Minnesota Now

One issue that sticks out from the historic halt of the federal government has been the wobbling of the food assistance money meant for 440,000 Minnesotans.

Over the weekend, there was a back-and-forth in the courts over SNAP. In that time, Minnesota leaders said they fully restored SNAP benefits. But now it’s unclear whether that money is available from the federal government.

Minnesota and its SNAP administrators across the counties are navigating these conflicting developments. Barb Dahl is the Scott County Human Services director and joined Minnesota Now to share the latest she’s seeing in SNAP benefits.

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is one of many airports nationwide that has been forced to cancel flights starting Friday due to staff shortages amidst the government shutdown. We hear how upcoming travel plans may be impacted.

Women go through a big physical and mental change in midlife, but experts think that menopause is not talked about nearly enough.

MPR News reporter Dan Gunderson is retiring after nearly 40 years of storytelling out of Moorhead. We look back at his illustrious career.

Many Minnesotans are trying to dodge the glum mood that often comes with darker days in the winter. We get some tips.

Plus, books published in Hmong are relatively rare. We talk to someone who's changing that.

The Minnesota Music Minute was “Push and Pull” by Jaedyn James. The Song of the Day was “Spandrel” by Jacob Pavek.

Books written or translated into Hmong are relatively rare. It's estimated there are no more than 1,000 different book titles in Hmong. A new initiative called the Untamed Roots Collective is trying to change that in an effort to sustain and revitalize the language.

This weekend, Untamed Roots Collective is launching self-published books in Hmong from more than a dozen authors. Kha Yang Xiong is an author and leader of the project. She joined MPR News host Nina Moini to share more.

The sun came up at 6:59 a.m. Thursday morning in St. Paul and set around 4:54 p.m. in the afternoon. In this next installment of Professional Help, we get some advice for taking care of our mental health and adjusting to the darkest months of the year.

Our ask: Help me cope with shorter days

Our professional: Cecilia Bloomquist, the behavioral health director at Sawtooth Mountain Clinic in Cook County.

Menopause is an often overlooked stage of life, but experts believe its impact on women’s lives deserves a lot more attention and research.

A conference happening Thursday in Minneapolis is bringing together leaders, health care experts and advocates to bring midlife women’s health to the forefront. The conference is being put on by the local organization, Let’s Talk Women. Founder Katie Severt joined MPR News host Nina Moini to share more.

MPR News reporter Dan Gunderson retires on Friday. He spent decades reporting Native American stories in the Fargo-Moorhead region.

Dan has highlighted many community members from the White Earth Nation, including artists, tribal leaders and those working on land return efforts. He was at Standing Rock, reporting from the camp during the 2016 pipeline standoff in North Dakota. He also covered many other stories including boarding school history, wild rice harvests and cultural reclamation.

Native News editor Leah Lemm spoke with Dan Gunderson about his reporting on tribal nations as a non-Native journalist.

Starting Friday, airlines will cancel flights at busy airports across the country, including the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration directed airlines to cut traffic by 10 percent to keep travelers safe during the government shutdown.

Air traffic controllers have been working without pay since October 1 and that has exacerbated staffing problems. The shutdown is now the longest in United States history.

Gunnar Olson, a reporter and podcast host with Thrifty Traveler joined MPR News host Nina Moini with advice for passengers.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has won a third term. Frey took the win after officials counted the second round of ranked-choice ballots.

In St. Paul, Kaohly Her had a historic win over incumbent Mayor Melvin Carter. We trace her path to victory.

In Duluth, residents voted to pass "right to repair," a ballot initiative aimed at supporting renters.

Chief meteorologist Paul Huttner shares the chance of snow in the forecast.

Plus, we learn about actor Santino Fontana's Minnesota roots ahead of his new film.

A state agency is dedicated to bringing film production to Minnesota. We hear how they are hoping to attract filmmakers to the state.

The Minnesota Music Minute is “Stop the Rain” by Kaatwalk and “Run Around” by fruitform is the Song of the Day.

The state of Minnesota has an office dedicated specifically to get movies made in the state. The Explore Minnesota Film office launched last year. Its staff are scouting locations across the state to help filmmakers bring their movies to life.

Explore Minnesota Film Deputy Director Nell Lawrenz-Wareham joined MPR News host Nina Moini to share more about the effort.

Before he was Prince Hans in "Frozen," Santino Fontana performed at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. Now the Minnesota-trained actor stars alongside Martin Sheen in "Lost and Found in Cleveland," opening in theaters Friday.

Fontana spoke with MPR’s Jacob Aloi about his path from the Guthrie to Hollywood — and his new film.