Business and Economic News

Mr. Potato Head drops the mister, sort of
Hasbro created confusion on Thursday when it removed the gender from its Mr. Potato Head brand, but not from the actual toy.
North Dakota officials block wind power in effort to save coal
Across the country, coal plants are shutting down. Wind turbines are going up. But the transition can be rocky. In North Dakota, some officials are trying to defend coal by blocking new wind turbines.
GOP rallies solidly against Democrats' virus relief package
Republicans rallied solidly against Democrats' proposed $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill as lawmakers awaited a decision by the Senate's parliamentarian that could bolster or potentially kill a pivotal provision hiking the federal minimum wage.
Businesses that tapped pandemic loan program now find it may cost them
Unless the Legislature steps in, thousands of Minnesota businesses might owe taxes on the federal loans they used to keep employees on the payroll during the pandemic.
New evidence shows fertile soil gone from Midwestern farms
One-third of the cropland in the upper Midwest has entirely lost its fertile topsoil, according to a new study. Other scientists doubt that figure, but agree that soil loss is a big problem.
Can we solve the payday loan debt trap?
High interest rates on short-term consumer loans can spiral into crushing debt. MPR News guest host and senior economics contributor Chris Farrell talks to a lawyer and a nonprofit advocate about the latest efforts to curb payday loans.
Carving out a path through the pandemic — and the snow — on Northwest Angle's ice road
Minnesota’s Northwest Angle has been cut off from the mainland since the start of the pandemic — almost a year. To keep their fishing resort industry open, Angle residents skirted the Canadian border closures by plowing a 30-mile ice road across Lake of the Woods.