Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now

Stories from February 27, 2019

Cohen says Trump inflated his wealth in bid to buy Bills

Cohen says Trump inflated his wealth in bid to buy Bills

Michael Cohen said during his congressional testimony Wednesday that Trump grossly overstated his wealth before becoming president, including inflating his assets during a failed bid to buy the Buffalo Bills in 2014.
by Associated Press

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Wherefore art thou Gnocchi-o? Fair Verona has another enduring love story

Wherefore art thou Gnocchi-o? Fair Verona has another enduring love story

Though the potato dumplings are found all over Italy, it's only in Verona that the dish inspired a pre-Lent holiday, complete with a parade, costumes and an elected Santa-esque figure, Papa del Gnoco.
by Vicky Hallett

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Amid clouds of dust, border wall prototypes are demolished

Amid clouds of dust, border wall prototypes are demolished

A jackhammer turned prototypes of President Trump's prized border wall into piles of rubble Wednesday, a quick ending to an experiment that turned into a spectacle at times.
by Associated Press

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Trump, at North Korea summit, distracted by Cohen

Trump, at North Korea summit, distracted by Cohen

President Trump's high-stakes summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un in Vietnam on Wednesday was in danger of being upstaged by a monumental betrayal unfolding half a world away in Washington.
by Associated Press

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
At least 20 people killed in fire at Cairo's main train station

At least 20 people killed in fire at Cairo's main train station

A train locomotive crashed into a barrier at the main train station in Egypt's capital Cairo. Then, authorities say its fuel tank exploded, sending flames through the crowded travel hub.

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
German firefighters work to free rotund rat stuck in manhole cover

German firefighters work to free rotund rat stuck in manhole cover

Like a square peg in a round hole, a fat rat learned the hard way about squeezing through a too-tight space in Germany over the weekend. Luckily, the fire department had its back.
by Amy Held

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
U.S. House passes most significant gun bill in 2 decades

U.S. House passes most significant gun bill in 2 decades

The legislation mandates background checks be performed on all gun sales, including firearm purchases made privately. The Senate is unlikely to take it up.
by Brakkton Booker

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Bill would aid Minnesota schools struggling with snow days

Bill would aid Minnesota schools struggling with snow days

Key lawmakers are fast-tracking a bill to give district boards clearance to shorten their academic calendars this school year amid an extraordinary winter of class cancellations.
by Brian Bakst

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Supreme Court appears ready to let cross stand, but struggles with church-state test

Supreme Court appears ready to let cross stand, but struggles with church-state test

The American Humanist Association is challenging the existence of a 40-foot cross on government-owned land, but the Trump administration hopes a newly conservative majority will agree to let it stand.
by Nina Totenberg

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
ChangeMakers: Valerie and Allysza Castile, carrying on Philando's spirit

ChangeMakers: Valerie and Allysza Castile, carrying on Philando's spirit

Valerie, 62, and Allysza Castile, 26, are the mother and sister of Philando Castile. Since her son's death, Valerie has been an advocate for police and criminal justice reform and founded the Philando Castile Relief Foundation.
by Christine T. Nguyen and Evan Frost

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
13 Minnesota chefs, restaurants named James Beard semifinalists

13 Minnesota chefs, restaurants named James Beard semifinalists

The James Beard Awards, aka the "Oscars of the food world," recognize the best in food -- from restaurants to cookbooks to writing and programming -- across North America.
by Nancy Yang

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Spielman: Vikings pick up 2020 option on Zimmer's contract

Spielman: Vikings pick up 2020 option on Zimmer's contract

The Minnesota Vikings have exercised their option on coach Mike Zimmer's contract for 2020. General manager Rick Spielman made the announcement in Indianapolis at the NFL scouting combine.
by Associated Press

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

Coping and living with Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease is the sixth-leading cause of death in the country. So what should people know about this debilitating condition?
by Angela Davis and Karen Zamora

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
'Not in compliance': Wilbur Ross, the Trump official who keeps watchdogs up at night

'Not in compliance': Wilbur Ross, the Trump official who keeps watchdogs up at night

In an extremely rare rebuke, a government ethics watchdog refused to certify Ross' recent financial disclosure. But he's still in office even as other Trump officials have resigned for ethical lapses.
by Peter Overby and Carrie Levine

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
A very merry Christmas at Best Buy with sales booming

A very merry Christmas at Best Buy with sales booming

Best Buy put up some big holiday sales numbers Wednesday, more evidence that Americans are willing and able to spend.
by Associated Press

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

Read: Michael Cohen's prepared remarks to Congress

The prepared testimony of Michael Cohen, President Trump's former personal lawyer, as obtained by The Associated Press before his appearance Wednesday.
by The Associated Press

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

Wis. cheerleading coaches banned from competition over gag awards

In addition to recognizing the most improved or hardest-working cheerleaders, the ACLU says so-called gag awards at the annual banquets were called "Big Booty" and "Big Boobie."
by The Associated Press

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

‘Boys Don’t Cry’ PSA shows the roots of toxic masculinity

Bullies are made, not born. That's a fact that Gillette tried to point out last month with its infamous ad about toxic masculinity. If that offended your sensibilities, you're not going to like a PSA that was released today on the occasion of Canada's Anti-Bullying Day. It hits like a sledgehammer.
by Bob Collins

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Don't make these mistakes when battling ice dams

