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Cans of donated infant formula on shelves.

MN health official: Federal family nutrition aid won't end on Oct. 1

Minnesota’s federally funded WIC program will continue to run even if the federal government shuts down on Sunday, the state director of that vital program told MPR News.
Four men are on a stage with a grid-like backdrop.

Art Hounds: Bike shop textile art

A multi-sensory show in Owatonna Center for the Arts asks what legacy we create. 1950s rock ‘n roll comes to life in the musical “Million Dollar Quartet” at the Old Log Theatre near Excelsior, and Eric Ouren’s fiber art figures reward a close look at a bike shop in St Peter. 
A water tower against a partly cloudy sky

Conagra's Waseca plant fined for releasing too much hydrogen sulfide

The plant, which processing fruits and vegetables, paid a $1.25 million civil penalty and agreed to install $7 million in new equipment to control emissions.
A historic theater and street are seen

St. Cloud looks to bring new life, connections to revitalize city's downtown

St. Cloud is asking the Minnesota Legislature for $100 million in state bonding money to improve roads, bridges and other infrastructure. City leaders say they want to create a more vibrant, walkable downtown with more housing options.
portrait of a Native woman

‘Races are hosted on our land’: At the Twin Cities Marathon and beyond, Verna Volker wants to reclaim running as a Native tradition.

After moving from New Mexico to Minneapolis, Verna Volker founded a group called Native Women Running to create opportunities and community for Indigenous athletes. She’s also changing the face of a mostly white sport.
Piece of artwork next to feet

23 art galleries, five days, two cities

Arts reporter Alex V. Cipolle visited 10 art galleries in Minneapolis and St. Paul for a preview of the Twin Cities Art Week, showcasing the diverse and vibrant contemporary art scene, from major institutions to neighborhood spaces, with various intriguing exhibitions.
An EMS vehicle has its lights on during the daytime.

$10M grant to boost cardiac arrest care in Minnesota

The grant will expand cardiac intensive care at M Health Fairview and fund training around a technology shown to increase survival rates for cardiac arrest patients, a University of Minnesota doctor told MPR News.
An adult woman plays with a toddler on a colorful rug at preschool

Minnesota’s new state agency focuses on children and caregivers

Currently, four different state agencies oversee programs for young children but during this year’s legislative session, a proposal for a new state agency was passed to consolidate those programs under one jurisdiction: the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth and Families.
A big red sign says drivers licenses for all

Tens of thousands of Minnesotans will be newly eligible for driver's licenses on Oct. 1

Starting next week, all eligible Minnesotans — regardless of immigration status — can start getting their driver’s licenses. An estimated 81,000 people are newly eligible for licenses, permits and state ID cards. 
People line up to vote at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Charter Elementary School in New Orleans in 2020.

An appeals court has blocked the redrawing of Louisiana's congressional map

A federal appeals court blocked the redrawing of Louisiana's congressional map after a lower court found the redistricting plan likely violated the Voting Rights Act by diluting Black voters' power.
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., walks on Capitol Hill on Thursday. He says he will continue to wear a suit on the Senate floor in compliance with the newly codified dress code.

Suit yourselves: The Senate formalizes a dress code just days after ditching it

Backlash ensued after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer moved to relax its informal dress code last week. On Wednesday, lawmakers voted unanimously to codify business casual on the Senate floor.
A gathering of fans wearing viking helmets

Ryder Cup super fans serenade golf stars with songs as new Europe-U.S. rivalry forms outside the ropes

There’s another burgeoning Europe vs. United States rivalry at the Ryder Cup. This one is outside the ropes and these teams are singing songs rather than making putts.
A new study in the journal Nature Geoscience predicts that 250 million years from now, a supercontinent formed around the equator will be too hot for mammals to survive.

250 million is the new 40: Mammals may already be halfway done on Earth, study finds

The future is always hard to predict, especially millions of years from now. But researchers found that a future supercontinent centered around the tropics may be tough for mammals to survive.
drought 09-28

Drought conditions improve dramatically across Minnesota

Substantial rainfall in the past seven days had a really positive impact on Minnesota drought conditions, Thursday’s drought monitor report shows. Parts of the state will see a chance of thunderstorms on Friday.
Obit Michael Gambon

Michael Gambon, actor who played Prof. Dumbledore in 6 'Harry Potter' movies, dies at age 82

Veteran actor Michael Gambon, who was known to many for his portrayal of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in six of eight “Harry Potter” films, has died. He was 82.
Griffin Jax

Pinch-hitter Trevor Larnach delivers tiebreaking RBI double to send Twins past Athletics 6-4

Pinch-hitter Trevor Larnach broke an eighth-inning tie with an RBI double and the Minnesota Twins rallied to beat the Oakland Athletics 6-4.
People watch a supermoon rise above Lisbon, Portugal, on Aug. 30.

This week's harvest moon will be the last supermoon of the year

A supermoon occurs when the moon is closest to Earth along its elliptical orbit, which means it can appear larger and brighter to viewers. The last one of the year will be visible Thursday and Friday.
Election 2024 Debate

Donald Trump skipped the GOP debate again. This time, his rivals took him on directly

Several of Donald Trump’s rivals stepped up their attacks against him in Wednesday’s second Republican presidential debate. They were urgently trying to dent the former president’s commanding primary lead during an event that often seemed like an undercard without him. 
President Biden in Mountain View, Calif. on Sept. 26, 2023. Biden is giving a speech on democracy in Phoenix on Thursday.

Biden is talking about democracy as he aims for a split-screen moment with the GOP

President Biden's latest speech on democracy comes the day after the Republican debate, as a government shutdown looms and as House Republicans hold an impeachment inquiry hearing.
Rep. Jamie Raskin D-Md., listens to testimony during a House Oversight and Accountability subcommittee on July 26.

House Republicans will soon begin the first impeachment inquiry hearing into Biden

House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer said the hearing will examine the value of an impeachment inquiry and evidence against President Biden.
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