Minnesota Today

Travel bans, visa restrictions and fears of being arrested or detained are presenting challenges for students from other countries wanting to come to the U.S. to study here. And lawmakers have come together on a deal to dedicate $165 million to housing programs.Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

How social media looks on the devices of young Minnesotans could be in for a major change. The Minnesota House voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to require social media age verification and less addictive interfaces for kids.The Wisconsin Department of Justice has finished its investigation of a Superior police officer shooting and killing a 42-year old man in April. It's one of two police shootings in Superior in the past two months. A ban on prediction markets passed both the Minnesota Senate and House Tuesday, and now heads to the governor's desk.

The director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research said Sunday the hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship does not pose a serious public threat.The Fargo City Commission will likely approve a new police chief Monday night. Interim Chief Travis Stefonowicz is the sole finalist in the search for Fargo’s Chief of Police. Stefonowicz would be replacing Dave Zibolski, who retired last month and drew criticism over the department’s use of artificial intelligence to identify and arrest a women for a crime even though she said she'd never been to Fargo. Minnesota is one of several states debating a proposal to allow for "plug-in solar" or "balcony solar." The bill allows people to quickly connect small scale solar systems to their homes or apartments.

U.S. Senator and past presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar says she wouldn't have run for Minnesota governor if she was contemplating another presidential run. And a preliminary report from federal investigators says a pilot radioed “abort” and started turning shortly after takeoff from Crystal Airport last month... before the plane crashed, killing both people aboard.Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has nominated Police Chief Brian O'Hara to serve a second term. Now the city council gets a chance to weigh in.A proposal to create an independent watchdog over state government is nearing a signature from the governor. The proposal to create a new Office of the Inspector General overwhelmingly passed the House.White Earth Nation leadership shared program updates and priorities for the coming year at the annual State of the Nation Thursday in Mahnomen.A stretch of Highway 12 in the western Twin Cities will be closed again this weekend. That closure runs between Interstate 494 in Minnetonka and Central Avenue in Wayzata. It begins at 10 p.m. Friday and runs through 5 a.m. Monday. Traffic will be detoured to Highway 55.

Minnesota officials are forecasting air quality issues this summer due to wildfire smoke and high ozone levels. Meteorologists with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency say drought conditions are increasing the risk of wildfires and they're expecting 12 to 16 days of smoky air this summer. And a Minneapolis man pleaded guilty this morning to spraying vinegar on Congresswoman Ilhan Omar earlier this year. Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

The Minneapolis City Council is expected to cast a final vote on a bill that would ban assault weapons in the city. A man accused of spraying vinegar on U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar is due back in federal court Thursday morning where he’s expected to enter a guilty plea. One of a series of bills to curb fraud in state programs stalled in a Minnesota House committee Tuesday. The bill aims to stop fraudsters from getting more state money from another agency. Without Republican support, it got bogged down in a tie vote. Border Czar Tom Homan says mistakes were made in Minneapolis earlier this year during ICE's enforcement on immigration. Homan says the public will continue to see mass deportations, especially in sanctuary cities.

A Minnesota man who spent years in prison before his conviction for first-degree murder was vacated in 2023 may now receive several million dollars from the state. A judge found that faulty witness testimony was used in convicting Marvin Haynes for the 2004 killing of Harry Randy Sherer in Minneapolis.And local leaders and labor unions are urging Minnesota lawmakers to prioritize lead pipe replacement this year.Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

The Hermantown City Council voted last night to table a vote on a massive Google data center. The tech giant wants to build a nearly $2 billion complex in the city near Duluth. And Minnesota's newly named temporary commissioner for the Department of Human Services is out on medical leave for at least the next month. Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey will give his annual State of the City address Tuesday. It will be his first State of the City gathering since the federal immigration enforcement surge earlier this year.It is difficult for the courts to claw back public money stolen through fraud. So a group of Minnesota legislators are trying a new approach to create a tax on fraud. The U.S. Justice Department says it’s suing the state of Minnesota to stop a lawsuit that the state filed against the oil industry over climate change. At issue is a 2020 lawsuit filed by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison alleging ExxonMobil, Koch Industries and the American Petroleum Institute deceived and defrauded Minnesotans about climate change. The suit is still making its way through the courts.

