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New statewide data shows a decrease in opioid overdose deaths but that comes along with a rise in overall drug deaths. That’s attributed partially to stimulant drugs, like meth and cocaine. We talked to a doctor who treats patients who have overdosed. St. Paul’s largest current homeless encampment sits on a site with toxic chemicals in the soil. We spoke to the reporter behind the story. We also looked back at an MPR documentary about teens looking for adoptive parents and got more on the organization trying to help 18 years later. And with Halloween coming up, we learned all about Minnesota’s mysterious and helpful animals — bats — ahead of a festival honoring them this weekend. The Minnesota Music Minute was “Down the Highway” by Bob Dylan. The Song of the Day was “The Man Who Forgot to Die” by The Walking Beat String Band.

Halloween is this weekend and that means ghosts, goblins … and maybe a few bats. Bats have a spooky reputation but they’re very important to Minnesota’s ecosystems. If you want to learn all about these intriguing animals, the Minnesota Bat Festival is Saturday at the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge in Bloomington. Mammal ecologist Melissa Boman with the Minnesota Biological Survey helped put on the annual festival and shared more about it on Minnesota Now.

In 2007, an MPR documentary called “Wanted: Parents” shared the story of two Minnesota teenagers who were looking for adoptive parents. It also followed an adoption recruiter, Jen Braun, who was trying to help them. Shortly after the documentary, Braun co-founded an adoption agency called Ampersand Families. She worked on a pilot program called the Homecoming Project. It aimed to prove it was possible to find people who were willing to adopt teens, rather than leaving them to age out of foster care and begin adult life on their own. Ampersand Families turned 18 this month and executive director Christina Zeise spoke with MPR News host Nina Moini about the milestone.

At least 300 people now live at what has become St. Paul’s largest encampment. The site sits near the intersection of Randolph Avenue and Shepard Road. It grew in size after the city cleared another encampment in August. As local leaders continue to grapple with what to do, residents there say they’re dealing with mounting health issues from the toxic chemicals found in the soil. Maddie Robinson reported on the situation for MinnPost. She told us more about what she found on Minnesota Now.

New statewide health data shows a slight decrease in opioid overdose deaths in Minnesota for the third year in a row — but an increase among all drug overdose deaths. Dr. Charles Reznikoff, who works in addiction medicine at Hennepin Healthcare in Minneapolis and at Northfield Hospital, joined Minnesota Now to talk about the numbers and what’s happening on the ground.

Two conservative online influencers have been charged with voter fraud in Minnesota. They posed as Muslim Minnesotans during the August primary in an effort to make a viral video questioning voter integrity in the state. We had the latest on the case. Several major health systems in Minnesota are looking to merge. An expert shared what drives consolidation and how it impacts your healthcare. Plus, from the potential start of driverless taxis like Waymo, to the end of the car share service Evie, we looked at the future of transportation in the Twin Cities. Chief Meteorologist Ben Cathey shared details on potential severe weather. And a St. Paul movie theater is celebrating spooky season with Hmonglloween, a series of horror movies by Hmong filmmakers.

If scary movies are a must for you this Halloween, TriLingua Cinema in St. Paul may have what you need. On Friday, the brand new microcinema will host a Hmonglloween. The event will showcase horror films by local Hmong filmmakers. Filmmaker Lucky Cha made a movie for the event and Kang Vang curated the lineup. They joined MPR News host Nina Moini to share all the gory details.

The options for getting around the Twin Cities without your own car are shifting. A car-sharing service that gave people an alternative to owning a vehicle shut down this month. Meanwhile, Minneapolis and St. Paul are wrestling with whether to allow driverless taxis. And the long-awaited Green Line extension is expected to open next summer after years-long delays. Bill Lindeke is an urban studies lecturer at the University of Minnesota and a longtime observer of transportation in the Twin Cities. He joined MPR News to explain what the changes mean for the future of transportation in the metro.

Minnesota is quickly becoming the land of healthcare mergers. Just last week, central Minnesota's largest healthcare provider CentraCare announced it will acquire Stellis Health. The news followed an announcement last month from HealthPartners and Essentia Health saying they will combine their operations in the Upper Midwest. California-based Sutter Health plans to acquire Allina Health, which is headquartered in Minneapolis and operates in Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Sanford Health and North Memorial Health completed their merger in early September. For a closer look at consolidation in healthcare, MPR News host Nina Moini talked with Yale University professor Zack Cooper.

The Hennepin County Attorney has charged a prominent right-wing activist and another man for misrepresenting their identities at polling places during Minnesota’s primary election in August. James O’Keefe and Cameron Higby face felony charges for unlawful voting and identity theft. Jon Collins joined MPR News host Nina Moini to explain.

The second annual STEM Book Fest took place over the weekend at the Bakken Center in Minneapolis. The festival brings together authors to talk about science, technology, engineering and math. One of the speakers was Valerie Tiberius, a philosophy professor at the University of Minnesota. She talked about the rise of people forming friendships with artificial intelligence. Her book, called "Artificially Yours," explores what happens when people turn to AI chatbots for companionship. She joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about it.

The parents of Alex Pretti are demanding information from the Trump administration on the investigation into their son's killing by Border Patrol agents in January. We'll have updates from their first news conference, held this Tuesday morning in Minneapolis. St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her says she plans to eventually clear what's now the city's largest homeless encampment but does not have a specific timeline. We'll hear more from the mayor. We'll talk about the big questions surrounding AI friendships, with a Minnesota philosophy professor who wrote a book on the subject. A new podcast tells the story of a Somali sprinter and Olympian whose career was cut short. We'll talk to a Twin Cities running coach who once inspired her. Our Minnesota Music Minute was "Motorola" by Miloe.

A new podcast from ESPN tells the story of Samia Yusuf Omar, a Somali sprinter who captured hearts when she represented her country at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Samia dreamed of competing again at the 2012 Olympics in London, but she faced enormous obstacles pursuing that goal. She died at 21 while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea in search of a better future. The podcast, called "The Fastest Girl in Somalia," features Abdi Bile, a former world champion runner who inspired Samia. Today, Abdi lives in Minnesota, where he mentors young runners in the Somali community. Abdi Bile joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about the life of Samia Yusuf Omar and a new generation of Somali American runners in Minnesota.

It's been a contentious few months for St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her. This summer, she received pushback after directing the clearing of an encampment near Pig's Eye Park. She then faced a lawsuit from Police Chief Axel Henry for sexual harassment allegations. The results of an independent investigation into these claims did not find evidence that she sexually harassed the Chief but did find she acted inappropriately. Minnesota Now host Nina Moini talked to the mayor in her first sit-down interview with MPR News since these events unfolded.

With a week to go before midterm elections, national names are stepping in to support Minnesota candidates. We'll hear how President Donald Trump, former president Barack Obama and political commentator Hasan Piker are trying to reach Minnesota voters. Researchers say northeastern Minnesota lost an estimated $9 million in economic activity due to this summer's wildfires. We'll check in with a Cook County official on how they're recovering. And proposed changes to the U.S. Census could mean immigrants will no longer be counted. Plus, some residents on the west side of St. Paul say they're living with an unhealthy level of dust due to nearby industrial activity. How they're pushing for a dust mitigation ordinance. The Vikings, Wild and Timberwolves are all sitting in 1st place. Our sports contributors break down a winning weekend. Our Minnesota Music Minute was “punchline” by Anna Houston and our Song of the Day was “Birds of Prey” by Ben Rosenbush & The Brighton.