What you need to know about this week’s sentencing of Derek ChauvinFewer than a dozen officers around the country have been sentenced for murder, according to experts who track police killings, which makes Friday’s hearing rare even in a national context.
Minnesota House passes $7 billion transportation budget billThe bill includes money for two new bus rapid transit lines and preserves the Northstar commuter rail line. It also includes money for a second daily Amtrak train between St. Paul and Chicago. It will outfit state troopers with body cameras. And it will reopen driver’s exam locations closed due to COVID-19.
4min 59sec Lawmakers strike deal on schools, pandemic bonusesWith a week to go, the deals are trickling out at the Minnesota Capitol, and lawmakers will have to race to approve a new budget.
New owners for Duluth's Viking ship — and possibly soon, a new homeThe Duluth City Council voted unanimously Monday to donate the replica Viking vessel to the local nonprofit group Save our Ship, which was founded in 1985 to restore the ship and build a permanent display structure to protect it from the weather and allow for public viewing.
Latest on COVID-19 in MN: Caseloads continue retreat as pandemic wanesMinnesota’s most recent COVID-19 numbers deliver more evidence the disease is firmly in check. The continued slide in hospitalizations and intensive care needs is especially promising.
4min 46secThe science of carbon banking: ExplainedThe idea behind carbon banking is that, by changing farming practices, farmers can store carbon in the soil, helping to reduce carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere and slow global warming. But it’s complicated, and understanding the science is important.
Metro Transit union workers picket over pandemic compensationMetro Transit workers said they started picketing Wednesday to call attention to ongoing contract negotiations with the state's largest transit agency.
Honey bees are still dying at high rates Honey bee mortality continues at high rates according to a recent survey. The 15th annual honey bee loss survey by the Bee Informed Partnership found overall honey bee mortality nationwide the second highest since the survey began.
Biden anti-crime effort takes on law-breaking gun dealersPresident Joe Biden is announcing new efforts Wednesday to stem a rising national tide of violent crime but questions persist about how effective the federal efforts will be in calming what could be a turbulent summer.
A years-long effort to reform the military's justice system gains more momentumHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other key House members are jumping on board with a plan by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand a day after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin voiced support for a crucial part of it.
Supreme Court restricts police powers to enter a home without a warrantThe court has long held that police may do this when pursuing a fleeing felon. The question in this case was whether they can do the same thing when pursuing someone suspected of a minor offense.
4min 55secSupreme Court rules cheerleader's F-bombs are protected by the 1st AmendmentThe case involved a teenage cheerleader who dropped F-bombs on Snapchat. At issue was whether schools may punish students for speech that occurs online and off-campus but that may be disruptive.
The Harlem Globetrotters want the NBA to make them part of the leagueIn an open letter to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, the Harlem Globetrotters demanded the team join the league as a franchise.
The White House announces new steps to try to curb surging gun violenceAs part of the efforts, the Treasury Department will inform states that they can use funds allotted by the American Rescue Plan to aid in reducing gun violence.
Photos: Scenes from across America as COVID-19 restrictions begin to lift Photographers from NPR member stations fanned out to document a nation navigating a return to normalcy. They captured moments of caution and joy, exuberance and relief, as restrictions began to lift.
Tokyo Olympics to be a dry event after organizers abruptly reverse courseThe decision not to sell alcohol at Olympic venues was portrayed by organizers as an anti-coronavirus measure.
Carl Nassib's experience coming out is very different from NFL players before himBefore Carl Nassib became the first openly gay active NFL player, others paved the way — and paid a steep cost.
Billie Eilish apologizes after years-old video shows her mouthing anti-Asian slurThe pop star says she is "being labeled something that I am not," after critics said her actions in the years-old clips were insensitive at best and racist at worst.
Twins star Byron Buxton shelved again, has broken handBuxton was hit by a pitch on Monday night in his third game back from a strained right hip that sidelined him for 39 games. Manager Rocco Baldelli says Buxton is “beyond upset” about his latest bout with bad luck.
1min 51secStunning photos capture 2 brothers' walk 1,600 feet above YosemiteMoises and Daniel Monterrubio, with the help of friends, set up a nylon line across a massive gap in Yosemite National Park. They walked 2,800 feet across the line, which hung 1,600 feet above ground.
