MPR News
How candidates for Minnesota attorney general would handle ICE surge investigations
- Title
- How candidates for Minnesota attorney general would handle ICE surge investigations
- Runtime
- 1:32
- Date posted
- 1 month ago
- Description
- DFL Attorney General Keith Ellison and Republican trial attorney Ron Schutz sparred on questions about fraud, financial holdings and Minnesota’s role in multi-state lawsuits in their first head-to-head debate on Politics Friday at MPR News headquarters in St. Paul, moderated by politics editor Brian Bakst.
The attorney general’s office could also play a role in prosecuting the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, the two Minnesotans killed by immigration enforcement agents in January. The attorney general’s office could help the Hennepin County attorney’s office if they bring state charges against federal agents involved. Both Schutz and Ellison said they would continue to investigate both killings.
Watch the debate on the MPR News YouTube.
Video by MPR News and edited by Carly Danek
- Title
- Renee Good family sues U.S., federal agents after fatal Minneapolis ICE shooting
- Runtime
- 1:23:41
- Date posted
- 1 month ago
- Description
- The family of Renee Good announced the filing of two civil lawsuits related to her death during Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis.
Attorneys representing Good's family say the lawsuits are against the United States, individual federal agents and federal officials in connection with the Jan. 7, 2026 shooting that killed Good in south Minneapolis.
The lawsuits name the federal agent who fired the fatal shot, along with current and former federal officials. Federal authorities previously said the shooting was justified and that the agent acted in self-defense. Video evidence and witness accounts cited by Good's family and attorneys dispute that account.
This livestream includes remarks from members of Good's family, their attorneys and Becca Good, who is making her first public appearance since the shooting.
Read more from MPR News:
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/10/01/renee-good-lawsuit-minneapolis-ice-shooting-operation-m...
- Title
- Lawyer for Renee Good family enacts the Ku Klux Klan act
- Runtime
- 1:59
- Date posted
- 1 month ago
- Description
- The family of Renee Good filed two civil lawsuits on Thursday, the second invoking the Ku Klux Klan act of 1871 — a move one of their lawyers says is a first for legal action related to Operation Metro Surge.
"Congress passed the Ku Klux Klan Act in 1871 because masked men were going in disguise on the highway to terrorize their neighbors on account of their race," Good family attorney Benjamin Berkman said. "155 years later, armed men went in disguise on Portland Avenue. They went as part of a campaign to terrorize people based on the way they looked, and now Renee Good is dead."
Go to mprnews.org for the full story.
Video captured by Matt Sepic and Josh Sauvageau and edited by Carly Danek | MPR News
- Title
- Renee Good’s brother says her killing by ICE showed him ‘no one in this country is untouchable’
- Runtime
- 1:08
- Date posted
- 1 month ago
- Description
- The brother of the woman killed by ICE agents in January in Minneapolis spoke out Thursday as he and his family filed lawsuits seeking accountability for her killing during Operation Metro Surge. Brent Ganger, Renee Good’s brother, grieved his sister and said her killing opened his eyes to the scope of immigration enforcement’s impact in the United States.
“I deeply regret that it took the death of Renee to wake me up to the fact that no one in this country is untouchable,” he said. “It has taken far too long for white people like me to know what it feels like to not feel safe in this country.”
Video captured by Annie Russell and Josh Sauvageau and edited by Carly Danek
- Title
- Renee Good’s partner Becca Good speaks out for the first time since ICE killed her in Minneapolis
- Runtime
- 2:21
- Date posted
- 1 month ago
- Description
- Renee Good’s family spoke Thursday as lawyers filed two civil lawsuits seeking accountability after a federal agent killed her during Operation Metro Surge in January in Minneapolis. Among them was Becca Good, Renee’s partner, who made her first public remarks since witnessing Renee’s killing.
The lawsuits seek accountability for the decisions of public officials and federal agents as well as damages “for the immense suffering Renee endured in the final moments of her life and for the profound and permanent losses” suffered by her family.
Video captured by Annie Russell and Josh Sauvageau and edited by Carly Danek
- Title
- How to find information on election candidates in Minnesota: The MPR News Election Hub
- Runtime
- 0:56
- Date posted
- 1 month ago
- Description
- Election Day is Nov. 3. The MPR News Election Hub can help you learn about candidates on your ballot, their backgrounds and their platforms. It’s free to use and available online. You can even email yourself notes that you can take to the polls on Election Day.
