Minneapolis city council members want to defund the police department; new agenda items for special legislative session

MPR News political editor Mike Mulcahy looks ahead to Tuesday’s primary election in Minnesota. He’ll discuss the races to watch and how politics and voting has changed during the pandemic.

Six months after Gov. Tim Walz first declared the peacetime emergency, where is Minnesota in the response to the pandemic and what will the next few months bring? On this week’s Politics Friday, MPR News host Mike Mulcahy talked with Walz, discussing some of the pressing issues in Minnesota and taking listener questions from around the state. 

The front-runners in Minnesota’s 1st and 3rd Congressional Districts took part in telephone debates on Politics Friday.

Is there really such a thing as a "shy Trump voter"? Who is contacted to take part in pre-election polls? And are they reliable or not?

Striking machinists voted to reject an agreement that would have boosted wages by 35 percent. It’s another blow for Boeing, which reported a $6 billion quarterly loss on Wednesday.

Over 200,000 people canceled their subscriptions in the first few days following news that The Washington Post would not endorse any presidential candidate.

Xcel Energy wants to build the roughly 170-mile power line from Garvin in Lyon County to Becker in central Minnesota. It would connect solar and wind energy from southwest Minnesota to the electrical grid.

Rolf Nordstrom, president and CEO of the nonpartisan nonprofit Great Plains Institute, and Gregg Mast, executive director of Clean Energy Economy Minnesota, weigh in on what the election results will mean for the energy transition already underway.

Rioters in the same city where Anne Frank hid during the Holocaust hunted down Israeli soccer fans, beating them and forcing them to say “Free Palestine” in an outbreak of violence that many have likened to Kristallnacht during the Nazi regime in Germany. 

Actor and "The Passion of the Christ" director Mel Gibson recently revealed his support for former President Donald Trump and his belief that Vice President Kamala Harris sports both an "appalling track record" and a low IQ.

While there’s been no shortage of reactions to the recent Joe Rogan interview with former President Donald Trump, filmmaker and Blaze TV host Steve Deace says he believes the podcast will prove to be nothing short of historic. 

Two Christian activists urged fellow believers to remain active in politics, contending that they have an obligation to become “major influencers” in American society by restoring civility to political discourse. 

The latest entry in the fantasy role-playing franchise 'Dragon Age' allows players to make their character trans-identifying and features a scene where one character is forced to atone for “misgendering” someone by performing a series of push-ups. 

Actor John Rhys-Davies narrates a reimagined audio drama of "A Christmas Carol," drawn by the story’s themes of transformation, compassion and redemption, which he likens to the journeys of both Scrooge and his Rings character, Gimli, as they overcome prejudice and open their hearts to others.

New restrictions on PFAS and what that means for Granite State communities. These chemicals have been found in public water supplies around the state. Used for decades in such products as Teflon and Gortex, they've been linked to serious health problems, spurring communities to take action, including lawsuits. Now, after intense pressure from community activists, New Hampshire officials have proposed some of the lowest PFAS limits in the country. We'll find out what's in store now, in terms of testing, following the health effects of these chemicals, and more.

The solid waste company Casella says it's running out of space for Northern New England's trash. So it's taking the rare step of planning a brand-new landfill, in the small Coös County town of Dalton. Lots of locals agree – they don't want the landfill. But they're divided on one potential tool to block it: zoning.

To kick off NHPR's new reporting project By Degrees , we're unpacking the basics of how climate change is already affecting life in New Hampshire, and how the state is contributing to and responding to the problem. Rachel Cleetus is the policy director for the Union of Concerned Scientists' Climate and Energy Program, based in Massachusetts.

