Over the past decade, police in America have shot and killed 1,939 people who were in the middle of a mental health crisis. That’s 20 percent of all police killings in that time. Those deaths helped fuel a movement. Instead of armed police, more than half of the country’s largest cities now send specially trained social workers and EMTs. This new generation of first responders handle 911 calls involving mental illness, substance use disorders, or suicidal thoughts.

Call to Mind: The Fifth Branch is a special program made in partnership with the “Tradeoffs” podcast. This episode takes listeners to Durham, North Carolina, to meet people who have reimagined the city’s crisis-response system.

For more reporting like this, subscribe and follow Call to Mind on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, TuneIn or wherever you get your podcasts.

Immigration in the United States has reached historic numbers. More than 50 million people born in other countries now call the United States home.

Migrating to a new country can bring unique mental health challenges, like coping with the traumas that may have caused a person to leave home, and the pressure of fitting into a new community.

Meanwhile, global conflicts, the COVID-19 pandemic, changes to U.S. immigration policy, and America’s recent deportation crackdown have all amplified the challenges of making a new home in the United States.

This Call to Mind special program explores the unique mental health challenges for immigrants in America.

For more reporting like this, subscribe and follow Call to Mind on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, TuneIn or wherever you get your podcasts.

We spend about one-third of our lives sleeping. And not because we’re lazy. Every living creature sleeps, from cats to dolphins, and even fruit flies — it’s an essential need for good health and survival. So, if sleep is a basic health need, why do so many people have trouble doing it?

Nearly a third of Americans say they sleep poorly or not enough. Our 24/7 culture makes it tough to get a good night’s sleep; we prize long work hours, fast-paced productivity, staying up late to socialize, and simply stiving for more. While lack of sleep can leave a person groggy, it can also signal a mental illness, make an existing problem worse and increase the risk of mental health issues.

This Call to Mind special explores the fundamental relationship between sleep and mental health.

For more reporting like this, subscribe and follow Call to Mind on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, TuneIn or wherever you get your podcasts.

Every day we hear concerning news about the human costs of climate change. Severe storms and wildfires can lead to housing instability. Air pollution and dirty water have been tied to respiratory illnesses and cardiovascular diseases. And a growing area of psychological research reveals that climate change is both harming our mental health and triggering new disorders.

This Call to Mind special looks at the mental health consequences of climate change. We’ll hear from experts who say climate-related anxiety, depression, and grief are urgent mental health issues. And we’ll hear real-world stories of people coping with a rapidly changing environment.

For more reporting like this, subscribe and follow Call to Mind on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, TuneIn or wherever you get your podcasts.

Americans are stressed. And what many people are concerned about seems to have escalated and changed. There are the usual personal stressors like money, caretaking, and jobs, but pressing social challenges like political division and the uncertain economy, are shaping life’s challenges for many people. Health experts warn that living with chronic stress doesn’t just make us feel bad in the moment. Stress can shape the brain’s neural networks. It puts many people at higher risk for mental illnesses like depression, anxiety disorders and substance-use problems.

This Call to Mind special examines stress. We’ll hear firsthand about issues that can overwhelm us, how it impacts our mental health, and from experts about ways to manage the strain.

For more reporting like this, subscribe and follow Call to Mind on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, TuneIn or wherever you get your podcasts.

A weather forecast can shape your whole day — from what to wear and when to exercise, to whether to make dinner plans for the patio. And when severe weather is on the horizon, those forecasts and warnings can save lives.

So how do meteorologists get it right? And why do forecasts sometimes miss the mark?

MPR News host Angela Davis sits down with MPR News meteorologist Mandy Thalhuber to talk about what goes into accurate forecasting, the impact of cuts to the National Weather Service and what makes the work so rewarding.

Guest:

• Mandy Thalhuber is a meteorologist at MPR News, where her forecasts and weather insights can be heard on the radio and found online at Updraft. Before joining MPR News in 2024, she worked at Weatherology, providing local weather forecasts for radio stations across the country.

