A construction contractor accused of exploiting immigrant workers was supposed to face criminal charges in a first-of-its-kind trial in Hennepin County this week. But Batres, 47, instead pleaded guilty Monday to labor trafficking and insurance fraud.

Originally a reference library, in more recent years the building has served as a popular wedding, event and nonprofit business center. But in July, the center closed to the public after serving St. Paul for 98 years, citing financial struggles.

The cisco is a fish in demand: Its meat graces Passover tables as gefilte fish, and its eggs are a delicacy in Scandinavia. Commercial fishing operations on Lake Superior’s North Shore depend on it. But there are signs that the cisco, also known as lake herring, may also be a fish in peril.

The governor says public hearings with testimony from experts and advocates for cheaper insulin could provide the necessary push to reach a deal that Minnesota lawmakers could pass in a one-day special session before the holidays.

Three veteran DFL lawmakers who have announced their retirements had each been facing challengers from within their party.

Every day, thousands of patients come to Mayo Clinic in Rochester seeking medical care, so it’s no place for dangerously icy sidewalks or parking lots. Yet despite last winter being one of the snowiest on record, Mayo reduced its salt use by 60 percent from the previous winter.

Airport officials decried the closure of one of six checkpoints at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport Monday, saying the Transportation Security Administration reneged on a commitment to keep airport security screening fully staffed.

For two decades the roadless rule has protected millions of acres of pristine national forests from road construction, mining, and logging. The policy is now threatened by new proposed laws.

Rochester is poised to open a new overnight warming shelter this winter for people experiencing homelessness. It’s part of a broader effort among city officials and local organizations aimed at better assisting the city’s growing homeless population.

Prosecutors say the 55-year-old called Omar’s office March 21, told a staffer the congresswoman was a “terrorist” and threatened to shoot her.

The diplomat testified Nov. 15 that he overheard President Trump telling Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the EU, that he was seeking political investigations from Ukraine's president.

Serious crime reported on Metro Transit’s light rail trains is up by 23.3 percent through September of this year when compared to last year. Metro Transit Police Chief Eddie Frizell sat down with MPR News on Monday to share his thoughts on the increase.

The popularity of #OkBoomer suggests there might be a yawning gap in attitudes between old and young. Those differences can sometimes play out in the workforce, which now spans five generations.

Two men and a woman were fatally shot Monday morning outside a Walmart store in southwestern Oklahoma, and the shooter is among the dead, authorities said.

South Dakota’s new anti-meth campaign featuring people of different ages and races saying “Meth. We’re on it” is prompting online guffaws.

With the government set to run out of money on Thursday, lawmakers say another temporary funding measure is needed. A stopgap spending bill that has been introduced funds agencies through Dec. 20.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo repudiated a 1978 State Department legal opinion that held that civilian settlements in the occupied territories are “inconsistent with international law.” The move angered Palestinians and immediately put the U.S. at odds with other nations working to end the conflict.

A North Dakota environmental scientist said the leak reported on Oct. 29 is now estimated by state regulators to have affected about 209,100 square feet of land near Edinburg. Regulators had said the leak affected about 22,500 square feet of land.