MPR News with Angela Davis

Minnesota Public Radio

Conversations about life in Minnesota and how the state is changing, weekdays from MPR News. Programming note: Our colleague Angela Davis is taking a leave of absence after a recent breast cancer diagnosis. Thank you to all who have checked in and shared kind words. Angela is touched by your support as she focuses on her recovery. 

  1. 5d ago

    Three commencement speakers share the advice they gave the Class of 2026

    Commencement speeches are meant to mark an ending and a beginning. And the best ones offer wisdom that lasts beyond graduation day. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with three Minnesotans who were commencement speakers this year about the messages they shared with graduates and what the rest of us can learn from them. Guests: Myles Frueh earned his associate’s degree from Alexandria Technical and Community College in May and was a student speaker at the school’s 2026 commencement ceremony. He double-majored in business management and sales marketing, was vice president of the student senate and was a campus tour guide. He also serves as a vice president for Collegiate DECA, an international nonprofit that prepares high school and college students for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management.Maria Reeve is the executive director of culture and careers at The Minnesota Star Tribune. Prior to her current role, she was a managing editor for the newsroom. Before that, she was the executive editor for the Houston Chronicle. And she was a reporter and editor at the St. Paul Pioneer Press for 19 years. She delivered the 2026 commencement address for the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland. Della Schall Young is the CEO and principal hydrologist of Young Environmental Consulting Group, a Minnesota-based environmental consulting firm specializing in water resources, stormwater management, and environmental planning. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences at the University of Minnesota and was invited back this year to give the undergraduate commencement address.

    47 min
  2. Jun 9

    Reflecting on the immigration enforcement surge and what comes next

    This past Saturday marked five months since Renee Good was shot and killed on Jan. 7 in Minneapolis by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent. The federal officer was one of about 4,000 immigration and border enforcement agents sent to Minnesota during the immigration crackdown the White House called “Operation Metro Surge.” The focus was to deport — in the words of President Donald Trump — the “really bad criminals.” By the time the surge wound down weeks later, several thousand people had been detained. Many were deported. Most had no criminal record. Many more immigrants stopped going to school and work, and hid at home for weeks. In response, thousands of Minnesotans organized to support people in hiding, document ICE activity and protest the immigration raids. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with the leaders of two organizations on the front lines about their experiences during the federal enforcement surge, what immigration enforcement looks like now and what comes next. Guests: Francisco Segovia is a founder and executive director of Comunidades Organizando el Poder y la Acción Latina (COPAL), which was started in 2018 to organize grassroots support to improve the lives of Latino families in Minnesota. In 2024, COPAL launched the Immigrant Defense Network, a coalition of more than 100 immigrant, labor, legal, faith and community organizations to respond quickly to immigration enforcement actions in Minnesota. Michelle Garnett McKenzie is the executive director of The Advocates for Human Rights, a nonprofit that provides free legal services to immigrants, documents human rights abuses and advocates for human rights. She joined the organization in 1999 as an attorney representing asylum seekers and detained immigrants. She also serves on the steering committee of the Immigrant Defense Network. Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS. Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

    47 min
4.6
out of 5
129 Ratings

About

Conversations about life in Minnesota and how the state is changing, weekdays from MPR News. Programming note: Our colleague Angela Davis is taking a leave of absence after a recent breast cancer diagnosis. Thank you to all who have checked in and shared kind words. Angela is touched by your support as she focuses on her recovery. 

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