Minnesota Now

It may sound strange, but the hospital in Mahnomen, Minnesota won’t have hospital stays for its patients anymore.

The tiny hospital is converting to a rural emergency hospital, leaving many rural Minnesotans far from in-patient care. It’s the first to do so in Minnesota after the option was created in at the start of 2023, but probably won’t be the last. These kinds of hospitals have emergency department services and observation care — however, that care cannot exceed an annual average of 24 hours.

Why make this move? The latest data from the Minnesota Department of Health shows that in 2019, 38 percent of rural Minnesota health care systems have been in the red for more than four years. For more on the situation, MPR News host Cathy Wurzer talked with Dale Kruger, the hospital administrator of Mahnomen Health Center.

The Minnesota Department of Health will hold a public hearing on April 30 at 6 p.m. on the transition to a rural emergency hospital.

Minnesotans love to talk about the weather. And that includes the weather wherever it’s happening, like on the surface of the sun.

The northern lights are a good example. Bursts of energy from the sun pull on the earth’s magnetic field and cause the neon green, purple and yellow waves we see in the sky. For a long time, that was the only way the sun’s geomagnetic storms were noticeable to life on this planet. But severe solar weather can also upset technologies we now depend on, like the electric grid and satellite systems. A severe storm — and it’s not clear if or when one will happen — could spell disaster for every sector of the economy.

University of Minnesota Agronomy and Plant Genetics Professor Kathryn Draeger has become fluent in these risks in recent years, after she went on sabbatical and found herself in a solar weather wormhole. She joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer from this year’s Space Weather Workshop in Boulder, Colo.

The theater production of the Lion King is many things: iconic, awe-inspiring, exciting and overwhelming for people with sensory differences and disabilities. Hennepin Theater Trust partnered with Fraser, a local non-profit for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, to put on a sensory-friendly version of the show.

Its changes include lower sound levels, freedom to get up and move around the theater, sensory rooms and trained staff. The performance is Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Orpheum Theater in St. Paul.

Heather Thelen and her son Ben plan to attend and she joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about it.

The family of Ricky Cobb II announced on Wednesday that they’re filing a lawsuit against two state troopers who were on the scene when he was shot and killed in July 2023. State trooper Ryan Londregan shot Cobb during an attempted arrest at a traffic stop, and his partner trooper Brett Seide was with him.

MPR News reporter Estelle Timar-Wilcox has been following the situation. She joined MPR News guest host Emily Bright for a debrief on the situation.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says racism can negatively impact the health of children and adolescents, and the doctor’s office is one of the places where kids may experience racial bias.

A team of Minnesota doctors asked Black and brown kids aged 11 to 18 about their experience in a recent study. Then, the researchers talked to their parents.

Dr. Emily McTate is a pediatric psychologist with the Mayo Clinic and one of the authors of a study published earlier this year. She joined MPR News guest host Emily Bright to share about the project and its findings.

Lawmakers are pushing to include a mandatory cellphone policy for Minnesota schools as part of the 2024 education policy bill. The bill is heading back to the Minnesota Senate after passing the House last week. The policy aims to curb student cellphone use in state high schools, citing a toxic culture around cellphones, distractions and deterring human interaction. DFL state Rep. Sandra Feist co-authored the bill after reading about how cellphones are severely affecting the development of children.

However, some teens are ahead of this bill. A small but growing number of young people have decided it's not worth it to have a smartphone. They’re taking control of their mental health and focus by ditching smartphones altogether. One of those young people is Leo Huppke, a sophomore at the University of Minnesota.

MPR News guest host Emily Bright spoke with both Feist and Huppke to hear about the ramifications of excessive cellphone use from both ends of the spectrum.

MPR News Chief Meteorologist Paul Huttner joined MPR News guest host Emily Bright to give us the latest on Minnesota weather.

He shared the latest rainfall numbers and whether it’ll make a dent in the weekly drought monitoring. The forecast seems to be brightening up, but with a bite—frost might be on the way. Plus, the possibility of adding a Category 6 to the hurricane scale.

It’s Minnesota Fashion Week, and men’s mental health is hitting the runway on Thursday night.

The show is called MAN DOWN, and curator Gayle Smaller Jr. is partnering with local nonprofits to raise awareness — and funds — for men’s mental health, which often flies under the radar. According to the American Psychological Association, over 30 percent of men will suffer from depression at some point in their life, and stigma around men’s mental health means many won’t seek treatment.

Gayle Smaller Junior is the curator of MAN DOWN and one of the producers for Minnesota Fashion Week. He joined MPR News guest host Emily Bright to share the inspiration behind the show, and what change he hopes to see come about.

The family of a man who was shot and killed by a state trooper during a traffic stop is suing. We heard about the federal lawsuit from the family of Ricky Cobb II against two state troopers.

A bill at the State Capitol would require school districts to create rules for cell phone use. Meanwhile, some young people raised in the age of smartphones are giving them up all on their own. We spoke with a college student who took that leap about what it’s like on the other side.

Chief Meteorologist Paul Huttner joined us to share just how much rain we got across the state. Plus, we learn about a fashion show putting men’s mental health in the spotlight.

A study found Saint Paul is vulnerable to extreme heat and poor air quality, and Ramsey County is adopting a Climate Equity Action Plan with goals to keep residents safe and healthy. The county’s Climate Action Planner joined the show to talk about it.

We talked to an expert about why students in special education classes are missing school at alarming rates.

There’s a rise in multigenerational families living together in Minnesota. Senior economics contributor Chris Farrell joined to talk about why.

Tensions are high between the White Earth Nation and Becker County over a plan to give land back to that native nation.

We heard from the head coach of the Minnesota Lynx about the two new players drafted to the team.