Minnesota Now

Officials are working on plans for a funeral for Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark. We share remembrances from a vigil at the state capitol.

Plus, the Minnesota Legislature is set more regulations for data centers that are popping up around the state.

We normally assume city centers are generally safe from tornadoes, but that may be a myth. We learn more from an expert.

Minnesota-based UnitedHealth Group has sued a media company for defamation. We break down what implications the case could have on press freedom.

Plus, you hear from residents of a small town whose lives were touched by a man they are calling the “Northfield Angel.”

It's Juneteenth! We hear from the latest winners of the Miss Juneteenth Minnesota Pageant.

A close colleague of Representative Melissa Hortman, DFL Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, is voicing her shock and grief over the shootings of lawmakers. Plus, we hear from a social worker about working through the collective grief and trauma of this loss.

We have the latest on a former Minnesota ISIS member granted early release after he helped terrorism investigators.

Plus, our Native News team gets us up to speed on funding threats to tribal colleges and we hear from a recent graduate.

Chief Meteorologist Paul Huttner will give us the rundown on how many tornadoes touched down earlier this week.

And Minneapolis-based drag performer and RuPaul's Drag Race winner, BeBe Zahara Benet reflects on her career.

The Minnesota Music Minute is “On My Way” by Mayyada. Our colleagues from YourClassical bring us a special Song of the Day: “When Thunder Comes'“ by Mari Esabel Valverde, performed by the choir at St. Olaf College.

This weekend legendary drag performer BeBe Zahara Benet will headline a show at the Capri Theater in north Minneapolis. Marshall Ngwa first took the stage as BeBe at a pride party in 2000, dancing alongside Cyndi Lauper. That was shortly after he moved to Minneapolis from Cameroon. A few years later, BeBe competed in the first season of RuPaul’s Drag Race and won the title of “America's Next Drag Superstar.”

The reality TV show has exploded in popularity since then. It brought more eyes to the art of drag, which LGBTQ+ people and allies have used to challenge gender norms and celebrate authentic self-expression for more than 100 years. Meanwhile, BeBe has continued to perform and release original music, with a home base in Minneapolis. BeBe joins MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about his career and upcoming show.

Our friends over at YourClassical have been celebrating Pride Month with a new series called “Classical Queery” that explores the intersection of classical music and LGBTQ+ identities.

YourClassical fellow Mya Temanson takes the mic for the Song of the Day and then joins MPR News host Nina Moini to share more about the series.

Tribal colleges are vital hubs for education, cultural preservation, and economic growth. Recent proposed budget cuts by the Trump administration and historical underfunding by Congress have placed these institutions at risk.

Native News reporter Melissa Olson spoke with tribal college administrators in Minnesota. She shares what she’s learned with Minnesota Now. And MPR News host Nina Moini talks with Red Lake Nation College graduate Summer May about how attending a tribal college influenced her life and career.

This month, the state of Minnesota has seen severe thunderstorms, tornadoes and lots of drizzly, cloudy days. June has not felt too summery, but that is beginning to change. MPR News Chief Meteorologist Paul Huttner joins Minnesota Now with details on the forecast.

A group of former foster youth are calling for children in foster care to have better support and more control over their lives. The Minnesota Promise Report released in early June by the group Foster Advocates draws from the experiences of 120 teens and adults with experience in foster care. It includes common struggles as well as proposed solutions.

The state of Minnesota has an office dedicated to investigating concerns from foster youth and proposing policy to make the state program better. The Office of the Foster Youth Ombudsperson launched in 2024. It’s led by Misty Coonce. She joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about her work.

Melissa and Mark Hortman’s children released their first statement since the assassination of their parents on Saturday. In that statement, Sophie and Colin Hortman said, “the best way to honor our parents’ memory is to do something, whether big or small, to make our community just a little better for someone else.”

One of the ways they said to do that is to “pet a dog. A golden retriever is ideal, but any will do.”

Melissa and Mark had a beloved golden retriever named Gilbert, who they adopted from an Eden Prairie nonprofit called Helping Paws. Officials announced Monday that Gilbert also did not survive the shooting.

Helping Paws trains service dogs for people with disabilities as well as first responders and veterans dealing with PTSD. The Hortmans were avid volunteers with the organization.

Alyssa Golob is the executive director of Helping Paws and she joined MPR News host Nina Moini on Minnesota Now.

Minnesota is still reeling from the horrific state legislator shootings and the following manhunt that played out over the weekend. It ended with the arrest of Vance Boelter Sunday evening. Investigators found a list of potential targets in Boelter’s car, including officials, businesses and Planned Parenthood locations.

Ruth Richardson is the CEO of Planned Parenthood of North Central States, as well as a former Minnesota state legislator. She joined Minnesota Now to talk about threats to Planned Parenthood – and remember her former colleague Melissa Hortman, who was killed on Saturday.

Among those mourning the loss of Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband is Speaker of the House Lisa Demuth. We heard her reflections and remembrances. Plus, new details show the suspect in the weekend’s shooting went to more than just two lawmakers homes on that night.

During the search for Vance Boelter, authorities discovered lists with the names and addresses of Democratic officials and the locations of Planned Parenthood clinics. We heard from the regional CEO of Planned Parenthood.

We learned more about Melissa and Mark Hortman's work volunteering for an organization that trained service dogs.

There's a new report out about the experience of Minnesota kids in foster care. We heard from from someone working to make the foster care system better.