MPR

Data centers a potent issue in some Minnesota elections

The issue was a factor in some local elections across Minnesota where data center proposals have been controversial, and where lawsuits still seek to block them....

3 hours ago

Cities Church defendants head to court to challenge charges 

Dozens of motions are on the table in the case against 38 anti-ICE protestors who entered a St. Paul church to decry its pastor, who identified as a high-ranking ICE official....

3 hours ago

Voter turnout up in Minnesota's midterm election

This year’s state election saw the largest voter turnout for a midterm election in at least 12 years. More than 2.8 million people and counting voted in the 2026 midterm elections, which accounts for ...

3 hours ago

Marathon selling Minnesota oil refinery in $4.2 billion deal

The refinery employs about 375 people and has a refining capacity of 105,000 barrels of oil a day, producing gas, propane, asphalt and other petroleum products....

5 hours ago

Bob Dylan comes knockin' on pope's door as Leo welcomes legend to Vatican

Bob Dylan has come knockin’ on Pope Leo XIV’s door. The American singer-songwriter and poet visited with the American pope at the Vatican during a break between concert dates in Italy....

6 hours ago

Minnesota’s 2nd District sends progressive to DC

Democrat Matt Little said he’ll fight to cut funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and champion Medicare for All....

8 hours ago

Prominent business owner Joe Powers wins Rochester mayor race

The new mayor will be tasked with guiding Rochester through a period of tremendous change....

9 hours ago

Midterms launch wave of historic firsts for some states — and for the nation

This midterm election will be remembered not just for the stunning number of losses Democrats handed to President Donald Trump and Republicans but for a wave of historic firsts across the country....

11 hours ago

St. Cloud elects first Somali American lawmaker

DFLer Abdi Daisane won the House District 14A seat with about 52 percent of the vote, flipping a seat that had been Republican....

12 hours ago

Frazier narrowly defeats Folk in race for Hennepin County attorney

Frazier will fill the seat being vacated by Mary Moriarty, who opted against running for re-election after one term....

12 hours ago

Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District race too close to call

The outcome of the 1st Congressional District race between incumbent Republican Rep. Brad Finstad and Democratic challenger Jake Johnson remained too close to call Wednesday morning....

13 hours ago

St. Paul artist Seitu K. Jones gets his first solo museum exhibition at 75

“The Smell of Earth: Seitu K. Jones Working in the Elements,” a show that explores self, ancestry and the land, is on view at the Minnesota Museum of American Art in St. Paul....

16 hours ago

Democrats win the U.S. House

The results from across the country were a major blow to Trump, who spent nearly every day of the last month holding rallies to energize his supporters but was unable to stop a wipeout....

19 hours ago

Flanagan win brings Native women's legacy to the Senate

Peggy Flanagan’s path to the U.S. Senate runs through generations of Native women who built institutions, raised leaders and fought for their families in Minnesota. People who have worked alongside he...

20 hours ago

Omar wins fifth term in congress

Rep. Ilhan Omar has won a fifth term representing Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District as a federal criminal investigation into her immigration history continues....

20 hours ago

10 things to know about Peggy Flanagan

Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan is the first Native American woman to be elected to the U.S. Senate. She is a member of the White Earth Nation in northwest Minnesota....

20 hours ago

10 things to know about Amy Klobuchar

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar is the first woman to be elected governor in Minnesota. She will succeed DFL Gov. Tim Walz, who did not seek reelection this year....

20 hours ago

What happens to Amy Klobuchar's U.S. Senate seat?

The governor of Minnesota will appoint a temporary senator until a special election is held next November. But which governor — current Gov. Tim Walz or Gov.-elect Amy Klobuchar?...

20 hours ago

Democrats have won the U.S Senate

Democrats charted an extraordinary path to Senate victory through some of the most conservative states in the nation....

21 hours ago

Republican Tom Tiffany concedes defeat in Wisconsin

Crowley would be the first Black governor in Wisconsin 178-year history, and his win would mark the first time that Democrats have held the governor’s office for more than eight consecutive years....

22 hours ago

Watch live election coverage with Catharine Richert

Join MPR News host Catharine Richert and MPR News editor Mike Mulcahy live online as they analyze the results as they come in....

1 day ago

Man charged with mailing powder to government officials

Federal authorities charged an Oklahoma man with sending hundreds of letters containing nonhazardous white powder to public officials. The FBI says in a court filing made public Tuesday that the powde...

1 day ago

What to expect in Minnesota on Election Day

All seats in both chambers of the Minnesota state Legislature are up in 2026. Democrats have a one-seat advantage in the 67-member state Senate. In the state House, Democrats and Republicans were dead...

1 day ago

Tafoya, Flanagan battle in Minnesota Senate race

Democrat Peggy Flanagan and Republican Michele Tafoya didn’t see the national attention of other Senate races, but the outcome fed into the seat-by-seat contest for chamber control. Both also had a ch...

1 day ago

New bridge reconnects Iowa, Wis. over Mississippi

The river crossing at Lansing, Iowa, is the only bridge across the Mississippi in a 60-mile stretch — between La Crescent in Minnesota, and Prairie du Chien in Wisconsin....

1 day ago

Ask a Bookseller: 'Home/World'

The author of “Home/World: A Circumnavigation of Our Shared Earth” attempts to circumnavigate the world....