Nearly one in five Americans rate their mental health and emotional well-being as poor, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

In Minnesota, many people's mental health has been strained by a series of overlapping stresses — from the COVID-19 pandemic to the murder of George Floyd, the assassination of former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, the mass shooting at Annunciation Church and School, and more recently, a surge in federal immigration enforcement that has left many communities experiencing fear and uncertainty.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with the new leader of NAMI Minnesota about his vision for reaching more Minnesotans with mental health support and how seeking help for his own mental health is shaping the way he leads.

Guest:

• Marcus Schmit is the executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Prior to joining NAMI Minnesota, he was the executive director of Hearth Connection, a nonprofit focused on ending long-term homelessness.

If you or a loved one is experiencing a crisis, you can call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also find the number for your local county or tribal crisis team here.

The arts aren’t just something extra — they’re a central part of how people in Minnesota connect with each other and experience their communities.

Two out of every three Minnesotans attended a concert, visited a gallery or saw live theater in the past year. That engagement adds up. Arts and culture generate an estimated $1.6 billion in annual economic impact across the state, according to the Creative Minnesota 2025 report.

So what shows are drawing in audiences right now? And what challenges are facing arts organizations behind the scenes?

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with two colleagues who cover arts and culture in Minnesota.

Guests:

• Jacob Aloi is a newscaster and arts and culture reporter for MPR News. He’s a member of the American Theatre Critics/Journalists Association. He’s contributed to PRX's The World, American Theater Magazine and NPR's Here and Now. He previously hosted a show on Frogtown Community Radio in St. Paul.    
• Alex V. Cipolle is a senior arts reporter and critic, covering arts and culture for MPR News. She previously covered the arts in the Pacific Northwest and southwest France and has written for publications including The New York Times, Fast Company, Frommer’s and Hyperallergic.

Over the past year, Minnesota has been at the center of several major breaking news events.

From the assassination of a top Minnesota lawmaker and the mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church and School last summer, to the fatal shootings by federal officers during “Operation Metro Surge” earlier this year, complex stories have unfolded quickly, often with conflicting information and intense public reaction.

So how do journalists keep up? And more importantly, how do they get it right?

MPR News host Angela Davis talks about what happens behind the scenes during breaking news and how our newsroom verifies information before it reaches you.

Guests:

• Brian Bakst is a senior politics editor for MPR News. He is also the host of Politics Friday, where he discusses Minnesota politics —​ the latest from the legislature, election news and more.
• Matt Sepic is a correspondent for MPR News based in Minneapolis. He focuses much of his reporting on courts and legal affairs. He also contributes frequently to NPR's national coverage. 

What's next for DEI?

Since taking office, President Donald Trump has signed a series of executive orders to reverse federal policies around diversity, equity and inclusion. The most recent order signed last month prohibits DEI activities in private companies that contract with the federal government. Some states have also passed anti-DEI legislation and many private companies have pulled back on diversity initiatives.

So, where does this leave efforts to create workplaces that are more inclusive and fair?

MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about how DEI is evolving and what it takes to create workplaces that work for everyone.

Guests:

• Stacey Gordon is the founder of Rework Work, a leadership strategy and consulting firm, and author of “UNBIAS: Addressing Unconscious Bias at Work.” They are based in Edinburgh, Scotland.
• Lily Zheng is a consultant based in the San Francisco Bay Area who works with leaders to create inclusive workplaces. They are also the author of several books, including "DEI Deconstructed," "Reconstructing DEI" and "Fixing Fairness."
• Milton Dodd is the executive director of the Forum on Workplace Inclusion, a Minneapolis conference on May 27-28 for organization leaders, human resource managers, Employee Resource Group (ERG) leaders and others working on issues related to diversity, equity and inclusion. Dodd is also president of Infinity Systems, a Minneapolis consulting company specializing in organizational alignment and inclusive workplace cultures.

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  Amid DEI backlash a liberal and a conservative Minnesotan seek common ground
  
  

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