MPR News with Angela Davis
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Teaching is no easy job — over the past couple of years, it’s become even more challenging. The pandemic flipped education on its head, making educators roll with the punches and adapt to remote learning, hybrid teaching styles and constantly changing circumstances. We know the classroom has changed, but what about those behind the desk? A new generation of teachers is now steering the ship, many of whom got their certifications during the pandemic. Two teachers at the beginning of their careers spoke to MPR News host Angela Davis about the struggles and joys of leading the classroom. GUESTS: __ __
Last month, a shootout in Burnsville took the lives of three first responders. It all stemmed from a 911 call reporting domestic abuse. Suspect Shannon Gooden, who later died by suicide, had previously been accused of intimate partner violence by at least three different women. Three guests in the domestic violence space joined MPR News guest host Catharine Richert — not to talk about Gooden’s case specifically — but how it highlights the complexities of domestic violence cases. Richert and her guests talked about why a restraining order, or even the death of an abuser, doesn’t mean the violence or the trauma is over. They also discussed challenges in the legal system that sometimes allow kids to remain with abusive parents, and how the court system can sometimes work against victims of domestic violence. And they heard from survivors of abuse about how the system failed them, time and time again. GUESTS: STACIE BURKE is a domestic and sexual violence advocate at 360 Communities https://360communities.org/. SHARON JONES is the Executive Director of Legal Assistance of Dakota County https://dakotalegal.org/. MEGGIE ROYER is the Youth and Prevention Program Manager with Violence Free Minnesota https://www.vfmn.org/.
What’s old always becomes new again — even with workout routines. The hot workout class of the moment isn’t brand-new. It’s Pilates, a core-focused routine first popularized almost a century ago. Pilates, yoga, barre and other “lower-impact” exercise classes are gaining popularity https://www.axios.com/2024/03/08/pilates-classpass-functional-fitness-popular?utm_campaign=editorial&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social, as Americans turn away from previously-popular “higher-impact” classes, such as CrossFit. But lower-impact doesn’t necessarily mean “easy.” Three guests joined MPR News host Angela Davis to talk about the benefits of these low-impact classes, sometimes called “functional fitness,” and how they can fit into your routine. GUESTS: AYANNA RAKHU, PH.D., is a graduate of the University of Minnesota School of Kinesiology with a background in sport and exercise psychology. Rakhu is a physical activity expert who focuses on swimming. LIBBY GRUNDHOEFER https://minnesotajcc.org/fitness-club/capp-center-st-paul/personal-training/meet-our-trainers/ is a Pilates instructor and personal trainer with the Minnesota Jewish Community Center. GRETCHEN BIERBAUM https://www.straightlinedancefitness.com/ is the owner of Straightline Dance Fitness, a fitness studio in northeast Minneapolis.
