MPR News with Angela Davis

You know their voices, but what do you know about the people behind them? MPR News host Angela Davis talks with three MPR newscasters about their paths to journalism and who they are off the air.

Guests:

• Elena See is the afternoon newscaster on MPR News. She’s on the air during All Things Considered, Marketplace and other evening shows.
• Emily Reese is the midday newscaster on MPR News. You hear her during the late morning and afternoons, including during Minnesota Now and All Things Considered.
• Phineas Pope is the morning newscaster on MPR News. He delivers newscasts during Morning Edition, MPR News with Angela Davis and 1A with Jenn White.

Every Wednesday, MPR News with Angela Davis explores health and wellness topics with experts and listeners across Minnesota.

Listen to highlights from recent broadcasts on colorectal cancer, the potential health benefits of fermented foods and breaking down barriers to dental care.

From Twin Cities art crawls to small-town galleries, fall offers plenty of ways to explore Minnesota’s arts scene. But behind the art and performances are the artists — working to find audiences, afford studio space and make a living. What helps them thrive, and how can we support creativity in our communities?

MPR News host Angela Davis explores what’s happening in Minnesota’s arts scene, how local artists are supported and where to discover art across the state this fall.

Guests:

• Mariusz Kujawski is the executive director of the St. Paul Art Collective, an organization that supports local artists and connects them with audiences.
• Michele Anderson is the senior director of partnerships and rural strategy at the nonprofit Springboard for the Arts, where she leads programs and partnerships supporting artists and creative communities in greater Minnesota.

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.   

The way we build careers and make money is changing. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with journalist Lee Hawkins about how people create businesses, move forward after career setbacks and make financial decisions — and what we can learn from their journeys to success.

Guest:

• Lee Hawkins is a contributor to American Public Media — a unit of American Public Media Group, the parent company of MPR News — and a Spencer Education Fellow at Columbia University. He is a Minnesota native and a journalist who spent 19 years at The Wall Street Journal. He is the host of “Must Be the Money,” a podcast produced by Marketplace, and author of the book, "I Am Nobody’s Slave: How Uncovering My Family's History Set Me Free.” He is also host of the podcasts, “What Happened in Alabama” and “Unlocking the Gates: How the North Led Housing Discrimination in America,” produced by APM Studios.
• Chris Farrell is a senior economics contributor for MPR News and Marketplace.

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.

Kerri Miller is on the road again for her Rural Voice town hall series — a project that highlights the joys and challenges of living in rural Minnesota.

On Sept. 21, Miller moderated a discussion at Rapids Brewing Co. in Grand Rapids, with parents, teachers and community leaders about what can be done to retain young talent in rural communities.

The worst of the COVID-19 pandemic is several years behind us, but many Minnesotans are still living with its consequences in the form of long COVID.

Long COVID is a chronic condition that can last for weeks, months or even years after a COVID infection. A major symptom is extreme fatigue, and other symptoms can include everything from blood pressure changes and brain fog to joint pain and depression.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with a doctor and a public health leader about long COVID and other other post-infection chronic conditions that doctors are only beginning to understand.

Guests: 

• Dr. Tanya Melnik is an internal medicine doctor and director of the M Health Fairview Adult Post-COVID Clinic. She is also a clinical associate professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School.
• Kate Murray manages the Long COVID and Post-COVID Conditions program at the Minnesota Department of Health, one of the first public health initiatives focused on understanding the impacts of long COVID and related conditions and improving access to support.

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.    

Isaac Thompson grew up in the Twin Cities dreaming of becoming a professional violinist. His career took him off the stage and into arts leadership — and eventually brought him back home to lead the Minnesota Orchestra, the same institution that inspired him as a kid.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with Thompson about his first year as CEO of the orchestra and his vision for making classical music more accessible.

Guest:

• Isaac Thompson is the president and CEO of the Minnesota Orchestra, a role he began in October 2025. He previously served as president and CEO of the Oregon Symphony and held leadership roles at the New York Philharmonic, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.

Isaac Thompson serves on the Minnesota Public Radio Board of Trustees.

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.    

As artificial intelligence companies create increasingly powerful models, lawmakers are calling for rules to regulate the technology. MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about the debate over AI regulation, who should oversee it and what the guardrails could be.

Guests:

• Daniel Schwarcz is a professor of law at the University of Minnesota.
• Chris Farrell is the senior economics contributor for MPR News and Marketplace.

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.    

Four years ago, Rural Voice launched in St. Joseph, Minn., with a conversation about the challenges and opportunities of building a business in rural America.

This year, to kick off the 2026 season, Rural Voice returned to St. Joseph to talk about belonging. MPR News host and Rural Voice moderator Kerri Miller led a discussion at Krewe Restaurant on Sept. 14. Community members shared personal stories about what it means to belong — especially when you enter a small town as a newcomer.

Rural Voice is a series of town hall discussions designed to illuminate the rewards and challenges of making a home in rural Minnesota. For more information, and to see if a Rural Voice is coming to a city near you, check out the Rural Voice website.

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. 

When someone stops drinking alcohol or using drugs, it’s only the beginning.

For many people, recovery is a long journey — one that can mean rebuilding relationships, changing everyday habits and finding a new community and sense of purpose.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks during National Recovery Month with two guests who rebuilt their lives after alcohol or drug use brought everything crashing down — in very public ways.

Guests:

• Beth McDonough is a sober advocate, author and former Twin Cities TV crime reporter. She writes in her first memoir “Standby” about losing her job, home and sense of identity in 2008 following two arrests for drunken driving. Her new memoir, “Still Standing,” describes her recovery from alcoholism and how she rebuilt her life after her public downfall. She lives and writes in southern Utah.
• John Solomon recently stepped into the new role of executive director of lifelong recovery at Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, where he also earned his master’s degree in counseling and completed treatment for bi-polar disorder and alcohol and methamphetamine use. He previously worked as a therapist in Alaska and as CEO of the Alaska Behavioral Health Association. He is a former singer and songwriter with the rock band Communist Daughter.