To explore the Election Hub, visit mprnews.org/election
Video by Anika Besst and Anne Guttridge
- Title
- Both candidates for Minnesota governor are breast cancer survivors
- Runtime
- 2:57
- Date posted
- 1 month ago
- Description
- Barring an unforeseen twist, Minnesota will have its first female governor next year. That woman — whether it’s Amy Klobuchar, the Democratic nominee, or Lisa Demuth, the Republican nominee — will be a breast cancer survivor.
In separate interviews this month, they spoke with MPR News about confronting the diagnosis. Both said the experience fighting the disease would inform their healthcare policy platforms.
Story by Dana Ferguson
Video captured by Maurizio D’Errico, Corey Schreppel, Payton Whaley and Anne Guttridge
Video edited by Anne Guttridge
Thumbnail photos by Tim Evans for MPR News and Carly Danek for MPR News
- Title
- From South St. Paul to 'RuPaul's Drag Race': Bob the Drag Queen's acting started in Twin Cities
- Runtime
- 1:41
- Date posted
- 1 month ago
- Description
- “RuPaul’s Drag Race” season 8 winner Caldwell Tidicue, better known as Bob the Drag Queen, will perform at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul on Sept. 25 for his “Now Clap!” comedy tour.
The drag star is now an internationally renowned actor, author and comedian, but Tidicue credits his professional start to the Twin Cities. St. Paul is one of the first stops on the tour and Tidicue says he’s always excited to come back.
Story by Kyra Miles
Video captured by Josh Sauvageau and edited by Anne Guttridge
- Title
- Both candidates for Minnesota governor are breast cancer survivors
- Runtime
- 9:08
- Date posted
- 1 month ago
- Description
- Barring an unforeseen twist, Minnesota will have its first female governor next year. That woman — whether it’s Amy Klobuchar, the Democratic nominee, or Lisa Demuth, the Republican nominee — will be a breast cancer survivor.
In separate interviews this month, they spoke with MPR News about confronting the diagnosis. Both said the experience fighting the disease would inform their healthcare policy platforms.
Story by Dana Ferguson
Video captured by Maurizio D’Errico, Corey Schreppel, Payton Whaley and Anne Guttridge
Video edited by Anne Guttridge
- Title
- Aldi restores full-service grocery store access to downtown St. Paul
- Runtime
- 1:45
- Date posted
- 1 month ago
- Description
- After more than a year, downtown St. Paul has a grocery store again in Aldi.
The area had been without a grocery store since Lunds & Byerlys closed in March 2025. Area leaders say the Aldi opening will support population growth and signals reinvestment in downtown St. Paul.
Story by Feven Gerezgiher
Video by Anne Guttridge
- Title
- Stolen Neighbors Quilt honors Minnesotans detained by federal immigration enforcement
- Runtime
- 0:31
- Date posted
- 1 month ago
- Description
- Quilters, immigrant rights advocates and an interfaith coalition unveiled the Stolen Neighbors Quilt at the Minnesota State Capitol on Tuesday to honor Minnesotans detained by federal immigration enforcement — and advocate on their behalf.
The quilt is made of 11,000 donated squares collected over months. Organizers hope the quilt can remain in public display or be part of other future protests.
Video by Feven Gerezgiher.
- Title
- Officials to discuss investigation into fire that killed hockey journalist Jessi Pierce and children
- Runtime
- 35:56
- Date posted
- 1 month ago
- Description
- Minnesota fire safety officials are holding a news conference Thursday to announce the preliminary findings of an investigation into a March fire that killed longtime Minnesota hockey reporter Jessi Pierce and her three children in White Bear Lake.
That news conference — including State Fire Marshal Dan Krier, Chief Deputy State Fire Marshal Amanda Swenson and White Bear Lake Fire Chief Greg Peterson — is scheduled for 11 a.m.
Read more at MPRnews.org here:
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/09/24/officials-discuss-investigation-fire-killed-hockey-journalist-jessi-pierce-3-children
- Title
- From 'Traitors' to the Twin Cities: Bob the Drag Queen on returning to Minnesota for his new tour
- Runtime
- 8:06
- Date posted
- 1 month ago
- Description
- You know Bob the Drag Queen as the winner of "RuPaul's Drag Race" Season 8, a titan of the "Traitors" castle and a standup comic. But let's be real: What you most likely know him from is his stint as a children's entertainer for CLIMB Theatre in Inver Grove Heights.
Long before reality TV stardom, Bob got his start as an actor in the Twin Cities. He'll return to his old stomping grounds this weekend for a new standup comedy tour.
