MPR News with Angela Davis Minnesota Public Radio

Our bones are constantly breaking down and remaking themselves. In fact, an adult human skeleton replaces itself every five to 10 years.

As we get older, that creation of new bone can’t keep up with the loss of old bone. Our bones get weaker and more brittle, a condition called osteoporosis, and that puts us at higher risk of breaking a hip, a rib or something else if we fall.

But there’s a lot we can do at all ages to build stronger bones. 

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with two doctors about how diet, exercise and medications can build our bone density and help prevent fractures as we age.

Guests:  

Dr. Jad Sfeir is an endocrinologist and gerontologist and an assistant professor at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science in Rochester. He specializes in osteoporosis and age-related decline in bone strength. He also sees patients with rare bone diseases.

Dr. Suzanne Hecht is an associate professor with the Program in Sports Medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School and a sports medicine physician with M Health Fairview. She’s also a team physician for University of Minnesota Athletics and U.S. Figure Skating and is a member of the USA Gymnastics National Healthcare Referral Network.

Bartenders do more than mix cocktails and mocktails.

They’re rubbing elbows with politicians and entrepreneurs, with people celebrating and people down on their luck, with regulars from down the block and tourists from across the world.

Our guests are bartenders at the St. Paul Grill, inside the St. Paul Hotel in downtown St. Paul.

We’ll hear stories and tricks of the trade from their decades on the job.

Guests:  

Wesley “Wes” Winfield and Jacob “Jake” Zimmerman are bartenders at the St. Paul Grill in downtown St. Paul.

How much is too much when it comes to the financial support of adult children? 

With the rising cost of living, more parents are supporting adult children for longer.  

One recent survey from Pew Research Center found a third of people in their early 30s received financial help from their parents.

Many parents struggle with where to draw the line between helping and enabling. How do parents support grown children in ways that help them move forward, toward a secure financial future?

And how can parents make sure they’re not putting their own financial future at risk by supporting their grown kids?

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with a Washington Post personal finance columnists and listeners about parenting, adult children and money.

Michelle Singletary is a nationally syndicated personal finance columnist for the Washington Post. Her award-winning column is called “The Color of Money.” And she’s written four personal finance books, including, “What To Do With Your Money When Crisis Hits: A Survival Guide.” 

When many people think of autism, they think of children. But as awareness about autism grows, more adults are also being diagnosed with autism.  

About two percent of adults are on the autism spectrum, which includes a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with sensory sensitivities, social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. 

MPR News host Angela Davis hosts part two of an April Autism Awareness Month conversation about what it’s like to be an adult with autism, how to get diagnosed and the pros and cons of disclosing you’re autistic in your school or workplace.

Guests:  

Daren Howard is deputy director of the Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM) and sought his own diagnosis with autism spectrum disorder after his child received a diagnosis. He moved to Minnesota several years ago from California, where he consulted and led nonprofit organizations focused on giving children and teenagers access to after school and summer programing. 

Zephyr James is director of marketing and communications with the Autism Society of Minnesota. They were diagnosed with autism as a young adult.

We’re approaching the two-year anniversary of the end of Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision that guaranteed the right to an abortion for half a century.

The fall of Roe has heightened the intensity of a battle over reproductive rights across the country. And here in Minnesota, it’s inspiring activists to continue to pursue an Equal Rights Amendment that would enshrine gender protection and reproductive justice into the state Constitution.

MPR News host Angela Davis talked about where the Equal Rights Amendment stands in the Minnesota legislature today and the state of gender inequality in 2024.

What happens when a tightwad marries a big spender?

Disagreement over money and how to spend it is a source of conflict in many close relationships and marriages.

The families we grow up in shape our behavior around money. That can lead to trouble if you start sharing your life with someone who has a very different approach to spending and saving.

Coming up at 9 a.m. on Monday, MPR News host Angela Davis talks with a researcher and a financial therapist about why so many couples fight over finances and how to resolve the inevitable disagreements.

Guests:  


Scott Rick is the author of “Tightwads and Spendthrifts: Navigating the Money Minefield in Real Relationships,” published earlier this year. He’s an associate professor in the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan where he studies consumer behavior and decision making.

Lindsey Konchar is a certified financial therapist based in Chaska, with a master’s degree in social work from Minnesota State University Mankato. She offers financial therapy to individuals and couples through her business, Coping with Lindsey.