A growing number of Minnesotans can’t find an affordable place to live.

Along with the rest of the country, the state faces a worsening housing shortage.

The shortage especially hurts people with lower incomes. Rents are rising, along with evictions. And a growing portion of low-income residents are paying more than a third of their income on rent.

MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talked about why building and maintaining affordable housing has become so expensive, and what we can do about it.

MPR News host Angela Davis talked with a dating coach and a therapist to break down the challenges of modern dating — and provide advice for what you can do to make it easier.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with the president and CEO of the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota about investing in women and girls to ensure their safety, health and economic success.

March Madness is underway and millions of Americans will be watching the games and placing bets on college basketball. MPR News host Angela Davis talks about the appeal and potential addiction of sports betting.

From tariffs to funding cuts and inflation to climate change, Minnesota farmers are dealing with a lot.

Recent directives from the Trump administration have paused federal funding on some programs that support farmers.

Meanwhile, tariffs could lower prices farmers get for their crops while increasing prices they pay to produce them.

MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about how recent changes from the White House could affect Minnesota farmers.

Five years ago, our world was turned upside down. Schools shut their doors, businesses closed, and our daily routines were completely upended by COVID-19. 

We learned new terms like “social distancing” and faced uncertainty in ways we could have never imagined. 

The COVID-19 pandemic was a global crisis, but it was deeply personal. It changed the way we work, the way we connected with one another, and even the way we think about our own health and well-being. 

Now, five years later, we’re taking a step back to reflect.  

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with a doctor and a therapist about what we have learned and where we go from here.

Guests:

• Dr. Susan Kline is an infectious disease physician and a professor of medicine with the Division of Infectious Diseases and International Medicine for the University of Minnesota Medical School. 
• Kendra Snyder is a therapist and founder of NobleTree Therapy, a group therapy practice in St. Paul that offers online therapy to individuals, couples and families.  

To slow a warming climate, Minnesota is changing where it gets electricity — shrinking the state’s reliance on fossil fuels and expanding the use of renewable energy.

Today, more than half of Minnesota’s electricity comes from solar, wind and hydropower. But challenges remain.

For the state to reach its ambitious goal of being carbon neutral by 2050, Minnesotans would need to embrace new ways of heating homes, traveling, powering the state’s factories and much more. And now there are questions about how President Donald Trump’s tariffs and opposition to wind and solar energy might affect an energy transition.

MPR News has been exploring a transition to a carbon-free economy in the series Getting to Green. 

MPR News correspondents Dan Kraker and Kirsti Marohn talk about the progress toward green energy and what the future holds.

Guests:

• Allen Gleckner is the executive lead for policy and programs at Fresh Energy, a St. Paul-based clean energy nonprofit that develops decarbonization strategies to advance the clean energy economy. He focuses on technical innovation and policies that will lead to clean energy in the electric system.  

• Gabriel Chan is an associate professor at the University of Minnesota's Humphrey School of Public Affairs where he focuses on science, technology and environmental policy. He co-directs the Center for Science Technology, and Environmental Policy and the Electric Cooperative Innovation Center. 

Just two days after President Trump imposed tariffs on most products from Canada and Mexico, he suspended many of them.

The president has said tariffs can help stop fentanyl smuggling, support U.S. factories and increase revenue for the government. But his tariff threats have angered key U.S. trading partners, shaken the stock market and alarmed consumers.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks about how President Trump’s approach to tariffs could affect Minnesota businesses and consumers.

Guest:

• Chris Farrell is senior economics contributor for MPR News and Marketplace.

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.     

Flight anxiety has increased after a series of crashes and close calls.

In January, 67 people were killed in a midair collision between an American Airlines jet and a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington D.C.

In February, a commuter plane crashed in Alaska, killing all 10 people on board. Then a Delta Airlines plane took off from Minneapolis and flipped while landing in Toronto, leaving passengers dangling upside down in their seats until they could climb out onto the tarmac. No one died, but several people were injured.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks about flight jitters as we head into the spring break travel season and what you need to know about aviation safety.

Guests:

• Andrew Tangel is a reporter who covers aviation safety and regulation for the Wall Street Journal. He previously covered the American aerospace giant Boeing and U.S. airlines. 
• Kyra Dempsey is an aviation researcher and independent journalist. She writes for “Mentour Pilot”, one of YouTube's most popular aviation-themed channels. And she analyzes plane crash investigation reports on her blog, “Admiral Cloudberg.” 

Running for fitness took off with the jogging craze of the 1970s. Then during the pandemic, more people discovered running as a way to find community, get a cardiovascular workout and add a bit of structure to their upended lives.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with two runners about the strong running culture in Minnesota, the physical and mental benefits of running and the groups that can help beginners take their first strides.

Guests:

• Dr.  Kenneth Poole is an internal medicine physician and founder and captain of the Twin Cities chapter of Black Men Run.
• Andrea Haus is the community and marketing manager at Mill City Running, a Twin Cities running shop that hosts running events throughout the Twin Cities. 

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.