Essential Minnesota

Minnesota Star Tribune
  • 5.0 (3)
  • POLITICS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

A weekly show from the Minnesota Star Tribune. No AI, no spin, just great local journalists who use their access and connections to dig into unforgettable stories that matter to Minnesota and beyond. It's what the Strib does best.

Episodes

  1. Three shootings, two deaths, zero cooperation

    2D AGO

    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
  2. Minnesotans in Hiding

    FEB 12

    Minnesotans in Hiding

    Even with the announcement that Operation Metro Surge is coming to an end, many Minnesotans are still in hiding.  Our reporters visit with one family who has been wondering when it will be safe to come out again.

    20 min
  3. How will this end? Lessons from the ICE surge in Chicago

    FEB 9

    How will this end? Lessons from the ICE surge in Chicago

    Before Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis, there was Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago. Chicago Tribune reporter Greg Pratt describes how it started, the similarities between Minneapolis and Chicago, and finally, how it ended.

    19 min
  4. Tackled, shackled and then what?

    FEB 6

    Tackled, shackled and then what?

    We find out what is happening inside the ICE detainment facility in Minneapolis and what people have to do to be set free.

    25 min
  5. Is Minnesota a sanctuary state and can its jails be opened to ICE?

    JAN 29

    Is Minnesota a sanctuary state and can its jails be opened to ICE?

    Reporters in Minneapolis fact check federal officials' claims that violence across the metro is caused by state and local officials who have declared Minnesota a sanctuary state and won’t open its jails to ICE. What does the law say?

    20 min
  6. The escalation of Operation Metro Surge and the shooting of Renee Good

    JAN 29

    The escalation of Operation Metro Surge and the shooting of Renee Good

    In three stories that happened over three months, reporters in Minneapolis track the escalation of the ICE and Border Patrol surge from November 2025 to January 2026, when ICE agent Jonathan Ross fatally shot Renee Good.

    36 min
  7. The Minnesota gun law that’s working

    JAN 29

    The Minnesota gun law that’s working

    Amid the ongoing debate over gun control laws, our investigative reporter digs into the stories of "what could have been" if the state's red flag gun law wasn't in place.

    18 min
  8. The man leading Annunciation School after a mass shooting

    JAN 29

    The man leading Annunciation School after a mass shooting

    At the first all-school assembly after a mass shooting in August 2025, our reporter sees firsthand how Principal Matt DeBoer is creating a space for hundreds of children to move forward with humor, compassion and stuffies.

    21 min
  9. The religious background of alleged assassin Vance Boelter

    JAN 29

    The religious background of alleged assassin Vance Boelter

    After a statewide manhunt in June 2025 Vance Boelter was arrested for the murder of state rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, and the shooting of state rep. John Hoffman and his wife. Could Boelter’s religious beliefs have something to do with it? Two investigative reporters uncover his past to find out.

    26 min
  10. Introducing Essential Minnesota

    JAN 29

    Introducing Essential Minnesota

    Host Melissa Townsend introduces this new, smart and funny weekly news show from the Minnesota Star Tribune where local journalist dig deep into the stories that matter to the midwest U.S. and beyond.

    1 min

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

A weekly show from the Minnesota Star Tribune. No AI, no spin, just great local journalists who use their access and connections to dig into unforgettable stories that matter to Minnesota and beyond. It's what the Strib does best.

Information

  • Creator
    Minnesota Star Tribune
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    10
  • Rating
    Clean

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