Minnesota Today

Hermantown moves data center vote amid protests

The Hermantown City Council is expected to vote Tuesday whether to approve or reject a proposed Google data center after dozens of protesters blocked the start of Monday night’s meeting.Left wing-streamer Hasan Piker and Minnesota Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar joined DFL state Sen. Omar Fateh on Monday for an event some Democrats criticized as divisive.Tensions were high Monday night as the Detroit Lakes school board wrestled again over the board’s attempts to ban rainbow stickers, which

Hermantown to vote on Google data center; Obama endorses Flanagan

The Hermantown City Council is scheduled to vote tonight on whether to approve a controversial Google data center in a rural area just outside Duluth. Google has made a few changes to the proposal in advance of the vote. The tech giant is dropping a plan for up to $80 million in property tax breaks. It also scaled down the size of the development.And former President Barack Obama endorsed Democratic Senate nominee Peggy Flanagan's campaign this morning.Those stories and more in today’s

Detroit Lakes School Board meets Monday, community members worry rainbow sticker ban may still be discussed

The Detroit Lakes School Board is meeting Monday. Some community members have signed up to give public comment about the board's recent efforts to ban rainbow stickers from school grounds. They'll now each only be allowed to speak for one minute. The University of Minnesota and CentraCare are launching a new medical school fellowship aimed at getting more doctors into rural areas who can deliver babies and handle complicated births. The Delta Air Lines CEO says he doesn’t want employees to

Congresswoman Ilhan Omar casts ballot but bails on planned press conference

Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar cast her ballot today in her first public appearance since federal agents raided her home last week. And Minnesota officials say the federal government has stopped sharing evidence related to the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis.Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

Family of Allison Lussier say they finally feel justice was served

Several competing and collaborating groups are releasing lists of school board candidate endorsements. The conservative Minnesota Parents Alliance has endorsed 75 candidates in 52 Minnesota districts, and teacher unions have endorsed 89 candidates in 27 districts.After pressuring authorities for more than two and a half years, the family of a Minneapolis Indigenous woman finally feel justice was served. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced Thursday that 36-year old Charles Foss

DOJ election monitors in Minnesota; No change in drought conditions

The Minnesota Secretary of State's office says Hennepin and Ramsey counties have been notified that the Justice Department will send election monitors there on Election Day.And it's another week with no change reported in long-standing drought conditions across most of Minnesota. The latest U.S. Drought Monitor update continues to list about 63 percent of the state in some level of drought. Just over a quarter of Minnesota is in severe or extreme drought.Those stories and more in today’s

Justice Department seeks to disqualify two Minnesota federal judges from immigration-related cases

Candidates for governor Amy Klobuchar and Lisa Demuth held their first — and likely final — televised debate in Rochester on Wednesday. Questions covered fraud, taxes, healthcare, cancer treatment, gang violence and mining. Abortion came up, too. The Justice Department is seeking to disqualify two Minnesota federal judges from a pair of immigration-related cases after they made public comments about the Trump administration’s wintertime immigration enforcement operation. The St. Paul City

A final faceoff in Minnesota's governor's race is Wednesday in Rochester

Election Day races: candidates for Minnesota governor discuss fraud

Republican Lisa Demuth says the first thing she would do as governor is sign an executive order adding more protections for state government whistleblowers. Democratic nominee Amy Klobuchar has said she would immediately order an audit of all departments of state government.And the race to replace Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty pits a Democratic state lawmaker against a veteran former federal prosecutor. Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily

Red Lake Nation Chairman Darrell Seki Sr. says he will not step down

A sprawling district in northeast Minnesota could determine who controls the state Senate. It’s a political rematch that's drawing a huge amount of outside money. Four years ago DFLer Grant Hauschild defeated GOP challenger Andrea Zupancich by about 700 votes. Starting this week, Minneapolis voters can take advantage of expanded early voting hours and special one-day pop-up locations around the city. The Minneapolis VA Health Care System is offering walk-in flu shot events for enrolled

Minnesotan gubernatorial candidates both say they'll grow the state's economy

At their first head-to-head forum, Minnesota's nominees for governor both cast themselves as capable of growing the state's economy.And the Minneapolis City Council has asked the city attorney to look into whether council can subpoena the mayor and other officials. Progressive council members have accused Mayor Jacob Fry's administration of lacking transparency — especially after the police department admitted mismanagement and overspending.Those stories and more in today’s evening update

Flanagan, Tafoya clash in first U.S. Senate debate ahead of Election Day

Minnesota U.S. Senate candidates Peggy Flanagan and Michele Tafoya disagreed on a range of issues during an hour-long debate on MPR News Friday. Flanagan, the Democrat, accused Tafoya of trying to distance herself from President Donald Trump after receiving his endorsement earlier this week. Tafoya, the Republican, criticized Flanagan’s record as lieutenant governor and pointed to fraud, education and crime. It was the candidates’ first and only scheduled debate before Election Day on

Nearly 390,000 Minnesotans face new health choices after Medicare Advantage plans discontinued

The Twin Cities No Kings Coalition will hold a rally and festival Saturday that will focus on democracy and the right to vote. The event will feature food trucks, kids activities and information about voting in the election next month.Three competitive St. Cloud-area races could help determine control of the Minnesota Legislature. Many legislative districts in Minnesota are solidly Republican or Democrat. But the St. Cloud area is politically divided.Nearly 390,000 Minnesotans received

Rep. Ilhan Omar's phone seized, according to AP

Federal authorities have seized Minnesota U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar's phone and issued more than a dozen subpoenas, a source has told the Associated Press. The actions are part of an investigation into alleged immigration fraud. The source says those orders were issued for a grand jury.Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey’s veto of regulations on autonomous rideshare vehicles in the city survived an override vote by the City Council today. The council needed nine votes to override Frey’s veto — but only

D.C. U.S. Attorney investigating Rep. Ilhan Omar

The U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia said her office is investigating Minnesota U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar’s financial disclosures.The Wall Street Journal reported last month that a nonpartisan congressional office had cleared Omar of any wrongdoing stemming from amendments she made to her financial disclosures. But Jeanine Pirro told Fox News her office is looking into it.Some progressive members of the Minneapolis City Council want to eliminate the Office of Community Safety. That