Jamie Gilchrist and Jessica Liimatainen did almost everything together growing up together as identical twins in Barnum. They went to the same schools and took the same classes. They both started hockey together when they were three years old and both played for their high school team. And, when the time came to think about a career, they both thought they’d become nurses until they got interested in law enforcement. Today, the 25-year-old twins work for the Minnesota State Patrol in adjacent counties near Duluth, among the 8 percent of State Patrol sworn officers who are women. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with Jessica Liimatainen and Jamie Gilchrist about being twins and young women in law enforcement. The conversation is part of our Power Pair series https://www.mprnews.org/shows/angela-davis/power-pairs, focused on Minnesotans who play important roles in their community and who also have a close relationship with each other. GUESTS: __ __
Back in the 1990s, Minnesota was gaining population from other places in the U.S. But in recent years, that trend reversed, and now more people leave Minnesota for other states each year than move here. The net loss is a concern to state officials who want to fill jobs. So, this month, the state’s tourism office Explore Minnesota launched a first-ever advertising campaign encouraging people in other parts of the country to resettle in Minnesota. Coming up at 9 a.m. on Monday, MPR News host Angela Davis talks about what’s drawing people to Minnesota — from job seekers to climate refugees to people attracted to the state's more liberal laws and policies — and what life is like for them once they get here. GUESTS: __ __
Ethnic studies will roll out to Minnesota K-12 classrooms in 2026. The content area was added to the state social studies standards this winter, joining history, geography, economics and government as major themes. The Minnesota Department of Education is still working on a final framework to guide curriculum. But some districts aren’t waiting. In 2022, both St. Paul and Minneapolis public schools added ethnic studies as a high school class required for graduation. Other districts have had ethnic studies style classes in place for even longer. On March 18, MPR News gathered teachers and students already participating in ethnic studies and asked them to share their experiences, with the goal of imaging the future as ethnic studies is incorporated into schools across the state. What does ethnic studies really mean? Is it a thinly veiled attempt to introduce critical race theory, as critics contend? How do students react to hard conversations about race and absent narratives? And could this be one way to close the education gap between white students and students of color? MPR News host Angela Davis hosts this special North Star Journey Live conversation, recorded live at Roseville Area High School. GUESTS: __ __
Chaplains often show up on the worst days of people’s lives. They arrive in a hospital room after a distressing diagnosis. They accompany police to help inform someone of a loved one’s death. One in four Americans have been visited by a chaplain https://news.gallup.com/opinion/gallup/406838/one-four-americans-served-chaplains.aspx, usually at a hospital or hospice, though chaplains also work in prisons, on college campuses and with the military and police and fire departments. But the role of spiritual caregiver is evolving as society becomes both less religious and more religiously diverse. At the end of last year, Fairview Health Services laid off more than a dozen staff chaplains as part of a larger round of layoffs, raising questions about whether patients’ spiritual care will continue to be seen as part of a health system’s core services. MPR News host Angela Davis talked with three chaplains about the work they do and how it’s changing. This is an encore conversation from January. GUESTS: __ __
Karen and Hmong parents in Minnesota say they are increasingly alarmed by the substance abuse they see in their communities’ youth. Opioids are the largest problem, specifically the the deadly drug fentanyl. MPR News partnered with Sahan Journal to talk about this painful topic, at a special North Star Journey Live event in mid-November, hosted at the Washington Technology Magnet School in St. Paul. There, health leaders, community members and youth advocates explored the complex interplay of genetic factors and life experiences that contribute to substance abuse, addiction and mental health challenges in Minnesota’s Hmong and Karen communities. They also addressed the long-lasting impacts of immigration experiences, highlighting the urgent need for improved mental health data within Minnesota’s communities of color. Listen to this special North Star Journey Live discussion, moderated by MPR News host Angela Davis and Sahan Journal’s Samantha HoangLong. GUESTS: __ __
Maybe this sounds familiar to you: You’re sitting at home after a particularly bad day, trying to watch an episode of True Detective. You open up the Amazon app on your phone. Before you know it, you’ve racked up over $100. And you’re not really sure on what. Many of us do some form of this — whether it’s going out with our friends or spending that money at Target. It’s called emotional spending. Retail therapy. And it often makes us feel good, until it doesn’t. Two financial experts joined MPR News host Angela Davis to help us understand why we do it and how to take control of it. GUESTS: __ __
James Walsh has been a reporter in the Twin Cities for decades. A trip to city hall isn’t out of the ordinary. But Walsh recently started using a wheelchair. And that’s changed his experience of getting where he needs to go. On a recent January day, Walsh found himself trapped inside St. Paul City Hall for over an hour — even though City Hall is technically considered “accessible” under the Americans with Disabilities Act. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with Walsh about his experience. And he’s joined by two advocates in the disability space about the gaps that still exist here in Minnesota — whether it’s physical access, technology or services. Advocates are preparing to rally at the State Capitol this month for the annual Disability Advocacy Day.