By Degrees is a multi-year reporting project from NHPR that will tell stories about climate change in New Hampshire - its challenges, solutions and connections to other forces shaping our lives today. The project begins today. Morning Edition Host Rick Ganley spoke with lead reporter Annie Ropeik, who covers energy, the environment and the Seacoast for NHPR, to learn more about the project's goals, what to expect this week and how listeners can contribute. We want to know your questions and the kinds of stories you'd like to hear about climate change. You can share those ideas by filling out our quick survey . Rick Ganley: On the website for the project, you describe it as beginning in kind of a historic moment. What do you mean by that? Annie Ropeik: Well, I mean that we are in the middle of many more than one crisis right now. We are in the middle of a global pandemic, a generational reckoning on racial justice. It's a presidential election year, which can be hard to remember

By Degrees is a new reporting project by NHPR shedding new light on climate change in New Hampshire. That project launches this week. Air pollution is known to cause health problems like premature deaths, hospitalizations, heart attacks, and childhood asthma. It's also closely connected to climate change. Syracuse University Professor Charles Driscoll joined NHPR’s All Things Considered host Peter Biello to talk about what air quality in New Hampshire can tell us about the extent of the problem. So walk us through the basics, if you could. What are the main sources of air pollution in New Hampshire? There are different air pollutants that come from primarily fossil fuel combustion. So that could be through electric utilities, could be industrial processes, could be transportation. And there are a number of air pollutants, but the ones that are most prominent are very fine particulate matter released directly from these processes. But it also can be produced in the atmosphere from

Earlier this year, the city of Lebanon gave a small group of residents the chance to bring not their trash and recyclables to the local landfill, but their compost too. It makes Lebanon one of a few cities in the state helping residents reduce food waste, which is a major contributor to climate change.

COVID-19 has been hard on just about every industry in New Hampshire, and renewable energy is no exception. People worried about money are putting off investing in solar panels, and health concerns have made home energy efficiency visits more complicated. But scientists say investments like these can lower energy costs, and remain a critical way to combat the other big crisis we’re facing – climate change. As part of NHPR’s new climate change reporting project, By Degrees , NHPR’s Annie Ropeik has been trying to find out what might be ahead for the renewable energy industry in the state. Morning Edition Host Rick Ganley spoke with her about what’s next.

Pollster John McLaughlin says Evangelical turnout is critical in the presidential election.

The bodies of two poll workers, who were among the five people killed in Missouri after flash floods swept through the state, were discovered early Wednesday.

Former My Faith Votes CEO Jason C. Yates, whose organization is known for getting conservative Christians involved in politics, has been charged with possessing child pornography.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is investigating allegations that workers were instructed to avoid homes displaying signs supporting Donald Trump during hurricane relief efforts in Florida. The guidance, reportedly issued by a FEMA supervisor, left Trump-supporting residents without aid, prompting criticism from Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Award-winning author Ann Patchett - herself a seasoned literary interviewer - joined All Things Considered & The Bookshelf host Peter Biello to discuss her latest novel, The Dutch House , writing, bookselling, and how much she hates the Amazon Echo. The interview was part of our occasional series, In the Spotlight, produced in partnership with Gibson's Bookstore and the Capitol Center for the Arts. This interview was taped live at the Capitol Center for the Arts on October 2, 2019. Listen to the full interview below.

After winning the “Best Comedy” award at last year’s Melbourne Fringe Festival in Australia, New Hampshire native Gemma Soldati and comedy partner Amrita Dhaliwal are now taking their two-woman clown show, The Living Room , on the road. The show, which they describe as “a comedy about death, devised in grief,” will be touring major cities across the United States, Canada, and Australia.

A recent documentary centers on Boston’s WBCN radio, a 40-plus year fixture on the New England airwaves. Rock radio is fading out in many cities around the country. Last month, WAAF, a rock radio station in Massachusetts, was sold and abruptly changed its format after 50 years. It’s been more than a decade since WBCN left the air. Both stations were widely heard in New Hampshire. We could focus on the demise, but Bill Lichtenstein, a filmmaker and one-time ‘Rock of Boston’ staffer, decided to tell the story of the beginning of WBCN. He started back in 1968, as a 14-year-old kid answering the station’s listener line. This transcript of Rick Ganley's conversation with Bill Lichtenstein has been lightly edited. Lichtenstein: People were told call with anything – questions, your roommate's having a bad acid trip, whatever, and we'll be happy to try to help you. And so I started answering the listener line. I was one of a number of young people that were recruited to do that. Ganley: And I

As I learned during a return visit this summer, the real draw in Plymouth is the centuries of maritime history. It goes well beyond the Mayflower, whose sailing from here 424 years ago on Sept. 16 was a historical fluke.

