Essential Minnesota

Minnesota Star Tribune
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Every Friday some of the best reporters in Minnesota dig into one important local story. Host Melissa Townsend brings her distinct curiosity and humor to these weekly deep-dive conversations with journalists from the Minnesota Star Tribune where they break down the facts, the players and the impact. No spin, pretense or A.I. – just great local stories that matter to Minnesota and beyond. It’s what we do best. Available Fridays at 4:30 A.M. Central.

  1. Stories from the critic who knew the Purple One best

    3 DAYS AGO

    Stories from the critic who knew the Purple One best

    Minnesota Star Tribune music critic Jon Bream knew Prince before the world did -- before the first record, before he became an icon. Their decades-long relationship had its share of highs and lows (including a ban from Prince's club after a bad review). Jon reflects on the artist he knew and what’s become of Prince's unreleased work 10 years after his death.

    39 min
  2. The Minnesota Legislature’s plan to tackle fraud this session

    3 APR

    The Minnesota Legislature’s plan to tackle fraud this session

    Rage bait videos and stories online catch a lot of attention. But the real solutions to dealing with fraud in Minnesota are less sensational and more practical. Our reporters run down the real problems that open the door to Medicaid fraud and the solutions state lawmakers are proposing that will close it.  Guests: Jessie Van Berkel, reporter Ryan Faircloth, reporter

    23 min
  3. Did Operation Metro Surge root out Medicaid fraud? part 2

    27 MAR

    Did Operation Metro Surge root out Medicaid fraud? part 2

    We ended 2025 with a set of very serious fraud charges involving millions of dollars that were supposed to go to services that are a lifeline for some Minnesotans.  And then Operation Metro surge happened.  The deployment was supposed to root out this fraud, but our reporters describe what really happened.  This is part 2 of a 3 part series where our reporters separate reality from rage bait about fraud in Minnesota.   Guests:  Jessie Van Berkel, reporter  Deena Winter, reporter

    29 min
  4. Fact v. Fiction: What’s the real story with fraud in Minn. part 1

    20 MAR

    Fact v. Fiction: What’s the real story with fraud in Minn. part 1

    Real fraud, allegations of fraud and political rage bait are creating tons of headlines and lots of chaos but not much sense. To parse it out and get to what’s really going on – we go back to 2018 when the first big fraud scandals in the state set the playbook for what we are seeing today. Guest: Reporter, Deena Winter

    25 min
  5. We’re cooking up something big - back next week

    13 MAR

    We’re cooking up something big - back next week

    We don’t have a new episode for you this week because we are working on a deep dive mini-series unraveling the fraud scandals in Minnesota.  We’ll tell the full story going back a decade and parse out what’s real, what’s rage bait and what people are doing to get us out of this mess. Come on back next week for that!

    1 min
  6. The Sextortion "Pandemic" That’s Hitting Minnesota

    6 MAR

    The Sextortion "Pandemic" That’s Hitting Minnesota

    It starts as an online flirtation, escalates in intensity and ends in tragedy. The story of one family's experience and the local investigator determined to bring them justice.

    24 min
  7. How a “meltdown” is impacting Minnesota

    27 FEB

    How a “meltdown” is impacting Minnesota

    Half of the lawyers at the U.S. Attorney’s office in Minnesota have left in the past year. We find out why and what that means for people involved in immigration, fraud and violent crime cases – including the case against an alleged assassin.

    27 min
  8. Three shootings, two deaths, zero cooperation

    20 FEB

    Three shootings, two deaths, zero cooperation

    As Operation Metro Surge ends in Minnesota, massive legal questions remain. Our reporters explain how state leaders are faced with finding a way around the federal government to hold the immigration agents who killed Renee Good and Alex Pretti accountable.

    24 min
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About

Every Friday some of the best reporters in Minnesota dig into one important local story. Host Melissa Townsend brings her distinct curiosity and humor to these weekly deep-dive conversations with journalists from the Minnesota Star Tribune where they break down the facts, the players and the impact. No spin, pretense or A.I. – just great local stories that matter to Minnesota and beyond. It’s what we do best. Available Fridays at 4:30 A.M. Central.

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  • Creator
    Minnesota Star Tribune
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    17
  • Rating
    Clean

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