Minnesota Now

Minority owners of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Alex Rodrigeuz and Marc Lore, have teamed up with billionaire and former NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg to take control of the Wolves.

In other news, the Lynx extinguished the LA Sparks on Wednesday. They’ll play in Phoenix on Friday night. The Twins lost to the Yankees on Wednesday, continuing a 0-5 loss streak. They’ll play again Thursday in New York.

It’s Pride Month, and folks across the state are celebrating. This weekend is Trans Joy Fest in Duluth, put on by the non-profit Trans Northland.

Co-directors Ana Kruger and Sean Hayes joined MPR News guest host Nina Moini to share how they’re supporting the northern Minnesota trans community.

A nature-based retreat center planned outside Two Harbors is aiming to provide a restorative getaway for people of color. But Maji ya Chai is getting pushback from local residents over concerns of noise, traffic and other impacts. 35 residents of Silver Creek Township have appealed the Lake County planning commission’s April decision to grant the sanctuary a conditional use permit.

The founder of Maji ya Chai, Rebeka Ndosi, joined MPR News guest host Nina Moini to share her goals for the new center.

More than 40 cows on a central Minnesota dairy farm have fallen ill with avian flu. This morning, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health confirmed it's the first case of the disease in a dairy herd in the state.

Health officials have confirmed cases in 10 other states around the country, including neighboring South Dakota. Dr. Brian Hoefs, state veterinarian and executive director of the animal health board, joined MPR News guest host Nina Moini to break down the situation.

Minnesotans have been dealing with consistent rainfall over the past few weeks. According to the drought monitor out Wednesday morning, the state of Minnesota is officially no longer in a drought, after two years of drought conditions. It seems like this wet, warm spring has really made up for our dry winter.

Senior climatologist with the state Kenny Blumenfeld joined MPR News guest host Nina Moini to explain this sudden shift.

A Maple Grove man heads to Paris next month to compete in the sport of taekwondo at the Summer Olympics. Alasan Ann, 23, will represent Gambia, where his father was born and where he holds dual citizenship.

It’s an amazing journey, especially given that he was shot in his right thigh in the Twin Cities while out with friends just a few months before his qualifying tournament. Fortunately, the bullet did not hit bone or arteries, and he was able to heal in time to compete and win.

“It was one of the scariest moments of my life,” he told MPR News. “Everything you’ve worked for can just be taken away. It helped me not take anything for granted.”

The World Taekwondo Federation describes the sport as “one of the most systematic and scientific Korean traditional martial arts, that teaches more than physical fighting skills. It is a discipline that shows ways of enhancing our spirit and life through training our body and mind.”

Ann said he first fell in love with taekwondo when he was 6 years old. He said it offered him the self-discipline that he needed.

“At first I did not like at all, because you realize it was meant to focus you and no kid wants to be focused right away, but it helped me out a lot,” he said. “I made some lifelong friends, and by the time I was 10 I was in it fully.”

Ann explained there are two sides of taekwondo: the traditional, and the sport. When someone first starts learning, they do the traditional and learn basic kicks. He compared the sport side to boxing where you get points for hitting. Matches are two minutes long. It became a full-medal Olympic sport in 2000 at the Sydney Olympics.

He said he’s excited about the food in Paris and he’s looking forward to the opening ceremony.

“I’ve always watched it as a kid, and now I’m gonna be in it,” he said. “That’s going to be insane. I’m just so excited to be able to share that moment with the people who have supported me.”

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

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The city of Minneapolis is looking at advancing a contract agreement with a 21 percent pay boost for police officers. We'll speak with a city council member who's advocated to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department in the past.

Stormy weather continues this afternoon. MPR's Chief Meteorologist will join to break down what we can expect, plus this week's forecast.

Credit card debt is on the rise nationwide, and Minnesota is no exception. We'll consult a financial counselor and a non-profit director.

Plus, inside a local effort to use humor to bridge political divides.

A Maple Grove man will represent Minnesota in the Summer Olympics taekwondo competition. He'll update us on his training with two months to go.

Minneapolis police could get a raise of more than 21 percent if their next three-year contract is approved by the City Council. By next summer, they'd be among the highest paid officers in the state. The union, the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis, ratified an agreement with the city late Monday night with a vote of 301 to 63. The earliest that city council members could vote on the contract would be next week. And in the past, their votes on police contracts have been split, with some members of the council pushing for reforms to hold officers accountable for misconduct. The Minneapolis Police Department is currently working under a contract that was adopted in early 2022 and expired later that year.

Joining MPR News Guest Host Nina Moini to talk about the tentative agreement is Councilmember Robin Wonsley, who represents Ward 2 on the east side of the city.

This week much of the state has been rattled by numerous thunder storms. And it looks like we may not be done just yet. MPR Chief Meteorologist Paul Huttner joined MPR News Guest Host Nina Moini to talk about where all of that rain has gotten us so far.

Get the latest forecast and detailed weather updates on the Updraft blog.

Saka dawa is winding to an end. The sacred Tibetan Buddhist month of celebration and prayer surrounding the enlightenment of Buddha was led in part by 17-year-old Jalue Dorje from Columbia Heights, Minn.

That’s because when Dorje was a young child, the Dalai Lama confirmed that he is a reincarnation of a lama, or holy leader, from Tibet. That means he is destined to be a Buddhist monk and leader of peace. He's been studying to become a monk ever since.

When he graduates from Columbia Heights High School in 2025, he plans to move to the Himalayas to continue his studies. For now, though, outside of Dorje’s daily studies and prayers, he’s an avid sports fan and sees participating in and watching sports as a way to practice his faith.