the Federal Trade Commission . Scammers have also gotten more sophisticated, increasingly impersonating government agencies and businesses to manipulate people out of their ...
Apr 15, 2025•46 min
There’s been a lot of talk over the past few weeks about the economy and a word that keeps coming up is ... uncertainty. President Trump’s changing tariff policies have made it difficult for businesses and consumers to plan. Stock markets here and abroad have plunged and then recovered some ground and then dropped again. Many of us have questions about what’s happening and how the uncertainty could affect prices, our jobs and savings. MPR News host Angela Davis talks about the economy with Neel ...
Apr 14, 2025•48 min
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated disparities within Minnesota's health care system that have existed for decades. Black, brown and Native Minnesotans died at a higher rate from the virus than their white neighbors, and it took them longer to get vaccinated. As a result, health care and community leaders promised to renew their efforts to help all Minnesotans get access to quality, affordable care. Five years later, how’s that going? North Star Journey Live, a event series from MPR News, took th...
Apr 10, 2025•58 min
As of today, over 600 cases of measles have been reported across 22 states — the largest outbreak the U.S. has seen in more than a decade. Health experts say a combination of factors is driving the surge: increased international travel, communities with low vaccination rates and misinformation that continues to undermine public trust in vaccines. Measles is one of the most contagious diseases in the world. It spreads quickly, especially among those who aren’t vaccinated for it. It can lead to se...
Apr 09, 2025•47 min
Weather forecasts and climate research could be threatened by the recent Trump administration job cuts at federal agencies. The National Weather Service and its parent agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, cut hundreds of jobs in late February. And NOAA is tasked with cutting an additional 10 percent of its workforce, according to PBS NewsHour . If those cuts move forward, nearly 20 percent of NOAA’s 13,000-person workforce would be eliminated. Fewer workers could mean les...
Apr 08, 2025•47 min
The U.S. stocks plummeted this morning as investors worried about potential economic devastation from President Donald Trump's tariffs. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1,200 points, or more than 3 percent, shortly after the open on Monday, and was headed to a third consecutive day of steep falls. Trillions of dollars have been wiped out in global stock markets since President Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs last week. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with economic and personal finance expe...
Apr 07, 2025•47 min
Improvisation — or improv — is a type of live theater where the characters, dialogue and plot are made up on the spot. It’s how a lot of comedians get their start. But improv is more than entertainment. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with three improv actors who say the skills they use — such as listening, teamwork and flexibility — can help us all have better conversations about divisive topics. Guests: Tane Danger is a Minneapolis-based speaker, interviewer and educator who uses improv to en...
Apr 03, 2025•46 min
Teenagers experimenting with drugs and alcohol is not new. But what is the difference between experimentation and addiction? MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about the latest trends influencing drug use among teenagers and how addiction often overlaps with mental illnesses, such as depression and anxiety. Guests: Dr. Travis Fahrenkamp is a child and adolescent psychiatrist who specializes in addiction medicine at the Hazelden Betty Ford Treatment Center for Teens, Young Adults and ...
Apr 02, 2025•47 min
Traveling through the airport can be stressful — with confusing terminals, unexpected delays and the worry of getting to your gate on time. But even with the long lines and crowded concourses, the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport consistently ranks as one of the best airports in the country . In fact, it’s been recognized as the top “mega airport” in North America multiple times. So, what makes it stand out? A big part of the answer is the Airport Foundation MSP . You may have seen the...
Apr 01, 2025•46 min
Tens of thousands of federal employees across the country have been laid off over the last two months. And some surveys suggest private employers have slowed hiring because of concerns over tariffs and the future of the overall economy. Meanwhile, fewer employees are leaving their current jobs for new ones — a slowdown in turnover that’s been dubbed “the great stay.” MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about the uncertainty in the job market and advice for people who are — or may soon...
Mar 31, 2025•47 min
In the United States, the right to dissent and speak freely is essential to democracy. President Donald Trump campaigned on a promise of free speech. But under his administration some forms of speech and viewpoints carry harsh consequences. MPR News host Catharine Richert and her guests talk about who feels free to speak, who feels silenced and whether it’s possible for everyone to be heard. It’s part of the MPR News Talking Sense series helping Minnesotans have hard political conversations … be...
Mar 27, 2025•48 min
Sleep is more than rest. It is as important for our bodies as diet and exercise. Not getting enough sleep raises the risk of many diseases — from heart disease and stroke to obesity and dementia. And it’s not just the amount of sleep that’s important — quality matters, too. MPR News Angela Davis and her guest talk about how our sleep gets disrupted and what can we do about it. Guest: Dr. Michael Howell is a professor of neurology and sleep researcher at the University of Minnesota. For more info...
Mar 26, 2025•47 min
From its origins in Black American communities to its influence on artists all over the world, jazz has always been about innovation, expression and connection. And here in Minnesota, one radio station has been keeping that spirit alive for more than 50 years — JAZZ88. Launched in 1970 as part of Minneapolis Public Schools, JAZZ88 has been a hub for jazz lovers, educators and musicians, introducing generations to a timeless genre while adapting to changing times. MPR News host Angela Davis talks...
Mar 25, 2025•47 min
From tariffs and layoffs to persistent inflation and a fluctuating stock market, there are many questions about how the Trump administration could reshape the U.S. economy. MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about the latest economic news and take your questions about how to build wealth and manage your money in an uncertain time. Guests: Chris Farrell is senior economics contributor for MPR News and Marketplace. Tonia Brinston is a financial health and wellness coordinator at the Un...
Mar 24, 2025•48 min
A growing number of Minnesotans can’t find an affordable place to live. Along with the rest of the country, the state faces a worsening housing shortage. The shortage especially hurts people with lower incomes. Rents are rising, along with evictions. And a growing portion of low-income residents are paying more than a third of their income on rent. MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talked about why building and maintaining affordable housing has become so expensive, and what we can do ab...
Mar 20, 2025•47 min
