Minnesota Now

Every Thursday after school at Washburn High School in south Minneapolis, you’ll find around 40 students gathering to enjoy a meal, have fun and learn. It’s called “The Homework Club,” and it’s a space specifically for students of color to connect and get caught up on their work.  

Heather Anderson, the organizer of The Homework Club and Torey Riddle Spriger, a junior at Washburn, joined Minnesota Now to talk about the remarkable affect the club has had at school.

Dec. 10 is International Human Rights Day, which celebrates the United Nations adopting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on Dec. 10, 1948. Near the top of the declaration is the statement that “Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.”

A powerful tool used around the world to gather evidence and hold governments accountable for violating those rights was created by a group of Minnesotans in the 1980s. It’s called the Minnesota Protocol.

Jennifer Prestholdt is deputy director of the Advocates for Human Rights and she worked on the updated version of the protocol. She joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about how the protocol is used, how it’s been helpful in protecting human rights and the future of the tool.

Homeowners are voicing concerns over large property tax increases across the state, one area as high as 17 percent. An expert joined to break down what goes into calculating property tax and why they're increasing.

An important tool used by the United Nations to uphold human rights is named after the state of Minnesota. An advocate joined the show to explain why as the world marks International Human Rights Day.

A unique club at a Minneapolis high schools is connecting, feeding and helping students with their homework.

MPR’s Wander and Wonder series took listeners to western Minnesota, where a writer rooted in two worlds seeks common ground.

With the Vikings on a hot streak what does that mean for playoff chances? Our sports guys Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson joined the show with the latest in Minnesota sports news. Our Minnesota Music Minute was "Only 4 the Night" by hip-hop duo Makr an Eris. Our Song of the Day was “Buttercup” by Hippocampus.

Vikings fans are happy after their team beat the Atlanta Falcons -- and former quarterback Kirk Cousins -- by 21 points. The team's current quarterback, Sam Darnold, garnered praise after he threw five touchdowns to receivers Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson.

To talk about where the Vikings go from here -- plus other sports news -- sports guys, Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson joined Minnesota Now.

Langfellow is the founder of Minnesota Score Sports Magazine and co-host of the sports talk show 10,000 Takes. Nelson is the other host of 10,000 Takes and Minnesota Vikings NFL reporter for CBS' Eye on Football and Sirius XM.

This season, cities and counties around the state are deciding their budgets and tax increases for the next year. Homeowners are seeing sticker shock - Anoka County approved a 17 percent property tax increase. Minneapolis is considering a seven percent increase and St. Paul has proposed an eight percent increase.

On Tuesday evening, the city of Minneapolis will meet to finalize their budget, which will include how much of a property tax increase homeowners will be seeing. Ramsey County and St. Paul will be doing the same Wednesday.

Andrew Babula is Director of the real estate program at the University of St. Thomas. He's also a licensed real estate broker in Minnesota and Iowa. He joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about the process.

The killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan on Dec. 4 released a flood of anger online — not at his death, but at the controversial insurance company he led and the wider healthcare industry.

As soon as the news hit the internet, people began making ironic jokes, even delighting in the news. Many commenters vented about their own struggles to pay for healthcare. Some called for respect for loved ones of Thompson, including two teenage children, who are grieving him.

Terri Bly, a licensed psychologist with LynLake Centers for Wellbeing in the Twin Cities, joined Minnesota Now to explain the emotional response to this incident.

Public safety officials from all over the country are in Minneapolis Monday for a summit. Among them, the director of the ATF, the federal agency that regulates guns. We talked with him about his role and his future under President-elect Donald Trump.

We heard from U.S. Attorney for Minnesota Andy Luger. He’s led an effort to crack down on street gangs. Now he’s planning to step down before Inauguration Day.

The recent killing of United Healthcare's CEO led to a torrent of memes celebrating the gunman and condemning the insurance industry. We talked with a therapist about what’s driving this response.

Minnesota Now went into live coverage of an NYPD press conference covering the arrest and questioning of a man in connection to the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO.

On Monday public safety officials from across the country gathered in downtown Minneapolis to talk about strategies for reducing violent crime. It’s part of a summit hosted by the Justice Department.

One of the federal officials in Minnesota for the summit is Steven Dettelbach, the director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It’s the agency responsible for enforcing federal gun laws.

Dettelbach was appointed by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the Senate in 2022. He joined MPR host Nina Moini to talk about the oversight of gun sales, ghost guns and how he’s advising the next administration about reducing gun violence.

New details have emerged about the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan. An MPR News reporter is in New York with the latest on the investigation. And our health reporter joins us to share more about Thompson and his company.

South Korea’s president implemented and then revoked martial law in a wild and violent week of politics. A woman with ties to the country reflects on the details.

And a Minnesota man who worked on rebuilding Notre Dame in Paris reflects on his time building the Cathedral back up — the old-fashioned way.

Plus we hear about the unique partnership between a British advertisement awards show and a Minneapolis art museum.

Our Minnesota Music Minute was “Amass: XV. Everything” by Jocelyn Hagen and our Song of the Day was “It Had to Be You” by Motion City Soundtrack.

Video advertisements put together by the British Arrows Awards will return to the Walker Art Center for a 38th year Friday evening. Through Jan. 4, audiences in Minneapolis can see the most creative, star-studded, human, and humorous advertisements the United Kingdom put out this year. It’s an unusual partnership with the British Arrows Awards that’s garnered a remarkable cult following here in Minnesota.

Joining the program to explain this quirky holiday tradition is the director and curator of moving image at the Walker Art Center, Pablo de Ocampo and chair of the British Arrows Awards Simon Cooper.