Don't make these mistakes when battling ice dams

This endless February has many homeowners dealing with ice dams. The fearsome telltale icicles threaten to dislodge gutters or break off and impale anyone passing below. Here's what's behind this ongoing scourge of Minnesota winters.
by Martin Moylan

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
What to watch: Cohen's testimony could deal damage to Trump

What to watch: Cohen's testimony could deal damage to Trump

Trump's formal personal lawyer and "fixer" is set to go public before a Democrat-led House panel and talk about the decade in which he would "take a bullet" for his boss.
by The Associated Press

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

Audit finds ‘mixed’ review of state’s chief IT agency

The report dug into overall operations of MNIT, which was created in 2011 by the Legislature to bring all of the state’s information technology services into a single agency. Before it’s creation, state IT operations and employees were scattered across more than two dozen agencies.
by Briana Bierschbach

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Michael Cohen calls Trump a 'racist' and a 'con man' in scathing testimony

Michael Cohen calls Trump a 'racist' and a 'con man' in scathing testimony

In a damning depiction of Trump, the president's former lawyer on Wednesday cast him as a racist and conman who used his inner circle to cover up politically damaging allegations about sex and lied about his business interests in Russia throughout the campaign that sent him to the White House.

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Gun law hearing expected to draw big crowd

Gun law hearing expected to draw big crowd

Hundreds of people passionate about guns -- either owning them or restricting them -- are expected to be at the state Capitol Wednesday as a Minnesota House committee debates a pair of gun measures.
by Brian Bakst

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

Tennis shoe case could lead to wave of discrimination cases, justice warns

A divided Minnesota Supreme Court has ruled that a Minneapolis firefighter can sue for discrimination under the state's Human Rights Act because the department refused to allow him to wear tennis shoes because of an injury.
by Bob Collins

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Lawmakers want to limit police use of drones

Lawmakers want to limit police use of drones

Bills in the Minnesota Legislature would require law enforcement to get a warrant in most cases before monitoring someone with a drone.
by Dan Gunderson

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Slow down! Minnesota DNR officers combat speeding snowmobiles

Slow down! Minnesota DNR officers combat speeding snowmobiles

This month's record snowfall has meant epic conditions for snowmobilers. But it's also meant a lot of snowmobiling accidents. Four people have died in snowmobile crashes in Minnesota this winter.
by Dan Kraker

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Minnesota novel revisits meth crisis of the '90s

Minnesota novel revisits meth crisis of the '90s

"Northern Lights" tracks a young man through a succession of small towns and counters the myth that meth affects only the poorest of the poor.
by Euan Kerr

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

In convincing closing argument, N.D. man convicts himself

There's a lot to learn from the case of Greg Bowe, 54, of Williston, N.D., but it all boils down basically to this: don't threaten to kill the jury before they decide whether you're guilty.
by Bob Collins

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

Minnesota lawmakers think your kids should know civics

For some reason, we keep expecting Americans to become more engaged in their responsibility as citizens. We scratch our heads and try to figure out why they don't vote and why elections end up as more theater than a sobering discussion of issues.
by Bob Collins

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

A blizzard, a roof collapse, and a MN family is out of the dairy business

These are tough times in the dairy business, particularly for small operations. But the fact a livelihood is destroyed so quickly by a month of snow reveals the precipice on which many farmers stand.
by Bob Collins

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

What’s on MPR News -2/27/19

Here are the stories, topics and guests you'll hear today on MPR News
by Bob Collins

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
In 'The Good Immigrant,' new Americans grapple with their polarized county

In 'The Good Immigrant,' new Americans grapple with their polarized county

Co-editor Chimene Suleyman says she doesn't want to wait for other people to decide who's a good immigrant. She wants immigrants to answer that question for themselves.
by Joel Rose

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
In climate change, stories have a role to play

In climate change, stories have a role to play

The editors of this new anthology -- drawn from a story contest run by Arizona State University -- argue that stories are as necessary as policy and technology in the fight against climate change.
by Jason Sheehan

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Mother in 'horrific' Mpls. abuse case sentenced to 5 years probation

Mother in 'horrific' Mpls. abuse case sentenced to 5 years probation

A Hennepin County judge sentenced a Minneapolis woman to five years probation on Tuesday. Prosecutors said she stood by as her developmentally disabled twin daughters suffered physical and sexual abuse by their father.
by Matt Sepic

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Video shows jailer kneeing, punching handcuffed black man

Video shows jailer kneeing, punching handcuffed black man

Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher on Monday released video of the 2016 incident, which happened before his term. Fletcher called the video "extremely disturbing," and said he is making changes, including appointing a new detention superintendent to oversee the jail.
by Associated Press

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Pharmaceutical company CEOs face grilling in Senate over high drug prices

Pharmaceutical company CEOs face grilling in Senate over high drug prices

Senators called pharmaceutical industry leaders to account for the high costs of medicine during a Senate hearing. The executives deflected blame to insurance companies and middlemen.
by Alison Kodjak

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
House passes resolution to block Trump's national emergency declaration

House passes resolution to block Trump's national emergency declaration

Democrats are also planning court challenges to fight the president's use of executive authority to redirect federal funds and build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
by Susan Davis

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
If a wealth tax is such a good idea, why did Europe kill theirs?

If a wealth tax is such a good idea, why did Europe kill theirs?

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren proposes a new kind of U.S. tax policy: a wealth tax. But the policy faces serious hurdles, including lessons from a failed experiment in Europe and a constitutional challenge.
by Greg Rosalsky

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!