There’s a growing debate surrounding something called historical horse race betting in the state. A racetrack leader weighed in. During routine checkups, some doctors are asking patients about gun safety. We learned more about whether it’s an effective strategy for preventing gun violence. Understaffed school districts across Minnesota are turning to international teachers to fill open positions. We learned about the influx of Filipino teachers and hear from one. The historic Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis closed Monday for two years. We heard from a musician bidding the bridge farewell ..read more

There are more 5,000 active job postings in Minnesota schools, according to St. Cloud State University’s EdPost listings. There’s one school district you won’t see on that list: Red Lake Public Schools. The district is fully staffed, thanks to teachers it has hired from abroad, specifically from the Philippines. Red Lake has hired 11 educators from the Philippines. Back in 2022, MPR News reported on Willmar doing the same. Fridley Public Schools has hired 33 educators from the Philippines. And the Department of Education just signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Mexico to help pave the ..read more

The most successful Timberwolves season in 20 years ended with a turn for the worse last night. They quickly fell behind in a game against the Phoenix Suns and never recovered. Now they are third in the Western Conference and set to play the Suns, a team they have yet to beat this season, this coming Saturday in the NBA playoffs. Anna Knutsen is a huge Timberwolves fan. She co-hosts a podcast all about the team called The Boy Lynx. She joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about the season and what’s to come in the playoffs ..read more

In wellness visits, primary care doctors have a few minutes with patients to check in about various issues related to their health, including smoking, drinking, medications and exercise. Some physicians have added gun safety to the list. The move stems from the perspective, shared by the Minnesota Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and other groups, that gun violence is a public health crisis. Dr. Thomas Kottke has been surveying doctors about their experiences speaking with patients about gun storage. Kottke is HealthPartners’ medical director for wellbeing and a board ..read more

There’s some turmoil at the state capitol over something called historical horse racing, also called instant racing, where betters pick a horse in a digital horse race that has been run in the past. The state’s horse racing tracks, Canterbury Park in Shakopee and Running Aces in Columbus, say historical horse racing is a critical revenue source for them. Lawyers for tribal nations in Minnesota say historical horse racing is too similar to slot machines, which tribes have exclusive rights to host in their casinos. DFL Representative Zack Stephenson is an author of a bill banning historical ho ..read more

Frozen Four celebrations begin Thursday afternoon in downtown St. Paul. The NCAA men’s hockey semifinalists are facing off at 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at Xcel Energy Center. The University of Minnesota Gophers are not among them, this time. MPR News Host Cathy Wurzer talked with sports contributors Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson about what to expect in the championship and other news from the week in Minnesota sports ..read more

The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis is opening an ambitious project Saturday that has been nearly seven years in the making. Three of William Shakespeare’s plays open in a marathon day of shows. They tell an epic, interconnected story. MPR News arts reporter Jacob Aloi has been following the project since the beginning of the year. He joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about why the bard’s stories are still relevant to actors and audiences ..read more

Saturday in Duluth will be Ethel Ray Nance Day, the birthday of a Duluth-born civil rights activist who would have been 125 years old. Her father established the Duluth branch of the NAACP in 1920 after three Black men were lynched in the city. Ethel carved her own path, becoming the first Black woman to work as a stenographer at the state legislature, an executive secretary for W.E.B DuBois and one of the first black policewomen in Minnesota. She has been an unsung hero until now. Her story is now being published by her granddaughter, Karen Nance, the author of “Ethel Ray: Living in the Whi ..read more

A bill moving through the state legislature would mandate private health insurance to cover orthotic and prosthetic devices, supplies and accessories. Right now insurance covers the minimum for an amputee to be able to function. But it doesn’t cover prosthetics such as running blades for athletic activities, which can cost thousands of dollars out-of-pocket. A Minnesotan has made it her life’s work to promote equitable access to equipment and care that make physical activity possible for her and others. Nicole Ver Kuilen testified at the Capitol in support of the bill. On Monday, she will b ..read more

MPR News host Cathy Wurzer talked with Hastings public works director, Ryan Stempski, about the city’s plans to treat the water and how to pay for it. The city is not part of a multi-billion dollar settlement with chemical manufacturer 3M ..read more