In the days following Charlie Kirk’s fatal shooting, many people took to social media to share their feelings and thoughts.  

People expressed sorrow, shock and anger. They shared critiques of Kirk’s conservative views. In some cases, what people said or posted about his death got them in trouble at work.  

Last week ABC pulled comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s show off the air “indefinitely” after Kimmel’s comments on how MAGA was characterizing Kirk’s killer. The announcement came just hours after the chair of the Federal Communications Commission suggested in a podcast that the FCC could use its power against ABC unless the network acted against Kimmel. 

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with her guests about freedom of speech — and workplace issues. When can something you say get you in trouble on the job?

Guests:

• Phillip Kitzer is an employment law attorney in Minneapolis. He served on the board of directors of the Minnesota affiliate of the National Employment Lawyers Association and sits the governing counsel for the Labor and Employment Section of the Minnesota State Bar Association.
• George Vergolias is a workplace resilience consultant and chief clinical officer at R3 Continuum, a Minnesota-based company that develops behavioral health solutions for organizations that need help managing workplace disruption and stress.

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Have you ever felt dizzy? You're not alone.  

Dizziness is one of the most common reasons people show up at a hospital emergency room.  

But there are different kinds of dizzy. A lot of people, especially as they age, live with the feeling of being just a little unsteady or off balance.  

Others have experienced true vertigo. That's when the room seems to swirl and tip to the point where you might feel nauseous.  

Dizziness shouldn’t be ignored. Depending on the cause, it can often be treated with medication, surgery or physical therapy exercises. And, it could be a sign of a serious underlying medical issue. 

MPR News guest host Kelly Gordon talks with medical providers to sort through our dizzy symptoms.  

Big waves are part of the fun of summer, but they can also stir up big debates.  

Wake boats are designed to create large waves for surfers to ride. But those waves don’t just disappear. A new University of Minnesota study shows they can stir up sediment, muddy the water and release phosphorus, which causes algae blooms.

MPR News guest host Kirsti Marohn dives into the science and what it means for lake lovers.

Guests:

• Jeff Forester is the executive director of Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Advocates, a nonprofit that represents lake associations and property owners. 
• Jeff Marr is the associate director of engineering and facilities at the University of Minnesota’s St. Anthony Falls Laboratory. He was a lead researcher on a recent study that looked at what happens under the lake surface when different types of recreational boats travel at different speeds.

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.

In the wake of the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, questions about political violence in America are once again front and center. MPR News guest host Chris Farrell and his guests ask: Why is political violence on the rise and how do we respond?

Guests:

• John Hinderaker is the president of the Center for the American Experiment, a conservative policy advocacy group based in Minnesota.
• David Schultz is a professor of political science and legal studies at Hamline University.
• Shannon Watson is the executive director of Majority in the Middle, a Minnesota nonprofit that promotes civility in public life.

The latest vaccines for COVID-19 have reached Minnesota. But should you get one? Can you find one? And will your insurance pay for it?

These are just some of the questions flying around following turmoil at federal health agencies.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has fired the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, laid off workers, overseen changes in COVID-19 vaccine recommendations and replaced the committee that sets broad vaccine guidance for the nation.

Former leaders of the CDC under both Republican and Democratic administrations recently warned that the nation's public health system is a “raging fire” under Kennedy’s leadership.

MPR News guest host Chris Farrell talks with a pediatrician and a professor of public health about what this means for public health in Minnesota and for people just trying to get their fall shots.

Guests:

• Dr. Rebecca Wurtz is a professor in the division of Health Policy & Management at the University of Minnesota. She is also a board-certified infectious disease physician and has worked in public health roles in government and private sector settings.
• Dr. Gigi Chawla is a pediatrician and the chief of general pediatrics at Children's Minnesota.

Parenting can feel like a rollercoaster — equal parts joy and chaos.

We often second-guess ourselves: Am I doing this right? Am I messing my kid up forever?

Trust us, you are not alone.

And maybe you’ve heard the term “attachment” thrown around in parenting circles — the deep emotional bond that can form between a child and their primary caregivers.

But what does it really mean? And how does it shape a child’s development?

MPR News guest host Kelly Gordon and early childhood education reporter Kyra Miles talk with a developmental psychologist about how to create parent-child attachment and how to know if we’re getting it right.

Minnesota lawmakers from both parties say they’re open to returning to the Capitol to consider policy changes after last week’s deadly school shooting in Minneapolis. But what might come out of a special session — if one materializes — is harder to gauge.

MPR News guest host Catherine Richert talks with a pediatrician and a researcher about what we know about what works to prevent gun violence and what steps policymakers might take. 

Guests:

• James Densley is a professor and chair of criminology and criminal justice at Metro State University. He is also co-founder of the Violence Prevention Project Research Center at Hamline University.
• Dr. Marc Gorelick is a retired president and CEO of Children's Minnesota. He is a pediatrician, former pediatric emergency medicine physician and author of “Saving Our Kids: An ER Doc's Common-Sense Solution to the Gun Crisis.” He also serves on the MPR Board of Trustees.

Reading is often called the gateway to learning. It opens the door to almost every subject, from history to science.

But what happens when the words on the page or screen don’t come easily — when they blur, flip, or just don’t make sense?

For as many as one in five students, that’s the reality of dyslexia. It’s one of the most common learning differences, yet it’s still widely misunderstood.  

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert and her guests will talk about how dyslexia is assessed and how resources and teaching approaches can make reading easier for children and adults with dyslexia.

Guests:

• Liz Adams is a neuropsychologist who owns and manages Minnesota Neuropsychology, which specializes in assessing dyslexia, ADHD and other learning differences in children and adults. 
• Evelyn Haselmann is the CEO of the 20% Club, a dyslexia tutoring center based in White Bear Township, Minn. She also serves as a board member for Decoding Dyslexia Minnesota, an organization that advocates for awareness, teacher training and stronger policies to support students with dyslexia across Minnesota.