Bob spoke to MPR News reporter Kyra Miles to reminisce ahead of the first stop of the "Now Clap!" tour in St. Paul Friday.
Story by Kyra Miles. Video captured by Josh Sauvageau and edited by Payton Whaley.
- Title
- Opposition to data centers draws new candidates to run in Pine Island
- Runtime
- 1:43
- Date posted
- 1 month ago
- Description
- Data centers that power artificial intelligence have become a flashpoint of debate across the state. But in the 4,000-person city of Pine Island, that debate is pushing some to throw their hats into the political ring.
Pine Island is the site for a proposed Google hyperscale data center, which is projected to be built on about 88 acres of land, but it could expand to more than 400 acres. Many in Pine Island feel as though the project came out of nowhere, saying plans for it seem to have been hashed out in secrecy.
“[Residents] feel betrayed, let down,” said mayoral candidate Mark Lang. “Everyone feels that this should have been something put out to a vote, or at least some kind of say in it from the people."
Others, like Interim Mayor Brandi Veith Staloch, who's running for a two-year term, say the money and jobs on offer by Google are too good an opportunity to pass up.
Read the full story here: https://www.mprnews.org/story/20...
- Title
- Minnesota's first new iron ore mine in 50 years opens with a bang
- Runtime
- 1:15
- Date posted
- 1 month ago
- Description
- Mesabi Metallics in Nashwauk, Minnesota is preparing to begin production later this fall. The iron ore mine will be the state’s first new iron ore mine in 50 years, digging up and processing some of the richest ore left on Minnesota’s Iron Range.
Story by Dan Kraker
Video captured by Erica Dischino for MPR News and edited by Anne Guttridge
- Title
- Leech Lake’s wild rice is being pushed out by invasive species
- Runtime
- 2:15
- Date posted
- 2 months ago
- Description
- Aquatic plants — often dismissed as weeds — are common in Minnesota lakes. Some property owners remove them with machines or chemical herbicides, creating open water for swimming or boating.
But those plants are doing important work to keep the lake healthy, from preventing shoreline erosion to reducing algae blooms to providing fish habitat. And there’s evidence that getting rid of native plants in a lake makes it easier for invasive species to move in.
Researchers on Leech Lake are studying whether an invasive plant, Eurasian water milfoil, is out-competing wild rice — and whether the loss of native vegetation has made the problem worse.
Story by Kirsti Marohn
Video captured by Ben Hovland and edited by Anne Guttridge
- Title
- Mail-in voting is underway as normal after Supreme Court rejects Trump's order
- Runtime
- 2:42
- Date posted
- 2 months ago
- Description
- Earlier this week, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked President Trump’s attempt to restrict mail-in voting for the midterm election. This means Minnesotans can feel more secure about how their votes are being handled as they start voting as early as Friday, Sept. 18.
In some places, Minnesota voters have been voting by mail for decades. State law allows cities with fewer than 400 registered voters and townships of any size to choose to vote exclusively with mail ballots. There are more than 1,100 precincts in Minnesota where registered voters receive a ballot in the mail automatically.
Story by Kirsti Marohn
Video captured by Kimm Anderson for MPR News and edited by Anne Guttridge
- Title
- Former Minn. Gov. Mark Dayton talks his political legacy, bipartisanship and 'Perseverance'
- Runtime
- 21:39
- Date posted
- 2 months ago
- Description
- Mark Dayton has had a storied career in Minnesota politics: as a state auditor, a U.S. senator and governor of Minnesota from 2011 to 2019. Now he's back in the public eye for his new memoir, "Perseverance," which launched this week.
Dayton sat down with MPR News Politics Editor Brian Bakst to discuss the book and reflect on his five decades in public service: the accomplishments, the friction and the surprising friendships.
Listen to Politics Friday every week for the latest on the Minnesota Legislature, election news and more.
https://www.mprnews.org/politics/mn-politics/election-politics-friday
Story produced by Brian Bakst and Matthew Alvarez. Video captured by Derek Ramirez and edited by Payton Whaley. Thumbnail photo by Ben Hovland.
- Title
- Talking Volumes: Marlon James shines a light on 'The Disappearers'
- Runtime
- 1:35:26
- Date posted
- 2 months ago
- Description
- Booker Prize-winning author Marlon James kicks off the 2026 season of Talking Volumes with his new novel. It follows eight gay men in 1980s Kingston, Jamaica, as they rehearse for a play — and survive a brutal mob attack that changes everything.
“The Disappearers” is a riveting, deeply human story of fear, rage and recovery, and an unflinching look at queer life in Jamaica during the 1980s and 1990s.
