Minnesota Now

A state senator is accused of soliciting a teenage girl for prostitution. Now, there are bipartisan calls for Republican Sen. Justin Eichorn to resign. We get the latest on this developing story from MPR News senior politics reporter Clay Masters.

As measles spreads in the southern U.S., we check in with a doctor about preventing further outbreaks in Minnesota.

Plus, a business owner tried to open a thrift store in a north metro suburb, only to find city zoning laws don’t allow it. We talk about how these regulations shape communities.

Meteorologist Paul Huttner has the latest on the winter storm in southern Minnesota.

This March Madness, all eyes will be on Hopkins native Paige Bueckers. We catch up with her former coach.

Today’s Minnesota Music Minute was “Moqueca” by room3 and “Here for You” by Afflatus was the Song of the Day.

A secondhand store in the north Twin Cities suburb of Arden Hills may be forced to shut down or relocate after finding out zoning laws ban thrift stores in certain areas of the city.

Odds & Ends Again is a resale storefront that helps seniors downsize and sell items they no longer need. The owner, Brett Foss says he didn’t realize the zoning rules for his store would be different than other retail spaces.

Arden Hills mayor David Grant told the Minnesota Star Tribune the city had given Foss all the information he needed about city zoning rules.

Joining me for a wider conversation about city zoning and the impact it has on communities is Evan Roberts. He’s an assistant professor with the University of Minnesota and is leading a project called the Minnesota Zoning Atlas.

It has been 25 years since the U.S. declared it had eliminated measles. But one of the worst outbreaks since then is spreading through rural Texas and New Mexico. It is not a threat to most Americans right now, but public health experts are alarmed. Measles is very contagious and can cause death or long-term effects like brain damage.

Dr. Alison Galdys, a University of Minnesota Medical School professor and infectious disease physician with M Health Fairview, joined MPR News host Nina Moini to explain what’s causing measles to come back with such force.

March Madness, the college basketball tournament where teams need to win every game or be eliminated, begins this year. It’s hard to believe it has only been a year since record numbers of fans tuned in to watch Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and other stars of the women’s game.

This year many, many eyes are on University of Connecticut guard and Hopkins, Minn. native Paige Bueckers. MPR News host Nina Moini talks with Bueckers’ former coach, Tara Starks, who led Hopkins High School to a state championship earlier this month.

Southern Minnesota came under a blizzard warning Wednesday, but the snow missed the metro and the rest of the state. MPR chief meteorologist Paul Huttner joined MPR News host Nina Moini with details on the storm and the forecast ahead.

Republican state Sen. Justin Eichorn remains in custody Wednesday. He faces widespread calls to resign from members of both political parties after an arrest on suspicion of attempted solicitation of a minor. The person turned out to be an undercover detective.

This is the latest upheaval in a legislative session that has seen plenty of it. MPR News senior politics reporter Clay Masters joined MPR News host Nina Moini with the latest.

The state is still yo-yo-ing into springtime with more wintry weather headed to southern Minnesota. Meteorologist Sven Sundgaard joined the show with a weather forecast.

Minnesota has the third highest cost of infant child care in the country, according to a new report. But that’s not the whole story. We dug into the data.

With layoffs at the federal Department of Education, we learned how special education is protected by state and federal law.

An artist teamed up with a tailor for an art exhibit called ‘Connective Thread.’ It explores Latina power through clothing and textiles.

Our Minnesota Music Minute was ‘Couldn't Live a Day Without You’ by Gary Louis and our Song of the Day was ‘Stay’ by Twins of Franklin.

The U.S. Department of Education is expected to shrink by half. The Trump administration has laid off more than 1,300 workers, and 21 states including Minnesota have sued to stop the layoffs. 

One of the agency’s major roles is to make sure students with disabilities can get an education. Special education programs are required by law, and they remain intact. But parent advocates in Minnesota say they are watching for other impacts, including indirect ones. 

Gretchen Godfrey is the associate director of the Minnesota-based organization, PACER Center. She joined MPR News host Nina Moini to explain how parents of students with disabilities interact with the Department of Education and how the staffing cuts may affect Minnesota students.

A group of Latina artists is highlighting the complexities of moving through the world as women in a new exhibit. They contributed to the exhibit called “Connective Thread,” about the clothing items that protect and adorn women’s bodies. Their work is being shown at CLUES, Minnesota’s largest Latino-led nonprofit.

Carla Manzoni is the director of arts and cultural engagement at CLUES. She joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about the art in the exhibit that celebrates Latina womanhood and bodily autonomy.

‘Connective Thread’ runs through May 14 at the CLUES Latino Art Gallery in St. Paul.

Minnesota has the third highest average cost of infant child care in this country, according to a new study out of the Economic Policy Institute. Its average cost in the state is $22,000 per year. That’s 18 percent of a median family’s income in Minnesota.

Ann McCully, the executive director of Child Care Aware Minnesota, joined Minnesota Now to explain the nuance of the data.