The Legislature has two more weeks to complete its session work, and Capitol leaders are still in search of agreements on key issues. Gov. Tim Walz said he's hopeful for something on guns and school safety.The Minnesota Board of Pardons held an emergency meeting Monday to grant clemency to a man facing deportation to Laos because of a past conviction. At "Ricky" Chandee was convicted of second-degree assault more than 30 years ago. He received a deportation order after serving his sentence. Chandee is among several immigrants who have asked the state to pardon convictions that disrupted their status in the U.S. Also Monday, a federal judge heard arguments in a lawsuit over federal agents’ treatment of protesters and observers during increased federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota.

The number of people canceling or not using their permit to visit the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness rose again in 2025. The U.S. Forest Service says more than 40 percent of permits for May 1 through September 30 last year were never used.Depleted by injury, the Minnesota Timberwolves saw other players step up on Thursday to lift them to a first-round playoff series win over Denver. Now the battered Wolves face another tough test against San Antonio in the Western Conference semifinals starting Monday night. Expect traffic delays on a busy central Minnesota highway over the next couple of months as a detour goes into effect starting Monday. That detour is along U.S. Highway 10 just east of Wadena. MnDOT says it's to allow crews to replace a culvert under the highway. It'll be a short detour to start, but that will be extended to a much longer route in early June as crews replace a second culvert. The detour will remain in place until early to mid-July.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey vetoed a pair of ordinances yesterday.The average price of gas in Minnesota has now climbed above $4 a gallon amid the ongoing war in Iran and uncertainty about the Strait of Hormuz.Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Kelly Bleyer. Music by Gary Meister.

A bill to make Minnesota’s bridges safer passed the House unanimously Thursday. The measure directs the Minnesota Department of Transportation to make a statewide plan to identify bridges with high suicide rates and incorporate suicide prevention in new bridges.The judge presiding over the Feeding Our Future case is limiting convicted ringleader Aimee Bock’s access to confidential case documents after she allegedly directed her sons to send the files to reporters and elected officials.As gas prices climb, drivers want to fill up at the gas station offering the cheapest gas. One south Minneapolis independent gas station with cheaper prices says it's seeing heavier traffic since the start of the war in Iran.

A document obtained by MPR News shows that dozens of Minneapolis police officers worked with a previously undisclosed Homeland Security Task Force last year, which city leaders say is not involved in immigration enforcement. And Minnesota's unemployment rate stayed steady last month. The state added 800 jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis between February and March, but fewer people were looking for jobs.

The Minnesota Supreme Court has upheld the first-degree premeditated murder conviction of Adam Fravel. Fravel was convicted in 2024 and sentenced to life in prison for killing Madeline Kingsbury of Winona. Kingsbury, who had two young children with Fravel, disappeared in 2023. Her body was found after a two-month search.Three members of a Prior Lake family are facing federal charges for allegedly attacking a conservative influencer outside the Whipple federal building earlier this month.A bill to help the financially troubled HCMC hospital and fill gaps left by federal cuts in Medicaid and food assistance passed the state Senate Wednesday afternoon.And a citizens group is suing the northeastern Minnesota city of Hermantown to block a proposed Google data center.Go deeper with the latest edition of the Minnesota Today newsletter.From 2024: Adam Fravel sentenced to life in prison for murdering Madeline KingsburyPrior Lake family charged with assaulting conservative influencer at ICE protestCitizens' group files lawsuit to block Google's proposed Hermantown data centerSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

More Medicaid fraud investigators remain in the mix for the state Attorney General's office.And the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating after gunfire left one person dead and a police officer injured early this morning in Richfield.Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