- Title
- Attorney General Ellison and Hennepin County Attorney Moriarty on ICE agent court appearance
- Runtime
- 24:36
- Date posted
- 2 months ago
- Description
- Attorney General Keith Ellison and Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty are expected to speak about Christian Castro, the ICE agent who shot and wounded a man in Minneapolis in January. Castro made his first appearance in state court Thursday.
Christian Castro, 52, was taken into custody by Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agents at about 2:15 p.m. Wednesday in downtown Minneapolis on a warrant for his arrest. He was booked in the Hennepin County Jail just after 4 p.m. and remained there as of Thursday morning.
Find more coverage here:
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/09/17/ice-agent-christian-castro-charged-shooting-operation-metro-surge-arrested-minneapolis
- Title
- What's next for retired gold medal winner Jessie Diggins? Running a 100-mile ultramarathon
- Runtime
- 2:49
- Date posted
- 2 months ago
- Description
- Former cross-country skier Jessie Diggins retired from the sport in March after competing in her third winter Olympics. Not content to sit around, she's set her sights on a different kind of long-distance race — just with less snow.
This year's Superior Fall Trail Race saw 256 runners take on a 100-mile run across the rugged Superior Hiking Trail. One hundred fifty-one finished. Diggins, from Afton, Minn., finished fifth overall and first among the women with a time of 25 hours, 9 minutes and 46 seconds.
"I remember crying, and then very shortly after crossing the finish line, I realized like I can't stand anymore," Diggins told MPR News correspondent Dan Kraker. "Once I stopped, it it was as if every ounce of energy that I had, had gone into just getting to that finish line. And once I did, it was like, 'Oh yeah, there's nothing left now.'"
On top of the distance, this race is considered one of the most difficult of its kind due to the hilly an...
- Title
- ‘People of Minnesota’ receive Hispanic Heritage Award for resilience during ICE surge
- Runtime
- 0:57
- Date posted
- 2 months ago
- Description
- The final honor of the Hispanic Heritage Awards — the humanitarian award — went to the people of Minnesota.
Antonio Tijerino, president and CEO of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, said a local man invited national leaders to visit in February. They came and left inspired by how people rallied to protect their neighbors.
Over 30 Minnesotans took the stage to receive the award, reflecting a range of organizations, businesses and other entities that actively supported people during the federal immigration surge, according to a host committee member. The iconic California-based band Los Tigres del Norte presented the award to Minnesota and performed two songs meant to represent Latin Americans in the U.S.
The ceremony was hosted at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis on Sept. 10. This is the first time the awards have been held outside of Washington D.C.
Story by Feven Gerezgiher
Video captured by Ines Guanchez and edited by Anne Gut...
- Title
- 39th Hispanic Heritage Awards honor Minnesota resistance to federal immigration enforcement
- Runtime
- 2:20
- Date posted
- 2 months ago
- Description
- The Hispanic Heritage Awards took place outside of Washington, D.C., for the first time ever Thursday night with a ceremony hosted in Minnesota. Major Latino musical artists received awards in person at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis. U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas was also present to receive the Public Service Award. The final honor of the night — the humanitarian award — went to the people of Minnesota.
The awards were established by the White House nearly four decades ago to commemorate the creation of Hispanic Heritage Month. The annual celebration honors the contributions and accomplishments of Latinos in the United States and Latin America.
Organizers said they wanted to hold the event in Minneapolis this year because of the federal immigration surge last winter.
Story by Feven Gerezgiher
Video captured by Ines Guanchez and edited by Anne Guttridge
Thumbnail photos by Steven Garcia for MPR News
- Title
- If you can't get rid of invasive crayfish, eat 'em
- Runtime
- 2:42
- Date posted
- 2 months ago
- Description
- A small business in northern Minnesota harvests rusty crayfish and sells them, live, to people and restaurants. The invasive species of crayfish are native to the Ohio River valley and were likely brought to Minnesota as fishing bait. They have infested at least 300 lakes across the state and destroy huge amounts of aquatic plant life in lakes, including culturally important wild rice beds.
It’s a labor-intensive process, but some people in northern Minnesota are setting traps and baiting them with bits of hot dogs and other attractants to catch the crayfish, to both keep lakes healthy and feed people — if Minnesotans are willing to eat them.
Story by Dan Kraker
Video captured by Chuck Olsen for MPR News and edited by Anne Guttridge
- Title
- From viral video to the Minnesota State Fair
- Runtime
- 2:30
- Date posted
- 2 months ago
- Description
- Sierra Nicole Reece's six-second TikTok about the Minnesota State Fair went viral. While the online discourse was surrounding influencers in California attending Coachella in mid-April, Reece was thinking ahead to August in Minnesota.
