Minnesota Now

State and federal investigators are still reviewing the facts surrounding the Annunciation Catholic School and Church shooting last Wednesday. Some local and national leaders have used the terms “hate crime” and “domestic terrorism” to describe the shooter's attack on students and other churchgoers last week.

FBI Director Kash Patel said the shooting will be investigated as an anti-Catholic hate crime. Things may be more complicated than that, since the specifics around the shooter's motives are not yet clear.

Jessica Hodge, a professor of Justice and Society Studies at the University of St. Thomas, joined Minnesota Now to break down how officials might look at defining the crime.

The parents of Lydia Kaiser made a plea to Vice President JD Vance during his visit to Minneapolis. Lydia was injured while protecting a younger student during the mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church and School and is still hospitalized at Children’s Minnesota.

Her mother Leah Kaiser, and father Harry Kaiser, who is also a gym teacher at Annunciation, spoke to media at the hospital after meeting Vance on Wednesday. They asked Vance to study the causes of mass shootings in the United States and work to find bipartisan solutions. Vance did not immediately address any policy changes after his visit. Listen to their statement here.

Jillian Peterson, the executive director of the Violence Prevention Project Research Center at Hamline University in St. Paul, joined Minnesota Now to talk about what that study may look like.

Vice President JD Vance is visiting Minneapolis to meet the families of the victims of the Annunciation mass shooting. Plus, calls are growing for tougher gun laws. We learn about the chances of new laws passing in the state legislature. Then, we take a deep dive into gun laws, what their impact can be and the debate around them.

We’ll hear the story of a Duluth college student now conducting research where she got life-changing treatment.

There could be some flakes flying in northern Minnesota. We get the latest on a chilly forecast from meteorologist Sven Sundgaard.

And for our next Out to Lunch, we sit down with the principal of Mankato East High School, Akram Osman.

The Minnesota Music Minute today is “Live Forever” by Oasis, a song the band dedicated to the victims of the Annunciation mass shooting. The Song of the Day is “It’s Fun” by Minneapolis band WHY NOT.

On Minnesota Now, we hear from many different people in Minnesota over the phone and in the studio. But we don’t often meet them in the community, where news and life happens. In our Out to Lunch series, MPR News host Nina Moini sits down for a meal with people from across Minnesota.

Akram Osman is entering his third year as principal of Mankato East High School. He also graduated from the school in 2009. Osman was one of the first Somali principals in the country. And he was recently awarded a Bush Fellowship to help increase representation in school leadership and reduce systemic barriers in education.

The mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church and School that killed two students and injured 21 others in Minneapolis has reignited calls for gun reform and policy changes at the city, state and federal levels.

A group of Twin Cities-area mayors gathered at the Capitol Tuesday to call for more authority to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines if the Legislature refuses to do it at the state level. Gov. Tim Walz is mulling whether to call lawmakers back for a special session to address gun violence.

Megan Walsh, the director of the Gun Violence Prevention Clinic at the University of Minnesota Law School, joins MPR News host Nina Moini with more on the state’s gun laws.

It is time to get out your fall clothing for the rest of the week and weekend. The start of September has brought significantly cooler temperatures to the state. Some areas of Minnesota could soon see snowflakes. MPR News meteorologist Sven Sundgaard joins MPR News host Nina Moini with details.

One week after the deadly mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church and school, JD Vance is in Minneapolis to meet with families of the victims. Archbishop Bernard Hebda shares next steps for the church. And as Gov. Tim Walz considers calling a special session of the Legislature in response to the shooting, MPR News looks into the changes that could be coming to state law.

School is back in session for most students across the state. We heard voices from the first day in St. Paul and in St. Cloud. We found out how those districts are dealing with school safety and financial challenges.

On college campuses, changes to immigration policy have created challenges for some international students. We heard from the president of Macalester College in St. Paul.

The students at Annunciation Catholic School are not yet returning to class. We heard how worshippers came together for their first service since last week's mass shooting.

Even in a typical year, the first day of kindergarten can bring up a lot of emotions for students and their families. We talked to an expert about the transition.

Our Minnesota Music Minute was “say” by Mati and “Meet the Elements" by They Might Be Giants.

On Thursday, the NFL season will begin with the Dallas Cowboys in Philadelphia. They'll play the Eagles, who are, of course, the defending Super Bowl champions. The Minnesota Vikings will be late to the party. Their first game is on Monday and it's the last game of opening week.

Minnesota Now sports contributors Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about what to expect for the Vikings’ season, plus the latest with the Loons, Lynx and more.

Minnesota schools are welcoming students back to class this week. Many started Tuesday morning. It’s a difficult time for some as they deal with the news and impact of the deadly mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church and School.

Districts are focused on keeping kids safe and meeting their needs. MPR News education reporter Elizabeth Shockman and MPR News correspondent Kirsti Marohn, who covers central Minnesota, joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about what schools, students and parents are saying about the start of classes.