Minnesota Now

Dorothy’s ruby slippers have returned to Minnesota on the heels of a new indictment for their theft … after all, there’s no place like home.

TikTok is looking at a potential nationwide ban. Minnesota TikTok stars joined the show to talk about what that might mean for them — with a surprising legal angle.

While most American religious communities have seen a decline, Islam has become more popular. We spoke with two leaders in the Muslim community.

State lawmakers have filed a record number of bills this year. Starting Monday, most will be on the chopping block.

Chances are you’ve already heard about the gossip from across the pond that’s reached a fever pitch. We spoke to a local Brit about Kate Middleton’s mysterious disappearance.

The future of the popular app TikTok is in limbo. TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company. And lawmakers and intelligence officials worry it could be used to spy on Americans or interfere with an election.

The House of Representatives passed legislation last week giving TikTok two choices, find a buyer, or face a nationwide ban. The bill faces an uncertain future in the Senate, but President Joe Biden indicated he would sign the law.

Two local TikTok content creators, Dillon and Suzanne White, use their two million follower platform to share life with four kids, with life advice and commentary on national issues sprinkled into the mix. They are the husband-and-wife duo known as @dadchats and @momchats respectively.

The duo joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to discuss the TikTok ban.

All around the world, people are asking the question: Where’s Kate?

We’re talking, of course, about the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton.

In January, a statement from the palace stated she had undergone abdominal surgery and would return to public engagements after two weeks. However, when two months went by without a public appearance from the Princess of Wales, a multitude of theories began circulating, from cosmetic surgery to a potential affair.

People around the world became suspicious when the palace put out a photo of Kate and her kids on U.K. Mother’s Day that had visibly altered in Photoshop. It was so egregious that many global media companies wouldn’t publish the photo.

Simon Husbands was born and raised in the U.K., moving to the U.S. in 1997. He keeps in touch with his roots by hosting True Brit! on KFAI radio. Husbands joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to weigh in on what’s going on with the Princess of Wales — and what the larger implications might be.

A Burnsville woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury for illegally providing the guns that killed three first responders. We'll break down the charges as she makes her first appearance before a judge.

The Hennepin County attorney and the Minneapolis police chief at odds over how to handle juvenile crime. We'll talk to Chief O'Hara.

A state lawmaker is trying to fill in the hole of a news desert, by starting a local news outlet.

It’s Pi Day! There isn't a better way to celebrate than talking to the iconic Rustic Inn Cafe.

And free agency season means, there will be some new players in purple and gold for the Vikings. We'll look at the trades and signed contracts, along with the Big Ten men’s basketball tournament.

The Minneapolis Police Department and the Hennepin County Attorney’s office are trying to crack down on juvenile car thefts. But they seem to be disagreeing on how to go about it.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty presented the latest findings on youth auto thefts to a city council committee on Wednesday.

Moriarty says her office’s youth auto theft diversion program is working, but it can only do so much. In order for juveniles to be required to utilize the resources the attorney’s office provides, they need to be charged with the crime.

However, there's a big gap between reported auto thefts and cases being charged. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about it.

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

A federal grand jury has indicted a Twin Cities woman for allegedly buying five guns for Shannon Gooden, the man who fatally shot three first responders in Burnsville in February before killing himself.

Gooden was ineligible to own firearms because of a felony conviction. But prosecutors say his girlfriend — 35-year-old Ashely Anne Dyrdahl — bought handguns and rifles for him.

MPR News Correspondent Matt Sepic joined MPR News Host Cathy Wurzer with the latest.

You may hear the term “news desert” — a place that doesn’t have a local news source — and picture a rural area.

But research by Northwestern University finds that suburbs around the country have seen some of the most dramatic losses of newspapers in recent years.

Even when there’s at least one local outlet, a closure can leave a gaping hole in a community.

Take Minnesota: all of the state’s counties have at least one local news source, according to Northwestern. But the state has lost more than a third of its newspapers since 2005. Some closed. Others were absorbed into bigger publications.

People have felt this trend in places like Woodbury, where the newspaper The Bulletin shuttered in 2020. Now former DFL state senator Kathy Saltzman is part of an effort to create a new local news outlet there.

She joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about it.

It’s déjà vu at the Target Center this week. The NCAA Big Ten tournament is in town, only this time, it’s the men’s basketball teams competing for 14 colleges in the eastern and midwestern U.S.

Wally Langfellow joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer live from the tournament. Langfellow is the founder of Minnesota Score Magazine and the co-host of the 10,000 Takes sports talk show.

Eric Nelson, the other host of 10,000 Takes and Vikings reporter for CBS Sports, also joined the conversation to talk about the latest in Minnesota sports.

There’s only one day a year made for lovers of math and dessert. And that’s March 14, or 3.14, the first three digits of the infinite, irrational number Pi.

Minnesota Now’s “What’s For Lunch?” series is counting pie as lunch on Pi Day.

MPR News host Cathy Wurzer talked to Callie Hoff, the assistant manager at the iconic Rustic Inn Cafe on the North Shore, where she was busy serving pies made from scratch.

A source tells MPR News a grand jury convened in connection to the shooting of three Burnsville first responders and straw purchasing may be involved. And Duluth is being left in the dark as billionaire Kathy Cargill buys up properties in Park Point. The North Shore relies on seasonal tourism but the pandemic and unusual weather have slowed things down. And March is off to a warm, dry start, but it may be cooling down soon. MPR's chief meteorologist gives us the latest. Plus, the first Black woman jockey is remembered in a middle-grade book written by her brother, who will be in the state to talk to a nonprofit helping kids find confidence through horses.