Most of us don’t think about our nose until it’s stuffed up, dripping and making our lives miserable. But maybe we should give our nose more thought, or at least some appreciation. Our nose warms the air we pull into our lungs, filters out irritants and helps us smell our morning coffee. And it’s full of surprises. Did you know our two separate nostrils and nasal passages take turns being congested and decongested in an alternating rhythm called the nasal cycle? MPR News host Angela Davis talks with two ear, nose and throat doctors about how our nose works, what causes congestion, how to treat problems of the nasal passages and sinuses and why our sense of smell disappears when we get a cold. GUESTS: __ __
It’s been a tough time for public transportation. Passengers are slowly coming back to Metro Transit buses and light rail trains after a steep drop during the COVID-19 pandemic. But the average number of riders is still just over half of what it was in 2019, according to Metro Transit. Safety remains a top concern. Passengers in the Twin Cities say it’s not unusual to see people openly using drugs or smoking on the trains. Riders and transit staff have been harassed and even assaulted. Reported crimes were up by a third in 2023 compared to 2022, and though assaults are rare and crime has declined in recent months, certain routes continue to attract trouble. In February, a man was shot during a robbery on a light rail train on the Green Line in St. Paul. In early March, a rider was treated for injuries after being stabbed on a Green Line train. Earlier this year, a man died of a drug overdose on the Green Line. He had been found unresponsive when the train pulled into a stop late at night in front of the State Capitol. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with two Metro Transit leaders about how the transit system is addressing safety and expanding some routes. Police and security staff have stepped up their presence. More official staff are starting to ride buses and trains, including outreach workers to connect people with services and TRIP agents, who give directions, explain rules and check for fare compliance. GUESTS: __ __
We all start somewhere. And our first jobs — no matter if you’re an ice cream scooper or an investment intern — leave lasting marks on us. First jobs teach us about ourselves and the world around us. Sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. MPR News host Angela Davis talked with two experts about how our first jobs shape our minds, habits and futures.
Have you had this experience? You scroll through your social media feed and see something a bit outrageous. Maybe it’s a news headline that confirms your worst suspicions. You know your like-minded friends would agree with it. So, you share it. But ... was it true? People who study misinformation say it’s easy to fall for misinformation and spread false facts. And once we share them, they have a way of multiplying online and becoming accepted through repetition. MPR News Host Angela Davis digs into the psychology of misinformation. What makes us susceptible to it and how can we respond to false information repeated by others? The conversation is part of the Talking Sense series online, in person and on the air at MPR News, aiming to help us better understand why political conversations are so polarized. Find more tools for having hard conversations on the Talking Sense app. GUESTS: __ __
Cancer is sometimes thought of as an older person’s disease. But colorectal cancer — also known as colon cancer — is becoming more common https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2023/12/21/colon-cancer-increasing-young-adults/ in people under 50. Most physicians now recommend screening as early as 45 https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/when-and-how-should-you-be-screened-for-colon-cancer-202309202975, down from 50 a few years ago. That’s because early detection can save lives. MPR News host Angela Davis talked with an oncologist and survivor about the signs and symptoms to watch for, and how oncologists are responding to the dizzying rise in younger patients. GUESTS: __ __
When people think of firefighters, they might picture an image from a child’s book — a big man, wearing lots of equipment, maybe pulling a hose from a red fire engine or rushing to rescue people from a burning building. But firefighters are responding to far fewer fires these days and more and more medical emergencies https://www.startribune.com/emergency-medical-suburban-fire-departments-st-louis-park-bloomington-golden-valley-maplewood/600256302/. Many 911 calls for chest pains, falls and drug overdoses are routed to the local fire department. In his memoir, “Trauma Sponges: Dispatches from the Scarred Heart of Emergency Response,” Minneapolis Fire Captain Jeremy Norton describes emergency medical response as being the heart of the job. Norton writes about the harrowing and heartbreaking scenes he witnessed over 22 years serving the city, and what he’s learned about the broken systems and racial injustice that leave many with nowhere else to turn for help. MPR News host Angela Davis talked last October with Norton about responding to the sick and hurting, including a call to the scene of George Floyd’s murder and the toll that witnessing trauma takes on emergency responders. Coming up at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, listen back to that conversation. GUEST: __ __
There’s no shortage of media think pieces about the financial woes of Millennials. They are on track https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/11/politics/millennials-income-stalled-upward-mobility-us/index.html to be the first generation to make less money than their parents. But Generation Z is the newest generation to enter the workforce. And so-called “Zoomers,” born between 1997 and 2012, have unique hurdles and opportunities in their future. MPR News host Angela Davis talked about — and with — Gen Z about their financial future.