A Twin Cities-based influencer manager ended up reaching out to Reece. Together, they brainstormed and pitched a brand trip to the Minnesota State Fair and area tourism agencies, which ultimately agreed to sponsor her.
For Reece, a food culture aficionado who had long envisioned visiting the Minnesota State Fair, the opportunity to attend for a sponsored trip was exciting. She had already been following the Minnesota State Fair for some time and knew of the cultural institutions like Sweet Martha's Cookie Jar. "That bucket of cookies has just lived rent free in my head for my entire adolescence," she said.
Story by Feven Gerezgiher
Video by Anne Guttridge
- Title
- New size restrictions revealed for next year's Minnesota State Fair crop art exhibit
- Runtime
- 2:06
- Date posted
- 2 months ago
- Description
- Every piece of crop art submitted for the Minnesota State Fair’s exhibit is displayed — as long as it adheres to the fair's crop art commandments.
Earlier this month, comedian Sam Schedler learned how to make crop art from the Minnesota State Fair's crop art assistant superintendent Marta Shore. While they worked on their pieces, Shore revealed a new commandment that will be instated for next year’s competition.
Video by Anne Guttridge
- Title
- These sisters come back year after year to dumpster dive for the State Fair
- Runtime
- 1:50
- Date posted
- 2 months ago
- Description
- Kathryn and Isabel Larson are a pair of sisters from Minnesota who do trash duty at the State Fair every year — and they love it.
Story by Regina Medina
Video captured by Payton Whaley, edited by Brent Jabbour
- Title
- City provides updates on mass shooting in Minneapolis apartment building
- Runtime
- 1:54:26
- Date posted
- 2 months ago
- Description
- The City of Minneapolis will hold a press conference to provide updates on the downtown Minneapolis apartment building shooting that happened Wednesday afternoon that left three people dead, including the suspected shooter. Several other people were injured, including three police officers.
Police responded just after 4:30 p.m. Wednesday to reports of gunfire at the building at 15 East Grant Street. Officers entered the building and heard more gunshots. They found the shooter on an upper floor and exchanged gunfire; the suspected gunman was pronounced dead at the scene.
Read more at MPRnews.org here:
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/09/03/minneapolis-shooting-at-shoreline-plaza-loring-towers-apartment-building-under-investigation
- Title
- What's your Minnesota State Fair food story?
- Runtime
- 8:03
- Date posted
- 2 months ago
- Description
- The wait for new foods at the Minnesota State Fair can be intimidating, but they can pale in comparison to the foods attendees will wait hours for, year after year after year. Fair food is just as much about innovation as it is tradition, so we wanted to find out people's connection to the latter.
MPR News digital producer Payton Whaley spoke with several fairgoers whose food stories range from the sentimental to the experimental, the ritualistic to the ... regurgitated.
What's your Minnesota State Fair food story? Leave it in the comments.
Video by Payton Whaley, with help from Nicole Ki.
- Title
- 'Info Booth Ladies' podcasters work their first State Fair without one of their own
- Runtime
- 2:29
- Date posted
- 2 months ago
- Description
- For the last five years, Kristen Donaldson, Margie McCarron and Kathy Riewe have hosted “Info Booth Ladies,” an unofficial Minnesota State Fair podcast. Riewe worked at the fair for over 50 years — her first shift was at 8 years old at a diner her parents owned on the fairgrounds. On the podcast, her knowledge of the fair was front and center. The trio interviewed dozens of fair workers but in March, the unexpected happened, and they became the story.
Riewe died suddenly on March 24 at 63 years old. When Donaldson and McCarron got the call, they were stunned.
The two decided to announce on the podcast that Riewe had died to let their fans also grieve the loss. Riewe did not want a funeral, wake or obituary but the Info Booth Ladies still wanted a way to honor her so on Monday at the fair they held a remembrance for her. Around 50 people stopped by between their shifts at the fair to tell stories about Riewe.
Season six of the podcast is dedi...
- Title
- BCA and Minneapolis provide updates on mass shooting in downtown apartment building
- Runtime
- 44:36
- Date posted
- 2 months ago
- Description
- The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the City of Minneapolis both held press conferences to provide updates on the downtown Minneapolis apartment building shooting that happened Wednesday afternoon that left three people dead, including the suspected shooter. Several other people were injured, including three police officers.
