Minnesota Now

Vance Boelter, the man charged in the shootings of two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses, made his first appearance in court Monday afternoon. We learn more about the state and federal charges from our reporter, Peter Cox.

The assassination of Melissa Hortman and her husband and the attempted assassination of Senator John Hoffman and his wife have sent shock waves through Minnesota. Nina Moini speaks with Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan about Hortman's legacy and whether security measures need to be re-examined at the state capitol.

In his first sit-down interview with media since the shootings, Governor Walz speaks with our politics editor Brian Bakst.

We also learn more about how political violence is reshaping the country.

Politics Editor Brian Bakst and producer Matt Alvarez contributed to Minnesota Now today.

Gov. Tim Walz called Rep. Melissa Hortman, who was fatally shot Saturday, his “closest ally” and praised her bipartisanship as a model for a divided country. Walz told MPR News he has asked his staff to prepare for the possibility of Hortman and her husband to lie in state at the Capitol.

The assassination of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark and the attempted assassination of state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette are just the latest in a string of recent political violence.

Just in the past two months alone, a gunman killed two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, a man firebombed a Colorado march calling for the release of Israeli hostages and an arsonist set ablaze the residence of the governor of Pennsylvania.

Jillian Peterson is a professor of criminology and criminal justice at Hamline University and also co-founder of The Violence Project, which does research on mass violence. She joined Minnesota Now to talk about political violence.

Among the state leaders who are mourning the loss of DFL House Leader Melissa Hortman is Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan. She became lieutenant governor in 2019, the same year Rep. Hortman took up the gavel as Speaker of the House. Before that, Flanagan worked with Hortman and DFL Senator John Hoffman as fellow lawmakers.

Flanagan joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about the devastating events of the weekend and her relationships to Rep. Hortman and Sen. Hoffman.

Even though the Minnesota Timberwolves won’t be in the NBA finals this year, a Minnesotan will be on the court.

Before he was a starter for the Western Conference Champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnehaha Academy graduate Chet Holmgren was just a tall kid in youth basketball learning the game with guidance from his coach, Larry Suggs.

Suggs coached Holmgren on a club team starting in elementary school, a team that also included Suggs’ son, Jalen, now a point guard for the Orlando Magic. Suggs joined Minnesota Now to talk about Holmgren’s childhood and his NBA success.

President Trump announced travel restrictions that will affect people from almost 20 countries across the globe. We learn about the early effects of the ban here in Minnesota from an immigration lawyer.

A new report shows that the number of students choosing open enrollment is rising. Some say its worsening segregation in schools.

Have you ever argued with an older loved one about whether they should still be driving, or how to take care of them as they age? We talk to a mediator who is helping families work it out.

The NBA finals begin Thursday. One player headed there got his start in Minneapolis. We hear from Chet Holmgren's former coach about his journey to the top.

Today’s Minnesota Music Minute was “Grace and a Tender Hand” by Gaelynn Leah. The Song of the Day was “Passengers” by Aoife O’Donovan.

Ten years ago, when Anna Hover was at the height of her career and raising her children in St. Paul, she got sick. She asked for help online, and the kindness of her neighbors helped put her life back together.

Minnesota Now producer Ellen Finn spoke to Hover for our Thank You, Stranger series.

Thank You, Stranger is our series about unexpected kindness in our lives. If you have a story to share about a stranger who made your life a little brighter, we want to hear it.

Contact us at [email protected] or ‪(612) 361-1252‬.

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The state of Minnesota recently announced $1.3 million in grants for projects that it says will make the state a better place to live as an older person. This includes funding for accessible design, housing and health care access.

One of the projects hinges on the complicated relationships, choices and disagreements that families navigate as loved ones age. Community Mediation Minnesota, a network of nonprofits that provide mediation services, is receiving $60,000 from the state to do more work with older people.

Katie Arnold, the co-executive director of Community Mediation Minnesota, joined Minnesota Now to talk about the grant and how their work can make a difference in the lives of families with aging loved ones.

President Donald Trump is banning travelers from 12 countries and partially restricting travelers from seven others, starting on Monday. He announced the ban Wednesday in a proclamation that said the move will protect U.S. national security.

It’s an echo of Trump’s first term, when he signed an executive order blocking travelers from seven majority-Muslim countries. That ban led to protests at airports around the country, including in Minnesota, and a lengthy court battle.

Mitchell Hamline School of Law Professor Ana Pottratz Acosta joined Minnesota Now to provide insight into the latest ban.

Nearly 44,000 Twin Cities students crossed into another district to attend school this year, using a process known as open enrollment, according to a new report published by Axios Twin Cities, a digital news outlet. According to their analysis, the number of students participating in open enrollment has grown every year for at least a decade.

Meanwhile, research also shows racial segregation is worsening in schools, and some critics of the policy argue that open enrollment is one reason why. Kyle Stokes, a reporter with Axios, and Myron Orfield, the director of the University of Minnesota Law School’s Institute on Metropolitan Opportunity, joined Minnesota Now to talk about the history of open enrollment and how it’s reshaping school districts in the Twin Cities.