Last month the city of Minneapolis broke up one of the area’s largest homeless camps https://www.mprnews.org/story/2024/02/01/city-crews-start-clearing-camp-nenookaasi-in-minneapolis. More than 100 people had been living in tents and other temporary structures at Camp Nenookaasi for months. The encampment is just one of many signs that an increasing number of people in Minnesota are living without stable shelter. People without housing are also riding Metro Transit buses and trains to find safety and warmth. They’re sleeping in out-of-the-way corners of the skyways and living in their cars. The reasons for the rise in unsheltered people are complex, and government and social services are struggling to respond. Last week, a faith-based organization in Ramsey County announced it would start putting up people in area churches https://sahanjournal.com/changing-minnesota/interfaith-action-mobile-shelter-housing-asylum-seekers/ to help house some of the families who are overwhelming Hennepin County’s emergency shelter program. MPR News host Angela Davis talks about why we’re seeing a rise in visible homelessness and possible solutions. GUESTS: __ __
Two professional organizers talked with MPR News host Angela Davis about their decluttering process and the “why” behind clutter. The association between clutter and mental health. And why clutter isn’t the same thing as laziness or hoarding.
During the pandemic, people living and working in nursing homes and assisted living communities faced the brunt of COVID’s devastation. Now there’s a new crisis facing long-term care — a staffing crisis. About 20 percent of jobs in nursing homes remain unfilled. Nursing assistants have been overwhelmed by extra shifts. Some nursing homes have closed entire wings and are turning away older people who need skilled nursing care because they don’t have enough employees. To draw attention to working conditions, several hundred workers at a handful of Twin Cities nursing homes have planned a one-day strike next Tuesday. https://www.mprnews.org/episode/2024/02/21/hundreds-of-twin-cities-nursing-home-workers-plan-oneday-strike-more-to-join They also hope to build support for higher wages and better benefits. MPR News host Angela Davis talks about the issues behind the strike and what it’s like to run nursing homes and work in them. GUESTS: __ __
Saving money is hard. So, let’s reframe it. What if saving money wasn’t a chore— and could help us make room for more joy in our lives? Two financial experts talked with MPR News host Angela Davis to help us budget for fun and travel now, not just in our future.
A new documentary, “Hope in the Struggle,” tells the story of civil rights activist Josie Johnson, chief lobbyist for Minnesota’s fair housing law and the first Black member of the University of Minnesota Board of Regents. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with Johnson and Twin Cities PBS executive producer Daniel Bergin about her legacy.
Everyone has a rejection story — from presidents, CEOs and bestselling authors to our neighbors and friends. Personal and professional rejection is part of life. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt. MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests dug into the psychology behind rejection and how we can use it to our advantage. They talked about why rejection is so uniquely painful and how we can use rejection to move on and move up in our lives.
