MPR News
@mprnews.org
Minnesota news. Independent + nonprofit. Free thanks to members. Listen on air, read online or follow here ❤️
📷: The Minnesota Capitol building just after sunset on a spring evening, by Brian Bakst | MPR News.
📷: The Minnesota Capitol building just after sunset on a spring evening, by Brian Bakst | MPR News.
Reposted by MPR News
Nearly 1/3 of us say we sleep poorly or not enough 😴. And our 24/7 culture makes it tough to GET a good night’s sleep. My public radio series Call to Mind is working on a show about sleep! Do you have problems sleeping? How does it affect your mental health? 📩: [email protected]
February 17, 2026 at 3:21 PM
Nearly 1/3 of us say we sleep poorly or not enough 😴. And our 24/7 culture makes it tough to GET a good night’s sleep. My public radio series Call to Mind is working on a show about sleep! Do you have problems sleeping? How does it affect your mental health? 📩: [email protected]
Thousands flocked to the Apostle Islands ice caves Monday — the first time in 11 years they were accessible on foot. The window lasted just one day before an approaching storm led officials to close access Tuesday.
Thousands flock to see Apostle Islands ice caves; access closed on Tuesday
Thousands of people visited the Apostle Islands ice caves on Monday — the first day they were open to access on foot in 11 years. But that excitement was quickly put on ice, with an approaching storm ...
www.mprnews.org
February 17, 2026 at 3:17 PM
Thousands flocked to the Apostle Islands ice caves Monday — the first time in 11 years they were accessible on foot. The window lasted just one day before an approaching storm led officials to close access Tuesday.
Colin Hortman’s eight-month journey through grief brought cherished memories flooding back since his parents Melissa and Mark Hortman were killed in their home in June. He says he hopes their deaths remain a clarion call for toned-down political rhetoric.
After his parents’ killing, Colin Hortman is working through grief, searching for ways to honor them
As the Minnesota Legislature prepares to honor Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, their son Colin shares in an MPR News interview how he’s coping with grief and hoping their deaths remain a c...
www.mprnews.org
February 17, 2026 at 1:15 PM
Colin Hortman’s eight-month journey through grief brought cherished memories flooding back since his parents Melissa and Mark Hortman were killed in their home in June. He says he hopes their deaths remain a clarion call for toned-down political rhetoric.
Upper Midwest farm incomes fell in late 2025, even as national crop production was strong.
Farm income is declining in the Upper Midwest
A survey of lenders said farm incomes were down in the fourth quarter of 2025 and will stay down into 2026.
www.mprnews.org
February 16, 2026 at 9:53 PM
Upper Midwest farm incomes fell in late 2025, even as national crop production was strong.
The favored United States advanced to the gold-medal game by defeating Sweden 5-0 at the Milan Cortina Games on Monday.
The Americans continued their roll through the tournament by improving to 6-0, and outscoring their opponents by a combined 31-1.
The Americans continued their roll through the tournament by improving to 6-0, and outscoring their opponents by a combined 31-1.
Frankel makes 21 saves, U.S. beats Sweden 5-0 to reach Olympic women’s hockey final
Aerin Frankel stopped 21 shots for her third shutout of the Olympic women’s hockey tournament and the favored United States advanced to the gold-medal game by defeating Sweden 5-0 at the Milan Cortina...
www.mprnews.org
February 16, 2026 at 8:26 PM
The favored United States advanced to the gold-medal game by defeating Sweden 5-0 at the Milan Cortina Games on Monday.
The Americans continued their roll through the tournament by improving to 6-0, and outscoring their opponents by a combined 31-1.
The Americans continued their roll through the tournament by improving to 6-0, and outscoring their opponents by a combined 31-1.
The Olympic Gold and silver medals some Minnesota athletes are pursuing are worth more than ever this winter, thanks to skyrocketing gold and silver prices. Prices are much higher than a year ago, as uncertainty about the economy drives investors towards more stable options.
