Minnesota Now

An immigration judge has ordered that 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his family be deported. We took a closer look into the asylum process and how judges make decisions on cases like his with an immigration attorney.

St. Paul Public Schools students returned back to fully in-person class after some opted for virtual learning during the surge of federal agents. We got an update on the transition back.

Figuring out how to pass down the family farm brings up a lot of emotions — and logistics. We talked to someone who helps families sort through it.

And a man with cancer unexpectedly got life-saving help from a snow plow.

Plus, a former state senator is detailing her love of partner dance and its health benefits in a new book.

This week, St. Paul Public Schools ended a temporary virtual learning option it began in January, when many families feared sending their children to school due to the surge of federal immigration agents to Minnesota.

At one point, about 7,000 students, roughly a fifth of the district’s student body, had taken the online option. By March 9, the number of virtual learners had shrunk to about 1,800, according to the district.

St. Paul Public Schools Office of School Support Director Kathy Kimani joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about the transition back to in-person learning.

When Ember Reichgott Junge was a young state senator representing the New Hope area in the mid-1990s, she walked into a partner dance studio looking for a husband.

She did find one, but it turns out, he doesn't dance. However, she did find a lifelong passion: a deep connection to partner dancing.

Years later, she looked into its impact on health and wellbeing — and wrote a book about it. In "The Dance of Resilience," Reichgott Junge explores the surprising ways dance can transform people’s lives and health.

She gave Minnesota Now a closer look at the book.

Minnesota Now’s series called “Thank You, Stranger” explores the small acts of kindness that make a big impact.

As the March blizzard made its way to the state, Jim Gausman was reminded of another storm that hit 20 years earlier — when he unexpectedly got life-saving help from a snow plow driver as he was fighting cancer.

Minnesota Now producer Alanna Elder spoke with Gausman about the help he received on that day in this installment of “Thank You, Stranger.”

If you have a story to share about a stranger who made your life a little brighter, we want to hear it.

Contact us at [email protected] or ‪(612) 361-1252‬.

Planning for the next generation to take on the family farm can be a huge stressor on farmers. According to a recent analysis by Farm Journal, nearly 15 percent of American cropland is projected to change hands by 2030. Yet, many producers have no formal succession plans in place.

Over the winter, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture along with University of Minnesota Extension and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, are helping farmers with that transition through retreats.

Jim Molenaar supports farmers with succession planning and presents at the retreats. He joined Minnesota Now to talk more about his work.

Fargo Police arrested a woman for bank fraud using AI facial recognition technology. But the woman is from Tennessee and says she's never been to Fargo. We hear from the Fargo Police Chief about the case and an expert on AI and policing.

The south Minneapolis Uptown neighborhood is struggling, and a new organization is hoping to revitalize the once-bustling business district.

Plus, more and more rentals in the Twin Cities metro are owned by investors. We break down the data.

With warmer weather on the way, Chief Meteorologist Paul Huttner has the forecast.

Plus, Minnesota Hmong artists will share music and poetry in a benefit concert for those impacted by the ICE surge. We talk to an organizer of the event.

A new organization is looking to get the Uptown neighborhood in south Minneapolis back on its feet. First reported by Southwest Voices, community members and business owners have been voicing concerns of an escalation of open drug use, trash littered across the business district and unhoused people and large groups loitering at the transit station and outside vacant businesses.

The newly-formed group “Uptown United” is hoping it can turn that pattern around and revitalize the neighborhood by bringing together neighbors, business owners and local leaders.

Kevin Norman is the leader of the organization, and he joined Minnesota Now to talk about his efforts.

Minnesota Hmong artists are collectively organizing a benefit concert this weekend for families and businesses impacted by the ICE surge in Minnesota. They will share music, poetry and stories about their lives Saturday night at the Pan Asian Center in Maplewood.

MPR News host Nina Moini talked with Tou SaiKo Lee, a local artist and organizer of the event titled Interwoven: A Tapestry of Resilience and Resistance.

Nearly one in 20. That’s the number of single-family rental homes in the Twin Cities metro now owned by a private investor.

The finding comes from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, which has been tracking investor ownership from 2006 to 2024.

It’s one marker of a changing real estate market amid ongoing conversations about housing affordability and ownership possibilities. The Minneapolis Fed will host an event Thursday morning where it will share more about the data.

MPR News host Nina Moini talked with Ben Horowitz, one of the presenters and part of the team behind the project.

The Fargo police chief said Tuesday the department used more than just artificial intelligence to arrest a Tennessee woman for bank fraud. The use of AI in her case has received attention after charges were dropped in December. She has maintained her innocence and says she has never been to North Dakota. MPR News reporter Harshawn Ratanpal has the story.

Plus, George Washington University law professor Andrew Guthrie Ferguson shares context on how police departments around the country are using AI and what could prevent mistaken arrests.

Read more here: Questions swirl around Fargo PD’s use of AI