Minnesota Now

It’s been two weeks since the city of Minneapolis opened applications for emergency rent relief. The fund was created after some immigrant families couldn’t pay rent, because they were too scared to leave their homes and go to work during Operation Metro Surge.

The $2 million rent relief fund is being administered through Hennepin County, along with three partner organizations. And we’re going to check in on the progress of the program.

Will Lehman is the area manager of homelessness prevention for Hennepin County and Jackie Pérez, vice president of programs at CLUES, Minnesota’s largest Latino-led nonprofit organization, and a community partner organization helping disperse rent relief funding.

Minneapolis’ Research in Action CEO Brittany Lewis says that too often, institutions conduct research on communities without including them, and that their findings never reach the people they are supposed to help.

Lewis is out with a book Tuesday that outlines a different framework. It’s called "Building a New Table: A Community-Centered Handbook for Transformative Social Change." She talked with MPR News host Nina Moini about how she realized she wanted to put her new book into the world and what it looks like when research does not effectively include the communities they are supposed to be focused on.

Lewis will celebrate the launch of her book at the Loft Literary Center on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

During Operation Metro Surge, thousands of people detained by federal immigration agents ended up getting put on a plane and flown to detention centers out of state. According to an analysis by Sahan Journal, 3,400 people were flown to Texas. And as of early March, 530 remained there. It’s unclear now how many are still in detention today.

One detainee's experience has gotten the attention of lawmakers. First reported by the Minnesota Reformer, Andrea Pedro-Francisco of Burnsville has a tennis ball-sized ovarian cyst. She was scheduled to have surgery to treat the cyst, but was detained days before it could happen.

While in ICE detention, Andrea says she has not gotten the medical care she needs for her cyst. Democrat U.S. Representative Angie Craig, whose district includes Burnsville, went down to visit Andrea at Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas, on Monday. Congresswomen Angie Craig talked to MPR News host Nina Moini about her visit.

The state Senate will vote Monday on a package of gun violence protection bills. It includes a ban on assault weapons and restrictions on ghost guns. More from supporters and opponents of the legislation that's been a central debate this session.

It was decision day for many high school seniors this weekend, as they chose where they will be headed in the fall for college. Thousands of those students could get free tuition at Minnesota schools thanks to the North Star Promise program. A check in on the program ahead.

And the Wild and the Wolves are starting the second round of their playoffs. It's the first time in Minnesota history that's happened.

Our Minnesota Music Minute was a performance of Gustav Mahler’s “ Symphony No. 5” by the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony.

Hockey and basketball fans in Minnesota are in the middle of a playoff bonanza. For the first time ever, the Timberwolves and Wild have both advanced to second rounds in the same year. And the Minnesota Frost have just begun their playoff run.

Minnesota Now sports contributor Eric Nelson joined Minnesota Now with latest in the playoffs and a big announcement about the World No. 1 golf player coming to Minnesota.

High school seniors across Minnesota just locked in their plans for higher education next year on College Decision Day, May 1. Thousands of those students will have the opportunity for free tuition at Minnesota state and tribal colleges through the state program called North Star Promise. Students with yearly family incomes less than $80,000 are applying now for the third year of the program. It’s made to help them access an education that may not have been financially feasible before.

The program is believed to be a factor in boosting enrollment at Minnesota state schools, who have seen the largest single-year enrollment increase since 2010.

Meghan Flores, the director of state financial aid programs, spoke to Minnesota Now host Nina Moini about how the program has grown over the last three years.

The state Senate is on the floor Monday to vote on a major gun violence prevention bill. It has been a core part of the conversation around the mass shooting at Annunciation church and school in south Minneapolis last August. The bill covers many different angles around gun violence — mental health and school safety, assault weapons, ghost guns and red flag laws.

Minnesota Now host Nina Moini spoke to two people on both sides of the issue. Maggiy Emery is the executive director of Protect Minnesota, a gun violence prevention group. And Anna Leamy is the director of government affairs and advocacy at the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, a gun owners advocacy group.

MPR News reviewed a document that shows dozens of Minneapolis police officers worked with a Homeland Security Task Force. This comes as some are skeptical about relationship between local police and federal agencies after the surge of ICE agents this winter.

Minnesota is also close to passing the nation's first ban on the use of artificial intelligence that generates fake nude images of real people.

Plus, an effort is being launched to train Minnesotans on how to tell their stories about the ICE surge in the state.

Also, this weekend, West St. Paul will celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a parade.

And, we bid farewell to MPR News chief meteorologist Paul Huttner who’s retiring with a special lookback at his career.

The Minnesota Music Minute was “Spirit Horse” by Annie Humphrey. The Song of the Day was “I Will Dare” by the Replacements.

Minnesota is on track to become the first state to ban the use of nudification technologies. These are AI tools that take images of real people and create fake nude photos or videos. Under federal law, it’s a crime to share intimate content, including deepfakes, without consent. Now state lawmakers are trying to stop that content at its source. The bill passed the Senate unanimously Wednesday and now heads to Governor Walz’s desk.

Joining Minnesota Now to talk about this is someone who championed this legislation after being harmed by these technologies, Molly Kelley.

This weekend, the West Side of St. Paul will come to life with music, dancing, and colorful cars.

The annual Cinco de Mayo event kicks off Friday with a car show and continues into Saturday with a parade and performances. Organizers of the celebration of Mexican culture say they want to lift people’s spirits after a winter that was challenging for many in the community.

Minnesota Now host Nina Moini spoke with Santino Franco, co-chairman of West Side Fiestas, the group behind the event, to learn more about the celebration.