Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now

Stories from May 30, 2023

Bigg Kiaa makes a big splash in Minneapolis music scene

Bigg Kiaa makes a big splash in Minneapolis music scene

At just 20 years old, Nakia Neal is making a name for herself in the Minneapolis music scene as Bigg Kiaa. Bigg Kiaa earns her name with her energy and personality each time she performs. 

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Music programs in Minnesota prisons aim to make change

Music programs in Minnesota prisons aim to make change

The Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop and Radical Reversal seek to make change through providing access to recording equipment to the incarcerated.  

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Hot week underway; widely scattered thunderstorms daily

Hot week underway; widely scattered thunderstorms daily

Hot weather and a touch of humidity for this week. Look for widely scattered showers and thunderstorms each day.
by Bill Endersen

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

Walz signs off on legalizing marijuana, marking a historic shift starting August 1

Walz signs off on legalizing marijuana, marking a historic shift starting August 1, although it will take years to stand up a full-fledged cannabis industry in the state. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Officials warn of extreme fire danger in northern Minnesota

Officials warn of extreme fire danger in northern Minnesota

State and federal land managers are warning of extreme fire danger across northeastern Minnesota, as a lack of precipitation, low humidity, warm temperatures and strong winds combine to create ideal conditions for wildfires.
by Dan Kraker

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
After cannabis legalized in Minnesota, state's hemp growers prepare for uncertain future

After cannabis legalized in Minnesota, state's hemp growers prepare for uncertain future

Edibles containing small amounts of hemp-derived THC were legalized last July, and an entire industry quickly popped up around that law. Now, growers are worried they will lose business.
by Cathy Wurzer and Gretchen Brown

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Alzheimer's warning signs to watch for — as new drugs give patients hope

Alzheimer's warning signs to watch for — as new drugs give patients hope

Earlier this month, new research came out from the drugmaker Eli Lilly about a potential new Alzheimer's drug called Donanemab. It was shown to slow cognitive decline by more than 30 percent.
by Cathy Wurzer and Ellen Finn

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
From the archives: William Kent Krueger on 'Lightning Strike'

From the archives: William Kent Krueger on 'Lightning Strike'

This Friday on Big Books and Bold Ideas, you’ll hear Kerri Miller’s spring Talking Volumes conversation with Minnesota author Kent Krueger. So it’s only fitting that our archive this week is Krueger’s last appearance at Talking Volumes in 2021.
by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Walz signs bill making marijuana legal in Minnesota

Walz signs bill making marijuana legal in Minnesota

Gov. Tim Walz signed a marijuana legalization bill, which begins to roll out in a few months in phases. Full retail sales could be a year or more away.
by Brian Bakst

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Grand Marais artist Howard Sivertson's legacy on the North Shore

Grand Marais artist Howard Sivertson's legacy on the North Shore

Sivertson was born into a Lake Superior commercial fishing family, but bouts of sea sickness meant fishing would not be in his future. He became an artist, known for the Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais, Minn. which he co-founded with his daughter, Jan.
by Cathy Wurzer and Alanna Elder

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Why our allergies are getting worse —and what to do about it

Why our allergies are getting worse —and what to do about it

From excessive hygiene to low-fiber diets, author Theresa MacPhail explores the deep-rooted causes of rising allergy rates in her new book “Allergic.”
by Dave Davies

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
J.D. Steele: Spreading joy and soul through song

J.D. Steele: Spreading joy and soul through song

Musician J.D. Steele is known for his work with Prince and singing and producing R&B, gospel and soul with The Steeles. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with this Minnesota music powerhouse about his career, directing community choirs and inspiring the next generation to sing.
by Angela Davis and Maja Beckstrom

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
LGBTQ+ activists call for new strategies to promote equality after Target backlash

LGBTQ+ activists call for new strategies to promote equality after Target backlash

While the retailer said its actions were aimed at ensuring the safety and well-being of its employees after protesters knocked over Pride signs and confronted workers in stores, the controversy comes at a time when conflict over LGBTQ+ rights is simmering.
by The Associated Press

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
3 new books in translation blend liberation with darkness

3 new books in translation blend liberation with darkness

The Enlightenment of Katzuo Nakamatsu, The House on Via Gemito, and Cousins together form a tour of human darkness where liberation comes in many forms.
by Lily Meyer

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
More showers, thunder develop late Tuesday; steamy, unsettled week

More showers, thunder develop late Tuesday; steamy, unsettled week

After lingering morning showers fizzle out, we’ll see midday sunshine and more thunderstorms developing later in the afternoon and evening Tuesday. Temperatures will be near 90 this week and continued unsettled patterns.
by Sven Sundgaard

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

Minneapolis police are investigating the shooting death of a young man

A young man was found dead in a north Minneapolis on Memorial Day. Minneapolis police chief Brian O’Hara says there are active leads, but no arrests have been made yet. This is an MPR News morning update, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Local businesses prep for legal cannabis plants, possession come August

Local businesses prep for legal cannabis plants, possession come August

In just a couple of months, Minnesotans will be able to grow their own cannabis plants and local businesses are eager to help them get started. But there is one thing they can’t sell — cannabis seed.
by Dan Gunderson

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Unsettled pattern with thunder chances, heating up

Unsettled pattern with thunder chances, heating up

The pattern switches from warm and dry to occasional thunder chances with more heat and humidity this week.
by Sven Sundgaard

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Rolling thunder: Contestants chase cheese wheel down a hill in chaotic UK race

Rolling thunder: Contestants chase cheese wheel down a hill in chaotic UK race

Dozens of reckless racers have chased a 7-pound wheel of Double Gloucester cheese down the near-vertical Cooper’s Hill near Gloucester in southwestern England. The cheese-rolling race has been held at Cooper’s Hill, about 100 miles west of London, since at least 1826.
by The Associated Press

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
People fleeing Sudan face uncertain futures in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and beyond

People fleeing Sudan face uncertain futures in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and beyond

In Port Sudan, Jeddah, Aswan and Cairo, people have sought safety from the fighting in Khartoum. After making difficult decisions and journeys, the biggest challenges for many are only beginning.
by Aya Batrawy

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
At Shakopee prison, women grieve lost children, work toward redemption

At Shakopee prison, women grieve lost children, work toward redemption

Most incarcerated women in Minnesota have children. A new support group at Minnesota Correctional Facility - Shakopee is tailored to the specific grief these women feel that's often overlooked by society.
by Catharine Richert

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!