Minnesota Now

An Eagan Police detective concluded a local high school teacher engaged in an alleged pattern of predatory grooming with female students. But no charges were ever filed. MPR News reporter Elizabeth Shockman shares what she learned from the public police report. Minneapolis-based health insurance company UCare has dropped their Medicare Advantage Plan. Thousands are now scrambling to find new coverage. We'll learn how that's impacting Minnesotans. Plus, LGBTQ+ conversion therapy is banned in the state. But what happens to that ban if the U.S. Supreme Court decides it's unconstitutional? We'll break it down. And the Vikings are now three and three this season. We'll hear what's next for the team with sports contributors Wally and Eric. Our Minnesota Music Minute was “Manoominike Giizis” by MPR News Native News editor Leah Lemm and our Song of the Day was “October Passed Me By” by girl in red.

One Philadelphia sports team after another bested Minnesota teams this past weekend. The trend started Friday with the Wolves’ final preseason game, which they lost to the 76ers. Then, in hockey, the Flyers beat the Wild Saturday. And Sunday, the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles defeated the Vikings at home. Joining Minnesota Now host Nina Moini to recap these games and look ahead to what’s next are our sports contributors, Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson.

The U.S. Supreme Court is weighing whether banning LGBTQ+ conversion therapy for minors is unconstitutional. Twenty-four states, including Minnesota [https://www.mprnews.org/story/2023/04/27/walz-bills-ban-conversion-therapy-and-protect-abortion-genderaffirming-care], have banned the practice. Oral arguments were held earlier this month [https://www.mprnews.org/story/2025/10/07/supreme-court-conversion-therapy-colorado] on a case originating from Colorado, and if the justices decide the ban is unconstitutional, it could be repealed in Minnesota. Joining Minnesota Now to give a little context on this issue in Minnesota is Jess Braverman. They are the legal director at Gender Justice in St. Paul, a nonprofit that seeks to advance gender equity through law.

About 158,000 Minnesotans are looking for new options for Medicare now that the local company UCare is dropping their Medicare Advantage plan. The insurance company isn’t the only one to no longer offer Medicare Advantage— it's not as financially beneficial as it once was. Enrollment opened last week, and this shift is causing people to scramble for new affordable options for medical insurance. Kelli Jo Greiner is a health care policy analyst for the Minnesota Board on Aging and the Minnesota Department of Human Services. She joined Minnesota Now host Nina Moini to explain coverage options.

Minnesota has layers of laws and procedures designed to prevent inappropriate relationships between teachers and students. The case of a former high school teacher raises questions about how well that system works. Education reporter Elizabeth Shockman joined Minnesota Now host Nina Moini in studio to share more. A warning, this story might be difficult for some listeners — especially if you have kids nearby. Read the full story at the MPR News website: Teacher showed ‘predatory grooming behaviors’ with Eagan High girls, police detective concluded [https://www.mprnews.org/story/2025/10/20/eagan-police-concluded-teacher-brett-benson-groomed-students]