Minnesota Now

The state office that regulates cannabis in Minnesota has an official director for the first time in nearly two years. Gov. Tim Walz named Eric Taubel to the role on Thursday.

Taubel had been interim director since January. He steps into this more permanent version of the job as the first non-tribal cannabis retailers are preparing to open. As of Aug. 6, the state had issued 10 licenses in the microbusiness category.

Taubel joined Minnesota Now to talk more about what’s next for Minnesota’s budding cannabis industry.

A Minnesota mother is expected to leave ICE custody today after an emergency order from a federal judge. We hear the latest on her release.

Plus, St. Paul voted in a new city council member in a special election. We talk to Molly Coleman about her priorities.

We get a look at how the Minneapolis-St. Paul economy is doing through a new dashboard.

Plus, when will we be finally done with smoke? MPR Chief Meteorologist Paul Huttner has an outlook.

We meet the winner of one of the most prestigious art awards in the state.

And the Minnesota Twins are not for sale after all. We talk about the Pohlad family's decision to keep the team under their ownership.

The Minnesota Music Minute was “Billionaires” by jeremy messersmith and “Snorkel” by Leo Kottke was the Song of the Day.

The Minnesota Twins are not for sale after all. The Pohlad family announced Wednesday they will keep their majority ownership of the team. The Pohlads have been searching for months for a buyer after revealing their plans to sell last October. The family has owned the team since 1984.

Twins Executive Chair Joe Pohlad spoke for the family in a written statement issued Wednesday morning. He said, “This ownership group is committed to building a winning team and culture for this region, one that Twins fans are proud to cheer for.”

Minnesota Now sports contributor Wally Langfellow joins MPR News host Nina Moini to help explain the reversal.

The McKnight Foundation has named its Distinguished Artist of 2025, one of the largest and most prestigious awards in the state.

The recipient is Carolyn Holbrook, an author and arts advocate who has founded three arts organizations over the years, all designed to create space for writers and amplify the voices of writers of color. MPR News’ Emily Bright spoke with Holbrook.

A statewide air quality alert has ended, but the northern part of the state is still being impacted by smoke from Canadian wildfires Wednesday.

MPR News chief meteorologist Paul Huttner joins Minnesota Now host Nina Moini with the latest on the most recent bout of poor air quality and a preliminary state fair forecast.

Wednesday morning, hundreds of business and civic leaders gathered at an event called “Compete 25” to talk about the state of the Minneapolis and St. Paul economy.

The group Greater MSP unveiled the MSP Regional Indicators Dashboard, which looks at economic, social and environmental benchmarks and compares it to other metropolitan cities to see how the Twin Cities stacks up. Some of those other cities include Chicago, Boston and Seattle.

Greater MSP president and CEO Peter Frosch joins MPR News host Nina Moini to share where the Minneapolis-St. Paul economy stands.

The City of St. Paul has a new council member. Molly Coleman will represent Ward 4, which includes all or parts of five neighborhoods in the northwest part of the city.

Coleman is filling the vacancy created by former St. Paul City Council president Mitra Jalali’s resignation in January.

She is the co-founder of an advocacy group, a graduate of Harvard Law School and the latest in her family to secure an elected position. She joins MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about her plans for office.

MPR News is following the story of a nursing mother who is in ICE detention, even though a judge approved her bond. We got the latest on Tuesday’s hearing in her case.

Hennepin County commissioners voted Tuesday on whether to dissolve the board of the county hospital, which is in financial trouble.

Times are tough for Target. The company's sales and stocks are down as it looks for a new CEO. We got the details from a Twin Cities Business reporter.

Across the country, items that are important to tribal nations get sold at auction. A St. Paul auction house is working with the Association on American Indian Affairs to return those items to tribes.

We talked with the author of a personal finance guide for Muslim women.

Our Minnesota Music Minute was “by my side” by SoulFlower and our Song of the Day was “Fabric” by Rogue Valley.

A new book is helping Muslim women take control of their personal finances while adhering to their values. It’s called “Prosperity with Purpose: A Muslim Woman's Guide to Abundance and Generosity.” Its author is Nausheena Hussain, a Minnesota nonprofit leader and consultant. She joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about coming from a philanthropic legacy, economic empowerment among Muslim women and investing.

Minnesota-based company Target has been in the headlines in 2025. Target’s sales have missed expectations, its stock has tumbled and some customers boycotted the company after it announced it would cease its company DEI efforts. Amid the challenges it’s facing, the company is getting ready to choose a new CEO.

Associate editor of Twin Cities Business Erik Tormoen wrote about the state of the company in a story headlined “Off the Mark: What’s Gone Wrong With Target?” It looks at metrics and morale inside the retail giant. He joined MPR News host Nina Moini to explain.