Minnesota Now

MPR News reviewed a document that shows dozens of Minneapolis police officers worked with a Homeland Security Task Force. This comes as some are skeptical about relationship between local police and federal agencies after the surge of ICE agents this winter. Minnesota is also close to passing the nation's first ban on the use of artificial intelligence that generates fake nude images of real people. Plus, an effort is being launched to train Minnesotans on how to tell their stories about the ICE surge in the state. Also, this weekend, West St. Paul will celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a parade. And, we bid farewell to MPR News chief meteorologist Paul Huttner who’s retiring with a special lookback at his career. The Minnesota Music Minute was “Spirit Horse” by Annie Humphrey. The Song of the Day was “I Will Dare” by the Replacements.

Minnesota is on track to become the first state to ban the use of nudification technologies. These are AI tools that take images of real people and create fake nude photos or videos. Under federal law, it’s a crime to share intimate content, including deepfakes, without consent. Now state lawmakers are trying to stop that content at its source. The bill passed the Senate unanimously Wednesday and now heads to Governor Walz’s desk. Joining Minnesota Now to talk about this is someone who championed this legislation after being harmed by these technologies, Molly Kelley.

This weekend, the West Side of St. Paul will come to life with music, dancing, and colorful cars. The annual Cinco de Mayo event kicks off Friday with a car show and continues into Saturday with a parade and performances. Organizers of the celebration of Mexican culture say they want to lift people’s spirits after a winter that was challenging for many in the community. Minnesota Now host Nina Moini spoke with Santino Franco, co-chairman of West Side Fiestas, the group behind the event, to learn more about the celebration.

It’s been nearly six months since the Trump administration began its campaign to detain and deport thousands of Minnesotans. As state and city leaders continue to assess the full scope of the impact, a local partnership of community organizations is launching an effort to train people on how to collect stories of people’s experiences during what the Trump administration called “Operation Metro Surge.” The trainings are tied to the “truth council” announced by Gov. Tim Walz in March. The governor said the aim is to document the impacts of these federal operations. Emilia Gonzalez Avalos is the executive director of Unidos MN, which is working to provide the trainings in partnership with ISAIAH and The Advocates for Human Rights. She shared more about the trainings and the work Unidos MN has been doing.

Governor Tim Walz gave his final State of the State address, retracing his time in charge. We heard parts of his speech and the Republican response. Plus, prosecutors say Feeding Our Future ringleader Aimee Bock leaked sensitive documents from jail to lawmakers and journalists. Minnesota farmers could be hurting long-term due to the war in Iran. We heard about the impact of fuel prices. Plus, we learned how Minnesota and other states are trying to use the legal system to hold corporations accountable for climate change. We took a deep dive into the rare languages spoken by Minnesotans. And we had our final forecast on Minnesota Now from MPR Chief Meteorologist Paul Huttner ahead of his retirement. The Minnesota Music Minute was “Come in Close” by Nikki Lemire. “Johnny Law” by Frogleg was the Song of the Day.

Political and social circumstances influence the languages people speak and sometimes create distance from the languages of their parents and grandparents. In Minnesota, the most common languages are English, Spanish, Somali and Hmong, according to Census data analyzed by Sahan Journal. But there are many others spoken here, including Tibetan, Kru and Kichwa. Sahan Journal recently profiled several speakers and teachers of languages that are rare in the state. Reporter Shubhanjana Das joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about the story.

According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Minnesota has gotten warmer and wetter over the last century. It's one sign of a changing climate being seen in the state. As we continue to learn about the impacts of climate change, state leaders are taking steps to hold big companies accountable for their role in contributing to climate change. One route has been through the courts. Another has been through legislation that would make fossil fuel companies pay for their emissions. To learn where these efforts stand, MPR News host Nina Moini spoke with two guests who have been keeping an eye on these efforts in Minnesota and across the U.S. James Coleman is a professor of law at the University of Minnesota. And Margaret Barry is a climate litigation fellow at the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University.

The surge of federal immigration agents to Minnesota peaked more than three months ago. Some of those taken into ICE custody during that time are still detained outside the state. Minnesota Now shared an update in a case we covered earlier this year. The Trump Administration is seeking to deport At Chandee, who goes by Ricky, due to a criminal conviction from the 1990s. At the time, the government of Laos, where he was born, refused to accept him. Chandee was allowed to stay in the U.S. and check in periodically with immigration authorities, a circumstance shared by many other Hmong and Lao refugees who were convicted of crimes in the U.S. The Trump Administration argues that deporting people with past convictions makes communities safer. But Chandee's family says he turned his life around since that decades-old conviction, and that his community is better off with him in it.

Prosecutors in the Feeding Our Future case will be back in court Thursday to ask a judge to prohibit convicted fraudster Aimee Bock from contacting her two adult sons from jail. That’s after Bock allegedly directed them to send confidential documents from her case to elected officials and the news media. Reporter Matt Sepic joined MPR News host Nina Moini to break down this latest twist in a case he’s been following for the last four years. Read the full story here: Feds: Feeding Our Future ringleader tried to ‘minimize her starring role’ by leaking secret documents from jail

The Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday morning that it carried out search warrants at Twin Cities daycare providers as part of a fraud investigation. We debriefed the latest on the operation, which involved state and county agencies. We had an update on the case of a Brooklyn Park man who has been in ICE detention for more than three months. Lakeville is seeing a population boom, but it's putting new housing on hold. We talked to the city’s mayor about the decision. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline appears to be saving lives, particularly for young people, according to a new study. We talked to a local call center director about what’s working. We took a musical history tour of the West Bank neighborhood of Minneapolis with the director of a new documentary about the scene. Our Minnesota Music Minute was “Airproofing” by Leo Kottke and our Song of the Day was “Sleight of Hand” by Joey Van Phillips.