Laila Mickelwait has fought against sex trafficking for decades, and her latest memoir recounts her efforts to expose Pornhub and also how her Christian faith filled her with the strength to take on Goliath. 

Overshadowed by artsy-fartsy Taos and Santa Fe, this is New Mexico’s most underrated city.

A majority of practicing Christians, including pastors, admit to viewing pornography and a large share say they are comfortable with the habit, a new study has found.

Sometimes suburbia is the destination. One such suburb is Irving, Texas. Once a bedroom community for Dallas, it has become a destination in its own right.

Once an outpost on the early frontier and later a port for steamers carrying tobacco and cotton, this town in northern Tennessee is today a hidden gem.

Events that occurred this week in Christian history include Bob Marley joining the Orthodox Church, the death of Billy Sunday, and Pope Leo X defending indulgences.

A day after urging sex abuse victims of current or former leaders of the embattled Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, to report their abuse to elders, longtime elder at the megachurch, Tra Willbanks, revised his advice on Sunday urging them instead to “go to the police first.”

Vice President Kamala Harris has conceded the election, promising Americans that there will be a “peaceful transfer of power” and stressing loyalty “to our God,” while also promising to keep fighting.

After President-elect Donald Trump was declared the 47th president during the early morning hours Wednesday, many U.S. political and business leaders have weighed in to congratulate him for his historic political comeback.

The Latino Christian vote shifted strongly in support of President-elect Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, according to exit polls.

A CNN panel discussion about the 2024 presidential election results got heated Friday night as one guest faced allegations of "transphobia" for asserting that the Democratic Party's staunch support for allowing trans-identified males to compete in women's sports contributed to the election loss.

President-elect Donald Trump has asked Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., to be the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Vice President Kamala Harris’ unsuccessful presidential campaign ended with over $20 million in debt, a report has revealed, as the introspection following the 2024 presidential election continues. 

Pasolini, World Music, and the Demise of the Film ComposerWhile somewhat neglected in the English-language literature on film music, Pasolini’s daring use of pre-existing music in his early films—most notably Bach’s sacred music and Vivaldi—marked a watershed in the history of the subject. It also places him alongside such figures as Godard and Kubrick (among others) in an ideal pantheon of mavericks who broke away with the traditional division of labor that underpinned the creation of film soundtracks. Pasolini’s decision to hire Morricone for the music for The Hawks and the Sparrows(1966) could have signaled a change in direction. In fact, following that first collaboration, the relationship between Pasolini and Morricone soon turned into something of an embarrassment for the composer. By the early 1970s, Morricone’s role was to merely arrange already-existing repertoires “scavenged” on various recordings by the omnivorous and ever up-to-date poet/director. Pasolini’s gleeful embrace of reproduced music calls to mind André Malraux’s “museum without walls” and his celebration of the library as both a cabinet of curiosities and workshop. Focusing on Medea(1969) and the so-called “Trilogy of Life,” this talk examines Morricone’s work as mediated and indeed guided by Pasolini the consumer, curator and ultimately producer—for Arabian Nights(1974)—of recordings.Short BioGiorgio BiancorossoGiorgio Biancorosso’s work investigates the boundaries of music and sound in the theater, cinema and digital media. He is the author of Situated Listening: The Sound of Absorption in Classical Cinema(Oxford University Press, 2016) and Remixing Wong Kar Wai: Music, Bricolage, and the Aesthetics of Oblivion(Duke University Press, 2024). Biancorosso is the co-founder and editor of the journal SSS (Sound-Stage-Screen) and the co-editor of Scoring Italian Cinema: Patterns of Collaboration(Routledge, forthcoming).Biancorosso is Professor of Music and inaugural director of the Society of Fellows at The University of Hong Kong. He is currently 2024-25 Luce East Asia Fellow in Musicology at the National Humanities Center, N.C.

