This week, Iowans along a 500-mile stretch of road set up tents and tables to welcome a record-breaking 28,000 bicyclists crossing the state.

The register's annual great bicycle ride across Iowa, known as RAGBRAI for short, began 50 years ago this summer.

Minnesota Now Producer Alanna Elder is biking along with them. She talked with MPR News guest host Emily Bright.

If you happened to be at Allianz Field in St. Paul on Sunday, you heard fans singing ‘Wonderwall’ in unison. That's the sound of a Minnesota United win.

The Loons beat Mexican team Club Puebla Sunday night, four - nil. Emanuel Reynoso scored the last point, a free kick, in the game's 65th minute.

Andy Greder covers the team for the Saint Paul Pioneer Press. He talked with MPR News host Emily Bright about the team’s success, the Minnesota Aurora’s equally strong season and rising star power in Major League Soccer.

Minneapolis-based musician Kashimana has had a busy summer, and it’s just getting started with the birth of their new album, “Phantom Cries,” which comes out this week. The album sings out about the joys and pain of motherhood, from the birth cries of the song “Only Human” to its concluding “Bigger Than My Body.”

MPR’s Emily Bright speaks with Kashimana about songwriting and motherhood.

We have entered into a week of seriously warm summer weather. The heat index is expected to reach 100 to 105 for southern Minnesota mid-week. That's just below the excessive heat definition.

Does that idea leave you feeling... sluggish? Perhaps overwhelmed? You’re not alone. Psychiatric studies show that extreme heat can have a negative effect on mental health. We thought here in Minnesota we might need a little support handling the hot weather this week, so MPR’s Emily Bright spoke with Dr. Kristi White, clinical health psychologist and professor at the University of Minnesota, about how heat affects our mental health.

If you've got young kids in your life, you know: life can get really stressful really fast. One minute, you're calmly eating lunch, and the next...somebody spilled milk, somebody kicked somebody else, and someone needs your help right this minute. It's a lovely practice to be present in the moment, even the hard ones, but that's easier said than done.

Bloomington’s Kelly Smith is a parent and has been teaching yoga and meditation to other parents for years. And they always had the same questions—’how can I be more present?’ And ‘how do I realistically start meditating’ when there's a whole lot of activity happening in my house? MPR’s Emily Bright speaks with Kelly about her book, "Mindful in Minutes: Meditation for the Modern Family" to answer those questions.

A week from tomorrow, recreational marijuana will be legal in Minnesota. We’ll explore how communities across the state are approaching retail marijuana sales.

And sometimes staying present with kids at home is tricky — we hear from a meditation coach on how the whole family can keep their cool this summer.

We're in for a blazing hot week — you might find yourself feeling sluggish. A psychologist tells us about the effects of heat on mental health.

Minnesota United had a big win this weekend — more on the team’s success.

And the amazing musician Kashimana shares music from her new album, out this week.

Around the country, Republican-led states have cracked down on gender-affirming care services for minors.

Twenty states have banned such care — including North Dakota, South Dakota and Iowa. Meanwhile, 13 states – including Minnesota – have gone the opposite direction and enacted legal protections for patients seeking gender care and for providers.

On Sunday, National Public Radio is set to air a special feature that delves into the realities on the ground for transgender youth and their families, along with medical providers in two states – Utah, which has adopted restrictions, and Minnesota, which has added legal protections for care.

MPR political reporter Dana Ferguson talked with MPR News host Cathy Wurzer about her reporting along with KUER reporter Saige Miller, who joined us from Salt Lake City.

Officials have released some details about the shooting of three Fargo police officers last week, and promised more details about the investigation Friday. They suggested the suspect, who was driving a car filled with weapons, was planning a larger attack somewhere in Fargo. Dan Gunderson reports.

A new drug is changing the conversation around obesity in the United States. Back in 2021, the Food and Drug Administration approved a new weight-loss medication, Wegovy in 2021. It has the same active ingredient — semaglutide — as the diabetes drug, Ozempic.

The drugs have become so popular that their manufacturers couldn’t keep up with demand and some pharmacies are still seeing shortages.

Some patients say they’ve vastly improved their lives. There are also critics who worry these drugs are being too widely used for cosmetic weight loss and feeding into an obsession with thinness. And then there’s the question of price and access.

Clearly, it’s a complicated issue! Here to help explain are two doctors: One, an obesity specialist, and another focused on eating disorders.

MPR News Host Cathy Wurzer spoke with Dr. Aaron Kelly, co-director of the Center for Pediatric Obesity Medicine at the University of Minnesota, and Dr. Mary Bretzman, who specializes in eating disorders with Accanto Health, the parent company of The Emily Program.

Storms did a fair amount of damage across Minnesota Wednesday night.

On the plus side, some areas even got a helpful dose of rain. But overall, the state's drought condition is becoming more desperate as we deal with another year of what's called a "flash drought."

Since last week, drought conditions in spots of central and southeast Minnesota moved from "severe" to "extreme."

Assistant State Climatologist Pete Boulay spoke with MPR News host Cathy Wurzer about the latest drought report.