What began as an apparent custody handoff of a child ended in a mass shooting Wednesday in Minneapolis that left three people dead, including the shooter, and several wounded, including police officers, state investigators said Thursday as they provided new details on what happened.
Read more at MPRnews.org here:
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/09/03/minneapolis-shooting-at-shoreline-plaza-loring-towers-apartment-building-under-investigation
- Title
- 2 killed, suspect dead, 6 injured including officers in Minneapolis mass shooting
- Runtime
- 13:02
- Date posted
- 2 months ago
- Description
- Minneapolis officials provide an update on a shooting that left three police officers injured and three people, including the suspected shooter, dead on Wednesday. Police first responded to the shooting at the Shoreline Plaza apartment complex formerly known as Loring Towers around 4:36 p.m. and the area was secure as of 7:37 p.m. Wednesday.
- Title
- 2 killed, suspect dead, 6 injured including officers in Minneapolis mass shooting
- Runtime
- 0:44
- Date posted
- 2 months ago
- Description
- Three police officers were injured and three people, including the suspected shooter, are dead following a shooting in Minneapolis at an apartment complex formerly known as Loring Towers.
Police first responded to the shooting at the Shoreline Plaza apartment complex formerly known as Loring Towers around 4:36 p.m. and the area was secure as of 7:37 p.m. Wednesday.
Read more at the link in our bio.
Video and photos captured by Steven Garcia for MPR News
Video edited by Anne Guttridge
- Title
- Sam Schedler learns the top tips of State Fair crop art
- Runtime
- 2:55
- Date posted
- 2 months ago
- Description
- Earlier this month, comedian Sam Schedler sat down with the Minnesota State Fair's crop art assistant superintendent Marta Shore to learn her top tips for making crop art.
Crop art has been a part of the “Great Minnesota Get-Together” since 1965. Art pieces are made of Minnesota-grown seeds, crops and plants and are affixed to supporting backgrounds. The works of art are on display in the Agriculture Horticulture Building on the fairgrounds throughout the 12 days of the fair.
Shore has been making crop art since 2015 and has been the Assistant Superintendent for Crop Art and Scarecrow at the Minnesota State Fair since 2024.
Video by Anne Guttridge
- Title
- Politics Bingo makes a game out of State Fair campaign stops
- Runtime
- 2:24
- Date posted
- 2 months ago
- Description
- The Great Minnesota Get-Together is a key campaign stop for candidates all the way down the ballot. Many candidates log long hours at the fair doing live interviews with the press, chatting with voters and eating that year’s unique food on a stick.
MPR News decided to turn the politics cliches into a game of bingo. Political reporters Peter Cox and Cait Kelley competed Monday to see who could get bingo of all the classic campaign activities at the fair.
Video captured by Peter Cox and Cait Kelley
Video edited by Brent Jabbour with contributions from Anne Guttridge
- Title
- Why State Fair food makes us feel bad — and what to do about it
- Runtime
- 2:25
- Date posted
- 2 months ago
- Description
- What sounds good in the moment at the Minnesota State Fair (milkshakes, a footlong corn dog, a Menards bucket worth of donuts) doesn't always feel great an hour later when you're walking a mile in the hot sun. And while we know the simple explanation — junk food bad — what's actually going on in our gut?
We enlisted the help of Dr. Justin Howard, a gastroenterologist and associate professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota, to help explain why what tastes good doesn't always feel good.
Don't worry, it's less dire than you think.
Video by Payton Whaley. Thumbnail image courtesy of Rachel Whitcomb.
- Title
- Minnesota State Fair art focuses on ICE surge
- Runtime
- 1:42
- Date posted
- 2 months ago
- Description
- Every year the Minnesota State Fair shows thousands of art pieces submitted by Minnesotans for judging and display. Throughout the disciplines, one theme was clear — Minnesotans were profoundly affected by the presence of federal agents in the state this winter.
Video captured by Alex Cipolle and Ben Hovland
Photos captured by Ben Hovland and Sam Stroozas
Video edited by Anne Guttridge
Read more here: https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/08/28/minnesota-state-fair-art-trends-ice-resistance-rebel-loons
- Title
- The first group of Annunciation mass shooting victims are heading to high school
- Runtime
- 3:40
- Date posted
- 2 months ago
- Description
- The first class of Annunciation Catholic Church and School students to graduate since the mass shooting last summer is heading to high school. The shooting during a back-to-school Mass on August 27, 2025, left two children dead, 29 injured and the lives of countless more forever changed.
