Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now

Stories from March 26, 2019

2nd Wisconsin judge blocks sections of lame-duck laws

2nd Wisconsin judge blocks sections of lame-duck laws

A second Wisconsin judge on Tuesday blocked key portions of laws that Republicans passed in a lame-duck session limiting Gov. Tony Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul's powers, handing Democrats another legal victory in their battle against the legislation in less than a week.
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!
True to form, Avenatti attacks Nike a day after arrest

True to form, Avenatti attacks Nike a day after arrest

Attorney Michael Avenatti came out swinging Tuesday against Nike, accusing the shoemaker of "rampant" corruption mere hours after he was released from U.S. custody on charges he tried to extort up to $25 million from the company.
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!
Southwest 737 Max makes emergency landing in Orlando

Southwest 737 Max makes emergency landing in Orlando

A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Max made a safe emergency landing Tuesday in Orlando, Fla., after experiencing an engine problem, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
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!
Kavanaugh seems conflicted on partisan gerrymandering at Supreme Court arguments

Kavanaugh seems conflicted on partisan gerrymandering at Supreme Court arguments

The court once again appeared divided on whether redistricting could be done on the basis of politics. The newest justice seemed to be at least open to considering it as a problem.
by Nina Totenberg and Domenico Montanaro

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 takes victory lap; next Mueller release in 'weeks'

Trump takes victory lap; next Mueller release in 'weeks'

A Justice Department official said it will take Attorney General William Barr "weeks, not months" to finish reviewing Mueller's Trump-Russia investigation report and make a version available for the public.
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!
Hospital finances improve after Medicaid expansion, but at whose expense?

Hospital finances improve after Medicaid expansion, but at whose expense?

Now that Colorado has expanded Medicaid coverage to include more low-income residents, hospitals are better off financially. But that hasn't stopped them from shifting costs to other insured patients.
by Phil Galewitz

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!
Green New Deal fails in forced Senate vote

Green New Deal fails in forced Senate vote

Senate Republicans pushed forward with a vote as they try positioning climate change as a political wedge issue.
by Cody Nelson

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!
Spain: FBI was offered stolen data from N. Korea embassy raid

Spain: FBI was offered stolen data from N. Korea embassy raid

Spain has issued two international arrest warrants for members of a self-proclaimed human rights group that allegedly led a mysterious attack on the North Korean Embassy in February before offering data stolen during the raid to the FBI.
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!
State lawmakers debate high cost of medication

State lawmakers debate high cost of medication

A key House committee heard testimony Tuesday on several bills aimed at making insulin and other drugs more affordable and accessible.
by Tim Pugmire

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 administration says entire Affordable Care Act should be repealed

Trump administration says entire Affordable Care Act should be repealed

A letter from the Department of Justice announced the shift, in support of a district court judge's ruling that the law is unconstitutional. The case will likely end up in the Supreme Court.
by Laurel Wamsley

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!
After Mueller report memo, Democrats turn to health care -- for now

After Mueller report memo, Democrats turn to health care -- for now

After the special counsel apparently found no conspiracy by the Trump campaign to attack the 2016 election with Russia, Democrats in Congress want to focus on health care with help from the president.
by Kelsey Snell and Brian Naylor

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!
Road hog: Distracted driving stop finds pet pig behind the wheel

Road hog: Distracted driving stop finds pet pig behind the wheel

When an officer pulled over a car weaving on the highway, he was amused to find a pair of pet pigs in the front seat were the reason for the erratic driving.
by Tim Nelson

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!
Sherburne Co. approves tax break for Google data

Sherburne Co. approves tax break for Google data

Google is proposing to build a 375,000-square-foot data center on about 300 acres owned by Xcel Energy next to the Sherburne County Generating Station.
by Kirsti Marohn

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!

Newsrooms need to reflect the communities they cover

Four prominent journalists joined host Angela Davis in a conversation about how the media cover race and what happens when we don't get it right.
by Angela 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!
60s arrive Wednesday; how to become a Skywarn weather spotter

60s arrive Wednesday; how to become a Skywarn weather spotter

Finally! Thermometers across southern Minnesota will push past the 60-degree mark Wednesday afternoon. The last time the Twin Cities hit 60 degrees? More than five months ago, on Oct. 22. A “thermal ribbon” works across southern Minnesota Wednesday afternoon. Snow cover keeps temperatures somewhat in check up north. Wednesday looks like the warmest day for the next week or…
by Paul Huttner

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!
Soccer-playing engineer calls foul on pricey knee brace

Soccer-playing engineer calls foul on pricey knee brace

After a sports injury, Esteban Serrano owed $829.41 for a knee brace purchased with insurance through his doctor's office. The same kind of brace costs less than $250 online.
by Paula Andalo

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 faces mixed reviews among union workers, who still face insecurity

Trump faces mixed reviews among union workers, who still face insecurity

As they debate whether he's fulfilled promises to restore manufacturing jobs, some union members who were Trump backers from 2016 are reassessing whether they'll support him again in 2020.
by Don Gonyea

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 administration flips switch on energy efficient light bulbs

Trump administration flips switch on energy efficient light bulbs

The Trump administration wants to reverse a rule designed to make light bulbs more efficient. Environmental groups say the change will cost consumers and waste energy.
by Jeff Brady

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!
Audio postcard: Searching for spring's first wildflowers

Audio postcard: Searching for spring's first wildflowers

What do you look for as your sign that spring has arrived? For Phyllis Root and Kelly Povo, the answer is wildflowers — usually skunk cabbage, to be exact.
by Cathy Wurzer

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!

