If you haven’t heard his name, you’ve definitely heard his music: Minnesota native Dan Wilson is a musician and lead singer in the alternative rock group Semisonic, who hit it big with 1998’s “Closing Time.”

But as a songwriter, Dan has also written hits for dozens of artists, including Adele, The Chicks, Taylor Swift and Phantogram.

Semisonic will release their first new album in over 20 years Friday. It’s called “Little Bit of Sun.”

Dan Wilson joined MPR News reporter Nina Moini to talk about it.

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A new coalition has raised nearly $1 billion to create wealth-building opportunities for Black homeowners, entrepreneurs and commercial developers. It’s called “GroundBreak” and it is made up of more than 40 philanthropic, private and public institutions.

“It means that these resources will start flowing abundantly, reliably, and most importantly, permanently. So that aspiring homeowners, small business owners, developers can pursue the type of transformation that we want in our community,” Kevin Bennet, senior program officer for the Minneapolis-based GHR Foundation, said during a public announcement Tuesday.

The coalition grew from the murder of George Floyd, which brought to light gross inequities for Black people in Minnesota. The $1 billion investment aims to go beyond grants to transform financial systems that have long disadvantaged Black people.

MPR News reporter Nina Moini spoke with McKnight Foundation President Tonya Allen, who is helping leading this charge.

Mary Lou Falcone was a talented singer and then a publicist for some of the biggest classical musical stars of our time, like conductor Gustavo Dudamel and opera singer Renee Fleming. She has advised institutions like Carnegie Hall, the Chicago Symphony, the New York Philharmonic — the list goes on. She started her public relations career with the Saint Paul Opera back in 1974. And she returns to Minnesota this week to share her own story.

MPR News Host Cathy Wurzer spoke with Falcone about her new memoir, I Didn’t See it Coming: Scenes of Love, Loss, and Lewy Body Dementia, which details her journey of caregiving for her husband, the artist and pioneering rock ‘n’ roller Nicky Zann. He died of Lewy Body Dementia in 2020.

If you like wearing sweatshirts and jackets over your Halloween costume, you won’t mind Tuesday's forecast. For the rest of us, Minnesota proves to be the worst place in the world for trick-or-treaters, with temperatures expected to drop as low as 15 degrees in parts of the state.

A few inches of snow overnight and into the morning snarled traffic across the state, causing over 300 crashes and spinouts on Minnesota highways. MPR News guest host Nina Moini talked with Anne Meyer of MnDOT for details on Halloween road conditions.

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We attempt to make transcripts for Minnesota Now available the next business day after a broadcast. When ready they will appear here. 

The Minnesota Hockey community is mourning today after a former standout with the UMD men's hockey team died in a freak accident during a game overseas. We remember Adam Johnson.

And we hear from Palestinian Minnesotans, who are waiting with a sense of dread for news from Gaza as the death toll continues to mount.

The head of the Sahan Journal news organization announced today he is stepping down. We talk with Mukhtar Ibrahim about the decision and what comes next.

And we catch up with Minneapolis musician Mike Kota, named one of First Avenue's best new bands of 2022. We hear a bit of her new EP out next month.

Minneapolis singer-songwriter Mike Kota has had an exciting year that started back in January when she was featured in First Avenue’s Best New Bands of 2022 concert.

This past spring and summer, she opened for Hozier and Shakey Graves. Kota’s new EP, Turning a Corner, comes out Nov. 13. She joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about it.

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We attempt to make transcripts for Minnesota Now available the next business day after a broadcast. When ready they will appear here. 

The Twin Cities is expected to see its first one-inch snowfall Monday night with more snow Tuesday morning.

Tuesday’s commute could be a mess, with timid drivers relearning how to navigate slippery roads and the drive made potentially worse by the foolhardy who smugly zoom by in their four-wheel drive, only to hit a patch of ice which leads to a dramatic spinout into the median or a ditch.

Winter sparks joy for some and for others, dread. Author, podcaster and radio show host T.D. Mischke celebrates the season in his new book: “Winter’s Song: A Hymn to the North.” He joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about it ahead of a release party and book signing Monday night at the Dubliner Pub in St. Paul.

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Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.  

We attempt to make transcripts for Minnesota Now available the next business day after a broadcast. When ready they will appear here. 

The Minnesota hockey community is mourning the loss of Adam Johnson, a former Hibbing High School and University of Minnesota Duluth hockey player.

He died after a “freak accident” when his neck was cut by a skate blade during a game in England. Johnson was playing for the Nottingham Panthers and played previously in the NHL for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Johnson’s godfather and peewee hockey coach Rudy Krampotitch joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to remember him.

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

Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.  

We attempt to make transcripts for Minnesota Now available the next business day after a broadcast. When ready they will appear here. 

The head of Sahan Journal, a Minnesota news organization dedicated to immigrants and communities of color, is stepping down after five years of leading the operation.

Mukhtar Ibrahim said he’s planning to step down as publisher and CEO when the organization finds a replacement for him.

Ibrahim, who was a reporter at MPR News, said the move is personal. In a letter to readers this morning, he said the organization is “stronger than ever, with a secure financial footing, dedicated staff, a healthy organizational culture and loyal readers.” He’s grown it from a staff of four and budget of $608,000 in 2020 to its current staff of 20 and budget of $2.5 million.

Ibrahim said he is planning to take a break from work to spend more time with his family. He and his wife have three young daughters and welcomed a baby boy this June.

While on paternity leave, Ibrahim said he reflected on his and his parents’ story, and how he wanted his children’s to be different.

“In my late teens, I left Kenya with a single suitcase and moved to Minnesota. The past 18 years in America have been a whirlwind of learning, work, family and risk-taking,” he said. “I guess I inherited that risk-taking spirit from my parents. They moved across countries and continents in search of stability for their children.

“This summer, I found myself thinking about the story my girls would tell about their family. How would they remember the family experiences we’ve had together — and all the time apart?”

Sahan Journal will begin the work of finding a replacement for Ibrahim in the coming weeks.

Ibrahim joined Minnesota Now Monday at noon to talk more about the decision. Click on the audio player above to listen to the conversation.

The city of Brooklyn Center has tabled a resolution that would have made changes to police stops and searches. It’s another hiccup as the city tries to move forward and make changes after the police killing of Daunte Wright, who was pulled over because of an air freshener and expired tabs. We’ll learn where the city goes from here.

A new anthology showcases the work of a group of incarcerated writers from Minnesota prisons. We’ll hear more about how it came together.

And our Minnesota Now and Then segment tells the story of Hockey Great Henry Boucha and the incident that ended his career.

Plus we’re talking about that tough Timberwolves loss, the Gophers, Wild and other sports news with Wally and Eric.