Minnesota Now

Minnesota finally has a professional football champion. The Minnesota Vixen captured their first Women's Football Alliance national title over the weekend, defeating the Pittsburgh Passion 42-14 in Ohio.

The game ended a championship drought for the country's longest continuously-operating women's tackle football team. The Vixen had reached four previous title games but had never won.

Head coach Connor Jo Lewis joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about what it’s been like to bring the title back to Minnesota.

Elon Musk is taking Minnesota to court. A lawsuit by Musk's artificial intelligence company, X.AI, argues the state's new so-called "nudification ban" set to take effect Saturday violates the First Amendment.

The ban targets technology that allows users to create and post deepfake pornographic videos or images of people without their consent. Companies that violate the law could face a hefty fine. The state Legislature passed the law almost unanimously this year.

Incoming University of Minnesota law professor and First Amendment expert Jeff Kosseff joined MPR News host Nina Moini to help explain the case and what it means for the state’s law.

Gladys Lynch was a retired accountant who moved into the memory care unit at Harbor Crossing in White Bear Lake, Minnesota in September 2025 after developing dementia. Only a few weeks later, she died from injuries caused by being pushed by another resident in an altercation.

According to a new KFF Health News investigation, what happened to Gladys is just one example of situations where resident-to-resident incidents in dementia care facilities have turned deadly.

KFF Health News reporter Jordan Rau joined Minnesota Now host Nina Moini to talk about the investigation. And gerontologist Eilon Caspi shared what he’s learned from researching resident-to-resident altercations.

The Forest Service is opening parts of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area for overnight use. It could be a reprieve for the region's economy, which has stalled because of wildfires. We'll check in with the mayor of Ely, where most nearby entrances remain closed.

Wildfires in Canada have forced several First Nations communities to evacuate. We'll hear what a group in Thunder Bay is doing to help.

A small town on the North Shore of Lake Superior is losing its health clinic. We'll talk with two people working to improve healthcare access in the area.

Have you heard of cryptocurrency kiosks? They'll soon be banned in the state. We'll find out why.

Napheesa Collier returns to the Lynx home court Tuesday. We'll hear how her return is being received by fans.

Our Minnesota Music Minute was "Charlie" by Cowboy Thoughts. Our Song of the Day was "Calling Time" by The People Brothers Band.

A new state law taking effect Aug. 1 aims to put a stop to scams that have caused Minnesotans to lose nearly a million dollars over the last few years.

The schemes involve tricking people into depositing large sums of money into ATM-like machines called cryptocurrency kiosks.

State lawmakers passed a ban on these kiosks this past legislative session in light of these scams. It was signed into law by Gov. Tim Walz in May 2026.

MPR News host Nina Moini spoke to Sara Payne, assistant commissioner of enforcement with the Department of Commerce, and Cathy McLeer, state director of AARP Minnesota, about the law and how it works.

The land just across Minnesota's border with Ontario, Canada, looks a lot like northern Minnesota. It has a similar landscape of remote forest, water, and, right now, wildfire.

There are more than 100 fires burning in Ontario and they've destroyed two First Nations communities, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Others have had to evacuate, including the Gakijiwanong Anishinaabe Nation, which has ties to the nearby Bois Forte Band of Chippewa in Minnesota.

Many evacuees are staying in Thunder Bay, where local organizations are working to support them. To learn more, MPR News host Nina Moini spoke with Cora McGuire-Cyrette, a member of the Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek First Nation and CEO of the Ontario Native Women's Association. For the last couple weeks, her organization has shifted focus to helping people displaced by wildfires.

On Tuesday evening, the Minnesota Department of Health will hold a hearing on the closure of a primary care clinic along the North Shore. The Aspirus Health Lake View Silver Bay Clinic is set to close at the end of the year, leaving Silver Bay residents to travel at least 30 miles for primary care.

A nonprofit will be carrying a virtual option for the hearing for those who can not drive to Two Harbors, where the hearing is being held.

The closure is part of a growing trend of shrinking access to healthcare in rural Minnesota.

MPR News host Nina Moini spoke with two people studying rural healthcare access and potential solutions. David Beard is a professor at the University of Minnesota Duluth who is working with the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission on rural health transportation. Beverly Sidlo-Tolliver is the principal planner and mobility manager at the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission.

Forest Service officials have announced that parts of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area will reopen for overnight trips on Thursday, marking the first time visitors have been allowed back since the entire wilderness closed two weeks ago because of wildfires.

The partial reopening includes nearly 40 percent of the BWCA, primarily near the Gunflint Trail. Entry points near Ely remain closed, leaving many businesses that depend on wilderness tourism waiting for more access to reopen.

MPR News host Nina Moini spoke with Ely Mayor Heidi Omerza about the latest wildfire response, communication with officials and the ongoing economic impact on the community.

MPR News hosted a debate between Congresswoman Angie Craig and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan has just wrapped. We'll get analysis on what happened and how the Democratic primary race for the U.S. Senate is shaping up, with about two weeks left until election day.

Golden Valley is looking to change its zoning laws to build more duplexes and triplexes. It's a part of a wider trend to fill in the so-called "missing middle" across the Twin Cities.

And two Minnesotans are now the first in the nation to get a law degree while incarcerated. We'll have more on the historic milestone.

Plus, we'll recap how several Lynx players made their mark on the WNBA All-Star Weekend and remember the life of John Anderson, a longtime former University of Minnesota baseball coach.

Our Minnesota Music Minute was “Runnin Around” by Saltydog and our Song of the Day was “It Had to be You” by Motion City Soundtrack.

John Anderson, a celebrated former University of Minnesota baseball coach, died Sunday. He was 71 years old.

Anderson became the head coach at age 26 and played a big role in putting Minnesota baseball on the map, despite the region’s cold weather. Sports contributors Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson joined Minnesota Now host Nina Moini to talk about Anderson's legacy.