A DFL gun violence prevention package faces one last committee hurdle Wednesday in the Minnesota Senate. Gov. Tim Walz delivered his final State of the State speech Tuesday. The two-term Democrat had plenty of support from members of his party as he listed off the changes his administration has ushered through. A new health inequities analysis released Wednesday shows widespread racial and ethnic disparities persist in Minnesota. Runoff from this week’s snowmelt and heavy rain continues to keep rivers running high in northeastern Minnesota. A flood warning goes into effect Thursday morning along the South Kawishiwi River near Ely.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz says today’s execution of search warrants at multiple locations across the Twin Cities is an example of state and federal agencies working together.The federal Department of Homeland Security says the warrants are part of an ongoing criminal investigation related to fraud. The Minnesota Department of Children, Youth and Families confirmed the operation, saying it stems from information it shared with state and federal law enforcement.That story and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

A bill to allow pharmacists to prescribe and dispense drugs to treat opioid withdrawal passed the Minnesota House unanimously Monday. The Senate is considering similar legislation as part of a larger healthcare bill.President Donald Trump signed legislation Monday that overturned a 20-year ban on mining near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. The Senate passed the bill by just one vote two weeks ago. It allows copper and nickel mines to now resume exploration and submit mine plans. It's a win for Twin Metals, which wants to open an underground mine near Ely.

North Dakota state legislator Liz Conmy died in a plane crash Saturday. Her family, friends and colleagues are remembering her as a mentor and “a source of joy.”And a bill to help businesses affected by this winter's federal immigration crackdown is headed for a Minnesota Senate floor vote.Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

Rising grocery, rent and tuition costs are making it harder for many college students to afford food and a growing number are turning to food pantries. More than 10,000 University of Minnesota students visited the U's food pantry last fall.Minnesota Senate Democrats passed their catch-all elections bill for the year on a party-line vote Thursday. The bill includes measures to shield home addresses of politicians for safety. It also makes voter intimidation and harassment of election officials a felony.Minneapolis will add a commemorative street name on the city's north side to honor Birdell Beeks. The City Council voted Thursday to add her name to a street sign near the site of her death. Nearly 10 years ago Beeks was killed by a stray bullet while she sat in her minivan with her granddaughter.A bill introduced at the Capitol Thursday would change how suspicious deaths tied to domestic violence are investigated. The bill is named for Allison Lussier, a 47-year-old Indigenous woman found dead in her Minneapolis apartment in February 2024. Her death was initially ruled suspicious; police later investigated it as a homicide. Lussier's family has accused Minneapolis police of ignoring signs of domestic violence.

The Minneapolis city auditor says procedural errors by MPD may have impeded police investigations leading up to two incidents -- the death of Allison Lussier and the non-fatal shooting of Davis Moturi. And the Minneapolis City Council is expected to vote on whether to extend the city's eviction notice period from 30 days to 45. Those stories and more in today’s evening update. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

The Minneapolis City Auditor will share its findings Wednesday over how the police department handled two high-profile incidents, which led to public accusations that police failed to protect people of color. Those include the case of Allison Lussier, an Indigenous woman who was found dead in her apartment in 2024 after reporting domestic violence to the police. Lussier's death remains unsolved. As well as the case of Davis Moturi, a Black man who was shot by his white neighbor after Moturi reported escalating harassment for more than a year.Fargo’s five mayoral candidates sparred over homelessness and the city’s budget problems at their first debate Tuesday. Fargo’s mayoral election is in June.

Minnesota lawmakers are still sorting through requests to reimburse cities for unplanned expenses during a surge of immigration agent activity earlier this year.And the Nobles County Board voted this morning to deny a zoning change that would've allowed data centers to be built on farmland in the southwestern Minnesota County.Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

Cleanup continues this week after Friday’s tornadoes that damaged dozens of homes in the Rochester area. The worst of that damage was in the Stewartville and Marion areas. The National Weather Service says it was caused by an E-F-2 tornado with peak winds of 130 miles per hour. Businesses are beginning to file refund requests for tariffs that were struck down by the Supreme Court.This is an MPR News Evening update, hosted by Emily Reese. Theme music is by Gary Meister.

