Minnesota Now

A new MPR News investigation has found that several Minneapolis police trainers were accused of using excessive force in civil lawsuits the city settled before they received their current assignments.

Police officials say the officers are well qualified and say it's not fair to judge the officers’ fitness for the job based on lawsuits or complaints.

Reporter Cari Spencer broke this story and joined Minnesota Now to talk about the latest.

Metro Transit is proposing to end the once-popular North Star Commuter Rail and replace it with a bus line. We learn about what impact this could have on public transit.

The owners of the beef snack company Jack Link's spent millions on President Donald Trump's campaign. But now the company may be at odds with the administration's goals on healthier eating.

Plus, are we in for more smoky skies? MPR Chief Meteorologist Paul Huttner joins with the answer.

And they are known to millions of followers as Squirmy and Grubs. We talk to Minnesotans Shane and Hannah Burcaw about their new book exploring interabled relationships.

Today’s Minnesota Music Minute was “Raspberry Beret” by Prince and “The Eagle Flies“ by J-Rex was the Song of the Day.

A Minnesota couple with a wildly popular social media following is out with a new book about relationships — specifically, relationships like theirs where one person has a disability and the other person does not.

You may know Shane and Hannah Burcaw from their YouTube channel called Squirmy and Grubs, which has 1.85 million subscribers. They wrote the book “Interabled,” about how they and other couples see each other and navigate the world. Hannah and Shane join MPR News producer Ellen Finn to talk about it.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Metropolitan Council will review a plan by Metro Transit to end the Northstar Commuter Rail service and transition it to a bus line. The train currently runs between Target Field in Minneapolis through the northwest metro and all the way to Sherburne County, a 40-mile route.

Ridership during the pandemic plunged and never fully recovered. If the Met Council adopts the proposal, the Northstar Commuter Rail could end in January. For more on what this would mean for public transit, Minnesota Now guest host Chris Farrell talks with Eric Lind, the director of the Accessibility Observatory at the Center for Transportation Studies at the University of Minnesota.

Mortgages make up about 70 percent of household debt and we’re told to pay off that debt before retiring. But over three decades, data show more people are still paying their home loans after retirement and what is owed has increased dramatically.

Minnesota Now guest host Chris Farrell takes a closer look in the next installment of the series, “Buy Now, Pay Later.”

This series is in partnership with Next Avenue, a non-profit news platform for older adults, produced by Twin Cities PBS.

An air quality alert for northeast Minnesota was extended to 7 p.m. Wednesday. The rest of the state had a few days of clearer air.

MPR Chief Meteorologist joins Minnesota Now guest host Chris Farrell with the latest on air quality and the chance of storms.

You have probably heard of Jack Link’s, the world’s largest manufacturer of meat snacks. Its beef jerky and beef sticks are popular gas station snacks, and Jack Link’s also sells its products to school districts for school lunches. The company has dual headquarters in Minneapolis and northwestern Wisconsin.

What you may not know is that the owners of the company spent millions on Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, a move that has given them access to the White House.

But now, Jack Link’s and the processed meat industry are caught between conflicting ideologies in the Trump administration over the future of food policy.

Reporter John McCracken has been looking into Jack Link’s lobbying efforts for Investigate Midwest. He joins Minnesota Now guest host Chris Farrell to talk about the story.

MPR News also reached out to Jack Link’s for comment, but did not receive a response before the broadcast.

The state of Minnesota recently announced it will end a stable housing program after federal investigators found evidence of fraud. We heard from a housing organization about the impact.

Farmfest got underway Tuesday, drawing farmers from across the state to network and talk about all things Minnesota agriculture. We talked to a YouTuber known as the Millennial Farmer.

We learned what one Iowa university is doing to attract out-of-state students.

South of the Twin Cities is the largest Cambodian Buddhist temple in the country. This weekend it will unveil a ‘Great Gate,’ an entrance to the temple that has been years in the making.

Today’s Minnesota Music Minute was “Empty Seat” by Cassandra Johnson. Our Song of the Day was “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye.

This weekend, monks and other visitors from all over the world will gather near the small town of Hampton just south of the Twin Cities. It’s home to the Watt Munisotaram, which is the largest Cambodian Buddhist temple in the United States.

In a new photo essay, Sahan Journal multimedia journalist Dymanh Chhoun shares scenes from the construction of a large, ornate gate at the temple’s entrance. The Great Gate is almost complete after years of fundraising and construction. He joined MPR News guest host Chris Farrell in the studio to talk about it.

Tuesday kicks off an annual gathering of farmers from across Minnesota. It’s Farmfest, which will take place in Morgan in the southwest part of the state. It will include hundreds of exhibitors, vendors and forums.  

Zach Johnson is a sixth-generation farmer in west central Minnesota and is known to his 1 million YouTube followers as the Millennial Farmer. He joined MPR News guest host Chris Farrell to talk about what Farmfest is all about.