The rhetoric is inflammatory, but there’s no disputing the data. The number of migrants who crossed the southern U.S. border is hitting historic highs https://apnews.com/article/immigration-border-crossings-mexico-biden-18ac91ef502e0c5433f74de6cc629b32. In December, the Department of Homeland Security reported more than 300,000 people crossed the border, either by applying for asylum at entry points or by trying to cross the border illegally. According a Pew survey https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2024/02/15/how-americans-view-the-situation-at-the-u-s-mexico-border-its-causes-and-consequences/, Americans across party lines say the government is doing a bad job handling the current surge. Congress is locked in a standoff. Earlier this month, it failed to pass a bipartisan bill to increase border security, after Republicans in the House said it was “dead on arrival.” Meanwhile, thousands of migrants — coming from a wide variety of countries like Venezuela, Ecuador, Russia and India — are stuck in makeshift camps at the border https://www.npr.org/2023/11/12/1212058889/migrants-u-s-southern-border-historic-numbers-why, waiting to be processed. The reality of this broken system is not a surprise to Minnesota’s immigrant communities. Many have fought their way through it or are still waiting for action. And all are watching for what happens next. * * Beyond the Border: The immigration crisis, up close __ __ To get some answers, MPR News, together with Sahan Journal, convened a panel of immigration experts on Feb. 8, at El Colegio High School in Minneapolis. Hosts Angela Davis and Sahan Journal immigration reporter Hibah Ansari asked them to share stories about Minnesotans caught in the system and how immigrants and refugees to Minnesota are viewing this election year. Don’t miss this special Sahan Community and North Star Journey Live discussion. EXPERTS: __ __
UPDATED: 6:15 P.M. After Easter and Christmas, Valentine’s Day is the biggest holiday for chocolate sales. Maybe you’re a chocolate lover yourself. But do you know the difference between a bonbon and a truffle? Or where cacao beans are grown? MPR News host Angela Davis talks with three Minnesota chocolatiers about what goes into making their luscious treats and how they fell in love with making chocolate that the rest of can enjoy—on Valentine’s Day or any day. GUESTS: __ __ HOW DO YOU BECOME SKILLED IN EXPERIMENTING WITH DIFFERENT FLAVORS? MARY LEONARD: It’s just a testing kind of thing. It starts with a basic recipe that is actually the same in all the flavors and it’s just the addition of a variety of different flavor notes. There’s the ones that everybody loves and there’s the ones that are more unusual. I’m not as much of a fan myself of the ones that everybody loves — champagne and raspberry, I always think to myself, “oh, let’s get more creative than that.” HOW DO YOU HARVEST THE BEANS TO GET CHOCOLATE? MONICA JIMENEZ: The harvesting process starts by cutting the mature pod from the plant. Then we break the pod and extract the seeds and select the seeds by hands. I like to explain that the seeds come covered with a white, little sweet bulb that we use to ferment the seed. This way we can get all the nutrition that is in the plant. The seed has a lot of antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, magnesium and all this nutrition. WHAT TRENDS HAVE YOU NOTICED IN MAKING CHOCOLATE SINCE YOU STARTED? ROBYN DOCHTERMAN: When I first started, we were still explaining the percent of chocolate. So if you have a 70 percent dark chocolate, that 70 percent refers to the chocolate mass or what comes from the cacao tree. So what that tells you is that other 30 percent is probably sugar, vanilla, milk powder if it's a milk chocolate which it’s not going to be if it’s 70 percent, that’s going to be a dark chocolate. People have learned quite a bit about chocolate ... so we’re a lot more educated but at the same time, we’re getting more advanced. People also want to do more snacking. * * __ __
MPR News host Angela Davis checked in with the team from Carbon Sound https://www.carbonsound.fm/ at our sister station, The Current. Carbon Sound is a music stream, website and app “dedicated to celebrating the depth, breadth and influence of Black musical expression.” The stream has been broadcasting for just a year and a half, but the small but mighty Carbon Sound team has been doing big things. Carbon Sound won an Anthem Award https://www.anthemawards.com/ for its work last spring – that's an international award celebrating “purpose and mission-driven work.” Content Director Julian Green and Host Sanni Brown joined MPR News with Angela Davis to talk about their newest work spotlighting DJ mixes and local musicians. Tuesday, Feb. 13, Carbon Sound will host a dance night at the Seventh Street Entry in Minneapolis called "HEART BEATS.” https://www.axs.com/events/521916/heart-beats-featuring-dazegxd-tickets?skin=firstavenue GUESTS: JULIAN GREEN is the content director for Carbon Sound. He built and manages the music library and oversees content creation. He previously served as program director at Radio K at the University of Minnesota and founded their online hip-hop stream The Vanguard. SANNI BROWN is the host and voice of Carbon Sound. Her show, “The Message,” focusing on classic Hip Hop and R&B, also airs on The Current on Wednesday nights. She has more than 10 years of broadcast experience at stations including KMOJ-FM, KFAI-FM and 107.1 MyTalk.
