MPR News host Angela Davis talks about the power of poetry with Junauda Petrus, the newly appointed Poet Laureate for the city of Minneapolis. She says poetry is “soul medicine” that can unite us in our shared humanity. 

Guest:

• Junauda Petrus is the recently appointed Poet Laureate for the city of Minneapolis. She is an author, playwright, filmmaker and co-founder of the experimental artist collective, Free Black Dirt. She is the author of the Coretta Scott King Award- winning young adult novel, “The Stars and the Blackness Between Them,” and the children’s book, “Can We Please Give the Police to the Grandmothers?” 

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If you’ve shopped for eggs at the grocery store recently, you probably noticed the low inventory and high prices. Bird flu is largely to blame.

The virus that causes bird flu has been spreading widely among wild birds, poultry, cows and other animals. It’s infected nearly 70 people in the U.S. since April of 2024 and killed one person.  

MPR News host Angela Davis and her guest discuss how avian influenza affects our food supply and human health and how to prevent its spread.

Guest:

• Carol Cardona is a professor in the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Minnesota. 

To report sick or dead birds, contact local DNR wildlife staff or the DNR information center at 888-646-6367.

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  From farms to bakeries Egg shortages and price hikes are challenging small businesses
  
  


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  As egg prices continue to soar Grocers like Trader Joe‘s limit how many cartons customers can buy
  
  

In recent weeks, President Donald Trump has enacted a series of executive orders that significantly reshape transgender rights in the United States, sparking debate among lawmakers and advocates across the country. 

From restrictions on gender-affirming care for minors to moving to ban transgender military workers — what do these changes mean for civil rights, health care, and the LGBTQ+ community? 

MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests will break down the policies and talk about their legal and social implications.

Guests:

• Dr. Kade Goepferd is the chief education officer and founder of the gender health program at Children’s Minnesota, the state’s largest pediatric hospital.   




• Jess Braverman is the legal director of Gender Justice, a Minnesota nonprofit that advocates for gender equity.

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Just a few weeks into his new administration, President Donald Trump has issued a blizzard of executive actions.   

Sweeping orders from the White House have included a federal spending freeze, massive federal layoffs, gutting the United States Agency for International Development and ending birthright citizenship.

A question many people are asking is — can he do that?  

The courts have been pushing back on Trump’s agenda. As of Friday, judges across the country have paused at least 18 executive orders.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks about the powers of the presidency with a law professor and a political scientist.

Guests:

• Larry Jacobs is a political scientist and founder and director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota. He is also the author of “Democracy Under Fire: Donald Trump and the Breaking of American History.”     




• Nick Bednar is an associate professor of law at the University of Minnesota. He’s also holds a doctorate in political science. He specializes in administrative law, immigration law and the federal workforce.    

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Can you think of music that turned a good movie into a great one?

Music composed for a film helps the script tell its story. It can reflect the pacing of a scene, emphasize a moment in the plot or build tension within the characters and their dialogue.

When done right, it can strike a chord with the audience — making emotions stronger, deeper and scenes more impactful.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks about the power of orchestral music written for films with Your Classical Minnesota Public Radio host, Lynne Warfel.

Guest:

• Lynne Warfel is a national host and producer for YourClassical MPR. She also hosts American Public Media’s weekly show, Saturday Cinema.

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Talking about mental health can be difficult but it can help us understand some of the challenges and possible treatments. MPR News host Angela Davis shares some of her memorable conversations about mental health.

The podcast Sold a Story explores how a generation of children has been taught to read based on a flawed idea.

The consequences can be seen in the lives of millions of struggling students across the country. Over a third of Minnesota fourth graders cannot read at a basic level, according to scores released last month by the National Assessment of Education Progress.

The Sold a Story series was one of the most-shared shows on Apple Podcasts when it came out in 2023 and one of Time magazine’s top podcasts of the year. It spurred 25 states — including Minnesota — to pass new laws regarding reading instruction.

The original 10 episodes explain the rise of this entrenched approach to reading instruction, who benefited from it and how it persisted despite cognitive science research that exposed its flaws.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with colleagues who worked on Sold a Story about its impact and new episodes coming out this month looking at solutions.

Guests:

• Emily Hanford is a senior correspondent and producer at APM Reports and the host of Sold a Story. Her career in public radio began in college in Amherst, Massachusetts. She worked for Ira Glass when he was making the pilots for This American Life, was a reporter and host at WBEZ-Chicago and news director and senior editor at WUNC-Chapel Hill. She has been at American Public Media (APM) since 2008. She is based in Washington, D.C.




• Christopher Peak is an investigative reporter covering education and co-reporter of the Sold a Story series. He previously worked for the New Haven Independent, NationSwell and the Point Reyes Light, and he contributed research for the Peabody Award-winning podcast Uncivil. He is based in New York City. 

  
  

   

  
  

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 If you consider yourself a foodie, you’re in the right place.

The restaurant scene in the Twin Cities feels like it’s always evolving, with new spots popping up, old favorites holding strong and hidden gems waiting to be discovered.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with a food reporter from The Minnesota Star Tribune who has been on the front lines of the Twin Cities’ dining scene for the last decade.

She’s explored everything from trendy new openings to the best mom-and-pop joints. And she’ll bring us the inside tips on where to go and what to order. Will your favorite spots make the list?

Guest:

• Sharyn Jackson is a food and drink reporter at the Minnesota Star Tribune. She was previously a news reporter for USA Today and the Des Moines Register. She was also an arts writer and editor at the Village Voice in New York City. 

Here are some of the spots we mentioned during the show:

Restaurants

• Diane’s Place




• Vinai




• Bûcheron




• Altera




• Xelas




• Francis Burger Joint




• Spoon and Stable




• Myriel




• Churchill St.




• Pau Hana




• Pink Ivy




• Punch Pizza




• Brasa




• Tilia

Bars

• St. Paul Grill




• Stargazer




• Wild Child




• Meteor




• Small Hours

  
  

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MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests continue the conversation about the Minneapolis Police Department and an ambitious effort led by the Police and Black Men Project.

The Minneapolis Police Department has spent a lot of time in the national spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

It’s operating under a court-ordered agreement with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights after investigators in 2022 found a pattern of racism in Minneapolis policing that violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act.

In late December, MPD and the U.S. Justice Department reached an agreement on a federal consent decree that would mandate additional changes. It still needs the approval of a federal judge, who has not set a timeline for considering it.

Going forward, how can Minneapolis build trust between police and community members?

MPR News host Angela Davis presents an audio documentary about her experiences traveling to Montgomery, Ala., with a group of Minneapolis police officers and Black community members working to bridge the divide.

They’re part of an ambitious effort called the Police and Black Men Project. Eight years ago, following the police killing of Philando Castile in a Twin Cities suburb, the group started meeting regularly to talk about repairing and building relationships between police and the people they serve.

On the Alabama trip, they toured museums and historical sites telling the story of slavery, racial segregation and mass incarceration in America. Then they sat down in small groups and talked about what they’d seen and heard.

The goal was to connect the past to the present, create a better understanding of the distrust that exists today and learn how to talk about it. They invited Angela and producer Stephen Smith to tag along, observe and record their intimate discussions.

Listen to Angela’s Alabama scrapbook and check out her reporter’s notebook story online that’s filled with insights and photos from the trip.

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