Minnesota Now

Our top story on Minnesota Now, a wildfire is burning near Brimson, Minnesota. That's northeast of Duluth. The fire is uncontained and is still rapidly spreading through the area. Officials have named it the Camp House Fire. It prompted the evacuation of homes and cabins yesterday. Here with the details is MPR News reporter Dan Kraker.

A new advisory board in Brooklyn Center will offer recommendations to the city on policing and public safety. City council members approved the Community Safety and Violence Prevention Commission on Monday.

Their 4-1 vote came after months of debate over whether to move forward with the commission. It is one of the last surviving proposals from a 2021 resolution that the city council passed in response to the killing of Daunte Wright. The Brooklyn Center officer who shot Wright during a traffic stop said she had meant to use her taser and was later convicted of manslaughter.

Brooklyn Center Mayor April Graves was a council member at that time. She joins MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about the city’s reform efforts and how they have shifted along with the political climate.

New data shows Minnesota high school graduation rates are at a record high. We dig into the data for the class of 2024. And we look at some of the reasons why we may be seeing the increase with MPR News education reporter Elizabeth Shockman.

When Daunte Wright was shot and killed by a Brooklyn Center police officer, the city made promises of reform. Four years later, the city council has approved a new community safety commission.

Plus, cuts to arts funding from the Trump administration are impacting more than a dozen Minnesota organizations.

Chief Meteorologist Paul Huttner tells us how long this warm weather will last.

And we go Out to Lunch with MPR's own Tom Crann as he gets ready to depart his role hosting All Things Considered.

On Minnesota Now, we hear from many different people in Minnesota over the phone and in the studio. But we don’t often meet them in the community, where news and life happens. In our “Out to Lunch” series, MPR News host Nina Moini sits down for a meal with people from Minnesota news and culture to get to know them better.

Tom Crann has been a steady voice and presence as the host of All Things Considered for the last 20 years. Crann announced last month he is leaving MPR News to return to his roots as a classical music host with YourClassical MPR. He joined Moini for lunch to reflect on his career and what’s ahead.

The Trump administration has canceled grants from the National Endowment for the Arts.

These grants were promised to arts organizations nationwide, including many in Minnesota that are now scrambling to cover the shortfall.

Senior arts reporter Alex V. Cipolle has spoken to some local arts leaders about the cuts. She joins MPR News host Nina Moini to share what she has learned.

No matter where you are in the state, there is no doubt that on Tuesday you experienced some pretty warm weather for early May. To learn more about how long this stretch of sunny weather will last, MPR News host Nina Moini talks with MPR chief meteorologist Paul Huttner.

New data from the state department of education shows Minnesota high school seniors are graduating at historically high rates. MPR News education reporter, Elizabeth Shockman, joins MPR News host Nina Moini to break down the numbers.

Read the full report here: Minnesota graduation rates reach historic high after pandemic slide

The May 6, 1965, tornado outbreak was a rare Oklahoma-style weather event in Minnesota. Four of the six violent twisters were rated F4 on the Fujita Scale with estimated winds at more than 200 mph. The devastating twisters killed 13 people and injured at least 500 more. MPR News chief meteorologist Paul Huttner was a pre-schooler at the time, but he remembers the day vividly.

As part of its effort to slash government spending, the Trump administration canceled $17 million in grants to Minnesota universities for training school psychologists. We learned about the impact these cuts could have on students with mental health struggles.

As state lawmakers try to reach a budget deal, the leader of one suburban county is warning residents that less money flowing from the state could lead to higher property taxes.

In this week's Wander and Wonder segment, we met a mom working to help young girls across the region build healthy self-esteem.

Eden Prairie is celebrating the first Minnesota Teacher of the Year to come from the district. We learned about her nearly 50 year career.

Our Minnesota Music Minute was ‘For Mom’ by David Billingsley and our Song of the Day was ‘There You Are’ by Kiss the Tiger.

Lawmakers at the state capitol have less than two weeks left of the session. In that time, they need to finalize the state budget.

In Scott County, which comprises the southwest Twin Cities metro, the board of commissioners shared with residents that that will mean an increase to property taxes.  

Dave Beer is the chair of the Scott County Board of Commissioners. He joined MPR News host Nina Moini to explain a potential property tax increase and the role the county plays in relation to state and federal funding.