Minnesota Now

Saturday is the fourth anniversary of the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. The civil unrest that followed his death in 2020 left its mark on the Twin Cities, with fire and other damage along parts of University Avenue, West Broadway and Lake Street. The damage, which the state priced at $500 million, was an added challenge for business owners who were already muddling through the strangeness of a new global pandemic.

Each day this week on Minnesota Now, we’re looking at a different impact of Floyd’s murder on Minnesotans. We’re zooming in on Lake Street with Allison Sharkey, executive director of Lake Street Council and Alicia Belton, one of three long-term owners who are working to bring the Coliseum Building back to life after it burned in 2020. She’s also the architect on the project and owns the firm Urban Design Perspectives.

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. If you find yourself near south Minneapolis this weekend, one way to celebrate is with beer: Arbeiter Brewing is one of just 2 percent of breweries nationwide that are Asian-American owned.

On Sunday, May 26, Arbeiter is hosting a festival with food, drinks and performances by local dance and drumming groups, plus music by Minneapolis DJ Jen-E. Brewery co-founder Juno Choi joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer with details on the upcoming Asian Phoenix Festival.

In the spring of 2020, the streets of Minneapolis and across the globe were filled with cries of “I Can’t Breathe” following the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police.

It was one of the largest global activism movements in modern times. This Saturday will mark four years since Floyd’s death. Each day this week, Minnesota Now will look at a different impact his death had on Minnesotans. On Tuesday, the focus is activism and the grassroots work that continues years after the uprising.

For more, MPR News host Cathy Wurzer talked with Leslie Redmond, who was the president of the Minneapolis NAACP at the time of Floyd’s murder and the youngest president ever elected to the role.

She has since left that position and is the founding executive director of the nonprofits Don’t Complain, Activate and Win Back, which is holding a Day of Remembrance for Floyd on Friday.

Parts of the state are facing severe weather starting this afternoon — our meteorologist joined us with the latest.

Minnesota has one of the highest shares of remote workers in the country. We talked to an analyst about why — and how this is affecting the state.

George Floyd’s murder sparked unprecedented protests across the the Twin Cites. We heard how that energy has carried into 2024.

A recently-passed bill says school libraries may not ban books based on the opinions they convey. A school librarian explained.

And many are celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with a beer — we learned more about an upcoming festival.

There were some major bills that did not pass in the chaotic last days of the Minnesota legislative session. One bill that did pass prohibits public and school libraries from banning a book “based solely on its viewpoint or the messages, ideas or opinions it conveys.” It also protects library employees from discipline against them for complying with the new rules.

Librarians have been put in the center of a culture war on books. According to PEN America, 4,349 books were banned from schools between July and December 2023, more than the entire previous school year. And that’s likely underreported. The issue has been playing out in Minnesota, too.

For more on the impact of the new law, MPR News host Cathy Wurzer talked with school librarian and the president-elect of Information and Technology Educators of Minnesota, Rachel Haider.

New data analyzed by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis has found that Minnesota has one of the higher shares of remote workers in the country and the highest in the Midwest.

Haley Chinander is an analyst with the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. She joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about her article breaking down these new numbers.

As a note, Chinander’s views are her own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Minneapolis Fed or the Federal Reserve System.

Severe weather is forecasted to roll into Minnesota Tuesday afternoon and evening. It has rained somewhere in Minnesota pretty much all day, with showers expected to turn into severe thunderstorms. Much of Minnesota is also under a flood watch, from the international border to Iowa. MPR meteorologist Sven Sundgaard joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to break it all down.

Mitsuaki Ohno may be the most dedicated Timberwolves fan to exist. He was in Minneapolis the last time the team made it to the Western Conference finals in 2004. He’s flown to a game from Japan every year since, but none may be as memorable as Sunday night’s.

Minnesota lawmakers are out of time to pass legislation. One of the bills that didn't make it was the public works infrastructure package, known around the Capitol as the bonding bill. We hear reaction from a group that represents local governments across the state.

It has been nearly four years since the murder of George Floyd. This week, we look at what's happened in that time, starting with diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

And the term “kinkeeping” is taking off online. We find out what it means and why it’s resonating with so many people.

The Timberwolves made it to the Western Conference finals! We meet a fan who traveled more than 5,000 miles to watch Sunday’s game.

Plus, a new book celebrates 40 years of Prince’s “Purple Rain.”

There’s a phrase that’s lit up across the internet recently — it’s not new, but it’s having a resurgence. The term is “kinkeeping.”

It describes the constant work required to keep a family connected. And the vast majority of that work is done by women. Whether it’s keeping family traditions or buying gifts for holidays and birthdays, much if this work is invisible.

One video on TikTok about kinkeeping has more than 12 million views. The TikTok was posted by posted by Molly Westcott, a student of Erienne Fawcett.

Fawcett is a professor of women and gender studies at Minnesota State University Moorhead. She joined MPR News Host Cathy Wurzer to talk about this relationship glue — and some of the gender inequality involved in producing it.