Summer is the season of the beach read, and romance novels are flying off the shelves in 2024.

MPR News host Angela Davis talked with romance author and chef Abby Jimenez, plus the owner of Minneapolis bookstore Tropes and Trifles.

Putting food on the table takes a significant chunk of our paychecks these days.

Many families even take on credit and dip into their savings to pay for groceries, according to a recent report from the Urban Institute.

MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talked about why groceries are still so expensive — and why buying them still feels so painful.

Minnesotans can apply for food assistance at mnbenefits.mn.gov.

Have you been too stressed out at work to even think about taking time off this summer? Did you check your work email during your last vacation?

MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talked about the need to unplug from work and how a lack of time away from our jobs can impact our health.

Discover how learning to rest is a skill many of us need to develop and practice. Callers joined the discussion about how employers and managers can create a work culture that supports people taking vacation. 

The last few weeks have seen torrential rain and flooding across Minnesota. So much water in such a short time inundated rivers and ditches, washed out roads, seeped into basements and overwhelmed sewer systems.   

Flooding is nothing new in Minnesota. But heavy rains are increasing with climate change. So are violent storms that bring hail and high winds.    

MPR News host Angela Davis talked with leaders in state government about how the increase in extreme weather is affecting Minnesotans — from moldy basements to increased insurance rates. Davis and her guests also talked about what individuals can do to protect their homes and what communities can do to reduce future damage.

We’ve seen and heard the fallout from a contentious presidential candidate debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump Thursday night and we’ve learned about a slew of U.S. Supreme Court decisions in the last week.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with legal and political analysts about the importance of the recent and upcoming decisions, and their thoughts about this November’s presidential election.

Guests:

• Patrick Schmidt is a professor of political science and co-director of legal studies at Macalester College.
• Larry Jacobs is a professor and director of The Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota.
• Brian Bakst is the politics editor for MPR News.

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

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.  

Carl Elliott, a medical school graduate and philosophy professor, blew the whistle on his employer after a vulnerable man died by suicide while enrolled in a psychiatric drug study. After being ignored by university officials and dropped by colleagues, Elliott was vindicated years later when a state inquiry corroborated his concerns.

In his new book, “The Occasional Human Sacrifice: Medical Experimentation and the Price of Saying No,” Elliott interviews the people who spoke up against wrongdoing in six medical research studies.  

MPR News guest host Euan Kerr talked with Elliott about what motivates whistleblowers, the isolation and hopelessness that accompanies speaking out and what could make it easier to report and stop unethical medical research.  

Want to keep your feet healthy? Try slipping off your shoes this summer and let your feet feel the grass.

Walking barefoot builds up the small muscles in your feet and helps prevent some of the more common foot problems we experience as we age.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with a podiatrist who shares tips for happy feet, advice on footwear and how to prevent and treat common foot problems, including bunions and plantar fasciitis.

Guest:

• Dr. Paul Langer is a podiatrist at Twin Cities Orthopedics. He specializes in sports medicine, foot disorders, biomechanics, surgery and foot care in aging. He is also a clinical advisor for the American Running Association, the author of “Great Feet for Life: Footcare and Footwear for Healthy Aging” and part owner of the athletic shoe store Fleet Feet Minneapolis.

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

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.    

Democrat Joe Biden, the current president, and Republican Donald Trump, the former president, meet Thursday, June 27, for the first debate either candidate has been in since 2020. 

The presumed presidential rematch has been set for months — with both candidates earning the necessary primary wins to gain their party nominations, which they’ll formally accept at conventions later this summer. 

MPR News guest host Brian Bakst talked with presidential scholars and a former presidential candidate about the work it takes to prepare for a presidential debate and how Thursday’s debate could impact both campaigns over the next few months. 

Do you ever wonder what it takes to keep the party going all night long? What exactly goes into curating music for different audiences and events? 

Who are these musical geniuses who have the ability to get us out on the dance floor and keep us swaying to the beat long after our bodies get tired? 

On Monday, we went behind the scenes of the DJ world — from the gear they use to the secrets of reading the crowd. 

DJing has often been seen as a male-dominated profession, but times are changing with more women dominating the Twin Cities’ vibrant music scenes. 

Millions of Americans are leaving church. Are they also leaving their faith?   

Thirty years ago, about 90 percent of Americans identified as Christian. Today, that’s dropped to about 60 percent.

Meanwhile, the number of people without any religious affiliation at all continues to grow.

For some, the decision to leave is rooted in conflict and pain. But for most people, the reasons for leaving church are a lot more mundane.

MPR News guest host Kelly Gordon talks with a researcher and a pastor about the historic exodus from Christian congregations, what some have called the “great de-churching.”