Minnesota Now

Minnesota Now runs over the lunch hour and often covers what chefs around the state are making for lunch, but it’s not every day that the show gets to dig into the stories of food. There’s a history behind everything we eat.

On Feb. 15, a Minneapolis chef is celebrating Black History Month with a workshop about preserving the Gullah Geechee food traditions. Gullah Geechee people are descendants of Africans who were enslaved in coastal areas of the southeastern United States. They held onto traditions from Africa and mixed them with new ones, forming unique language, art and food.

Chef James Johnson is bringing Gullah Geechee food to Minnesota with his catering company, Cooks of Hope. He spoke to MPR News host Nina Moini about keeping the tradition alive.

With the Minnesota House session finally underway, lawmakers are tackling fraud. On Tuesday morning, a house committee heard several bills aimed at eliminating fraud in state agencies. That afternoon, a senate committee heard a bill that looks to create an Office of the Inspector General, which would devote an entire agency dedicated to identifying fraud.

The bill’s author is Sen. Heather Gustafson, DFL-Vadnais Heights. Gustafson spoke in front of the committee. She joined MPR News host Nina Moini to explain the role and goal of having an Office of the Inspector General.

It’s been three weeks since President Donald Trump took the oath of office and former President Joe Biden boarded a plane out of Washington, D.C.

A Minnesotan also left the White House as part of the outgoing administration. As National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan helped shape Biden’s foreign policy agenda and was involved in the U.S. response to events like the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war.

Years before that, he was a champion debater, student council president and most likely to succeed at Southwest High School in Minneapolis. He joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about his tenure at the White House.

The Minneapolis City Council is deciding whether to have Hennepin County temporarily take over the city's violence intervention programs. Some city council members say the program is mismanaging the funds. Reporter Cari Spencer will join us with the latest.

A local author is helping support survivors through the aftermath of sexual assault. She'll join us to talk about her resource handbook, which is a finalist for a Minnesota Book Award in nonfiction.

And our sports contributors Wally and Eric will join us to talk about Philadelphia's dominating victory over Kansas City. Plus, we'll get the latest updates on a decision that will determine who has majority ownership of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx.

Our Minnesota Music Minute was “Last of Magicians” by Vicious Vicious and our Song of the Day was “Rental Car” by Poor Lemuel.

The Philadelphia Eagles handed it to the defending champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, winning 40 to 22. Back in Philly, fans took to the streets, climbing street poles and city trucks that were parked to block off roads. The last time the Eagles had a Super Bowl win to celebrate was in 2018, when they beat the New England Patriots right here in Minnesota.

And we’re expected to find out who will be the majority owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx after a court battle.

Joining Minnesota Now to bring us up to speed are our sports contributors Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson.

Monday afternoon at the state capitol, the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault and other organizations will gather to push for funding for victim services. A local author is working in a different way to support survivors through the aftermath of a sexual assault.

Cheyenne Wilson turned to a wide range of experts – including lawyers, detectives, therapists and other survivors – to learn about reporting sexual violence, pursuing justice and healing. Then she packaged it all into a resource called “We Are the Evidence: A Handbook for Finding Your Way After Sexual Assault.” It’s a finalist for a Minnesota Book Award in non-fiction.

Wilson joined Minnesota Now to talk about her book.

If you or someone you know is in a dangerous situation with a partner, there is a 24-hour statewide domestic and sexual violence hotline. You can call Minnesota Day One at (866) 223-1111 or text (612) 399-9995.

On Monday afternoon, the Minneapolis City Council are going to hold a press conference about their support for a proposal to have Hennepin County temporarily take over the city’s violence intervention programs.

These council members say the city’s Neighborhood Safety Department is mismanaging the funds. However, city officials including the former director of the department are pushing back on some of the council’s criticisms.

Cari Spencer has been following developments in this story and joined Minnesota Now with the latest.

A painting purchased for 50 dollars at a garage sale in Minnesota that some believe is an unknown portrait by Vincent Van Gogh is tearing the art world apart. Experts with New York-based LMI Group, an art research firm, believe the Dutch artist painted the portrait during his stay at a psychiatric hospital in the south of France in 1889, and that it could be worth 15 million dollars.

But some in the art world disagree. Last Friday, the Van Gogh Museum denied the painting's attribution to Van Gogh.

Robert Snell, the co-owner and painting specialist at Revere Auctions in St. Paul, joined Minnesota Now to talk about the dramatic saga unfolding in the art world.

The political standoff that has lasted more than three weeks is ending in the Minnesota House. We learn about the deal that state legislators struck to get the chamber up and running with a live update from reporter Peter Cox at the Capitol.

A Minnesota university is partnering with a small Hawaiian community to revitalize an indigenous dialect that has only two hundred speakers. We learn more about the program.

Many young people agree that friendship or romantic connection is growing harder to find offline. We talk to people who are working to create authentic connections without the apps.

A painting found at a Minneapolis garage sale has caused quite a stir. There's controversy about it being painted by Vincent Van Gogh himself. We get the details.

The Minnesota Music Minute was “Ritmo Caliente” by Nachito Herrera and “Kansas City Lightning” by Mike Munson was the Song of the Day.

February is often a month of the year that people get together to celebrate love, relationships, friendships and connection.

But finding those friendships and relationships has become more and more difficult for young people as they try to make connections coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially as they graduate college, move to a new city and begin their careers.

In 2023, the World Health Organization declared loneliness a pressing public health concern and a study from Northwestern found loneliness peaks in young adulthood and old age.

Kacie Riddle noticed many young people, especially young women, were craving a space to foster connection and new friendships. She started Girlhood Social Club last year, a Twin Cities based social club for young women to meet other young women through monthly events and social gatherings. The club has exploded in popularity in the last few months, with hundreds of girls attending her monthly events.

Riddle joined Minnesota Now to talk about the community she’s created through Girlhood Social Club.