Reporter Feven Gerezgiher, who has been covering the Annunciation community for a year, spoke with three rising freshmen and their families about their perspectives on heading to new schools.
Video and thumbnail photo captured by Kerem Yücel
Video edited by Anne Guttridge
- Title
- Minnesota Attorney General Ellison to speak on Meta's social media settlement
- Runtime
- 28:40
- Date posted
- 2 months ago
- Description
- Meta has agreed to pay between $12 billion and $17 billion and add child-safety measures to its Facebook and Instagram platforms to end a landmark trial over teen social media addiction and settle claims filed by 47 states, state attorneys general announced Wednesday.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison plans to speak to media about the multi-state lawsuit and what it means for Minnesota residents.
Find more coverage here:
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/08/26/meta-reaches-17-billion-settlement-landmark-trial-teen-social-media-addiction
- Title
- What happens to all the DNR pond fish after the Minnesota State Fair?
- Runtime
- 1:24
- Date posted
- 2 months ago
- Description
- The Minnesota State Fair is still a couple days away, but there's already a way people are dipping their toes in the water. (Metaphorically. Please do not dip your toes in the DNR pond.)
One of the more relaxed areas of the fairgrounds had some life added to it Tuesday morning as fisheries staff from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources delivered some lake fish to their pond.
DNR area supervisor T.J. DeBates said the organization brough about 40 different fish species, which fair attendees can see for themselves beginning Thursday. Some of the longer-living fish, like the lake sturgeon, have even been coming to the fair for decades.
Story by Estelle Timar-Wilcox. Video captured by Kerem Yücel and edited by Payton Whaley.
- Title
- How Harper Moyski's best friends and younger sister celebrate her
- Runtime
- 2:07
- Date posted
- 2 months ago
- Description
- Near Lyndale Park Rose Garden in Minneapolis is a memorial bench for Harper Moyski, the 10-year-old girl who was killed in the mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church and School on Aug. 27, 2025. The bench is a frequent gathering place for Harper’s loved ones, especially Harper’s younger sister Quinn and Harper’s three best friends, who have become a support system for each other as they grieve and heal.
Minnesota Now host Nina Moini met the girls at the bench to hear how they honor and celebrate their late friend.
To hear more of Nina’s conversation with Harper’s best friends and sister, listen to MPR News at noon on Aug. 26, or after that visit mprnews.org. You can find Minnesota Now wherever you listen to podcasts.
Story by Nina Moini and Aleesa Kuznetsov
Audio by Maurizio D'Errico and Tessa Bloch
Video and thumbnail photo captured by Ben Hovland
Video edited by Anne Guttridge
- Title
- New MPR Minnesota State Fair tote bag showcases state through an Indigenous lens
- Runtime
- 2:16
- Date posted
- 2 months ago
- Description
- Every year Minnesota Public Radio picks a local artist to design a tote bag to be given to thousands of fairgoers at the Minnesota State Fair in exchange for donations. Dakota artist Marlena Myles designed this year's gift, which features vibrant colors and pays homage to each corner of Minnesota through an Indigenous lens.
Follow the link in our bio to read more about this year’s design.
Video captured and edited by Chandra Colvin
Thumbnail photo taken and video captured by Kerem Yücel
- Title
- These women grew up on the Minnesota State fairgrounds
- Runtime
- 2:27
- Date posted
- 2 months ago
- Description
- For 22 years the big yellow house in the southeast corner of the Minnesota State Fair was home to Bill Hermes’ family. The State Fair gardener and groundskeeper moved his family into the J.V. Bailey house in 1973 and they stayed until he retired in 1994.
The house has since been converted into office space for the State Fair Foundation. But a few decades ago, it was where the Hermes family celebrated Christmas and Easter.
Follow the link in our bio to read Elizabeth Shockman’s 2025 story about what it was like to grow up on the fairgrounds.
Video by Anne Guttridge
Thumbnail photo by Ben Hovland
- Title
- This foster program ensures pets of people seeking treatment have a temporary home
- Runtime
- 1:56
- Date posted
- 3 months ago
- Description
- The Bond Between’s respite foster program has been around since 2024 and offers up to 90 days of free temporary foster care for people going through tough life circumstances such as domestic violence or addiction treatment. They recently partnered with the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, an addiction treatment center, to help people seeking addiction treatment find pet care.
Story by Ahmed Hassan
Video captured by Nicole Ki and edited by Brent Jabbour
- Title
- Minnesota farmer takes a break from hemp ahead of federal ban
- Runtime
- 1:33
- Date posted
- 3 months ago
- Description
- Jeremy Saueressig is one of many hemp farmers across the country who are not planting this year amid uncertainty over a new federal ban.