At the Minnesota Legislature, there is less than one month until the final day. Legislative leaders have started meeting with Gov. Tim Walz to hammer out deals. Among the remaining issues is school safety — from added counseling and security features to possible restrictions on guns.Experts who study child abuse say Minnesota’s attempts to outlaw grooming are a step in the right direction, but more changes are needed. Minnesota lawmakers are considering a bill to make grooming a felony, ban teachers from being alone with students on field trips and require grooming prevention training.

Severe thunderstorms have produced tornadoes Friday afternoon in southeast Minnesota. The National Weather Service reported multiple sightings of tornadoes south and east of Rochester between 2 and 3 p.m. including a report from the Rochester Airport tower. Federal prosecutors are inching closer to a decision on whether to seek the death penalty for the man accused of killing former DFL Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark.This is an MPR News Evening update, hosted by Emily Reese. Theme music is by Gary Meister.

Strong storms are possible with even a couple of isolated severe storms ahead of a big cold front. The Storm Prediction Center says there is an enhanced risk (level 3 out of 5) for the southeastern corner of Minnesota and west-central Wisconsin. The national weather service says Friday morning could bring isolated hail and Friday afternoon could bring very large hail and the possibility of tornadoes.Supporters of Thursday’s U.S. Senate vote to overturn a 20-year mining ban near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness are emphasizing that environmental safeguards remain in place. The move reopens the door for projects like Twin Metals’ proposed underground copper-nickel mine near Ely. Opponents of Thursday’s vote say they’ll continue to challenge proposed mines near the BWCA whether at the state level, or through the courts.Minnesota Sen. John Hoffman and his family filed a civil lawsuit Thursday against the man charged with shooting them last June.

The U.S. Senate has voted to overturn a 20-year ban on mining on about 350 square miles of federal land near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, paving the way for Twin Metals to renew efforts to open an underground copper mine near Ely, on the doorstep of the wilderness area. Minnesota lost jobs in February, and state officials are linking the decline to federal immigration enforcement.Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

A House committee voted down an effort today to initiate impeachment proceedings against two DFL officials. Republicans proposed starting impeachment proceedings against Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison. They said the pair didn't do enough to combat fraud in state programs.And Gov. Tim Walz and local school officials are pushing to make early childhood education more affordable for additional families. At an early childhood education site in Rochester, Walz detailed a plan he wants the Legislature to pass before the end of session.Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

A proposal to boost state funding to schools for safety measures stalled in a House committee Tuesday. The broad school safety package would direct state funding to public and private schools intended to bolster security. The Republican bill would let school districts set up anonymous threat reporting lines, as well as allowing suspensions of young students.Wednesday is the deadline to file your taxes — but if you haven't finished filing, you have options. The judge presiding over the Feeding Our Future case continues to hand down sentences. The latest defendant to appear in court got 18 months in prison. Since late 2022, 58 people have pleaded guilty and another 7 were convicted at trial in a $300 million scheme that prosecutors say was the nation's largest COVID fraud.

The federal government is still withholding more than $240 million in Medicaid reimbursements to Minnesota, despite approving the state’s plan to address fraud concerns. Gov. Tim Walz says the funds should now be released. Thunderstorms, hail and at least one tornado scoured southern Minnesota last night.This is an MPR News Evening update, hosted by Emily Reese. Theme music is by Gary Meister.

A severe storm system bombarded southern Minnesota with hail Monday. A tornado also briefly touched down near Amboy.A Burnsville woman could die if she's not freed from immigration detention soon, her lawyer says. Andrea Pedro-Francisco is a 23-year old Guatemalan woman who was arrested in February in the south metro suburb where she and her family live. Immigration agents sent her to a detention center in Texas. Pedro-Francisco was about to have surgery to remove a large ovarian cyst. Her lawyer, Asra Syed, says she needs immediate medical care.Friends and family of a Wisconsin man who was shot and killed last week by a Superior police officer are speaking out against the death. Autumn Khalar was with 42-year-old David Menton on April 7 when he was killed. Khalar says Menton was not a threat to the officer and the shooting wasn't justified.The Wisconsin Department of Justice is investigating. The Superior Police Department says its officers responded to a, quote, "rapidly evolving dangerous situation. They are now navigating not only the weight of that moment, but also the scrutiny that follows."Go deeper with the latest edition of the Minnesota Today newsletter.Severe storms drop baseball-sized hail, tornadoes in southern MinnesotaBurnsville woman in ICE detention can’t access lifesaving surgery, lawyer saysSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

