Thursday’s COVID-19 data offers reasons to remain encouraged about the path of the pandemic and reasons for hope around the pace of vaccinations. Health officials are expected to debrief reporters at 2 p.m.

Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was prepared to plead guilty to third-degree murder in George Floyd's death before then-Attorney General William Barr personally blocked the plea deal last year, officials said.

The statewide “blueprint” calls for the state to enact stronger regulations, including designating PFAS as hazardous substances under Minnesota’s Superfund law.

Artists in the Northrup King building in northeast Minneapolis open studios Saturday evening. Plus, Art Hounds recommend an exhibition of woven art from Artistry, and the Prairie Gate Literary Festival from the University of Minnesota Morris holds its first event.

The action star came under fire for saying today's political climate in the U.S. is similar to Nazi Germany's treatment of Jews.

Hormel Foods is going nuts. The Austin, Minn.-based company, known for its meat brands like Spam and Applegate, said Thursday it is buying the Planters nut business from Kraft Heinz Co. for $3.35 billion. Included in the deal are Planters brands like Nut-rition, Cheez Balls and Corn Nuts.

For this to happen by the start of the next school year, trials need to prove the vaccine is safe and effective in children. Experts say manufacturers aren’t moving quickly enough, and that this is important for achieving herd immunity and stopping the spread of variants.

After a one-time surge last month, Minnesota’s seen vaccinations trend the wrong way for eight straight days. MPR News data reporter David H. Montgomery digs into the numbers to break down what’s happening.

Black-owned businesses were often at the back of the line when the first coronavirus relief loans were doled out. Now, some are turning to banks that specialize in minority firms for help.

The Minnesota Twins have finalized their $13 million, one-year contract with the designated hitter.

The team had stopped playing the anthem at the request of owner Mark Cuban, leading the NBA to reiterate that playing "The Star-Spangled Banner" is required under "longstanding league policy."

Biden’s initial pledge in December was to reopen “the majority of our schools” in his first 100 days in office. The White House now says schools will be considered opened as long as they teach in-person at least one day a week.

The Minnesota Supreme Court on Wednesday said state regulators correctly applied drinking-water standards to groundwater when issuing a permit to an Iron Range mine in 2018, reversing a lower court's 2019 decision.

President Joe Biden on Wednesday ordered new sanctions against the military regime in Myanmar, taking action after the military this month staged a coup in the Southeast Asian country and arrested de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior politicians.

Federal authorities are investigating a massive counterfeit N95 mask operation in which fake 3M masks were sold in at least five states to hospitals, medical facilities and government agencies. The foreign-made knockoffs are becoming increasingly difficult to spot and could put health care workers at grave risk for the coronavirus.

A bipartisan bill in the North Dakota Legislature aims to recognize Juneteenth as a ceremonial holiday in the state.

The same electronic systems used to record when patients get a physical or go to the ER are also used to log data when coronavirus vaccines are given. But the systems don't share information easily.

Supporters of a Red River diversion project said Wednesday a decision by a Minnesota agency to reject an appeal of a permit it issued in 2018 should remove one of the last hurdles to building the channel.