Children of color and children on the autism spectrum are less likely to know how to swim than their peers. MPR News host Angela Davis talks about efforts to bring water safety and swim lessons to communities most at risk.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year … unless you’re running late, the roads are icy and someone races past you and then cuts you off.

According to a Pew Research Center study, about half of Americans say people in their area are driving more dangerously than before the pandemic.

And aggressive driving is one of the leading causes of traffic deaths in Minnesota.

As more of us tense up and hit the roads over the next few weeks, MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about how badly some people are driving and the angry responses of other drivers.

Guests:

• Mike Hanson is the director of the Office of Traffic Safety for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.




• Ryan Martin is the dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay where he is also a psychology professor who researches and writes about anger.

If you see unsafe driving on state highways that does not need immediate attention, you can report it to the State Patrol: Report unsafe driving | Minnesota Department of Public Safety

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.  

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.     

Have you fallen for a scam? A lot of people have become victims. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with her guests about latest examples, how anyone could fall for them and how to protect yourself.

Age discrimination remains a serious barrier to employment.

But creativity can flourish with age. And experienced workers and late-in-life entrepreneurs are often more productive.

MPR News host Chris Farrell and his guests talk about the value of older workers and how to find purpose later in your career and in retirement.

Guests:

• Richard Leider is an executive life coach and founder of Inventure — The Purpose Company. He is also a best-selling author who has written twelve books, including the fourth edition of “The Power of Purpose,” which will be published in January. 




• Janine Vanderburg is the CEO of Encore Roadmap, which champions the benefits of older workers and intergenerational teams to businesses and brands. She is also the co-founder of Changing the Narrative, a national anti-ageism initiative.

During the conversation, Vanderburg mentioned this resource about tackling internalized ageism.

More than a third of people over the age of 50 feel lonely. And nearly as many feel isolated. MPR News guest host Chris Farrell and his guests talk about how to connect the disconnected.

MPR News host Chris Farrell talks with his guests about what we can do to address the frustrations many Americans feel about the health insurance industry. 

MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about how to strengthen trust in public health amid a surge of misinformation.

Mariah Levison and Rob Fersh help people find consensus on how to solve divisive issues, ranging from prison reform to what art should hang in the Minnesota Capitol. Learn how they do it in this MPR News Talking Sense conversation hosted by MPR News correspondent Catharine Richert.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with the authors of an illustrated children’s book aimed at helping families have conversations about generational trauma.

Newcomers to America — be they immigrants, refugees or even international students — have access to a variety of social services to help them begin a new life.

But do they feel like they belong?

That was the topic of discussion at the North Star Journey Live conversation recorded in Moorhead, Minn., on Nov. 21. MPR News senior reporter Sarah Thamer traveled to Concordia College for the international student potluck to talk with people who are dedicated to making the Fargo-Moorhead area welcoming.

The founder of the Fargo Moorhead International Potluck shared how food can be used as a bridge to cross cultures. Community leaders who work with the growing immigrant population in northwest Minnesota agreed that simple things like being able to find spices to replicate food from home goes a long way to making newcomers feel seen.

A trio of international students studying at Concordia also shared their experiences and offered advice on how to cultivate belonging amidst diversity. Pro tip: Don’t be afraid of discomfort. It’s a necessary part of the process.

Guests:

• Peter Schott is the founder of the Fargo-Moorhead International Potluck.




• Fowzia Adde is the executive director of the Immigrant Development Center in Moorhead.




• Zoë Absey is a board member at the New American Consortium for the Fargo-Moorhead region.




• Siam Shimul, Timea Vrabcova and Alecious Togbah are international students studying at Concordia College.

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.  

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.