Max Abner and Dahlia Nayar, Ph.D. candidates in performance studies, will present their in-progress dissertation research.Max Abner is a PhD candidate, musician, and curator who hails from Louisville, KY, has deep roots in Chicago, and is currently based in Oakland. Working from an anti-colonial settler positionality, he draws together discourses from sound studies, Indigenous studies, and critical theory to approach what he calls settler sound, a concept that accounts for the ways in which contested relations to colonized land play out in aural aesthetics. His dissertation attends to settler sound in the Bay Area experimental music/sound art scene. He has essays set for publication in Revealing Posthuman Encounters in Performance (Routledge) and Power in Listening: The Sound Out! Reader (NYU Press), his recorded curations can be heard on his music label Pontac Publications, and his live performance curations can be experienced at Beauty Supply Arts in Oakland. Dahlia Nayar’s project studies embodied manifestations of Quiet in multiple mediums of minoritarian performance. Her study curates a constellation of contemporary artists working in dance, theater, sound, and visual art with an attention to how Quiet emerges through bodies in relation to layered contexts and multiple subjectivities. She proposes that, as a minoritarian aesthetic, Quiet activates an ephemeral commons through resonance and attunement that allows expansive possibilities of relationality. Prior to her doctoral studies, Dahlia toured nationally and internationally as a choreographer, performer, and multimedia artist. She is a recipient of the Jacob Javits Fellowship, Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellowship in Choreography, and the National Dance Project Touring Award.

dj sniff (Takuro Mizuta Lippit) Composition Colloquium (CNMAT) – Nov. 22Title of your talkParallel Traces - Records that stoped the war, trained the ear, and gave birth to turntablismshort abstractFor this occasion, I will talk about how my practice in turntablism and free improvisation led to the creation of my latest works that deal with historical narratives manifested through vinyl records and their playback devices. Namely, I will talk about Parallel Traces of the Jewel Voice (2022) and The Inverted Listening of Explosive Enemy Aircraft Sounds (2023) which both examine the critical roles that phonograph records played during WWⅡ Japan and its colonized territories, and Transformer (2023) - a sound installation that is constructed by reinterpreting stories about Grandmaster Flash’s early experiments with sound technology.short biodj sniff (Takuro Mizuta Lippit) is a musician and curator in the field of experimental electronic arts and improvised music. His work builds upon a distinct practice that combines DJing, instrument design, and free improvisation. Over the years, he has collaborated with artists such as: Evan Parker, Otomo Yoshihide, Tarek Atoui, Senyawa and many others. He holds a B.A. from Keio University Department of Aesthetics and Science of Arts, M.P.S. from NYU Interactive Telecommunications Program, and Ph.D. from De Montfort University Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Media. Alongside his artistic work, he has held positions at various institutions such as Artistic Director of STEIM – Studio for Electro-Instrumental Music Amsterdam (2007-2012), Visiting Assistant Professor at City University of Hong Kong School of Creative Media (2012-17), and Associate Professor at Kyoto Seika University (2020 - 2022). Currently based in Los Angeles, he is the Co-Director of Asian Meeting Festival (AMF) - an international music festival that brings together experimental musicians from Asia since 2005, instructor at Shared Campus Summer Schools led by Zurich University of the Arts, and a part-time lecturer at Kyoto Seika and Tokyo University of the Arts Graduate School of Global Arts.

Karola Obermueller Composition Colloquium (Morrison 250) – Nov. 15time, timbre, and transformation  abstractMy creative research revolves around a collection of themes which I return to again and again in my composing. I will discuss these areas of inquiry, how they connect to each other, and in which ways they form / govern / appear in my compositions. short bioKarola Obermüller’s composing, described by the NYT as “hyperkinetic music”, is constantly in search of the unknown. Her unique voice began forming in collages of sound made with tape recorders and evolved later with composition degrees obtained in Nuremberg, Saarbrücken, and at the Mozarteum Salzburg. Her sense of rhythm and form was forever changed by studying Carnatic and Hindustani classical music in India. Since receiving a doctorate from Harvard, Obermüller taught composition and co-directed the composition area at the University of New Mexico before joining the Department of Music at UC San Diego in 2023. Her music can be heard on CD (WERGO, New Focus Recordings, Brilliant Classics) and at karolaobermueller.net.

The woman who journalistically captured a burgeoning epidemic of self-harm among teen girls suddenly identifying as transgender has confronted yet another colossal behemoth: the mental health industry.

Ohio State has sold the name of a building before. Actually, several times before. But the naming rights to a job title? That seems a bit different.

After a 2nd place finish in the MLS last season, the Columbus Crew SC are looking for a little revenge to start their 2016 campaign.