Near record high gold and silver prices make coin and jewelry exchange shops busy
The Olympic Gold and silver medals some Minnesota athletes are pursuing are worth more than ever this winter, thanks to skyrocketing gold and silver prices. While the prices have dropped somewhat from...
www.mprnews.org
February 16, 2026 at 7:09 PM
The Olympic Gold and silver medals some Minnesota athletes are pursuing are worth more than ever this winter, thanks to skyrocketing gold and silver prices. Prices are much higher than a year ago, as uncertainty about the economy drives investors towards more stable options.
Minneapolis schools are closed for the President’s Day holiday, but when classes resume, many teachers and students will not be going to class in person.
Although ICE is expected to remove another 100 or so agents from the Twin Cities by Monday, many families are not letting their guard down.
Although ICE is expected to remove another 100 or so agents from the Twin Cities by Monday, many families are not letting their guard down.
Many families in Minneapolis still attend school from home despite promise of ICE drawdown
Although U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is expected to remove another 100 or so agents from the Twin Cities by Monday, many families are not letting their guard down.
www.mprnews.org
February 16, 2026 at 5:29 PM
Minneapolis schools are closed for the President’s Day holiday, but when classes resume, many teachers and students will not be going to class in person.
Although ICE is expected to remove another 100 or so agents from the Twin Cities by Monday, many families are not letting their guard down.
Although ICE is expected to remove another 100 or so agents from the Twin Cities by Monday, many families are not letting their guard down.
Minnesota criminal investigators have again been denied access to evidence and other materials collected by federal authorities after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, state officials said Monday.
FBI will not provide the BCA access to evidence gathered from Pretti shooting, BCA says
Minnesota criminal investigators have again been denied access to evidence and other materials collected by federal authorities after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, state officials said Monday.
www.mprnews.org
February 16, 2026 at 4:14 PM
Minnesota criminal investigators have again been denied access to evidence and other materials collected by federal authorities after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, state officials said Monday.
The session starts Tuesday and recent events in Minnesota have reset top issues set to face state lawmakers as they return to St. Paul.
Here are 5 big issues facing lawmakers as they return for the 2026 legislative session
Recent events in Minnesota have reset top issues set to face state lawmakers as they return to St. Paul for the legislative session starting Tuesday.
www.mprnews.org
February 16, 2026 at 3:04 PM
The session starts Tuesday and recent events in Minnesota have reset top issues set to face state lawmakers as they return to St. Paul.
It took the city of Minneapolis more than five years to figure out how to officially memorialize the site of George Floyd Square, and construction is set to begin this year.
Now, the city has two more high-profile memorials to manage.
Now, the city has two more high-profile memorials to manage.
Minneapolis left to decide future of streetside memorials to 2 people killed by federal officers
As the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota winds down, Minneapolis will need to decide how to manage makeshift memorial sites for two U.S. citizens killed by federal agents last ...
www.mprnews.org
February 15, 2026 at 8:54 PM
It took the city of Minneapolis more than five years to figure out how to officially memorialize the site of George Floyd Square, and construction is set to begin this year.
Now, the city has two more high-profile memorials to manage.
Now, the city has two more high-profile memorials to manage.
White House border czar Tom Homan told CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday that the Trump administration will remove “several hundred more” federal agents from Minnesota in the next couple days, as it winds down its immigration enforcement surge.
White House official says hundreds of federal agents are leaving Minnesota, 'small' security force will remain for a time
White House border czar Tom Homan said Sunday that more than 1,000 immigration agents have left Minnesota and hundreds more will depart in the days ahead, as the Trump administration winds down its im...
www.mprnews.org
February 15, 2026 at 7:57 PM
White House border czar Tom Homan told CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday that the Trump administration will remove “several hundred more” federal agents from Minnesota in the next couple days, as it winds down its immigration enforcement surge.
Two people drowned after falling through ice this weekend in the Twin Cities: a man who fell into the Mississippi River on Friday, and a boy who fell into a pond in Bloomington on Saturday.
Two people drown after breaking through ice in Twin Cities
Two people have drowned after breaking through ice in separate incidents over the weekend in the Twin Cities. That’s as a stretch of unseasonably mild weather continues across the state, raising conce...
www.mprnews.org
February 15, 2026 at 6:24 PM
Two people drowned after falling through ice this weekend in the Twin Cities: a man who fell into the Mississippi River on Friday, and a boy who fell into a pond in Bloomington on Saturday.
