Youth sports can’t happen without coaches and officials. But some are hanging up their whistles — not because of the players, but because of the parents.

The sidelines have become a source of frequent criticism, confrontations and stress — driving some coaches and officials to walk away from the game entirely. 

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with two coaches about how they set expectations for parents, players, and fellow coaches — and what it takes to cool down when behavior off the field gets too heated. 

Guests:

• Hisham Sorour is the director of coaching and player development for Mankato United Soccer Club, which has teams for players who are 5 to 18 years old.
• Russ Turner is the director of The Training Institute at People Incorporated Mental Health Services. He is the head coach for boys’ soccer at Cretin Durham-Hall High School, and a boys and girls coach at St. Paul Blackhawks Soccer Club.   

A caller recommended the book, “My Mom Thinks She's My Volleyball Coach… But She's Not!” by Julia Cook.

Chances are, you or someone close to you has been diagnosed with ADHD.

About one in 10 kids live with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and among 14-year-old boys, that number jumps to nearly one in five.

The commonly prescribed medications can make a big difference in behavior and self-esteem, but they don’t always lead to better learning or performance in school.

So, what are we getting right — and wrong — about ADHD?

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with a journalist and a pediatrician about how researchers and clinicians are changing how they think about and treat ADHD.  

And we want to hear from you, too.

Does your child have a diagnosis of ADHD or were you diagnosed when you were young? What is your experience with stimulant medications? What else helps you manage symptoms?

This fall, a new wave of kindergarteners enters the classroom — most born in the early days of the pandemic. MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about the challenges they may face and how schools and parents can help them thrive.  

Guests:

• Lauren Girard has been a kindergarten teacher for 15 years. She teaches at Overland Elementary School in Rochester, Minn. She is also the parent of a child born during the early months of the pandemic.
• Lelandra Ross is a lead specialist in early childhood education at Bruce Vento Elementary School in St. Paul, Minn. She works with staff and parents to support early childhood family education, early childhood special education, three-year-old Head Start and pre-kindergarten programming. She has also been a pre-K teacher.

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.     

Artificial intelligence is changing the way we work — faster than many of us expected. 

From writing emails to screening job applications, AI tools are showing up in offices, warehouses and other workplaces. 

But are employers ready? How are they setting expectations and drawing ethical lines around using this powerful technology? 

MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about the growing role of AI across different industries and how organizations are responding.

Guests:

• James Holmberg is the co-founder of VILAS, an organization focused on helping businesses understand, navigate and explore using artificial intelligence. 
• Eran Kahana is an attorney for Maslon LLP, a business law firm based in Minneapolis. He specializes in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, privacy and intellectual property law. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota Law School.  
• Chris Farrell is the senior economics contributor for MPR News and Marketplace. 

MPR News host Angela Davis talks about the power of poetry with Junauda Petrus, the poet laureate for the city of Minneapolis. Junauda says poetry is “soul medicine” that can unite us in our shared humanity. Angela also hears from poet and performer, Tish Jones, about what poetry means to her.

Guests:

• Junauda Petrus is the 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 Department to the Grandmothers?” 
• Tish Jones is a poet, performer and educator in St. Paul. She’s also the founder and executive director of TruArtSpeaks. 

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with a Twin Cities rapper and mindfulness instructor who says yoga saved his life.

If you’re single, you’ve probably heard it — or said it to yourself: Dating feels impossible right now.

The numbers back it up. A Pew Research study found that nearly half of Americans say dating is harder than it was a decade ago.

So, what’s changed? Why is dating so difficult for so many people?

Dating apps have transformed how we can meet, but it’s not clear if they are helping or hurting. In the 1990s, nearly 20 percent of couples met in a bar or restaurant. Today that number is down to just 8 percent.

MPR News host Angela Davis revisits a conversation she had earlier this year with a dating coach and a therapist to help break down the challenges of modern dating — and provide some advice for what you can do to make it easier.

Guests:

• Deanna Pelley is a public speaker, podcaster and mental health therapist with Emerge Therapy based in Minneapolis.
• Alex Merritt is a Minneapolis-based dating coach, known as the “Love Engineer.” Alex leads relationship workshops and does one-on-one advising on how to find love.  

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 its origins in Black American communities to its influence on artists all over the world, jazz has always been about innovation, expression and connection. 

Here in Minnesota, one radio station has been keeping that spirit alive for more than 50 years — Jazz88 (KBEM-FM).

Launched in 1970 as part of Minneapolis Public Schools, Jazz88 has been a hub for jazz lovers, educators and musicians, introducing generations to a timeless genre while adapting to changing times. 

MPR News host Angela Davis revisits a conversation she had earlier this year with some of the voices behind Jazz88, as well as a musician who performs around the Twin Cities. They explored the station’s impact, its evolution and the artists shaping jazz.  

Guests:

• Sean McPherson is the music director and afternoon host of Jazz88 (KBEM-FM). Previously he was an on-air host for The Current, Minnesota Public Radio’s alternative music station.  
• Emmanuel Hill is the executive producer of MPS Voices, a Jazz88 livestream focused on broadcasting student voices in Minneapolis Public Schools.  
• Eli Awada is a Twin Cities musician, pianist and keyboardist for the jazz collective Room3.

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. 

Laurie Putnam is the superintendent of St. Cloud Public Schools, and the first woman to lead the district. 

Her husband, Aric Putnam, is a DFL state senator, representing District 14, which includes St. Cloud. 

Together, they’re navigating politics, education, family life and the challenges of leading in the public eye.

MPR News host Angela Davis continues her Power Pairs series with a conversation about how they support each other and why they picked careers that serve their community.

Guests:

• Laurie Putnam is the superintendent of St. Cloud Public Schools.  
• Aric Putnam is a DFL state senator representing District 14, which includes St. Cloud and surrounding communities. 

Check out Angela’s previous Power Pair conversations.  

Do you know a Power Pair?

We’d love to hear your ideas for Power Pairs to interview. Send us your suggestions.

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.

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump signed into law the major domestic policy bill that cuts about $1 trillion dollars from federal Medicaid spending over the next ten years.

The changes to Medicaid are estimated to result in nearly 10 million more people going without health insurance by 2034, according to the Congressional Budget Office.  

Medicaid is the public insurance program that covers most health care and long-term care for 83 million low-income and disabled people in the United States. Nearly a quarter of Minnesota’s residents are on the state’s Medicaid program, which is known as Medical Assistance. 

MPR News host Angela Davis talks about what this means for Minnesotans, including new work requirements and restrictions that will reduce funding for the program.  

Guests:

• John Connolly is deputy commissioner and state Medicaid director for the Minnesota Department of Human Services.   
• Sue Abderholden is the executive director of NAMI Minnesota, the Minnesota chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.