Drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro were first developed to treat diabetes.

They turned out to be so effective at helping people lose weight that new versions were approved for weight loss. And now, their use has skyrocketed.

One in every eight American adults has taken what are known as GLP-1 drugs.

They not only lead to health benefits associated with weight loss, like lower risk of heart attack and stroke, they also seem to tame addictive cravings and boost sleep.

Coming up at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with a doctor and a dietitian about the exploding popularity of GLP-1 drugs, side effects and how to use them responsibly.

Sue Abderholden is retiring after more than two decades leading NAMI Minnesota, the state's chapter of the National Alliance for Mental Illness.

As one of the state’s most influential voices for mental health, she’s helped raise awareness, change laws and expand access to care.

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with Abderholden about how far Minnesota has come — and what work still lies ahead.

Communities, tribal nations and cities across Minnesota celebrated Indigenous Peoples Day on Monday, Oct. 13. 

MPR News editor and guest host Leah Lemm talks with reporters from our Native News team about how they cover Minnesota’s Native communities, tribal nations and people every day. From cannabis to land return, cultural events and arts, they’re steeped in Native journalism all year long.

Guests:

• Melissa Olson is an award-winning reporter for MPR’s Native News team. She is a member of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.
• Chandra Colvin is a citizen of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa and a member of MPR’s Native News team. She started at MPR News as an intern and now covers Native American communities in Minnesota for us through Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities.

• 
  
  2025 How to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day around Minnesota
  
  


• 
  
  2025 Center for Indian Country Development hosts data summit, looks to future of tribal economies
  
  


• 
  
  2025 National conference brings together Native scientists, engineers and educators
  
  


• 
  
  2023 What is Indigenous Peoples Day? A day of celebration, protest and reclaiming history
  
  


• 
  
  2023 Meet our new team working to strengthen coverage of Native communities
  
  

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.

From shrinking newsrooms to less news coverage, local journalism faces many challenges.

Since 2005, more than 3,200 print newspapers have vanished, according to Northwestern University’s 2024 report on the state of local news.

But one thing that still makes local journalism powerful is when reporters live in the places they cover. 

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with reporters who do just that. They’ll talk about what it means to report on their own communities and why that connection matters. 

Guests: 

• Tadeo Ruiz Sandoval is an MPR News reporter based in the Fargo-Moorhead area. He covers the region with a focus on agriculture. Tadeo started his journalism career as an intern at KMUW, the NPR Station in Wichita, Kan. In 2024, he interned at The Wall Street Journal where he produced and hosted a miniseries on Gen Z’s debt.
• Molly Castle Work is an MPR News reporter based in Rochester. She covers health care in southeast Minnesota. Prior to joining MPR News, Molly worked as an investigative reporter at the Rochester Post Bulletin and later as a correspondent for KFF Health News in California. 
• Dan Kraker is an MPR News correspondent based in Duluth where he covers the people, economy and environment of northeast Minnesota. Before joining MPR News, Dan worked at KNAU Arizona Public Radio for 11 years. He covered northern Arizona’s Native nations and then served as news director. He also contributes regularly to National Public Radio programs and Marketplace.

Since it was launched 20 years ago by Minnesota Public Radio, The Current has grown into much more than your average music radio station.

It’s become a cultural hub for music lovers across Minnesota.

It’s where local artists are played alongside national names, and for many musicians, hearing their song on The Current isn’t just exciting — it’s a career milestone.

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with some of The Current’s staff. They’ll pull back the curtain on The Current’s sound and how it all comes together.

Guests:

• Lindsay Kimball is the program director of The Current. She started her career at The Current as an intern in 2005.
• Amber Hoback is the music director of The Current. She curates the station’s playlist and works to shape the sound of The Current.
• Gannon Hanevold is a weekend host at The Current. You can hear him every Saturday and Sunday from 3 to 7 p.m.   

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.    

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with MPR President Duchesne Drew about the future of local journalism and public media in the wake of government funding cuts. They talk about how MPR News is adapting, what’s at stake for communities and what he thinks it will take for public media to survive and thrive.

Guest:

• Duchesne Drew is senior vice president at American Public Media Group and president of Minnesota Public Radio. He leads the teams that produce MPR News, The Current, APM Reports and YourClassical MPR.

Editors note: MPR receives money from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. When reporting on the business of MPR and public media, we do so independently from news executives and do not let them review material before it runs. 

Willmar, Minn., is one of the most diverse cities in greater Minnesota. More than 25 different languages are spoken in its school system, and immigrants hailing from east Africa, Mexico, Myanmar and central America have revitalized its downtown.

So on Sept. 8, Kerri Miller took the Rural Voice town hall series to Foxhole Brewhouse in Willmar to talk with community members about how they’ve successfully built an inclusive city.

The conversation focused on how the region evolved over the last few decades to include immigrations from Africa, Mexico and other countries and discuss the positive impact that integration has had on the local culture and economy. Participants also discussed ongoing challenges, like political representation for newcomers and institutional discrimination.

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

In 2023, Minnesota passed a law requiring free menstrual products in all public school bathrooms for grades four through 12.

But when the law went into effect last year, some schools weren’t sure how best to put it into practice.

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with two graduate students who created the Minnesota Menstrual Products in Schools Toolkit to help school staff navigate implementing the law.

They shared what they learned about the needs inside schools and why they believe their toolkit can make a difference for students and educators alike.

The Federal Reserve recently cut its key interest rate for the first time since December 2023. 

The move marked a shift in monetary policy as the central bank responds to what Fed Chair Jerome Powell described as a “really cooling off” labor market, while continuing to monitor inflation.

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert and senior economics contributor Chris Farrell talk about the reasoning behind the Fed's decision and what the rate changes could eventually mean for your credit cards, mortgage, savings account or investments. 

Guest:

• Neel Kashkari is president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. It’s one of the Federal Reserve System’s 12 regional banks with a district that includes Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Northern Wisconsin, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

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.