How 9/11 changed Minnesota and the nation

How 9/11 changed Minnesota and the nation

From Politics Friday by Minnesota Public Radio

September 11, 2026 · 50 min

About this episode

The episode explores the impact of 9/11 on Minnesota and the nation, featuring insights from former Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and discussing current political activities leading up to the elections.

The country is acknowledging a somber anniversary: 25 years ago, America suffered its worst terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001. MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst explores how that event hit home in Minnesota with former Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, whose first ballot-box victory came the same day as the attack. We’ll also look at whether the lessons from the attack endured and how that day changed the country in many ways. Later, one last — brief — trip to the Great Minnesota Get Together. The Minnesota State Fair was a hotbed of political activity with people sizing up candidates in between stops at attractions and food booths. We’ll hear from an underdog congressional candidate and what is on the minds of some voters with an election that's less than two months away. Guests: R.T. Rybak is the former mayor of Minneapolis and the president and CEO of the Minneapolis Foundation. Doug Chapin , a Democrat, is the congressional candidate for Minnesota's 6th Congressional District. Dana Ferguson is a politics correspondent for MPR News. Laura McCallum is an editor and previous politics reporter for MPR News.

People in this episode

Host: Brian Bakst

Guests: R.T. Rybak, Doug Chapin

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Minnesota Public Radio

Places: Minnesota

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