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During what promises to be a divisive election year, MPR News and the nonprofit organization Braver Angels have created Talking Sense to help Minnesotans have hard conversations, better.

Talking Sense is a reporting project that explores the roots of polarization in communities, families and homes, and looks at how Minnesotans are navigating these divisive times. It’s also a series of live events and online tools that help Minnesotans have challenging political conversations without letting the need to change minds stand in the way of preserving important relationships. 

Has political polarization affected your family or community? Send us your Talking Sense story at 

Learn how to navigate tough political conversations better. MPR News' Talking Sense will help improve your communication skills with expert advice you can trust.


Former U.S. attorney general on eroding civility and its impact ahead of the election

Tom Crann

Ngoc Bui

Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder gave a lecture at the Mitchell Hamline School of Law today on civility and its impact on public institutions. 


All Things Considered

Former U.S. attorney general: If we want real policy solutions, we need to be more civil

Introducing Talking Sense

Catharine Richert

This election season MPR News is bringing you Talking Sense, an online and in-person platform to help you have difficult conversations, despite political differences.


Talking Sense

Introducing Talking Sense: Have hard political conversations, better.

Are you interested in better understanding where someone with different political views is coming from? Have someone in mind? Ask them to “Walk a Mile in My News!”


Ready to Depolarize? Try ‘Walk a Mile in My News’

A rabbi and his son mourn Oct. 7 victims, disagree on next steps

When Hamas attacked Israel a year ago, differences between a rabbi and his son’s views on Israel’s conduct became more pronounced. Here’s how they continued to talk about the conflict and learn from each other. 


MPR News with Angela Davis - Talking Sense: How to connect with people you disagree with

Angela Davis

Cari Dwyer

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.


MPR News with Angela Davis

Talking Sense: How to connect with people you disagree with

St. Cloud Somali community seeks political influence, but not all share same views

Kirsti Marohn

In ka badan labaatameeyo sano ka hor ayey qaxootigan oo ka soo jeeda Bariga Afrika soo dageen St. Cloud, oo qaarkood ayaa raadinaya in ay door ku yeeshaan maamulka iyo siyaasadda.


Soomaalida St. Cloud waxay rabaan in ay ka dhex muuqdaan siyaasadda, laakiin iyaga oo dhan isku aragti ma aha

More than two decades since the first East African refugees settled in St. Cloud, some community members are seeking a more active role in government and politics. But their political views are varied.


 St. Cloud Somali community seeks political influence, but not all share same views

A college debate about cancel culture where no one gets canceled

Elizabeth Shockman

A group of Minnesota colleges and universities are working to introduce students to the skills of disagreeing better on divisive topics.


A college debate about cancel culture where no one gets canceled 

Can Winona County turn around its lagging voter turnout? These people are working to do that

Clay Masters

Early voting begins Friday across Minnesota. And organizers in Winona County, which has some of the lowest voter turnout in the state, are uniting for one cause: not a specific candidate or political party, but simply registering people to vote.


Mixed Blood Theatre takes on thorny topics

Jacob Aloi

Discussions of political topics, even among like-minded people, can be difficult. And finding a neutral place to have them can be even harder. As part of our Talking Sense series, reporter Jacob Aloi goes to a Minneapolis theater company creating a space for these conversations, through food and performance.


‘This is rehearsal for life’: Mixed Blood Theatre takes on thorny topics

MPR News with Angela Davis - Talking Sense: Navigating relationships across political divides

Maja Beckstrom

Has political polarization challenged relationships in your life? A Minnesota couple in a politically mixed marriage talks with two therapists and MPR News correspondent Catharine Richert about how to stay connected with family and friends, even when you disagree about politics.


Talking Sense: Navigating relationships across political divides

How a Guatemalan immigrant and a 4th-generation farmer see immigration issues in Worthington

As passions flare over the topic of immigration in national debates, residents of Worthington engaged in a much more nuanced conversation on the topic, sharing stories of how their families settled in the town in search of common ground.
