Minnesota Now

Gov. Tim Walz issued an executive order Tuesday blocking mining near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. If it holds up, the move will be the end of a proposed underground copper-nickel mine in the region.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is suing Texas to demand an ICE agent stand trial in Minnesota in the shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis in January.

A Twin Cities church is hosting the first in what organizers hope will be a series of conversations about the federal surge.

And residents in a downtown Minneapolis neighborhood are gathering to talk about a data center proposal in their area.

Plus, a new fund is helping make movies in Minnesota.

The Minnesota Music Minute was “Hey There's My Girl” by Your Smith. The Song of the Day was “Lake Avenue Blues” by Jon Sullivan Band.

Tuesday evening, a Twin Cities church is hosting facilitated discussions about the surge of federal immigration agents to Minnesota this winter and the increased scrutiny, arrest and detention of refugees.

The federal government named these operations Metro Surge and PARRIS — terms that didn’t exist a year ago and now carry specific memories, meanings and emotions for people across the state.

The organizers of the event at Faith United Methodist in St. Anthony want to help people sort through what’s happened across divides.

It’s part of the Minnesota Council of Churches Respectful Conversations project organized in partnership with the group Democracy 2076. MPR News host Nina Moini spoke to Pastor and MCC Director of Civic Dialogue Jerad Morey as well as Ade Salami more about the initiative.

Minnesota’s tourism arm is trying to jumpstart the state’s film industry — and a brand-new fund is helping local filmmakers get to the silver screen.

The “10,000 Stories Fund” by Explore Minnesota Film and FilmNorth has picked 10 filmmaking teams to receive $10,000 to help create their work.

Nell Lawrenz-Wareham, deputy director of Explore Minnesota Film, and filmmaker Alex Nystrom, who is a member of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and one of the recipients of the fund, joined Minnesota Now to share more about the effort.

Neighbors in the North Loop neighborhood of Minneapolis are coming together this week to discuss a proposed data center.

Developer Legacy Investing has signed a deal to buy the old Minnesota Star Tribune printing facility with intentions to turn it into a data center.

Mary Binkley, president of the North Loop Neighborhood Association, and Fernando Burga, a senior research fellow at the Minnesota Design Center at the University of Minnesota, shared more about the workshops they’re holding.

Gov. Tim Walz issued a state executive order Tuesday prohibiting copper-nickel mining over about 350 square miles in the Rainy River watershed in northeast Minnesota.

The action comes just four months after Congress voted to overturn the Biden-era mining ban in the region.

Duluth-based reporter Dan Kraker joined Minnesota Now to help us sort through it all.

An undercover operation by federal agents at a Minneapolis church may have violated a court order that barred immigration enforcement agents from being there.

Plus, a look at the wave of Minnesota cities and counties that are ending their use of Flock cameras.

A new investigation from MPR News and APM Reports takes a look at the man linked to a number of group homes in Minnesota, who is also a high-ranking government official in another country.

Plus, it's been six weeks since wildfires broke out in northeast Minnesota. More ahead on how the U.S. Forest Service is trying to preserve the ecosystem while fighting the fires.

And, the Vikings have a new starting quarterback. How he did in the first preseason game.

Our Minnesota Music Minute was “Atmosphere of the Microcosm” by Paul Metzger and our Song of the Day was “Last Tuesday” by Chris Koza.

Wildfires have now been burning for six weeks in northeast Minnesota, in the Boundary Waters.

The fires have burned more than 66,000 acres. And there are more than 650 fire personnel working to put the fires out. Putting the fires out responsibly is much more than just putting down hose lines.

Joining Minnesota Now with more about the careful work to preserve the forest ecosystem while fighting fires is Matt Nourmohamadian, a fire resource advisor coordinator.

The Minnesota Vikings named Kyler Murray starting quarterback for the upcoming season. They played their first pre-season game against the New York Giants this weekend and won 13-10.

But it came with the loss of a veteran defender. Jamal Adams tore his right quadriceps tendon during the game. And some are blaming the turf at MetLife Stadium in New York.

Plus, the Minnesota Lynx beat the No. 3 Las Vegas Aces and are gearing up to play the No. 2 Golden State Valkyries on Wednesday.

Minnesota Now sports contributors Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson have those sports headlines plus other Minnesota sports news.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

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We attempt to make transcripts for Minnesota Now available the next business day after a broadcast. When ready they will appear here.

A new MPR News and APM Reports investigation reveals that the man behind a Medicaid-funded network of group homes in Minnesota is also a high-ranking government official in a country thousands of miles away from here. It’s a story that raises questions about how closely the state is monitoring its group home industry — and the massive amounts of taxpayer money flowing into it.

MPR News reporter Ellie Roth joined Minnesota Now to talk about her reporting.

An undercover federal operation at a Minneapolis church this spring may have violated a federal court order that blocks the government from enforcing civil immigration laws on the church’s properties.

Jon Collins broke the story over the weekend and joined Minnesota Now to talk about the latest.