MPR News

A crowd of people sit on the lawn in front of a state capitol building.

Quiet night in Twin Cities; state launches civil rights probe of Minneapolis

The streets of the Twin Cities were calm as a 10 p.m. curfew took effect on Tuesday. It was the fifth-straight night with a curfew, this one lasting until 4 a.m. The relatively peaceful night came hours after Gov. Tim Walz announced that the state is launching a broad investigation into the civil rights record of Minneapolis police.

A line of police officers in riot gear with bicycles

Minneapolis police union head signals fight for fired officers’ jobs

A long legal fight is possible. Officers can seek arbitration in order to get reinstated, and those decisions can be appealed to the courts.

A threatening note

Faced with racist threats, residents band together

Minneapolis and St. Paul residents are organizing to protect their communities after they felt abandoned by law enforcement.

Jan Malcolm, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Public Health.

Latest on COVID-19 in MN: 1,072 deaths; hospitalizations dip

The newest numbers come as state health officials put the word out for people to donate blood, citing an urgent need.

A man stands next to a truck.

Reporter’s notebook: ‘A little bit of hysteria’ leads to slashed tires and smashed windows

A reporter reflects on how heightened vigilance toward “outsiders” has resulted in unfortunate misunderstandings over the past few days in Minneapolis, including acts of vandalism toward their fellow community members.

A three-image collage of an actor, two dancers, and a playwright.

Twin Cities black artists need broad community support more than ever

As the Twin Cities wrestles with the killing of George Floyd, structural racism and community devastation, artists will be crucial in articulating a path forward. But black-led arts organizations are chronically underfunded.

Protesters lie on the ground with their hands behind their backs in New York City's Times Square on Monday. Outrage over police brutality and systemic racism has spilled into the streets in cities across the country.

Despite curfews and heavy police presence, protests persist across the country

Protesters outraged over police brutality and systemic racism have spilled into the streets across the country, from Minneapolis to New York and in smaller cities such as Omaha, Neb.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has asked the Congressional Black Caucus to help select legislative proposals to address policing that can pass the House with enough votes without GOP support.

Pelosi asks Black Caucus to come up with police reforms following protests

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus are pushing a wide range of proposals such as banning chokeholds as a response to the protests across the country following the death of George Floyd.

Charlotte's Spectrum Center is scheduled to host the 2020 Republican National Convention, but GOP officials are insisting on a full arena while state public health officials say it's not safe to have so many people together in a pandemic.

N.C. governor: 'Very unlikely' RNC can proceed without social distancing, masks

With the course of the pandemic unclear, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said, "Planning for a scaled-down convention with fewer people, social distancing and face coverings is a necessity."

Former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, speaks in Philadelphia on Tuesday following days of protests after the death of George Floyd in police custody.

'He thinks division helps him': Biden condemns Trump's protest response

Speaking in Philadelphia, the presumptive Democratic nominee says President Trump's actions show he "is more interested in power than in principle."

US President Trump leaves the White House on foot to go to St John's Episcopal church across Lafayette Park in Washington, D.C. Monday.

Governors push back on Trump's threat to deploy federal troops to quell unrest

In a Rose Garden address and on a conference call with governors on Monday, the president threatened to send troops to states that didn't crack down sufficiently on demonstrations.

President Trump's photo opportunity in front of St. John's Episcopal Church in Washington has set off criticism, as police used tear gas and force to clear a path for him to walk from the White House.

'He did not pray': Fallout grows from Trump's photo-op at St. John's Church

"He did not pray. He did not offer a word of balm or condolence to those who are grieving," says the bishop who oversees the church. Washington's mayor was more direct: "Shameful!"

Iowa Rep. Steve King is facing a fierce primary challenge from fellow Republicans, after years of incendiary comments about abortion, immigrants and Islam.

Tuesday's primaries: Races to watch and live results

Iowa Rep. Steve King faces a strong GOP primary challenger, after years of incendiary comments put him on the outs with his party. Eight states and the District of Columbia vote on Tuesday.

Protesters hold signs during a demonstration in a call for justice for George Floyd who died while in custody of the Minneapolis police, on May 30, 2020 by the 5th police precinct in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Minneapolis ranks near the bottom for racial equality

The problem goes deeper than police misconduct.

People sit in the street.

Death toll grows in national protests

Amid protests seeking justice for George Floyd, several people have lost their lives. They include a well-known and popular owner of a barbecue spot in Louisville, Ky., and a federal officer working security at a courthouse in Oakland, Calif.

Protests over police treatment of black people have sparked concerns about the spread of COVID-19. Here, a protester marches Monday in Philadelphia with a cloth mask saying, "I can't breathe."

Anti-racism protests versus COVID-19 risk: 'I wouldn't weigh these crises separately'

"White supremacy is a lethal public health issue that predates and contributes to COVID-19," public health experts say in an open letter as large protests erupt in cities across the United States.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison

High-profile prosecution poses risks for AG Keith Ellison

Attorney General Keith Ellison is at center stage leading the prosecution of the man accused of killing George Floyd. It's a rare step for the attorney general’s office, and a step that once again puts a spotlight on an often polarizing public figure.

Attorney General William Barr, at the White House last month, has placed blame for violence on what he calls "anarchistic and far-left extremists."

Attorney General steps up federal law enforcement response to protests

William Barr has directed that riot teams be dispatched to Washington D.C., and Miami to assist local authorities in responding to protests there.

Former President Barack Obama, here at a Chicago event in October, has weighed in on the aftermath of George Floyd's killing, saying those who've resorted to violence put "innocent people at risk."

Former President Obama: 'Let's not excuse violence ... or participate in it'

The former president writes in response to protests — some that have turned violent — after the killing of George Floyd.

On Monday, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization, gave his reaction to Trump's declaration — which he learned about from the president's media briefing Friday. Above: Tedros at a press conference earlier this year.

WHO's measured reaction to Trump's pledge to cut U.S. ties to the agency

On Friday, President Trump said he would sever ties — and funding — to the World Health Organization because of its relationship with China. On Monday, WHO offered its first official response.

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