MPR News

. A man wearing a suit stands in a courtroom

Ex-cop Noor set for June release after resentence in Ruszczyk killing

A Hennepin County judge on Thursday gave ex-Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor nearly five years in prison, the maximum for second-degree manslaughter, after the Minnesota Supreme Court last month overturned his murder conviction.

Two men speak in front of a map.

Federal plan to study environmental impacts of mining near BWCA draws praise, scorn

Opponents of copper-nickel mining near the Boundary Waters are cheering a decision from the Biden administration that could lead to a 20-year mining moratorium in the region. But supporters of the proposed Twin Metals mine near Ely say it threatens a chance to cash in on a rich treasure trove of valuable metals.

A health care worker administers a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine Thursday at Life of Hope Center in New York City.

CDC advisers back rollout of COVID vaccine boosters from Moderna, J and J

A panel advising the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also endorsed a mix-and-match approach to boosters that would be flexible for patients and health care providers.

A man in uniform salutes.

How one man’s medical crisis collided with Minnesota’s hospital bed crunch

Bob Cameron had suffered through, and survived, a gastrointestinal bleed last year. But when he was admitted to the hospital earlier this month for the same issue, his family says a statewide hospital bed shortage stood in the way of Cameron's recovery.

Paul Huttner on WCCO-TV during the 1991 Halloween Mega Storm

Found: Lost Halloween Megastorm tapes from 1991

I found these tapes in a box after nearly 30 years. They show my live broadcast updates on WCCO-TV during the highest of the Halloween Megastorm the morning of November 1, 1991.

a nurse gives a man a shot in his arm

Indigenous communities see rise in COVID-19 cases

COVID-19 case numbers are falling again across the state, but cases remain extremely high among Native Americans, who over the past month have contracted COVID at two to three times the rate of white Minnesotans.

World War I armistice centennial

UK palace says queen, 95, spent night in hospital for checks

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II spent a night in a hospital for checks this week after canceling an official trip to Northern Ireland on medical advice, Buckingham Palace said Thursday.

Mist and fog over some rocks.

Art Hounds: A dose of natural beauty, a pinch of Halloween horror

Wildlife photographer Dudley Edmondson captures the beauty of northern Minnesota’s waters. Art Hounds also recommend two one-act shows running through Halloween which make audiences question reality.

A sign hangs outside of a classroom.

Teachers ask for virus protocols after student, staff deaths

Members of Minnesota's teachers union are calling on school leaders to do more to protect students and staff after the state Department of Health reported the first student death from COVID-19 this school year.

Simone Biles performs during the Gold Over America Tour. In an interview, she says she is still not performing twists.

Months after the Olympics, Simone Biles says she's 'still scared to do gymnastics'

Biles shocked the world when she withdrew from events at the Olympics this summer, citing a phenomenon called the "twisties." In an interview Thursday, she says she's still grappling with it.

headshots of six Minneapolis mayoral candidates

Voter guide: Minneapolis mayoral candidates on how they’d address the city’s top issues

We asked the aspiring mayors how they’d address housing, public safety, climate change and the local economy — plus their opinions on the three questions on the ballot this fall.

Frances Haugen; Janneke Parish; Chelsey Glasson

Tech workers recount the cost of speaking out, as tensions rise inside companies

More and more tech workers are publicly criticizing their companies. But those who have spoken out say it's taken a toll on their careers, friendships and mental health.

Two people sign documents at a desk.

Minnesota, Finland agree to team up on climate change

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has signed a letter of understanding with Finland, pledging to encourage the state's agencies, universities and businesses to collaborate with Finland on sustainable technology.

Karen Watkins is vice chair of the school board of Gwinnett County, a suburban county north of Atlanta. She is surprised that she has become a target for a political culture war. "I just didn't realize that it would impact the local school board," Watkins says. "Our main focus is towards student achievement and ensuring that we are producing children that are thriving."

What it's like to be on the front lines of the school board culture war

Karen Watkins ran for her local school board because she wanted to be involved in her children's education. Since her election in 2020, she's been yelled at, threatened and followed to her car.

A job seeker fills out an application

Minnesota’s unemployment rate falls to 3.7 percent; wages rising

Minnesota has now gained back about 70 percent of the more than 416,000 jobs lost since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In this photo illustration, a container of Johnson's baby powder sits on a table in 2019. Johnson & Johnson announced a voluntary recall of 33,000 bottles of the baby powder after federal regulators found trace amounts of asbestos in the product.

J&J is using a bankruptcy maneuver to block lawsuits over baby powder cancer claims

Johnson & Johnson spun off liabilities — including roughly 38,000 lawsuits — linked to claims of asbestos contamination in its baby powder to a new firm, which then declared bankruptcy.

Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced plans to launch his own social networking platform called TRUTH Social, which is expected to begin its beta launch for "invited guests" next month.

What we know so far about Trump's planned social media platform

Former President Donald Trump has announced his intent to launch a long-anticipated social platform of his own, claiming to create a space to "stand up to the tyranny of Big Tech."

basketball player Anthony Edwards smiles on the court

Edwards energizes Wolves in opening 124-106 win over Rockets

The Minnesota Timberwolves cruised to a 124-106 victory over the Houston Rockets to start the season. Anthony Edwards energized the first full-size home crowd of his career with 29 points in 31 minutes for Minnesota.

comparing vaccinated and unvaccinated COVID death rates

What to know about your risk of a serious or fatal breakthrough COVID infection

With high-profile stories of vaccinated people dying from COVID, how worried should you be about getting a serious breakthrough case? Here's how the data shake out.

A salmonella outbreak impacting more than 30 states and sickening over 600 people in the U.S. is being linked to onions imported from Chihuahua, Mexico.

CDC says toss onions if you don't know where they came from to avoid salmonella

A salmonella outbreak has affected more than 30 states. Federal health officials link it to onions grown in Chihuahua, Mexico, and distributed by ProSource Inc.