MPR News Presents

Speeches, documentaries and debates.

Russia: friend, foe or ???
Two Russia experts explore answers to the question, "Is Russia a friend, foe, or something else?" They say the challenges in the U.S.-Russia relationship are acute, the potential for miscommunication is rising, and the stakes are high.
Thread Book Hour: Kao Kalia Yang
Award-winning author Kao Kalia Yang speaks about her books and the Hmong experience in Minnesota. Her book, "The Song Poet: A Memoir of My Father" won a 2017 Minnesota Book Award and was a 2017 National Book Award finalist.
Economist says early childhood education spending has big payoff
Economist Arthur Rolnick says we're under-investing in our most vulnerable kids, and that paying for early childhood programs is not just morally right, it's economically smart. Rolnick believes it's the very best public investment we can make.
A civil conversation on politics, race, religion and character
Cornel West calls for a commitment to what he calls "soul craft." Ross Douthat says we need to live our lives courageously without falling into a "palsy of anxiety and victimization" when bravery and heroism are called for.
Police: Not Trained to Not Kill
Most states, including Minnesota, do not require police to learn de-escalation tactics to avoid shootings.
The rise of populism and the threat to the EU and NATO
Timothy Garton Ash of Oxford and Steve Erlanger of the New York Times explore the prospects for a united Europe in the face of a wave of nationalism and populism, internal divisions and the struggle to integrate nineteen diverse economies. Can the EU and NATO survive?