Minnesota Now

Minnesota law enforcement agencies are bringing in an outside group to look at the response to the deadly attack on Minnesota lawmakers and their families earlier this year. We learned more about the after-action report, as well as what results it might yield.

A team of Minnesota researchers are trying to understand how bipolar disorder works in the brain. They hope to find new options for treatment.

For years, hormone replacements for menopause have carried serious warning labels. Now, federal regulators are removing those warnings. We found out what it means for patients.

Nov. 11 is Veterans Day. We heard from three Ojibwe veterans about their military service, and got details on a film festival recognizing the day.

Our Minnesota Music Minute was “I Wish I Were a Mole in the Ground” by Charlie Parr and our Song of the Day was “Muscle Memory” by Yellow Ostrich.

The Minnesota Military and Veterans Museum is partnering with Lakeland PBS and Pioneer PBS to bring the Veterans Day Film Festival 2025 across the state Tuesday. Audiences in Mankato, Stillwater and Little Falls can see three films about three different Minnesota veteran experiences.

Randal Dietrich is the executive director of the Minnesota Military and Veterans Museum in Little Falls. He called MPR News host Nina Moini from the official State of Minnesota Veterans Day Ceremony in Mankato to talk about the film festival.

An estimated 7 million adults in the U.S. live with bipolar disorder, a mental health condition that causes dramatics shifts in a person’s mood. Scientists are still learning all the neurological complexities of the disorder.

A University of Minnesota Medical research team was awarded $4.4 million for a first-in-the-world study of severe bipolar disorder. Dr. Ziad Nahas is the executive vice chair and professor in the university’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. He’s also leading the study. He joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about his team’s research on bipolar disorder.

The Food and Drug Administration has removed their black box warning label from hormone-based drugs used to treat menopause symptoms. The warning has appeared on hormone therapy treatments for nearly two decades after a landmark study found the therapy could increase risks of cancer. But now, the FDA is changing course.

Diane Feller is a certified nurse midwife and menopause practitioner at HealthPartners. She joined MPR News host Nina Moini to explain how this decision will impact patients in Minnesota.

Minnesota law enforcement agencies are hiring an outside group to review the law enforcement response to the shooting deaths of state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, and the shootings of state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette.

The after-action report by the International Association of Chiefs of Police will look at the 43 hours between the first 911 call and the gunman’s arrest.

Robert Davis is a retired police chief and led the after-action review of the city of Minneapolis’ response to the unrest following George Floyd’s murder. Robert now leads his own consulting firm doing the same type of work. He joined MPR News host Nina Moini to provide insight on the review.

The federal government shutdown is the longest in U.S. history. As lawmakers work to reach a deal, SNAP benefits for hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans hang in the balance. We'll hear how SNAP administrators in Minnesota are navigating a series of conflicting developments.

Just a few years ago, graduating college with a computer science degree pretty much guaranteed new grads a job. But how is the rise of artificial intelligence changing that?

Plus, Monday marks the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald. But exactly how it sank remains a mystery. We'll hear some of the theories.

And the Loons are advancing to the Western Conference semifinals! We'll break down this weekend's sports news with contributors Wally and Eric.

Our Minnesota Music Minute was a cover of “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by jeremy messersmith and our Song of the Day was “Storm” by Bella Casper.

Two words could sum up the latest Vikings game: false start. In football, teams get penalized when offensive players move before a play officially begins. On Sunday, Minnesota racked up eight of those false-start penalties. That’s more than any home team since 2009.

The confusion helped fuel the Vikings' loss to the Baltimore Ravens, with a final score of 19 to 27.

In soccer, Minnesota United is moving forward in the playoffs after about as close of a playoff game you can possibly get. Penalty kicks went into sudden death, which happens after no team wins in five rounds of kicks.

Minnesota Now’s regular sports contributors Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson joined host Nina Moini with the latest sports headlines.

Monday marks 50 years since the Edmund Fitzgerald took its final voyage, before getting swallowed by Lake Superior in a November storm. All 29 crew on the ship died. The story of the Fitz has become an urban legend of sorts around the Great Lakes region. Exactly what led to the ship sinking is a mystery.

A new book is dedicated to looking at the theories and telling the stories of the crew, through interviews with their family members. The book is called “The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” Its author, John U. Bacon, sat down for an interview with MPR News reporter Dan Kraker.

Just a few years ago, computer science was a lucrative major that all but guaranteed new graduates a job right out of college. But with the rise of artificial intelligence, a somewhat frozen tech job market and layoffs at major tech companies, securing an entry-level job in the industry is proving to be much more difficult.

Loren Terveen is a professor and the head of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. He joined Minnesota Now host Nina Moini to share his perspective and what he’s hearing from students.

Monday marks 50 years since the Edmund Fitzgerald took its final voyage, before getting swallowed by Lake Superior in a November storm. All 29 crew on the ship died.

MPR News was reporting on the story at the time. The day after the ship sank, MPR News reporter Claudia Hampston spoke to Erling Hansen. He was a boat engineer with experience sailing on Lake Superior. Here is Hanson’s reaction to news of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975.