The law, set to take effect Nov. 12, would sharply restrict hemp-derived THC products, including the drinks and edibles that have fueled demand for hemp crops.
Congress is considering delaying the law. Saueressig says he still hopes to plant hemp again next year at his farm in Hastings.
Video captured by Liam James Doyle and Nicole Ki
Story and video edit by Nicole Ki
Thumbnail photo by Liam James Doyle
- Title
- Liberian government official moonlights as Minnesota group home director
- Runtime
- 2:57
- Date posted
- 3 months ago
- Description
- A new investigation by MPR News and APM Reports found that a man has been running group homes while also serving as a high-ranking government official in a country thousands of miles away.
Companies linked to Sekou Dukuly received $36 million in taxpayer money over the past decade to care for disabled adults in Minnesota group homes — despite multiple residents dying and repeated findings of neglect. And the state kept sending payments to the companies even after Dukuly took a job as the director of the National Port Authority in Liberia, the country where he grew up and now lives.
In a statement, the Department of Human Services, which funds group homes through Medicaid, called the findings concerning. “We can say that an owner of a Medicaid program moving abroad would raise concerns for our investigators, even if it is not prohibited by law,” the statement from the department added.
But the Health Department did not express those same conc...
- Title
- Why a Liberian official is running group homes out of Minnesota
- Runtime
- 8:08
- Date posted
- 3 months ago
- Description
- In our last investigation of Minnesota's booming group home industry, we learned that the businesses face few consequences when their residents die — even in cases where the state determines maltreatment occurred.
This time, MPR News reporter Ellie Roth investigates a man who has been running Minnesota group homes while also serving as a high-ranking government official in a country thousands of miles away.
Companies linked to Sekou Dukuly received $36 million in taxpayer money over the past decade to care for disabled adults in Minnesota group homes — despite multiple residents dying and repeated findings of neglect.
And the state kept sending payments to the companies even after Dukuly took a job as the director of the National Port Authority in Liberia, the country where he grew up and now lives.
Read the full investigation here: https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/08/17/liberian-government-official-sekou-dukuly-runs-minnesota-g...
- Title
- Award-winning musicians Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis sum up the 'Minneapolis sound' in one word: Prince
- Runtime
- 2:12
- Date posted
- 3 months ago
- Description
- Minnesota music legends Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis are the award-winning songwriting and production duo behind dozens of hits for some of the biggest names in music. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.
Ahead of their homecoming show at the Minnesota State Fair at the end of August, they joined MPR News host Angela Davis to talk about what makes them such a power pair. When Davis asked them to describe the "Minneapolis sound," they each had one word: Prince.
"Prince is the trunk of the tree," Jimmy Jam said, "and the rest of us are all the branches."
Interview produced by Nikhil Kumaran. Video edited by Payton Whaley.
- Title
- Child, two adults dead in 'isolated' attack at Hopkins in-home daycare
- Runtime
- 1:39
- Date posted
- 3 months ago
- Description
- A child and two adults are dead in what officials described as an “isolated” attack at a Hopkins daycare around 9 a.m. Wednesday. Hopkins police said the victims appear to be related and that the deceased man was the perpetrator.
Hopkins police said there were six other children in the daycare on the 200 block of Tyler Avenue North at the time of the attack and that none were physically injured. They were reunited with their family members, Hopkins police Chief Brent Johnson said, describing them as “very young” children, likely age 5 or younger.
Johnson said police were called after a parent arrived at the daycare to drop off a child and apparently witnessed the killings.
A 24-hour statewide sexual violence and domestic violence hotline is available in Minnesota. You can call Minnesota Day One at (866) 223-1111 or text (612) 399-9995 to connect to resources closest to where you live.
Video captured by Ben ...
- Title
- Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis celebrate a Minnesota homecoming
- Runtime
- 52:00
- Date posted
- 3 months ago
- Description
- Coming up at 9 a.m. on Monday, MPR News host Angela Davis talks with the longtime friends and creative partners about their Minnesota roots, the story behind their successful careers and the friendship that has kept them working together for more than 50 years.
And we want to hear from you, too.
What’s your favorite song produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis? Why? What questions do you have for this Power Pair?
Call us during the show at 651-227-6000 or 800-242-2828, or share your questions in the comments.
https://www.mprnews.org/episode/2026/08/10/power-pair-jimmy-jam-and-terry-lewis-celebrate-a-minnesota-homecoming
