MPR News with Angela Davis

For many people, going to the dentist is easy to put off — until something hurts.

Millions of Americans don’t get regular dental care because of cost, lack of insurance, difficulty of finding a provider or fear of the dentist.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with two experts about why oral health matters, the barriers that keep people out of the dentist’s chair and what’s being done to make dental care more accessible.

Guests:

• Dr. Elmi Abdulkadir Elmi is a dentist and co-founder of All About Dentistry, a general dental practice with locations in Burnsville and West St. Paul. He was also selected as a 2026 Bush Fellow, recognized for his work expanding access to oral health care.
• Dr. Sheila Riggs is an associate professor of dental public health in the School of Dentistry at the University of Minnesota and chair of the Association of Critical Access Dental Providers of Minnesota.

Here are some of the resources that were discussed on the show:

• Dental Clinics and Services - Help Me Connect
• Public Resources | Minnesota Dental Association
• University of Minnesota Dental Clinics

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Buying a house or condo is becoming harder for many people in Minnesota.

The math is simple. Home costs are rising and most people’s incomes aren’t keeping up.

But solutions are more complicated. Communities need to build more low-cost homes, help buyers with down payment assistance and lower-interest loans, and help current homeowners maintain and stay in their homes.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity’s CEO Chris Coleman about how the nonprofit organization is working on all these fronts to tackle the housing affordability crisis.

Guest:

• Chris Coleman became president and CEO of Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity in 2018 after serving as mayor of St. Paul from 2006 to 2018. He worked previously as an investment advisor for RBC and served for six years on the St. Paul City Council.

Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity uses thousands of volunteers every year. Learn more on their website’s volunteer page.

Layoffs have become a recurring headline this year, with companies in technology, finance, manufacturing and other industries announcing job cuts.

But at the same time, unemployment remains relatively low, applications for unemployment benefits are near historic lows and Minnesota recently added jobs, according to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.

So what's really happening in the job market?

MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about what’s driving recent layoffs, where job opportunities might be, and what it all says about the economy.

Guests:

• Chris Farrell is a senior economics contributor for MPR News and Marketplace.
• Angelina Nguyen is the director of the Labor Market Information Office at the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.
• Kyle O'Keefe is a district president at Robert Half, a recruiting and business consulting firm.

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Your 30s are often described as the decade when you’re supposed to have life “figured out.”

Maybe you’ve built a career, bought a home, started a family or settled into the person you’re going to be — but for many people, that’s not what this decade looks like.

MPR News guest host Kyra Miles talks with her guests about how your 30s can be a time of big transitions and changing priorities. They’ll explore what research says about this stage of adulthood and why so many people feel pressure to have it all together.

Guests:

• Audra Nuru is the director of family studies and professor at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. Her research explores how we communicate to construct identities and navigate periods of change.
• Melissa Ertl is a researcher and assistant professor of psychology at the University of Minnesota. She also works as a practicing therapist.

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Eating is a fundamental part of life. So, when things aren’t going well with our digestive system, it affects not only our health but also our routines, social lives and very identity.

And these days, more people seem to be struggling with chronic gastrointestinal problems, including irritable bowel syndrome and autoimmune diseases such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

MPR News guest host Kyra Miles talks with her guests and listeners about diagnosing and living with gut problems.

When was the last time you read a book or magazine, or listened to an audiobook?

Overall, Americans are reading less. A study last year from the University of Florida and University College London found the portion of people who read daily for pleasure in the U.S. fell from 28 percent in 2004 to 16 percent in 2023.

And, according to the National Endowment for the Arts, fewer than half of all adults said they read a book of any kind in 2022 — even fewer said they read a novel.

MPR News guest host Kerri Miller talks about what’s behind the decline in reading, and why some people are saying that it points to a fundamental shift that has consequences for how we entertain ourselves, learn and think.

America’s college campuses are entering a period of major change. The pool of traditional college-age students is shrinking, and many young people are rethinking whether college is worth the cost.

MPR News guest host Kerri Miller and her guests talk about why colleges are expecting fewer students, how public and private institutions are preparing, and what’s influencing whether — and where — young people decide to pursue higher education.

Guests:

• Nathan Grawe is a professor of economics at Carleton College and is one of the country’s leading experts on the college enrollment cliff. He is also the author of “Demographics and the Demand for Higher Education," and “The Agile College,” which helped bring national attention to the coming decline of college-age students.
• Suzanne Rivera is the president of Macalester College in St. Paul. She has been the president since June of 2020.

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Wildfires have burned thousands of acres across northern Minnesota, sending smoke into communities around the state and prompting air quality alerts.

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  Live updates Get the latest information on wildfires in Minnesota
  
  

MPR News guest host Kelly Gordon talks with meteorologists about the combination of heat, rainfall, humidity, wind and drought that can increase wildfire risk. They'll also discuss what this summer's weather patterns can tell us about the weeks ahead, how smoke travels hundreds of miles from fires and how a changing climate is influencing fire seasons in Minnesota.

Guests:

• Ben Cathey is the chief meteorologist for MPR News.
• Sven Sundgaard is a meteorologist for MPR News.
• Mandy Thalhuber is a meteorologist for MPR News.
• Jeff Masters is a meteorologist who writes about extreme weather for Yale Climate Connections, a news service that focuses on climate change. He is a former hurricane hunter and the co-founder of the commercial weather service, Weather Underground.

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Smoke from wildfires burning in northern Minnesota and Canada has drifted into other parts of Minnesota this week and triggered air quality alerts for much of the state.

MPR News guest host Kelly Gordon talks about how air quality is monitored and forecast and the health risks of breathing wildfire smoke.

Guests:

• Kathy Raleigh is an epidemiologist who works in the environmental health division of the Minnesota Department of Health.
• Matt Taraldsen is a meteorologist and supervisor of the team that issues air quality conditions, alerts and forecasts at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

Resources discussed during the show:

Air quality forecasts: Air quality forecast | Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Current air quality conditions

• AirNow.gov allows you to check current air quality conditions. You can also download the AirNow mobile app and sign up to receive air quality alerts and forecasts via email.
• Current air quality conditions | Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (state.mn.us)
• Purple Air

Minnesota Outdoor Air Quality Guidance for Schools and Child Care

The MPCA's Air quality and health webpage has information about health and indoor and outdoor air quality and how to prevent air pollution.

The Minnesota Department of Health has an Air Quality, Climate and Health webpage.

The Minnesota Department of Health wildfire smoke webpage highlights ways you can protect your health against wildfire smoke.

How to make your own air cleaner: DIY Air Cleaner to Reduce Wildfire Smoke Indoors

How to protect pets

• 8 tips on keeping pets cool during the dangerous heat wave across Minnesota this week | MPR News
• Wildfire smoke and animals | American Veterinary Medical Association

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MPR News guest host Kelly Gordon talks with a forest ecologist about what's behind the fires burning in and near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, why they're so difficult to contain and what we can do to reduce wildfire risk.

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  Listen Poor air quality: What causes it and how to protect your health
  
  

Guest:

• Lee Frelich is the director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Forest Ecology.

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

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