Minnesota Today

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Minnesota Today from MPR News brings you the most important stories from around the state. All on your schedule. Get updated on the latest news in about five minutes, every weekday morning and evening.

22 hrs ago

Early voting begins in Minnesota ahead of this year’s primary election

Early voting began Friday in Minnesota ahead of this year’s primary election. At the Minneapolis Early Vote Center, some voters were among the first to cast their ballots in person. Voters can vote early by mail or in person. More information is available at MNvotes.org. The Inver Grove Heights City Council voted 3 to 2 Friday to impose a one-year moratorium on data centers in the city. The meeting was filled with residents opposed to a proposed data center project. The project’s developer has warned of possible legal action if the moratorium passed. Residents also presented a petition with more than 700 signatures to the state’s Environmental Quality Board, seeking an environmental assessment of the proposed data center. The University of Minnesota Board of Regents approved a budget Friday that includes a 3.8 percent tuition increase for the next school year. Regent Robyn Gulley was the only regent to vote against the increase, citing concerns about transparency in the budget process. University President Rebecca Cunningham says the increase will help maintain accessibility and fair compensation for faculty and staff. A 29-year-old worker died early Thursday at a chicken processing plant in central Minnesota. Police say the employee was pinned under equipment in a loading dock area at the Pilgrim’s Pride plant in Cold Spring. The man’s co-workers removed him, and emergency responders provided medical care, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. Pilgrim’s Pride owner JBS says it is conducting an internal review and cooperating with OSHA. Dangerous heat remains on track to move into Minnesota starting later this weekend and lasting through much of next week. MPR meteorologist Mandy Thalhuber says heat advisories will likely be issued, with temperatures in the 90s and heat indices reaching triple digits. Monday could bring heat indices of 105 to 108 degrees. Conditions will be cooler along the North Shore, and there’s a chance for thunderstorms Sunday, some of which could be strong in northern Minnesota.

4 min
1d ago

Early voting starts Friday for primary election

Voters can start casting their ballots Friday in the Minnesota primary election. Absentee voting starts 46 days before any election in Minnesota and you can cast an absentee ballot by mail or in person. Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon says voters don't need an excuse to vote absentee. The primary election is Aug. 11. A government transparency organization has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security to release records connected to Operation Metro Surge this winter. The Forum for Constitutional Rights and Government Accountability requested documents and records back in January and hopes to release the documents to the public so citizens can understand the actions of the federal government. Beginning next week, Minnesotans will see new pop ups on social media sites warning about potential harms. It's a change lawmakers made in 2025, citing concerns about ill effects for young people. The Special Olympics USA Games wrap up Friday in the Twin Cities. The closing ceremony will take place at Huntington Bank Stadium and is free and open to the public. Tickets are required and can be claimed online and on site. Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve will be inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Saturday. Reeve is the ninth player or coach from the Lynx to be inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Tenn.

5 min
1d ago

Google faces opposition over proposed $2 billion data center near Duluth

Hundreds of people attended an open house hosted by Google Wednesday in Hermantown, just outside Duluth. The company wants to spend up to $2 billion to build a large data center there. The proposal has faced strong opposition from residents, and at least two lawsuits have been filed to block it. The project still needs additional city and state approvals. The Minneapolis City Council voted Thursday to approve a pair of ordinance changes that would allow the city to legalize bathhouses. Adult bathhouses were historically frequented by gay men in the 1970s and ’80s. They were banned in Minneapolis in 1988 during the AIDS epidemic. The changes allow the city to start the process toward permitting bathhouses and other sex venues in the future. A state lawmaker will be arraigned Friday on DWI charges stemming from a traffic stop earlier this year. State Rep. Elliott Engen of White Bear Lake was pulled over in March for speeding. According to the criminal complaint, police say Engen had a headlight out, expired registration and a blood alcohol concentration of .13. Engen had been running for state auditor, but ended his campaign. Minnesota exports fell eight percent in the first quarter compared to the same period in 2025. The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development says a decline in sales of mineral fuel and oil to Canada is driving the loss, along with uncertainty tied to federal actions. Excluding mineral fuel and oil exports to Canada, Minnesota exports grew slightly from a year ago. Parts of Minnesota could see triple-digit highs early next week, as a potentially dangerous heat wave moves into the region. MPR meteorologist Sven Sundgaard says temperatures and humidity will start climbing this weekend. Monday could bring highs in the upper 90s, with heat indices above 105. The heat could linger through next week, with highs near 90 continuing into the Fourth of July weekend.

