A new study from the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association looks at the impact of tribal gaming for the first time in seven years. According to the study, in 2023 tribal casinos employed more than 10,000 people statewide, about 70 percent of whom worked full time jobs.

The report also found tribal casinos in Minnesota purchased more than $600 million in goods and services for ongoing operations, and more than half of that amount was purchased from Minnesota vendors.

In total, tribal casinos generate $1.7 billion in economic activity for the state.

MPR News Native News reporter Melissa Olson broke down the details of the report with Minnesota Now host Nina Moini.

Some 140,000 Minnesotans work in construction. And job growth in the construction industry has continued to outpace the overall economy in recent years, according to the state Department of Employment and Economic Development.

A survey of more than 170 construction businesses shows a slightly less optimistic outlook from within the industry for 2026 than previous years. The survey was carried out by the Associated General Contractors of Minnesota, a trade group for contractors across the state.

Tim Worke heads the organization and joined Minnesota Now host Nina Moini to talk more about the results.

Chances are, you’re getting a lot of ads right now inviting you to celebrate the holidays by spending money. The U.S. economy is lopsided toward this time of year. Retailers rely on holiday shopping. And nonprofits, too, depend on end-of-year donations.

For the latest in our series Professional Help we asked an expert how to prioritize giving back during the holidays.

Our ask: Help me give back during the holidays

Our professional: Nathan Dungan, president and CEO of Share Save Spend

HandsOn Twin Cities has this guide for volunteering during the holidays.

Increased Immigrations and Customs Enforcement actions in Minnesota this month have drawn, likely, thousands of community protesters and observers. And confrontations between ICE agents and community members have been chaotic.

Today, six Minnesota residents along with the ACLU of Minnesota filed a lawsuit against ICE, alleging that agents have interfered with their rights to free speech and peaceful assembly and have subjected them to harassment, intimidation and unlawful detentions.

For more information on the legal case, MPR News host Nina Moini talked with Alicia Granse, an ACLU of Minnesota staff attorney who is leading the lawsuit.

Six Minnesota residents and the ACLU of Minnesota are suing Immigration and Customs Enforcement alleging agents violated rights to free speech and peaceful assembly. The lawsuit comes after recent immigration enforcement actions resulted in chaotic confrontations between community members and federal agents.

Minnesota's restaurant industry is on edge as ICE continues to detain and arrest scores of people in the Twin Cities. A prominent chef and restaurant owner shared how he is dealing with the situation.

And lawyers for a couple charged with driving off with a Homeland Security agent in their vehicle are disputing prosecutors' version of events.

Plus, we met a local musician creating original Hanukkah music.

Prints from a Minnesota studio are among those on display as a part of novel exhibit at the Print Center New York. The project, called “Data Consciousness: Reframing Blackness in Contemporary Print,” is inspired by the ground-breaking data visualization work of W.E.B. Du Bois presented at the 1900 Paris Exposition, which sought to present various aspects of Black life after Reconstruction.

This contemporary exhibit draws on updated data from official records, archives and oral testimonies to provide a contemporary look into the same themes explored by Du Bois.

MPR News host Nina Moini talked with one of the artists behind the show, William Villalongo, along with Alex Blaisdell, gallery director at Highpoint Center for Printmaking in Minneapolis.

This week, the Jewish community is celebrating Hanukkah. During the holiday season, people often turn to music to get into the holiday spirit. But there is not nearly as much festive Hanukkah music as there is Christmas music. A local musician is trying to change that.

Adam Bohanan is putting on a show called “A Very Funky Hanukkah Show,” Thursday night at The Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis where he will share some new original Hanukkah tunes. He joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about it.

Working in the back-of-house at many restaurants in Minnesota, you’ll find a Hispanic or Latino employee. Government labor data shows that the most common occupations for Hispanic or Latino Minnesotans are chefs and cooks. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement have detained hundreds of people in the Twin Cities this month, including many from Latin American countries. ICE agents are now in their third week of an operation in the metro area and their increased activity has put the restaurant industry on edge.

For perspective, MPR News host Nina Moini talked with Gustavo Romero, co-owner and chef of the restaurant Oro by Nixta in Minneapolis.

Gov. Tim Walz signed two executive orders to address gun violence across the state Tuesday. We heard reaction from the state lawmaker who represents the area of south Minneapolis where the Annunciation school shooting took place.

The governor's executive orders come days after a shooting at a high school in southern Minnesota last Friday left one student dead and the Stewartville community reeling.

It's been a turbulent year for farmers. We heard from one of the state's three agricultural mental health specialists on the challenges they're facing.

A Minnesota nonprofit is among a list of organizations that has won grant money from the foundation arm of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT.

Songs recorded decades ago by Minnesota folklorist Ellen Stekert are being released for the first time — with the restoration help of artificial intelligence.

Our Minnesota Music Minute was "Streetlights" by Minnesota artist Crescent Moon + Big Trouble. Our Song of the Day was “Gold Tide” by middleson.

Minnesota folklorist and musician Ellen Stekert has released a new album for the first time in decades. But the songs on “Go Ahead Around Songs, Vol. 1” are not new recordings.

They were cut years ago in the 1950s and 1960s and were never formally released. With the help of artificial intelligence, those archival recordings have now been restored and assembled into a collection.

In addition to her music, Stekert is a pioneering scholar in folklore studies. She taught for many years at the University of Minnesota and became Minnesota’s first state folklorist in 1976. Stekert joined MPR News host Nina Moini along with Ross Wylde, who helped produce the album.