As of Monday, most abortions after six weeks are illegal in Iowa. The new law going into effect is one of the strictest in the country. We talked with a professor in southern Minnesota about what this could mean for clinics here in this state.

We got a glimpse of the Olympics from MPR News reporter Kyra Miles, who is in Paris.

And this summer has been tough on some of our veggies. We talked about what to do if you find an abundance of, say, slugs in your garden — and how to prepare what’s in season right now.

Plus, there’s a new series of audio plays about Minnesota’s capital city. If you’re in downtown St. Paul, the key to these stories might be right under your feet.

Our Minnesota Music Minute was “Empathy” by Daniel the Violinist and our Song of the Day was “Twenty Five Forty One” by Marshall Crenshaw.

Over the weekend, mysterious QR codes appeared scattered around downtown Saint Paul, marked by a curious pigeon named Herald. They’re part of a project from local theatre company, Wonderlust Productions, called “Hidden Herald.”

The QR codes each lead to a short audio play with a secret story about our capital city, written and performed by local playwrights and actors.

Leah Cooper is one of the artistic directors of Wonderlust Productions and she joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about this unique series.

The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris are officially underway. As of Monday morning, Team USA has racked up 12 medals, which is the most, but they are 5th in the gold medal count.  

One of MPR News’ own has a front row seat to the action. MPR News reporter Kyra Miles is at the Olympics with her family and took some time to talk to MPR News host Cathy Wurzer from Paris about her experience so far.

For Minnesota’s gardeners, the middle of July means that the summer harvest is really getting underway. And we wanted to check back with our resident gardener, Meg Cowden, about what she’s seeing in her garden with this summer of rain and what you should buying this time of year at the farmers market.

Cowden is the author of the book “Plant Grow Harvest Repeat” and the founder of the website, Seed to Fork, and the advice group, Modern Garden Guild.

Cowden joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer during an exciting time of year for gardening.

We are just under three weeks away from the primary. Leading up to August 13th, we’re taking a look at some races that our politics team will be keeping and eye on. We start with congressional district seven.

Two-term U.S. Representative Michelle Fischbach carved out a solidly conservative reputation at the state capitol before winning a western Minnesota congressional seat four years ago. Yet some in her party don't think Fischbach is conservative enough, and they're backing challenger Steve Boyd in the primary. The winner will be heavily favored to secure the seat in November. MPR senior politics reporter Clay Masters joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to break down the race.

One of the nation’s strictest abortion laws is now in effect in Iowa and Minnesota clinics are preparing for an increase in patients from across the border. Twenty percent of patients in Minnesota abortion clinics were from out of state last year, according to the Guttmacher Institute. Now that Iowa prohibits most abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, that number will likely increase.

Professor Laura Harrison is the director of Gender and Women’s Studies at Minnesota State University Mankato, she joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about the impact to Minnesota.

Vice President Kamala Harris is considering Gov. Tim Walz as a running mate in her presidential campaign. We hear about his chances.

If you’re on the internet a lot, you’ve probably seen the Charli XCX Brat memes circulating on social media. Our Gen Z voter panel is back with their thoughts.

It’s been one year since marijuana legalization and expungement efforts are still underway ... we hear from one attorney on how that work is changing the course of people’s lives.

There are less than 24 hours to go until the opening ceremonies of the Paris Olympics. More than two dozen athletes with ties to Minnesota will be competing in the summer games, we hear who they are.

It’s been a whirlwind of a week in politics. And it’s carried Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz onto the national stage, with appearances on PBS News Hour, MSNBC and Fox News and a number of other news outlets. It could be part of an audition of sorts. He’s one of the people being considered as a potential running mate for Vice President Kamala Harris.

We wanted to get some perspective from someone closer to Washington, but who knows Minnesota. Aaron Blake is a senior political reporter for the Washington Post, where he writes for The Fix and co-hosts the podcast The Campaign Moment. He’s also a University of Minnesota graduate who covered politics for the Star Tribune. Blake joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to explain where Walz is positioned in the Vice President landscape.

There are just under 24 hours to go until the opening ceremonies of the 2024 Paris Olympics. And more than two dozen athletes with ties to Minnesota will be competing in the summer games.

Plus, football season is here, with training camp underway for the Minnesota Vikings.

Wally Langfellow is the founder of Minnesota Score Sports Magazine and co-host of the sports talk show 10,000 Takes. Eric Nelson is the other host of that show and Minnesota Vikings NFL reporter for CBS' Eye on Football and Sirius XM. They joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to share what they’re watching in Minnesota sports.

We all need a little help to get through life sometimes. From everyday questions to more complex problems, we’re asking the experts to lend us a hand.

Throughout the series Professional Help, we’ll hear some direct advice, for us not-so-direct Minnesotans.

Our ask: Help me drink more water.

Our professional:  Katherine Zeratsky, a registered dietitian nutritionist at Mayo Clinic.

It’s pretty clear that water bottles have become much more than containers. They’re fun accessories that can bring us joy and convey something about our personal style. And companies are well aware of this.

In the age of Stanley, Hydro Flask, Owala, Yeti, Swell and Nalgene, how much water do we actually need? How much is too much? And what about for people like me, who struggle to drink enough water even knowing it’s critical to keeping our bodies running and feeling healthy throughout the day — how can we do better?