4 min
2d ago

Minneapolis police often mishandled officer discipline cases, external report finds

The man who killed former DFL House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark faces sentencing next month. A group of workers at the Amazon warehouse in Shakopee protested outside of the facility Wednesday, the second day of Amazon's Prime Day Sale. A report released this week found that Minneapolis police often mishandled officer discipline cases. The Minneapolis City Council is scheduled to vote Thursday on whether to repeal the city’s longstanding ban on adult bathhouses. Hunger relief nonprofits are feeling the pain from high gas prices. While demand for assistance from food shelves continues to rise across the state, rising costs for nonprofits makes it more difficult for them to meet that demand. If you use light rail transit in the Twin Cities — prepare for major changes starting next week, with buses replacing trains. That will affect the entirety of Metro Transit’s Blue Line linking downtown Minneapolis to the airport and the Mall of America from Monday through Aug. 19.

5 min
2d ago

Walz seeks federal records after judge tosses DOJ subpoenas targeting Minnesota Democrats

Gov. Tim Walz wants the Trump administration to release records that he says could show he and the state of Minnesota have been targeted for political retribution. Walz filed 16 records requests under the Freedom of Information Act. Earlier this week, a federal judge threw out Justice Department subpoenas for records from the offices of Walz and other Minnesota Democrats, calling them meritless and ethically questionable. Minnesota hospitality businesses are doing worse than they were last year, according to a new survey from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. The Minneapolis Fed surveyed 120 hospitality companies about business conditions during the first quarter of 2026. A majority said profits are down compared to last year. Many businesses cited inflation, Minnesota’s new paid family leave policy and increased employee absences as challenges. A Minneapolis woman who was dragged from her car by federal agents during the immigration surge has filed a civil rights complaint with the Department of Homeland Security. The complaint alleges Aliyah Rahman was assaulted, wrongfully arrested and subjected to inhumane treatment by federal agents. Her attorney says agents violated Rahman’s constitutional rights and disability protections. The complaint calls on DHS to investigate the incident and implement broader policy changes. A woman charged with assaulting an FBI agent in Minneapolis last year pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to a misdemeanor charge. Isabel Lopez was sentenced to time served and a $25 fine. Lopez was among about 100 people who protested what they believed was an immigration raid at a Lake Street restaurant a year ago. Prosecutors agreed to drop the original felony indictment if Lopez pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge. Minnesotans should be prepared for potentially dangerous heat and humidity later this weekend and into next week. MPR meteorologist Sven Sundgaard says what could be the hottest air mass in the region in several years starts to arrive this weekend. Highs could reach the 90s by early next week, with heat indices possibly reaching triple digits. Before then, Minnesota will see a few more days of quiet and mild weather.

4 min
3d ago

Justice Department asks for 2 more weeks before returning Renee Good's car

A provider trade group is alleging that the Minnesota Department of Human Services is intentionally dismantling a social services program. Democrats see an opportunity to regain ground in rural parts of Minnesota this election year as farmers cope with high oil prices and input costs. A northern Minnesota utility broke ground on a nearly billion-dollar transmission line project. It's part of a broader effort to modernize the state's electric grid. The Justice Department is asking a federal court in Minnesota for two more weeks to return the car seized after Renee Good was fatally shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis in January.

5 min
4d ago

Target Field concessions workers union, employer expected to bargain Tuesday

Minnesota Today

5 min
4d ago

Federal judge tosses DOJ subpoenas targeting Gov. Tim Walz and other Minnesota leaders

A federal judge has tossed out U.S. Justice Department subpoenas targeting Gov. Tim Walz and other state and local leaders. Judge Patrick Schiltz called the subpoenas an “unlawful and unethical use of the grand jury process.” The subpoenas were part of a criminal investigation into whether state officials were obstructing federal immigration enforcement. Schiltz wrote that evidence the subpoenas were issued for unlawful reasons was “overwhelming,” and said the investigation appeared designed to harass political opponents and pressure them into taking federal action. A new study recommends Minnesota take action to prevent groundwater contaminated with PFAS from spreading in the Twin Cities east metro. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency report recommends pumping groundwater and removing PFAS. The treated water would then be sent to cities for drinking, or returned to the underground aquifer. Decades ago, 3M disposed of chemical waste containing PFAS at several sites in the east metro, where the chemicals leaked into the environment. About 75,000 spectators are expected to attend the Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota this week. Competition began Monday at the University of Minnesota and the National Sports Center in Blaine. The games bring together more than 3,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities from all 50 states. Events are free to attend, and ESPN will stream some competitions on ESPN Plus.

4 min

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Cathy Wurzer

Host

Minnesota Today from MPR News brings you the most important stories from around the state. All on your schedule. Get updated on the latest news in about five minutes, every weekday morning and evening.