New data offers insight into how the national 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline may be affecting mental health outcomes, particularly among young people. An analysis published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found the youth suicide rate was 11 percent lower than expected in the two and a half years after the hotline launched in 2022. The findings suggest that easier access to immediate mental health support could be helping to save lives. In Minnesota, regional call centers are part of the nationwide 988 network, responding to calls and texts from people in crisis every day. Carolina De Los Rios, director of 988 at Greater Twin Cities United Way, spoke with MPR News host Nina Moini about how the center operates. If you or someone you know is in crisis, you can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Minneapolis’ West Bank neighborhood, also known as Cedar-Riverside, was once a hub for a thriving music scene. Beginning in the 1960s, folk, blues, rock and international musicians were drawn to the area, helping shape its cultural identity. A new documentary explores that musical history. Kevin Dragseth is the director of the Twin Cities PBS film, “Wild West Bank Sound.” He joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about the project.

The city of Lakeville’s population is booming. It grew 12 percent from 2020 to 2024, according to U.S. Census data. That’s compared to statewide growth of two percent. Despite Lakeville’s growth, the city is putting a pause on building new housing. The city council passed a one-year moratorium last week. Lakeville Mayor Luke Hellier joined MPR News host Nina Moini to explain why they’re hitting pause on housing and his vision for the future of Lakeville housing.

Tuesday morning, the Department of Homeland Security executed search warrants across the Twin Cities as part of what they say is an ongoing criminal investigation into fraud. FBI and Homeland Security Investigations agents were seen at several childcare centers and autism therapy providers throughout the morning. MPR News’ Jon Collins checked on some locations in Minneapolis where state and federal agents have served the warrants, and talked to MPR News host Nina Moini about it.

The Fargo community is reeling from the loss of a lawmaker this weekend. Fargo Representative Liz Conmy died Saturday in a small plane crash. We'll hear about how they're remembering her life. A new investigation from MPR News and APM Reports shows at least 50 people since 2022 have died in group homes across the state. These are places where Minnesotans with disabilities or mental health challenges can live. More on the findings. And in Monticello, city leaders will decide tonight on potential new rules for data centers. Plus, we'll hear about this year's Somali Day at the Capitol. And the Timberwolves have a chance to move on in the playoffs tonight. We'll learn more about their big rivalry with the Denver Nuggets. Our Minnesota Music Minute was “paper thin” by she’s green and our Song of the Day was “Basil Bouquet” by Local Sports.

The Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets are preparing for Game 5 of their playoff series Monday night. If the Wolves win, they advance to the Western Conference Finals. That’s after a decisive victory Saturday, when they beat Denver by 16 points. It came at a cost – injuries for two starters and fines for a member of each team. Joining Minnesota Now to talk about this and other Minnesota sports stories, are our sports contributors Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson.

Community leaders and state leaders gathered in the Capitol rotunda Monday morning for the third annual Somali Day. It comes in the wake of “Operation Metro Surge,” which the Trump administration initially described as an effort focused specifically on deporting some Somali Minnesotans. Fartun Weli is the CEO and founder of Isuroon, one of the organizations supporting the event. Weli spoke to Minnesota Now host Nina Moini about the significance of the event this year.

Group homes give Minnesotans with disabilities or mental health diagnoses a place to live — with staff on site to keep them safe. But a new investigation from MPR News and APM Reports found a surprising number of people have been dying in Minnesota group homes. The investigation discovered at least 50 deaths since late 2022. But state law allows only minor financial penalties against the group homes when they neglect their residents. Reporter Ellie Roth joined Minnesota Now host Nina Moini to talk about the group home industry, how the state investigates neglect and an inside look on the reporting.

Lawmakers in Fargo are navigating the unexpected loss of a colleague over the weekend – North Dakota State Rep. Liz Conmy, D-Fargo, died on Saturday after a small plane crashed in Brooklyn Park, just after taking off from the Crystal airport. The pilot of the plane died in the crash, too. North Dakota’s Democratic party is remembering her as a champion for public education, the environment, and transparency. Conmy’s next door neighbor, Anastassiya Andrianova is running for North Dakota state House to represent a part of Fargo. She said she was encouraged to run by her friend Rep. Conmy. Andrianova joined Minnesota Now host Nina Moini to reflect on Conmy’s life and career. This segment was produced by Ellen Finn. Read more reporting on this story from Harshawn Ratanpal.

The U.S. senate overturned a ban on mining in the Boundary Waters Thursday. It's a win for mining companies — and a loss for environmentalists who say mining will pollute the region. We heard from a Minnesotan in the mining industry. And a New York Times reporter shared what she learned by talking with dozens of former and current DHS employees. A St. Paul elementary school will soon launch a historic Afrocentric curriculum for its majority Black student body. Plus, we heard from a documentary filmmaker following the Jacob Wetterling murder case — after it was closed — through the perspective of the Wetterling family. And we spoke to a Duluth writer who wrote a book about the best hikes in the country. The Minnesota Music Minute was “St. Paul” by Anchorhead.