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An image of former President Donald Trump talking to his Chief of Staff Mark Meadows is displayed as Cassidy Hutchinson, a former top aide to Meadows, testifies about events around the Capitol insurrection to the House Jan. 6 select committee.

Trump's legal exposure may be growing – and 4 other takeaways from the Jan. 6 hearing

Former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson testified under oath about a volatile and angry president who was prone to throwing dishes, knew that supporters were armed and didn't want the riot to stop.
  • Former aide: Trump was told protesters had weapons on Jan. 6
  • Who is Cassidy Hutchinson?The surprise witness at Tuesday's Jan. 6 panel hearing
Group home closures rally

Group home closures put many disabled Minnesotans at risk, advocates say

More than 170 Minnesota group homes have closed since the fall, with staff shortages and wages largely to blame, advocates say. People rallied outside the governor’s residence Friday to press lawmakers to help.
  • What's causing the closures?Operators blame pandemic staff shortages
  • DataHow COVID-19 has affected group care facilities in Minnesota
Minntac

U.S. Steel to invest $150 million at Minnesota mine

U.S. Steel will spend about $150 million to upgrade one of its two Minnesota mines to produce a new kind of iron ore feedstock — pellets needed to supply the kind of mills that now dominate the nation’s steel industry.
people testify at a senate hearing

Minn. tribal leaders seek flexibility in tapping federal infrastructure aid

Eight leaders of American Indian bands in Minnesota pressed federal officials Tuesday about how they can best access a trove of funding for roads, sanitation, high-speed internet and more. Congress earmarked billions in the infrastructure law for tribal projects around the country, but some fear they’ll lack the wherewithal to put the money to use.
Two people are working at the computer

More than just a game: Mpls. company strives to make culturally accurate, online learning tools

A Minneapolis-based company creates video games that have an educational purpose — teaching students math, science and language arts. The online games are available in English, Spanish, Lakota and Dakota. The creators of 7 Generation Games also combine learning with culture by working with different communities.
  • Seeing themselves on screenMeet Minnesota gamers and game developers of color
  • Next generation Video games, diverse characters score big with Minnesota gamers
Sand barriers are seen near the river

Did the historic flooding on Rainy Lake this summer have to be so bad? 

The historic flooding on Rainy Lake this summer has been driven by record-setting spring rains that fell on top of a late-melting winter snowpack. But many residents believe that more could have been done to prevent the worst impacts of the flooding. 
  • 'Pure devastation' Rainy Lake residents fill sandbags, fight exhaustion as floodwaters rise
  • More from Rainy LakeLocals endure monthslong emotional grind of living beside flooding
Police block the scene where a semitrailer with multiple dead bodies was discovered, Monday, June 27, 2022, in San Antonio.

50 migrants die after trailer abandoned in San Antonio heat

Fifty people have died after being abandoned in a tractor-trailer on a remote back road in the sweltering Texas heat. It's the latest tragedy to claim the lives of migrants smuggled across the border from Mexico.
A snow-filled field with metal pipes sticking out near houses.

Four Minn. cities get state money to study petroleum leak sites

Paynesville, Alexandria, Blaine and Foley will hire a consultant to analyze whether leaded gasoline contamination poses a risk to their water supply.
  • RelatedLongtime MPCA employee alleges retaliation over petroleum complaints
Ghislaine Maxwel,Christian Everdell

Ghislaine Maxwell sentenced to 20 years for helping Epstein

Ghislaine Maxwell has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for helping the wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse teenage girls. The sentencing Tuesday was the culmination of a prosecution that detailed how Epstein and Maxwell flaunted their riches and associations with prominent people to groom vulnerable girls and then exploit them. 
X, Davey Davis

'X' looks at a subculture that mainstream American art has frequently shied away from

Davey Davis' book is far from an ordinary love story — it's a shocking and moving novel about what it means to be an outsider in a world that's crumbling around you.
A woman poses by a large turkey statue

'That Midwestern Mom' shares Minnesota traditions through TikTok

Amber Estenson is a TikTok creator who shares her own Minnesota salad recipes and the stories of her community with the world. With over 700,000 followers, Estenson joined host Cathy Wurzer to talk about her journey on TikTok and what it’s been like to share her life in Minnesota with viewers around the world.  
An aerial view of flooding in Randall, Minnesota

Randall, Minn., looks toward recovery after flooding forces evacuation of 30 homes

The central Minnesota city with about 600 people was deluged by nearly a foot of rain last week, sending the Little Elk River out of its banks and flooding homes.
  • PreviouslyRoads closed due to flooding after storms in central Minnesota
Three people stand in front of a building

Minnesota economic development agency adds new outreach office

A new unit at the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development plans to work with populations that face more difficulty finding work or creating businesses.
Red River Women's Clinic

North Dakota AG: Fargo abortion clinic must close July 28

North Dakota’s attorney general says the state’s sole abortion clinic must shut down at the end of July, at which time patients will likely head across the Red River to neighboring Moorhead, Minn.
A gloved hand holds a testing tube vial

Minnesota reports first monkeypox case

State health officials on Monday said the presumptive case involved a Twin Cities person who was likely exposed while traveling in Europe. The state Health Department said the virus does not easily spread between people and described the threat of infection as low.
Facebook Abortion Pills

Instagram and Facebook remove posts offering abortion pills

Facebook and Instagram have begun promptly removing posts that offer abortion pills to women who may not be able to access them following a Supreme Court decision that stripped away constitutional protections for the procedure.

Former aide: Trump was told protesters had weapons on Jan. 6

According to chilling new testimony, former President Donald Trump knew his supporters were carrying guns and weapons on Jan. 6 and intended to join them at the Capitol despite grave warnings.
  • Who is Cassidy Hutchinson?The surprise witness at Tuesday's Jan. 6 panel hearing
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer speaks to abortion-rights protesters Friday at a rally outside the state capitol in Lansing, Mich., following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Michigan shapes up as one of the next abortion battlefronts

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer tells NPR that abortion-rights supporters are fighting on all fronts to keep a 1931 ban from going back into effect.
Two baseball players celebrate

Sánchez, Gray power Twins past Guardians in series opener

Gary Sánchez had four RBIs and Sonny Gray pitched seven superb innings to help the Minnesota Twins stretch their lead in the AL Central with an 11-1 blowout of the Cleveland Guardians. 
The 2021 study found that 32% of pharmacies did not have levonorgestrel, a hormone that can prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex, in stock at all, and of the pharmacies that did have it on the shelf, 70% of them kept it in a locked box.

Emergency contraception pills are safe and effective, but not always available

To best protect against unintended pregnancy, emergency contraceptives like Plan B or Ella need to be taken within five days of unprotected sex, but a large number of pharmacies don't stock the pills.
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