The state legislative session opens on Monday and it’s not just law makers who are jumping into action. The politics team at MPR News http://politics/ is gearing up to keep Minnesotans informed about what’s happening at the state Capitol. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with three journalists on the MPR News politics team about what drew them to the politics beat, how covering politics has changed and what to expect from this year’s state legislative session and also the upcoming presidential election. GUESTS: __ __
There’s a good chance you know someone who is a prostate cancer survivor. One in eight men — and one in six Black men — will get prostate cancer during their lifetime. It’s not something we are all good at talking about. But we need to. Prostate cancer outcomes are much better when the cancer is caught early. And family history is also a major risk factor for the cancer. A urologist and a survivor joined MPR News host Angela Davis in-studio, talking about prostate cancer and how we can better save lives. What are the signs and symptoms of prostate cancer, and what do Black men, in particular, need to know? GUESTS: Dr. Christopher Warlick https://med.umn.edu/bio/christopher-warlick is the Department Head for the Department of Urology at the University of Minnesota Medical School and is an Associate Professor who treats several urologic cancers, with an emphasis on prostate cancer. Willie Bridges is a prostate cancer survivor from Minneapolis. He was first diagnosed over a decade ago.
Policing in America is a polarizing topic. High-profile killings of Black men by police officers over the last few years have eroded trust in policing as an institution — especially for many Black Americans. According to a 2022 Pew Research Center survey, most Black Americans think policing needs major changes https://www.pewresearch.org/race-ethnicity/2022/08/30/black-americans-views-on-systemic-change/ to treat Black people fairly. But a group of police officers and community members in Minneapolis has been working — mostly behind the scenes — for the past seven years to build trust. That includes learning about and acknowledging policing’s origins in slavery. It’s called the Police and Black Men https://innovation.umn.edu/policeandblackmenmn/ project. On Tuesday at 9 a.m., MPR News host Angela Davis talks with a longtime police officer and a community organizer involved in the effort. The conversation is part of the new Talking Sense http://www.mprnews.org/talkingsense series at MPR News, which aims to help us better understand why political conversations are so polarized in the first place and to give us tools for managing those conversations. Talking Sense includes an app with an entire section to help Minnesotans talk with each other about policing. GUESTS: __ __
It’s been a warm and weird winter. Most of Minnesota right now doesn’t have https://www.mprnews.org/story/2024/02/02/weekend-weather-warmth-lingers-minn-had-plenty-of-snow-cover-one-year-ago snow https://www.mprnews.org/story/2024/02/02/weekend-weather-warmth-lingers-minn-had-plenty-of-snow-cover-one-year-ago. And, the ice is melting fast. Outdoor hockey rinks have turned into puddles. Ice houses are getting pulled off some lakes across the state. Snow mobiles languish under tarps in the garage. Over time, Minnesota’s average winter temperatures are slowly rising as carbon emissions warm the globe. But super El Niño weather patterns have made winter especially warm. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with people around the state about how the wimpy winter is messing with winter recreation, businesses that depend on it and our moods. GUESTS: __ __
