Minnesota Now

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara and Mayor Jacob Frey say a strategy to prevent homeless encampments from forming is working. Police have closed 17 encampments since implementing a so-called special order in January, according to an email update from the city.

Chief O’Hara said in a recent LinkedIn post that there are now “zero significant encampments” in the city and that the policy has reduced crime in south Minneapolis. A government dashboard of active encampments showed there were 15 as of Tuesday with 27 residents total.

MPR News host Nina Moini talks with Chief O’Hara about what police are doing differently.

The detainment of two students at universities in Minnesota is sparking fear and confusion about immigration enforcement against international students.

Last week, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested a Turkish MBA student at the University of Minnesota. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security says Doğukan Günaydin had his student visa revoked due to a 2023 DWI.

An international student at Minnesota State University, Mankato was also detained last week but there have been little details about the circumstances.

For more context on these international student detainments, MPR News host Nina Moini talks with Ana Pottratz Acosta, a professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law specializing in immigration law.

Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez are buying the Timberwolves and Lynx after reaching a deal with Minnesota billionaire Glen Taylor. ESPN reported this morning that the NBA has begun transferring ownership of the team.

The sale comes after a dispute between Taylor and the buyers that lasted nearly a year and had to be resolved by a third party. The news also broke in the wake of a stunning game between the Wolves and Denver Nuggets that some fans are calling the "game of the year."

Sports contributor Wally Langfellow joins MPR News host Nina Moini to explain.

Read more at MPRnews.org.

It's been a long and contentious road for garbage hauling in St. Paul. Mayor Melvin Carter has declared a three-day state of emergency to allow trash to be picked up under the city's new contract. We talk to a group that has been fighting the new plan.

Four cafes in the Twin Cities are closing this month. We find out how they fit into a trend of restaurant workers unionizing.

Plus, auto tariffs expected to start this week could make it pricier not just to buy a new car, but to fix or insure the one you have. We talk to a state official who tracks insurance rates.

We visit a father-son art studio in Fergus Falls and we stop by one of Minnesota's oldest all women-owned bookstore.

The Minnesota Music Minute was “Ultraviolet” by papa mbye and the Song of the Day was “The Tower” by Mother Coyote.

Forty-five years ago, five women opened a small bookstore in White Bear Lake, called Lake Country Bookellers.

Over the years, the store has seen the ups, downs and enormous changes in the book selling industry. It’s become one of the oldest all women-owned bookstore in the state. One of those owners is Susie Fruncillo joined Minnesota Now to reflect on the store’s legacy.

President Donald Trump has vowed to put new tariffs on a variety of goods from other countries. Those are set to go into effect this week, including a 25 percent tariff on imported cars and car parts that’s set to begin Thursday.

Industry experts say the higher costs will flow to consumers as higher prices for new goods, auto repairs and insurance.

Julia Dreier, the deputy commissioner for the Minnesota Department of Commerce, joined Minnesota Now to share how the state is preparing for tariff impacts.

The contentious relationship between Twin Cities restaurants and employee unions is once again making headlines. Minneapolis restaurant business mogul Daniel del Prado’s DDP Restaurant Group announced that the four Café Cerés locations will close this month. 

In a statement, DDP Restaurant Group said they are closing the Café Cerés locations to focus on their other restaurants, which include fine dining restaurants Martina, Colita and Porzana.

“While we are proud of what we accomplished in the café space, it is clear that the DDP Restaurant Group’s future lies in what we do best — creating and operating amazing, and highly successful, restaurants by delivering exceptional hospitality, crafting unforgettable dining experiences, and leading chef-driven food and beverage programs,” the statement said in part.

Last August, baristas at Café Cerés voted to unionize under hospitality union UNITE HERE Local 17. Employees were in the first few months of contract negotiations with DDP Restaurant Group when the closure was announced last week.  

“Heads of restaurant empires like Daniel del Prado would rather close shop than give a fair share to the workers who make them rich,” a spokesperson for the union said in a statement.

A similar situation happened last year at chef Ann Kim’s Uptown restaurant called Kim’s. Kim’s workers voted to unionize and within two months the restaurant closed, citing “financial losses.” 

Adam Platt, the executive editor of the magazine Twin Cities Business, joined Minnesota Now to break down what he thinks is happening in Twin Cities restaurants.

The city of St. Paul has averted a garbage pick-up crisis, for now. St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter declared a three-day state of emergency that allows the city's new garbage hauler to begin service Tuesday, as scheduled.

The dispute between the city and community members centers on whether the garbage hauler, FCC Environmental Services, can use a lot it purchased to maintain and fuel its trucks. Carter’s declaration temporarily suspends zoning regulations to allow trash collection while a zoning dispute is settled.

Meg Duhr is the president of the West 7th/Fort Road Federation, which is the neighborhood where the lot is located. She joined Minnesota Now to talk about the dispute and what she thinks the city needs to do to make improvements to trash collection.

Protests are happening at the University of Minnesota over the detainment of a graduate student by immigration officials. It’s sparking confusion and concern among international students. We’ll get the latest from MPR News correspondent Matt Sepic.

Some tribal leaders say the Trump administration cuts to federal funding are a violation of federal agreements. We'll hear how two orders affecting education could impact resources for Native American students.

Plus, a group of youth in the Twin Cities are turning to each other to increase student motivation. We’ll hear from one of the co-founders of “Good Trouble.”

And we’ll get the latest on the brawl at the Timberwolves game, the Twins home opener and more with our sports contributors Wally and Eric.

Our Minnesota Music Minute was “Sugar” by FènixDion and our Song of the Day was “That Minnesota Song” by The Double Down Daredevils.

The Timberwolves got two wins out of the weekend, but not without a fight — literally. A foul turned into a brawl in the second quarter of Sunday night’s game against the Detroit Pistons. Referees ejected multiple players and coaches.

Joining Minnesota Now to talk about what led up to the fight that spilled into the stands, plus other sports news, are our contributors Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson.