Business and Economic News

Good gourd! These Midwesterners are raising giant pumpkins that weigh as much as a car
Giant pumpkins can top the scales at more than 2,000 pounds — and caring for these behemoths is often a full-time job. But for some growers in the central U.S., the dream of raising a world record-setting pumpkin is a tantalizing prospect.
New documentary examines Minneapolis police reform efforts going back 150 years
A new documentary called “Paradox: Echoes of Reform & the Minneapolis Police,” shows that police reform efforts sparked from the murder of George Floyd were the echo of generations-long complexities within the Minneapolis Police Department.
Rural health care in Minnesota: What's changing and why?
Mayo Clinic Health System recently announced it will end on-call labor and delivery services in Owatonna in November. MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks about what it means for families — and for rural health care in Minnesota.
Hollywood pushes OpenAI for consent
The latest version of OpenAI’s Sora can quickly turn text prompts and simple images into studio quality videos, which left the entertainment industry deeply uneasy.
Controversial northern Minnesota data center proposal advances despite opposition
After an hourslong meeting, the Hermantown City Council approved a needed zoning change to advance the proposed data center that’s being developed by an unnamed Fortune 50 company.
Main Street grants boost many downtown Rochester businesses, but some still struggle
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development is doling out a final round of grants that were designed to keep businesses afloat during the retail doldrums of the pandemic. For Rochester recipients, it’s been a matter of surviving messy construction, too.