1 day ago

Minnesota voters set to hire their next governor

Amy Klobuchar and Lisa Demuth vied to be the first woman to be Minnesota’s governor. Their race focused on the direction of the state and the country. Both women have broken barriers during their poli...

1 day ago

201 separate elections to decide 2 Capitol majorities

Millions of dollars have poured into a select few races as Republicans and DFLers jockey for control of the Legislature. Both chambers were at stake, which will also determine how the new governor’s a...

1 day ago

Protecting the kauri from fire and disease

Disease in trees can spread quickly throughout a whole forest — and make those trees more vulnerable to wildfire. But conservationists across the globe are working to prevent it....

1 day ago

Minnesota tree fort builder crafts imagination into reality

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Adam Rasmussen built a play structure for his son. He didn’t think it was the beginning of a full-time opportunity, until people started to bring their kids over. “They’r...

1 day ago

All eyes on Minnesota’s 1st and 2nd House districts

One southern Minnesota congressional seat and another that extends south from the Twin Cities suburbs are getting the most attention out of the state’s eight U.S. House districts....

1 day ago

Parties see path to downballot state office success

Attorney General Keith Ellison and GOP challenger Ron Schutz engaged in a bitter, expensive race. It’s just one of several statewide contests that proved more competitive than prior years....

1 day ago

Nordquist killing ringleader's mother faces charges

Shirley Morales faces kidnapping and conspiracy charges in connection with the death of Sam Nordquist. Morales pleaded not guilty during her arraignment on Monday in Ontario County, N.Y....

2 days ago

Democrats to send election observers to two counties

Minnesota’s secretary of state says in addition to election monitors sent by the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. House Democrats are sending election observers to Hennepin and Olmsted counties....

2 days ago

Vikings defense holds Lions in check for 3 quarters before buckling late

For the first six games of the season, the Minnesota Vikings were able to count on their top-tier defense to bail out an inconsistent offense. As a result, the Vikings went into Detroit at 6-0 — the l...

2 days ago

Trump's VA killed a home loan program. Thousands of veterans are paying the price

An NPR investigation finds that more than 15,000 military veterans were put into much-higher-cost home loans after the Trump administration cut a key program. Many now pay $1,000 more per month....

2 days ago

The latest: Election Day in Minnesota

More than 700,000 Minnesotans have voted already in person, by mail or through an absentee ballot ahead of Election Day....

2 days ago

Jerry Koosman, who got final out in the 1969 Miracle Mets' World Series victory, dies at 83

Jerry Koosman, an All-Star pitcher who secured the final out for the Miracle Mets in the 1969 World Series, has died at 83. Mets spokesman Jay Horwitz said Koosman died Sunday in Osceola, Wisconsin, a...

2 days ago

Truth Council releases report on immigration surge

The Truth Council released its preliminary report on President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement surge, describing a violent and discriminatory operation....

2 days ago

Clean up of Lake Okabena makes small waves of progress

Progress on cleaning up Lake Okabena shows small improvements, but there’s no silver bullet for correcting decades-long water quality problems....

2 days ago

Leaders call for more mosque security ahead of Midterms

As Election Day nears and political rhetoric targeting Somali Minnesotans ramps up, local mosques are ramping up security and mobilizing their communities to vote....

2 days ago

Minnesota state park to temporarily close for upgrades

Banning State Park near Sandstone is a popular destination for hikers, campers, paddlers and climbers — and its popularity has been growing. Park officials say annual visitor numbers have tripled sinc...

2 days ago

Campaign 2026 reaches its final mile on eve of midterm

Final rallies lead into organized door knocks to get possible voters to polls before Tuesday night. More than 729,000 ballots are already in, and that could climb considerably in a final day of early ...

2 days ago

Minn. farmers face tough midterm choices

The past two years have been tough for farmers facing trade disruptions and rising costs. With the midterm elections approaching, MPR News asked farmers what’s on their minds as they head to the polls...

2 days ago

‘Valuable to learn’: Students take first Ojibwe class offered at Anoka-Hennepin schools

High school students in the Anoka-Hennepin School District now have the option to learn the Ojibwe language for credit. The new class is offered at Coon Rapids and Anoka High Schools in the district....

2 days ago

Canadian PM Carney reports progress in trade talks

The upbeat assessment marks a shift from August, when Canada walked away from negotiations after rejecting U.S. demands that Carney said threatened Canadian sovereignty, French-language protections an...

3 days ago

Spurs blow past short-handed Timberwolves 121-111

Minnesota was without injured starters Anthony Edwards (knee surgery) and Rudy Gobert (back spasms). LaMelo Ball was limited to 20 minutes due to foul trouble....

3 days ago

No. 4 Indiana beats Minnesota 23-16

For Minnesota, it was a crushing blow after leading most of the game on the road and on national television....

3 days ago

Early voting sees final rush before Election Day

Lines snaked out the doors of Twin Cities early voting locations Saturday morning. Many went early to skip a potentially even longer Tuesday line, poll-goers told MPR News....

3 days ago

Nicaraguan immigrant speaks about ICE re-arrest

MPR News is speaking with people who were re-arrested by ICE, despite judges ordering their release. The Department of Homeland Security said it is within the law to re-arrest immigrants in this way....

3 days ago