Going into the 2026 legislative session on Tuesday, weapons scanners have been installed at all public entrances to the Capitol. Visitors should not need to empty pockets, take off their jackets or remove their shoes.
Here's what to expect from new security measures at the Minnesota State Capitol
The 2026 legislative session starts Tuesday with new security measures at the Minnesota Capitol.
www.mprnews.org
February 15, 2026 at 5:04 PM
Going into the 2026 legislative session on Tuesday, weapons scanners have been installed at all public entrances to the Capitol. Visitors should not need to empty pockets, take off their jackets or remove their shoes.
“We know that there are many more names that maybe we’re holding really close to our hearts, and maybe it was too hard to say their names, but we know that they’re with us,” said Nicole Matthews, longtime leader of the Minnesota Indian Women’s Sexual Assault Coalition.
Events on Feb. 14 honor missing and murdered Indigenous people
Hundreds of people gathered Saturday at the Minneapolis American Indian Center to bring attention to the high numbers of Indigenous people who have gone missing or been murdered.
www.mprnews.org
February 15, 2026 at 3:58 PM
“We know that there are many more names that maybe we’re holding really close to our hearts, and maybe it was too hard to say their names, but we know that they’re with us,” said Nicole Matthews, longtime leader of the Minnesota Indian Women’s Sexual Assault Coalition.
Temperatures hit record highs this weekend, reaching the low 50s in the Twin Cities area Friday and Saturday. The previous record for the Twin Cities was 50 degrees, set in 1882.
Record-high warm weather brings early spring scenes to Minnesota
Temperatures hit record highs this weekend, reaching the low 50s in the Twin Cities area Friday and Saturday. At the Landscape Arboretum, staff took advantage of the weather to start tapping maple tre...
www.mprnews.org
February 15, 2026 at 1:18 AM
Temperatures hit record highs this weekend, reaching the low 50s in the Twin Cities area Friday and Saturday. The previous record for the Twin Cities was 50 degrees, set in 1882.
Officials at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in northern Wisconsin say they’re planning to open foot access to the famed ice caves near Cornucopia starting Monday if ice conditions on the lake remain stable.
For first time in more than a decade, foot access to Apostle Islands ice caves may open
Officials at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in northern Wisconsin say they’re planning to open foot access to the famed ice caves near Cornucopia starting Monday if ice conditions on the lake rema...
www.mprnews.org
February 15, 2026 at 12:46 AM
Officials at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in northern Wisconsin say they’re planning to open foot access to the famed ice caves near Cornucopia starting Monday if ice conditions on the lake remain stable.
Protesters in Minnesota have used “tactical frivolity,” a method of using humor as a form of peaceful protest.
‘Power hates being mocked’: Minnesota protestors embrace the absurd
Protesters in Minnesota have used “tactical frivolity,” a method of using humor as a form of peaceful protest.
www.mprnews.org
February 14, 2026 at 7:27 PM
Protesters in Minnesota have used “tactical frivolity,” a method of using humor as a form of peaceful protest.
Medical providers are increasingly concerned that some rural patients who must drive long distances to see specialists are missing appointments out of fear of being picked up by federal immigration agents.
Rural Minnesotans of color skipping medical care out of fear of ICE
Medical providers are increasingly concerned that some of their rural patients who need to drive long distances to see specialists are missing appointments because they fear being picked up by federal...
www.mprnews.org
February 14, 2026 at 4:39 PM
Medical providers are increasingly concerned that some rural patients who must drive long distances to see specialists are missing appointments out of fear of being picked up by federal immigration agents.
A shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security has gone into effect. That includes the Transportation Security Administration, whose officers are responsible for screening passengers and bags at airports.
TSA agents are working without pay at U.S. airports due to another shutdown
A shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security has gone into effect. That includes the Transportation Security Administration, whose officers are responsible for screening passengers and bags at ai...
www.mprnews.org
February 14, 2026 at 2:42 PM
A shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security has gone into effect. That includes the Transportation Security Administration, whose officers are responsible for screening passengers and bags at airports.
Kendall Coyne Schofield scored twice and top-seeded United States routed Olympic host Italy 6-0 in a lopsided, festive and sometimes chippy women’s hockey quarterfinal at the Milan Cortina Games.
