Data center development is under scrutiny across Minnesota and at the state Capitol. In Farmington, a proposed hyperscale data center is generating some unexpected bonds between residents on the left and the right.
MPR News and the nonprofit organization Braver Angels have created Talking Sense to help Minnesotans have hard conversations, better.
Talking Sense is a reporting project that explores the roots of polarization in communities, families and homes, and looks at how Minnesotans are navigating these divisive times. It’s also a series of live events and online tools that help Minnesotans have challenging political conversations without letting the need to change minds stand in the way of preserving important relationships.
Has political polarization affected your family or community? Send us your Talking Sense story at talk@mprnews.org
Mariah Levison and Rob Fersh help people find consensus on how to solve divisive issues, ranging from prison reform to what art should hang in the Minnesota Capitol. Learn how they do it in this MPR News Talking Sense conversation hosted by MPR News correspondent Catharine Richert.
At an MPR News Talking Sense event in Duluth on Thursday, Nov. 14th, 2024, Braver Angels co-founder Bill Doherty discusses how we can manage our emotions and relate to others in victory or defeat following the presidential election.
Polarization is fueled by how we talk about those on the other side of an issue. Too often, we ridicule, dismiss, or stereotype our fellow citizens.
MPR News and Braver Angels hosted a free in-person workshop in Fergus Falls, Minn., at Fergus Brewing on Oct. 3. The goal was to make participants more aware of their own “inner polarizer” and how they can be critical without demonizing, dismissing or stereotyping large swaths of the population.
Has political polarization challenged relationships in your life? A Minnesota couple in a politically mixed marriage talks with two therapists and MPR News correspondent Catharine Richert about how to stay connected with family and friends, even when you disagree about politics.
As passions flare over the topic of immigration in national debates, residents of Worthington engaged in a much more nuanced conversation on the topic, sharing stories of how their families settled in the town in search of common ground.
MPR News, the nonpartisan organization Braver Angels and University of Minnesota-Rochester hosted an in-person conversation on April 24 for Talking Sense — our election-year reporting project that aims to help Minnesotans have hard political conversations, better.
A handful of Minnesota legislators from opposite sides of the aisle are pairing up to learn more about each other's districts. This comes at a time of deep political polarization and just months after the politically motivated assassination of former House Speaker Melissa Hortman.
How do we prepare kids to live in a politically polarized world? At St. Paul’s Friends School of Minnesota, students are taught every day how to talk to people with whom they disagree.
Almost two months after a pair of state legislators and their families were shot in their homes, Minnesota lawmakers hope to lead a national shift reining in toxic political discourse.
MPR News guest host Catharine Richert and her guests explore how parents can talk with their kids about politics without anger, divisive rhetoric and polarization.
Your next hard conversation will go better if you prepare. It helps to know who you’re talking to and how they will react. Here are four communication archetypes you might encounter in your next challenging political conversation.
