For immigrants to America, so much is new. New culture, new language, new systems, new opportunities. The learning curve is steep. But eventually, someone pushes through to a new level and becomes the first in their community to achieve a goal. Maybe they become the first in their family to graduate from college, or the first to start a small busin…

Plant-based diets are growing more popular. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with the founder of the “Vegan Sexy Cool” podcast and a professor of nutrition about the benefits and challenges of going vegan.Minnesota Public Radio

MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about why fewer Americans spend time with neighbors, why these ties matter and how to make connections with the people who live nearby.Minnesota Public Radio

Dream. Ignite. Grow. Those three words drive the mission of Project Success — a Minneapolis nonprofit founded 30 years ago. The program helps students connect to a purpose, discover who they are and find out what they want from life after high school. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with the founder and leader of Project Success about how they cre…

According to the Center for Economic and Policy Research, young adult men are more likely to be neither employed, in school or in workforce training. On Thursday, MPR News host Chris Farrell spoke with a masculinity researcher about why some young men don’t have a sense of purpose and say they feel isolated and stuck. Guests:  Kevin Roy is a profes…

Imagine getting a phone call that changes your life. A phone call that says: “You have breast cancer.” One in eight women in the U.S. will get that call at some point. The median age at diagnosis is 62. But breast cancer diagnoses are on the rise for women under 40. And a cancer diagnosis in your 20s or 30s is typically more aggressive. It’s more l…

There aren’t many jobs for people who play viola, let alone top viola jobs. The Twin Cities is rare for having two professional orchestras with viola sections. That’s what makes it possible for Maiya Papach and Rebecca Albers to chase their music dreams and create a life together in Minnesota. Maiya Papach is principal violist of The Saint Paul Cha…

Leah Lemm, a citizen of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, explores the history and significance of manoomin, or wild rice, a food sacred to her people. Leah has spent her career making radio, making music and helping tell stories. She’s a mom and spouse who lives in the north woods of Minnesota. Leah practices her culture in many ways. She’s been slow…

Recent reports point to a robust economy. But polls continue to show the economy is one of the top issues driving voters’ decisions about their presidential pick. Despite good news about wage growth and a lower unemployment rate, many voters are deeply concerned about inflation and how to bring down the cost of living. MPR News host Angela Davis an…

MPR News host Angela Davis revisits highlights from recent Wednesday health and wellness conversations. In a nod to Halloween, she’ll talk with guests about our skeleton. Bone health is important across a lifetime. Learn what kinds of exercise and nutrition can help keep your bones healthy from your teen years to old age. Plus, she talks with exper…

Younger adults want news in new, more accessible ways. MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about Reverb — an MPR reporting team focused on serving younger Minnesotans. Reverb delivers news content that centers younger adults’ perspectives, answers their questions, celebrates them and explores how they’re impacted by issues in a changing …

One of the greatest gifts you can give any leader is the time and money to become even more effective at the change they want to make in the world. That idea is at the heart of the Bush Fellowship. Every year, up to 30 people across Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and in 23 Native nations receive this prestigious fellowship from the Bush Foun…

How do you connect with someone who disagrees with you? MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about how to navigate conflict despite differences in beliefs, life experiences and you guessed it...politics.Minnesota Public Radio

MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about Tuesday night’s vice-presidential debate. It may be the only debate between Ohio Sen. JD Vance and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz before election day.Minnesota Public Radio

At the 1948 Democratic National Convention, Minneapolis Mayor Hubert Humphrey demanded his party “walk forthrightly into the bright sunshine of human rights.” Southern Democrats defected, creating their own Dixiecrat Party. But President Harry Truman ran for re-election as the candidate of civil rights, and his dramatic victory set the stage for th…

What happens to us when we’re very young children can set us up for life. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with the CEO of the nonprofit Way to Grow about what we can do to nurture kids’ development.Minnesota Public Radio

How many concussions are too many? MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about what we know about how repeated concussions affect us and how to treat them.Minnesota Public Radio

According to the latest MPR News/KARE 11/Star Tribune Minnesota Poll, nearly 80 percent of voters surveyed have high to moderate confidence of an accurate vote count. However, despite that confidence, only half believe voting by mail-in absentee ballot in Minnesota has adequate protections against significant levels of fraud. MPR News host Angela D…

In the news, we hear about people who are killed by gunfire, but what about the people who survive? MPR News host Angela Davis talks about the toll of surviving and witnessing gun violence.Minnesota Public Radio

Immigration is a hot topic this election year, and many Minnesota communities are asking questions about how to face the challenges and opportunities immigrants bring. That’s why MPR News host Kerri Miller traveled to Worthington for the final Rural Voice town hall of the 2024 season. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, Nobles County, where Worthing…

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with Tonya Allen, the president of the McKnight Foundation. The Minnesota-based family foundation grants approximately $100 million dollars every year and is focused on advancing climate action and racial equity — two deeply connected issues. Find out what’s driving the foundation’s priorities, how Allen shifted fro…

If you spent the summer tending to your garden and have more produce than you know what to do with, join a conversation about what to do with what you grew. MPR News host Emily Bright dives into ways to preserve, store and cook what came out of your garden or is abundant in farmers markets. Whether you’re a gardening pro or just trying your hand at…

Have you been sneezing or wheezing, maybe feeling a bit tired? You might be reacting to ragweed pollen in the air and suffering from seasonal allergies. Or, maybe your symptoms are the beginning of a viral infection, even COVID. As we head into fall, it can be a bit hard to tell. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with two doctors about respiratory h…

Farming is a bedrock industry in Minnesota. While the number of farms has been falling for decades, partly due to consolidation and partly due to crop shifts, Minnesota remains sixth in the nation when it comes to agriculture production. Could rural Minnesota communities also lead the way when it comes to conservation farming? MPR News host Kerri M…

Carla Vernón didn’t think she’d go into business. She was inspired to do good in the world by a father who emigrated from Panama to become a college math professor and by her mother who was one of the real-life “Hidden Figures,” the Black women mathematicians who helped develop the U.S. space program. After studying ecology and biology at Princeton…