Minnesota Now

Cleanup continues in southeastern Minnesota after several tornadoes ripped through over the weekend. We checked in with the Olmsted County sheriff about the damage and recovery efforts. And we got a tornado season forecast from our meteorologist.

Recent cyberattacks on Spring Lake Park schools and Winona County have local officials wondering how they can better protect their systems. A cybersecurity expert had some insight and tips.

We heard from a local organization about how the surge of federal immigration agents in Minnesota affected people facing domestic violence.

We got more from Jessie Diggins' retirement celebration and our sports contributors recapped the start of playoffs for the Wild and Timberwolves.

Our Minnesota Music Minute was "Still I Rise," composed by Rosephanye Powell and performed by the Twin Cities Women’s Choir. Our Song of the Day was “Sideways” by Good Morning Bedlam.

As federal immigration enforcement ramped up earlier this year, many Minnesotans were living with a heightened sense of fear and uncertainty. Advocates say that fear extended beyond workplaces and schools, shaping how, or whether, survivors of domestic violence sought help.

Leaders at Esperanza United, a Minnesota-based organization supporting survivors of gender-based violence in Latino communities, say they saw significant changes in how people navigated safety during “Operation Metro Surge.”

Vivian Huelgo, president and CEO of Esperanza United, spoke with MPR News host Nina Moini about what survivors experienced during that time, and the stressors they still face now.

The Timberwolves and the Wild play tonight in each of their second games of their best-of-7 series. The Minnesota Timberwolves lost in their first game against the Denver Nuggets. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Wild had a strong start against the Dallas Stars.

Joining Minnesota Now to talk about the teams playoff runs and other sports news are sports contributors Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson.

Severe weather season is off to a busy start, with several tornadoes. The National Weather Service has reported 11 tornadoes so far, though some may end up being duplicates. There have also been 68 total severe weather reports so far which includes hail and damaging winds.

It’s the most active start to severe weather season since 2022.

MPR meteorologist Sven Sundgaard joined Minnesota Now host Nina Moini to talk about the outlook for severe weather for the rest of the year.

Two recent cyberattacks have highlighted the risk that hackers pose to local governments.

Last week, Spring Lake Park School District canceled school for two days after its technology team learned an outside actor had infiltrated its systems. A week before that, Winona County took its systems offline in response to its second cyberattack this year — the first was in January. Both Spring Lake Park schools and Winona County said they were working with law enforcement and cybersecurity consultants to understand what happened.

Cyberattacks are becoming more common and more advanced, according to the state’s information technology agency, MNIT. Local governments and contractors reported 269 cybersecurity incidents to the state between December 2024 and November 2025 — that averages to about five incidents a week.

Faisal Kaleem is director of cybersecurity and cyber operations programs at Metro State University. He joined Minnesota Now host Nina Moini to talk about a growing trend of cyberattacks.

Residents of Olmsted County in southeastern Minnesota are continuing cleanup efforts after storms over the weekend produced at least five tornadoes, according to crews with the National Weather Service. Those touched down in Stewartville and Marion Township, which are around 10 miles south of Rochester.

Olmsted County Sheriff Kevin Torgerson joined Minnesota Now host Nina Moini to talk about the extent of the damage and the cleanup efforts underway.

The U.S. senate overturned a ban on mining in the Boundary Waters Thursday. It's a win for mining companies — and a loss for environmentalists who say mining will pollute the region. We heard from a Minnesotan in the mining industry.

And a New York Times reporter shared what she learned by talking with dozens of former and current DHS employees.

A St. Paul elementary school will soon launch a historic Afrocentric curriculum for its majority Black student body.

Plus, we heard from a documentary filmmaker following the Jacob Wetterling murder case — after it was closed — through the perspective of the Wetterling family.

And we spoke to a Duluth writer who wrote a book about the best hikes in the country.

The Minnesota Music Minute was “St. Paul” by Anchorhead.

In fall of 2026, a St. Paul elementary school will transform itself with a new learning model. Benjamin E. Mays, which currently runs under the International Baccalaureate — or IB — program, will instead be centered around an Afrocentric program and curriculum.

It's been years in the making and it’s historic as Benjamin E. Mays will become one of the only Afrocentric schools in the state.

Danielle Hughes, principal of Benjamin E. Mays, and Stacie Stanley, superintendent of St. Paul Public Schools, spoke to Minnesota Now about the program.

For most Minnesotans, Jacob Wetterling’s case is closed.

But for those closest to the 1989 kidnapping and murder of the 11-year-old boy in Stearns County, this is never really over.

It took 27 years for the case to be solved. A new documentary sticks with Jacob’s family for years after his killer confessed and went to prison.

That documentary is called “Echoes in the Night: The Search for Jacob Wetterling.” It premieres Saturday at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival. Director Chris Newberry joined Minnesota Now to talk more about the film.

Whiplash, chaotic, dangerous and unsustainable. These are some of the ways a new report describes the accounts of former and current immigration agents and officials under the Trump administration.

It comes from a new piece by the New York Times that gives a rare behind-the-scenes look into Trump’s Department of Homeland Security.

The team of reporters spoke with more than 80 former and current D.H.S. employees as well as Justice Department officials. This list includes ICE agents, lawyers and top leadership.

They shared reflections on the last year plus, from Election Day 2024, through Operation Metro Surge and up to the replacement of former DHS secretary Kristi Noem in early March.

Rachel Poser was one of the reporters on the story and she joined Minnesota Now to talk more about the story.