U.S. Senator Tina Smith will not be running for reelection in 2026. We hear from her about the choice to step away and we learn about some of the candidates already vying for her seat, like Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan. MPR’s politics editor Brian Bakst will join us with the latest.

The DNR and the Fond du Lac band are working on a plan to reintroduce elk to the reservation. It's one of the first times that a tribe has worked with the DNR on a management plan. We hear from the reservation's elk biologist about the importance of the partnership.

An organization called Route 1 is creating resources for emerging farmers of color in Minnesota and creating more food access. We talk to the organization’s founder.

Our Minnesota Music Minute was ‘This Night is Killing You’ by Kiss the Tiger. Our Song of the Day was ‘Mountain’ by Bad Posture Club.

Despite the freezing temperatures, the farmers at Route 1 Farms are already deep into harvesting lettuce and herbs this winter. They are growing food through a new creative way of indoor farming. The organization specifically focuses on supporting emerging farmers of color in the state.

Route 1 Farm's executive director Marcus Carpenter joined Minnesota Now to talk about the project.

Elk used to roam across the entire state of Minnesota. Today there are just a few hundred, and only in the northwestern part of the state. But that could soon change.

On Thursday night, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa will have a public meeting to discuss the reintroduction of elk to the Fond du Lac Reservation and surrounding areas in northeastern Minnesota.

It’s a project that started more than ten years ago, and now is on its way to becoming reality. Makenzie Henk, the elk biologist with the Fond du Lac band, joined Minnesota Now to talk about the project.