Coyne Schofield scores 2 goals as U.S. routs Italy 6-0 to advance to Olympic women's hockey semifinals
Kendall Coyne Schofield scored twice and top-seeded United States routed Olympic host Italy 6-0 in a lopsided, festive and sometimes chippy women’s hockey quarterfinal at the Milan Cortina Games.
www.mprnews.org
February 14, 2026 at 1:06 AM
Kendall Coyne Schofield scored twice and top-seeded United States routed Olympic host Italy 6-0 in a lopsided, festive and sometimes chippy women’s hockey quarterfinal at the Milan Cortina Games.
A group of Twin Cities restaurant workers are asking the state's hospitality business association to step up protections for workers amid the federal immigration operation. They say some employers aren't doing enough to support their immigrant staff.
'86 ICE': Campaign asks restaurant owners to protect immigrant staff
A group of Twin Cities restaurant workers say some employers aren't doing enough to support their immigrant staff.
www.mprnews.org
February 13, 2026 at 11:41 PM
A group of Twin Cities restaurant workers are asking the state's hospitality business association to step up protections for workers amid the federal immigration operation. They say some employers aren't doing enough to support their immigrant staff.
A Minnesota band brings together West African drumming and Celtic melody on its debut album “Badenya,” finding a shared rhythmic language that bridges musical traditions from Guinea to Ireland.
A shared pulse: Minnesota musicians unite West African and Irish traditions
A Minnesota band brings together West African drumming and Celtic melody on its debut album “Badenya,” finding a shared rhythmic language that bridges musical traditions from Guinea to Ireland.
www.mprnews.org
February 13, 2026 at 9:44 PM
A Minnesota band brings together West African drumming and Celtic melody on its debut album “Badenya,” finding a shared rhythmic language that bridges musical traditions from Guinea to Ireland.
Lindsey Vonn will have another surgery on her broken left leg Saturday at the Italian hospital treating her “and then I can potentially leave and go back home.”
Lindsey Vonn hopes to go home after another surgery following crash in Olympic downhill
Lindsey Vonn says she will have another surgery on her broken left leg Saturday at the Italian hospital treating her “and then I can potentially leave and go back home.” Vonn posted a video message on...
www.mprnews.org
February 13, 2026 at 6:57 PM
Lindsey Vonn will have another surgery on her broken left leg Saturday at the Italian hospital treating her “and then I can potentially leave and go back home.”
When U.S. Immigration and Customs agents first descended on families in Columbia Heights schools, superintendent Zena Stenvik smoldered but stayed quiet.
Then federal agents came for 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, and silence was no longer an option.
Then federal agents came for 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, and silence was no longer an option.
‘Time to speak up’: In Columbia Heights, school leaders stepped in to protect families as ICE surged
As federal immigration agents descended on Columbia Heights families, the school superintendent expected to stay silent. Then federal agents came for 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, and s...
www.mprnews.org
February 13, 2026 at 3:11 PM
When U.S. Immigration and Customs agents first descended on families in Columbia Heights schools, superintendent Zena Stenvik smoldered but stayed quiet.
Then federal agents came for 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, and silence was no longer an option.
Then federal agents came for 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, and silence was no longer an option.
The same morning as Homan’s announcement, Mayor Kaohly Her signed a new city ordinance that requires law enforcement to display their names or badge numbers visibly on their uniforms.
She said there are challenges to holding federal agencies to local laws, but the city has “mechanisms” to do so.
She said there are challenges to holding federal agencies to local laws, but the city has “mechanisms” to do so.
Mayor Kaohly Her 'cautiously optimistic' about reported end to federal immigration surge
The St. Paul mayor took office during a surge of federal immigration agents in Minnesota. The Trump Administration announced Thursday it is ending what it calls “Operation Metro Surge.”
www.mprnews.org
February 13, 2026 at 2:20 PM
The same morning as Homan’s announcement, Mayor Kaohly Her signed a new city ordinance that requires law enforcement to display their names or badge numbers visibly on their uniforms.
She said there are challenges to holding federal agencies to local laws, but the city has “mechanisms” to do so.
She said there are challenges to holding federal agencies to local laws, but the city has “mechanisms” to do so.