Business and Economic News

Lambs, family and garlic help this couple build a new life in rural Minnesota
Mark Anema and Kate Ritger met at a garlic harvest party, started a farm, got married and had a kid. For Anema, it meant a huge change from a life in finance to farming. It isn’t easier or more profitable, but he says changing his life has changed him for the better.
Minnesota farmers face challenges as farm incomes continue to decline
The median net farm income for Minnesota farms statewide dropped to $21,964 in 2024, marking the lowest level this century. Crop producers had some of the worst financial difficulties, with net farm incomes for crop farmers at almost zero dollars.
A retrial of Sarah Palin's case against 'New York Times' begins Monday
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has the rare opportunity to retry her defamation case against The New York Times even though she lost it — twice in a 24-hour-period — in early 2022.
Trump administration says it will exclude some electronics from 'reciprocal' tariffs
The Trump administration says it will exclude electronics like smartphones and laptops from ‘reciprocal’ tariffs, a move that could help keep the prices down for popular consumer electronics that aren’t usually made in the U.S.
China put steep tariffs on U.S. exports. Farmers are worried
The first Trump administration spent $28 billion bailing out farmers during a trade war with China. The White House has said it's starting to look at how to help this time around.
Federal jobs watch: Just-released February jobs report shows few losses in Minnesota
The federal workforce includes nearly 34,000 jobs in Minnesota. Over 20,000 are located in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ month jobs report shows a loss of 100 federal jobs through Minnesota from January to February. Surprisingly, the report showed a gain of 100 federal jobs in the Minneapolis and St. Paul metro.