A “timeless and enduring blue hue” and “elegant in its simplicity,” known as Classic Blue, was named Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2020.

Industries and others across the country – from fashion and design to marketing and even consumers – closely watched as the color company announced its choice.

It’s the type of blue you see on a Pepsi can. It’s deeper than a sky blue. It’s familiar, nonaggressive and maybe even calming.

Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, where she oversees the annual color search, spoke with MPR News host Angela Davis about the color, the emotion it evokes and what it takes to find the color of the year.

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This was a big year for environmental news in Minnesota: Water Gremlin was temporarily shut down over lead poisoning threats, Gov. Tim Walz created a climate “subcabinet” to address the state’s climate change goals, and Xcel Energy decided to retire two coal plants earlier than planned.

MPR News reporters Dan Kraker and Elizabeth Dunbar joined the program and looked back at the top stories in environmental news in 2019 and ahead to what’s to come in 2020.

The holiday season has arrived. Sure, there are the toys and cool clothes that young kids and teenagers have on their wish list. But two local experts say opportunities are endless to get a book for the young reader in your life.

On Friday, MPR News host Angela Davis was joined by Lisa Von Drasek and Holly Weinkauf to talk about some of the best books for kids and teens this holiday season.

They ran through titles from a range of topics, including bedtime stories, kindness, gaming and culture and diversity.

Von Drasek is the curator of the Children’s Literature Research Collection at the University of Minnesota Libraries. Weinkauf is owner of the Red Balloon Bookshop in St. Paul.

Both experts say 2019 was a great year for books for young kids and teens, noting that there’s more diversity and sensitivity to what younger age groups are experiencing these days.

Here are some of the titles they suggest:

“Hanukkah in a Book” by Noterie

Courtesy of publisher

“Hanukkah in a Book” by Noterie.

Weinkauf said this book is perfect for kids who want to experience something that goes beyond an e-book. “It’s a beautiful little package,” she said. Not only does it include prayers in Hebrew, but it’s also a multi-layered book that allows the cover to come off and the book transforms into a menorah to put on display.

“The Great Santa Stakeout” by Betsy Bird

Courtesy of publisher

"The Great Santa Stakeout" by Betsy Bird.

Another holiday season book that both women say is perfect for interaction that can’t be found in an e-book. Von Drasek said the experience is hard to replace when reading it with a young child. “The drama of the page turns, you really can’t find that on a Kindle,” she said.

“The Shortest Day” by Susan Cooper

Courtesy of publisher

"The Shortest Day" by Susan Cooper.

Another of the holiday-themed book recommendations. This one is about the winter solstice. It’s...

Minnesota has long been home to many Native American tribes — Dakota, Ojibwe and other tribal nations. Making up less than 1 percent of the state population, however, Native Americans are often considered as the “most invisible” people in the land they’ve lived for thousands of years.

A new exhibit that opens at the Minnesota History Center this weekend showcases Minnesota’s Native American history from a slightly different angle — The focus is not on the conflicts and hardships that indigenous people have faced over the years. The exhibit, “Our Home: Native Minnesota,” highlights how Native people in Minnesota lived and continue to live their traditions, their resiliency and their connection to the land.

Kate Beane, director of Native American Initiatives at the Minnesota Historical Society and citizen of the Flandreau Santee Sioux tribe, said while talking about difficult topics is essential to putting things into context, she also wants the exhibit to focus on the beauty and power of what it means to be an indigenous person in Minnesota.

“When we talked to community members, one thing in particular that really spoke to us that we really heard was people wanted the general public to know that we're still here and that we not only survived, but that we're thriving,” she told MPR News host Angela Davis.

Beane and Mattie Harper DeCarlo, a senior historian at the Historical Society who is a citizen of the Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe, took the leading role in developing this exhibit with help from other Native colleagues at the Historical Society. DeCarlo said by creating this exhibit on the Native American culture, “we want Native people to feel like the Minnesota History Center is a space for us and it's a space for us to tell our history and our stories as well.”

“Native history is central to Minnesota history, and that's something Native people have understood for a long time,” DeCarlo said.

“Our Home: Native Minnesota” will feature historic photographs, videos o...

Nate Ryan

Angela Davis

One year ago Tuesday, Angela Davis made her debut as host of the 11 a.m. call-in program on MPR News.

On Tuesday’s show, we looked back on a year of conversations. We played some highlights from our most memorable shows, and we pulled back the curtain a bit to give listeners a sense of what it takes to produce and host a live, daily talk show about Minnesota.

MPR News Program Director Stephanie Curtis was in the host seat – and Angela Davis was in the hot seat, answering rather than asking the questions this hour.

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The holidays are meant to be a time to celebrate and rejoice, but a loved one’s death can make this time of year painful.

Host Angela Davis asked two guests to talk about this difficult subject. She was joined by Nora McInerny, author and host of the APM podcast, Terrible, Thanks for Asking, which focuses on grief and the tough stuff in life.

They were also joined by Cara Mearns-Thompson, a licensed independent clinical social worker and co-owner of Grief Care Counseling, a center that focuses on grief in children, teens and adults. She has worked with children and families for over 12 years.

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MPR News

Glen Fladeboe (left), owner and auctioneer at Fladeboe Advancement, and Sara Lueben, grantmaking chair at Fourth Generation, joined Angela Davis for a conversation about philanthropy.

The way Minnesotans give to charity is changing.

Younger generations — millennials and generation Xers — are donating differently.

Two experts explored how and what organizations can do to stay relevant.

Guests:

Glen Fladeboe, owner and auctioneer at Fladeboe Advancement based in Minneapolis.

Sara Lueben, grantmaking chair at Fourth Generation and the community engagement coordinator at NorthPoint Health and Wellness Center, Inc.

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Julie Siple | MPR News

Paul “PT” Thomas, part of the morning show at 102.9 The Wolf, and Sarah Morris, a Minnesota singer-songwriter, joined Angela Davis for a conversation about country music.

Country music is wildly popular.

More people are listening and its audience is becoming more diverse.

But what is it about this genre that appeals to more than 129 million people in the United States?

Three experts joined the program to discuss what country music is today, how its sound has evolved over the years and its historical roots.

Guests:

Paul “PT” Thomas, founding board member of The Midwest Country Music Association and part of the morning show at 102.9 The Wolf.

Sarah Morris, a Minnesota singer-songwriter.

Charles Hughes, director of the Lynne and Henry Turley Memphis Center at Rhodes College in Tennessee and the author of “Country Soul: Making Music and Making Race in the American South.”

Editor’s note: During the live programming of this show, MPR News played the wrong version of “Friends in Low Places.” We thought we played Garth. We didn’t.

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They are struggling to find a way to help people who can’t afford the insulin they need to control their diabetes. They have been meeting for weeks to try to reach a compromise, but they’ve blown their self-imposed deadline. Governor Tim Walz has called for these private talks to become public. He wants public hearings. Briana Bierschbach, political reporter for MPR News, joined host Angela Davis in the studio.

Holiday gatherings can be exhausting and fraught with tension. And we're not always our best selves around family. How can we defuse tension at the dinner table? Two family therapists offer their advice to navigate the holiday struggles.