When crisis workers, not traditional police, respond to calls about mental health
June 22, 2020
Police are often called on to respond to mental health emergencies. That could change, though, as cities across the country — including Minneapolis — consider defunding the police. What would an alternative model look like?
- Panel Mental health, crisis training needed to curb fatal police shootings
- More than just detox Hennepin Co. has a new alternative to jail or ER for mental health crises
- From 2018 St. Paul police expands new mental health unit
- In Rochester As mental health calls rise, cops try a social worker in the squad
Latest on COVID-19 in MN: State passes 500K tests
June 22, 2020
The total number of completed COVID-19 tests in Minnesota surpassed 500,000 over the weekend as the virus’ toll continued.
- Minnesota is loosening its COVID-19 restrictions Here's what you need to know
A dad, a farm and classical music
June 21, 2020
If you happened to drive past a Nebraska farm in the late 1970s or early 80s, you might have seen a couple guys driving tractors while seeming to conduct an orchestra. For Father’s Day, Ward Jacobson shares a heart-warming story about the music-related joys he shared with his father.
Video: Dad jokes that are so bad they're good
June 21, 2020
Sure, dad jokes make you cringe and roll your eyes but that's the beauty of the dad joke — they're so bad that sometimes (hey, we said sometimes) they're actually amazing.
Last year, in honor of Father's Day, MPR News rounded up some of the raddest dads around town to tell us their cheesiest dad jokes.
- The Atlantic: The dad-joke doctrine
- More: Fatherly advice and bad dad jokes
- NPR: DAAAAAAAD! On Father's Day, an homage to the terrible jokes they tell
Michele Norris on the momentum behind the fight for racial equity: ‘We have to be willing to stay at it when it gets difficult’
June 20, 2020
On The Current’s Morning Show this week, host Jill Riley had a conversation with Michele Norris, a columnist for the Washington Post, founding director of the Race Card Project, author of The Grace of Silence, and former host of All Things Considered. They discussed Norris’s experience growing up in Minneapolis, the significance of Juneteenth, and whether or not the ongoing fight for racial equity has finally reached a turning point.
A ‘profoundly different’ Juneteenth in Minnesota
June 19, 2020
The annual celebration of Juneteenth is taking on new meaning this year in Minnesota and across the country as people are energized to fight for racial justice in the wake of George Floyd’s killing. And while the pandemic has curtailed larger celebrations, smaller outdoor events are planned throughout the weekend.
- MPR News with Angela Davis The meaning of Juneteenth and how we should commemorate it
- Nationally Calls to make Juneteenth a federal holiday gain momentum
- Juneteenth A day of joy and pain — and now national action
- Target, U.S. Bank, Best Buy Minnesota companies make Juneteenth a company holiday
Protesters demanding police reform to hit the streets again in Fargo
June 19, 2020
Dialogue between activists and city officials that began two weeks ago after previous protests has appeared to fall apart, with each side blaming the other for a breakdown in communications.
- Wednesday Black leaders say Fargo officials aren't addressing demands
Changes at Minnesota Public Radio and American Public Media
June 16, 2020
Our public service mission compels us to inform, inspire and serve our audiences. That is our enduring promise, and it motivates every decision we make. We’ve carefully weighed all our options to ensure that the programming, staffing and operational changes we’re making are sustainable, and will help to make our most important services even stronger and more relevant.
Read Jon McTaggart’s message about changes at Minnesota Public Radio and American Public Media.
Dispatcher unafraid of being 'snitch' reports Floyd arrest
June 16, 2020
A 911 dispatcher who was apparently watching in real time as a Minneapolis police officer pressed a knee into the neck of George Floyd called a supervisor to tell him what she saw, not caring if it made her look like a “snitch." The recording of the call was made public Monday.
- 911 call and confrontation Ex-Mpls. cop charged with murder, manslaughter in Floyd death
- The killing of George Floyd What we know
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June 15, 2020
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