Snow days still vexing leaders even as warmth rolls in

Minnesota lawmakers are still trying to work out a relief plan for school districts that piled up snow days this winter.
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!
Neat trick: People want news coverage. They don’t want to pay for it

Neat trick: People want news coverage. They don’t want to pay for it

It's really not that people don't want solid news reporting; they just don't want to pay for it and they're going to keep that insistence, apparently, until it becomes a moot point. Soon.
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 tip of the hat to the people who tow your car

It's been a tough year to be a tow truck driver. Few people think kindly of the people who haul their cars away during snow emergencies. They're just doing their jobs, people. So it's good to see one getting a little love for a simple act of concern and kindness.
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!
Post-Mueller, Republicans go on offense over investigations

Post-Mueller, Republicans go on offense over investigations

President Trump and his allies in Congress are seeking a new wave of investigations that will target their opponents after embracing findings from the Justice Department they said vindicated Trump.

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 drive with a pig on your lap

Don’t drive with a pig on your lap

Now that the state is on the eve of banning the handheld use of cellphones, let's talk pig, specifically driving with a pig on your lap.
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!
Trump's national emergency stands as House fails to override veto

Trump's national emergency stands as House fails to override veto

The vote means the administration can continue to spend billions of dollars to construct a Southwest border wall. The fight shifts to federal court, where several states sued to block the president.
by Deirdre Walsh

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!
Sparkle unicorns and fart ninjas: What parents can do about gendered toys

Sparkle unicorns and fart ninjas: What parents can do about gendered toys

Toys are more pink and blue than ever before, experts say. But before you ban the sparkle unicorns and foam-dart blasters, consider other ways to help kids expand their play possibilities.
by Cory Turner and Anya Kamenetz

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!
Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota suffers 2 weeks of flooding

Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota suffers 2 weeks of flooding

"There are community and tribe members getting on horseback to reach people and get them supplies," a state lawmaker told NPR. Residents said the reservation was already strapped for resources.
by Dalia Mortada

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!

Driver's body pulled from submerged truck in Steele County

The Minnesota State Patrol says the 71-year-old man was the sole occupant of the pickup that veered off Interstate 35 in Steele County, crashed through a guardrail and into the river Monday.
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!

Baseball returns just when we need it most

We’re certainly aware that it’s fashionable these days to proclaim baseball an irrelevant and dying sport, with its staid traditions and constant stories of connecting parents, grandparents, and children. That, we will argue, is the strength it has left and to prove it, we point today to Jim Walsh’s excellent story in Southwest Journal about…
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!
Is gymnastics the best sport ever? Or the worst?

Is gymnastics the best sport ever? Or the worst?

Former WCCO anchor Jamie Yuccas' interview this morning with UCLA gymnast Katelyn Ohashi captures perfectly the contradictory nature of her sport to outsiders.
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!
Ice jams: Destructive, hard to predict, tough to prevent

Ice jams: Destructive, hard to predict, tough to prevent

They're unpredictable; they're tough to address; and they can have significant impacts. As ice on rivers and creeks melts, cracks and otherwise breaks up, it can build up against natural bends in the waterway or structures -- like bridges or piers -- jutting into it as the water flows downstream.
by Kirsti Marohn

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!
Warming trend kicks in as rivers swell

Warming trend kicks in as rivers swell

Thermometers are pushing higher this week. So are most area rivers. The Mississippi River in St. Paul continues to rise and swallow Harriet Island. Check the latest river levels and forecast here. Warming trend kicks in Three factors combine to push temperatures higher Tuesday and Wednesday. Our sun angle and intensity this week is equal to mid-September.…
by Paul Huttner

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 formally recognizes Israeli sovereignty over Golan Heights

Trump formally recognizes Israeli sovereignty over Golan Heights

President Trump said the move, reversing decades of U.S. policy in the Middle East and drawing sharp international criticism, was "a long time in the making."
by Vanessa Romo

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!
Show us your property tax statement

Show us your property tax statement

The annual NewsCut tradition -- our 10th and last -- is underway with the arrival of your property tax statement, that completely indecipherable calculation that leads to the bottom line.
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!
Suicides in Parkland leave community in shock

Suicides in Parkland leave community in shock

Two students who attended Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., have taken their own lives in recent days. The school was the site of a 2018 mass shooting that killed 17 students.
by Greg Allen

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 – 3/26/19

Here are the topics, guests, and stories 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!
Spruced up: Twins try juniper plants for CF backdrop

Spruced up: Twins try juniper plants for CF backdrop

After several dead-end attempts to create both a playable backdrop for batters and an aesthetically pleasing surface, the Twins have arrived at what they believe is the final solution: a living wall.
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!
To curb kids' sugary drink habits, pediatricians now call for soda taxes

To curb kids' sugary drink habits, pediatricians now call for soda taxes

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Heart Association, in a joint statement, endorsed taxes on sugary drinks, restrictions on marketing to kids and incentives for healthier purchases.
by Allison Aubrey

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!