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Talking Sense

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 talk@mprnews.org

As Olmsted County shifts left, political observers see battle brewing over control of a complicated electorate

As Olmsted County shifts left, political observers see battle brewing over control of a complicated electorate

Not long ago, Olmsted County was once a reliably Republican regional center. Today, it’s a solidly Democratic outpost, where highly educated voters are consolidating in Rochester and reshaping the county’s electorate. 
by Catharine Richert

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Is it possible to date someone with different political views? Americans increasingly say ‘no’

Is it possible to date someone with different political views? Americans increasingly say ‘no’

Eighty-six percent of Americans think it has become harder to date someone from the opposite political party, according to a 2020 poll from market research firm YouGov. MPR News host Angela Davis talked about it with a marriage and family therapist and a writer.
by Angela Davis and Gretchen Brown

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As Goodhue County shifts further right, compromise is harder to find

As Goodhue County shifts further right, compromise is harder to find

After years of feeling unheard by local officials, many conservative Republicans welcome the shift. Others say the trend is creating new political tension and polarization in a community where moderate conservatives once prevailed. 
by Catharine Richert

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Arbor Day tradition aims to put trees in ground while easing political tensions at Capitol

Arbor Day tradition aims to put trees in ground while easing political tensions at Capitol

For the past several decades, two Democrats and two Republicans in the Minnesota House have passed out trees on Arbor Day as a brief respite from political tensions at the Capitol.
by Clay Masters

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Mood of the Nation: Angry

Mood of the Nation: Angry

Nine in 10 Americans can name either a recent news event or something about American politics that made them angry, while only half could identify a recent news event or something about American politics that made them proud, according to the McCourtney Institute for Democracy’s latest Mood of the Nation Poll.
by Craig Helmstetter and Eric Plutzer

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Tensions build as White Earth Nation tries to assert authority over state forest land use

Tensions build as White Earth Nation tries to assert authority over state forest land use

A bill at the Capitol that would transfer ownership of some state-owned forest lands to the White Earth Band of Ojibwe has sparked outcry from non-Native neighbors, and prompted calls for dialogue to help ease the conflict.
by Dan Gunderson

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St. Olaf election project drives turnout, primes students for more productive political conversations

St. Olaf election project drives turnout, primes students for more productive political conversations

St. Olaf College in Northfield has one of the highest voter turnouts in the country. In 2020, nearly 90 percent of eligible Oles cast a ballot. Getting out the vote is a big part of the school’s civic engagement work. But equally important is an effort to train students on better ways to discuss politics with people they disagree with.
by Catharine Richert

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A Republican and a Democrat make the case for civility in politics

A Republican and a Democrat make the case for civility in politics

Former North Dakota U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, a Democrat, and former North Dakota Gov. Ed Schafer, a Republican, encourage people to break out of a cycle of cultural divisions to work toward bipartisan civil discourse.
by Cathy Wurzer and Heidi Raschke

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‘Always truth in their story’: How one author talks across political divides

‘Always truth in their story’: How one author talks across political divides

Author Mónica Guzmán says she’s the proud, liberal daughter of conservative parents. She wrote a book about how she navigates challenging political discussions — and how the rest of us can use the same techniques to preserve important relationships. 
by Catharine Richert

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