Spring Lake Park schools were closed Monday after a cyberattack, according to an announcement from the district. In a notice on its website, the district says an outside actor gained access to some internal systems. Financial relief for small businesses affected by the federal immigration enforcement surge remains in the mix at the Legislature.This is an MPR News Evening update, hosted by Emily Reese. Theme music is by Gary Meister.

Winona County officials say some of its computer systems remain offline as they work to restore services following a cyberattack earlier this week.And the Minneapolis City Council voted yesterday against reappointing Todd Barnette as the city's community safety commissioner. Mayor Jacob Frey says he'll veto that and keep Barnette in that role.Those stories and more in today’s evening update form MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

Lawmakers on Thursday held a hearing on a bill meant to make grooming a felony. The bill, which has bipartisan support, suggests a series of changes to the state criminal code, teacher licensing requirements, mandatory reporter training and school field trip requirements. HCMC, the state’s busiest trauma center, is struggling financially. A bipartisan bill that would use revenue from a ballpark tax to help fund it got its first hearing in the legislature Thursday.For many immigrants in Minnesota, the final step to becoming a U.S. citizen is taking longer than expected. Oath ceremonies have dropped from about four a month to just one, according to the U.S. District Court of Minnesota.

Winona County is still working to recover from a cyberattack on their IT network this week. The attack is part of a growing trend of cybercriminals targeting local governments. A federal judge today dissolved a temporary injunction barring federal agents from retaliating against people observing ICE activities. Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

An electric transmission line in northeast Minnesota is facing opposition from people fighting a proposed data center. The state Public Utilities Commission is holding hearings on the proposed power line from Grand Rapids to Hermantown. Google wants to build a massive data center where the line would end.A man who operated a banquet hall that was a key part of the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme is heading to prison for more than three years. Abdullahe Jesow used a fake nonprofit called Academy for Youth Excellence to siphon $4.3 million from taxpayer funded child nutrition programs by falsely claiming to have served millions of meals to kids during COVID.

The Minnesota National Guard is assisting officials in Winona County as they respond to a cyberattack.And Minnesota mayors were at the state Capitol today asking for money to help businesses recover from the immigration agent surge.Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

Foster youth advocates will testify Wednesday in support of a bill protecting Supplemental Security Income and Survivor Benefits for those in the foster care system. Survivor benefits are intended to support children who have lost a parent, and SSI supports foster youth with disabilities. Current practice allows counties to use these funds to reimburse foster care costs.Minnesota's electrical grid is in the midst of a massive expansion. Renewable energy advocates and utilities say new transmission lines are needed to make the grid more reliable. Xcel says that the proposal will face a lengthy environmental review, and they likely won't break ground until 2030.

A federal judge has declined to stop the Trump administration from halting more than $240 million in Medicaid payments to Minnesota. And state lawmakers return for the last leg of their session today after a holiday break.Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

The Legislature returns Tuesday after a weeklong break. So far, this year's session has been heavy on conflict. The narrowly split Legislature came into session with a lot of pressing matters to address: immigration enforcement actions, gun violence, fraud and a tight budget. Lawmakers have six weeks to finish their work.The first defendant in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme to admit his involvement is avoiding prison because of his cooperation with investigators. After the FBI raided Feeding Our Future's offices and two dozen other locations in early 2022, Bekam Merdassa was the first conspirator to come forward. He pleaded guilty later that year.Many farmers across Minnesota will soon start planting their crops. While some ordered the fertilizer and fuel they’ll need ahead of time, those who didn’t now face huge price increases due to the war in Iran.