Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now

Stories from March 28, 2023

On the stand, Tony Lazzaro admits to giving money to teen after sex, but denies it was transactional

On the stand, Tony Lazzaro admits to giving money to teen after sex, but denies it was transactional

The one-time Minnesota Republican political operative and top donor testified in his own defense Tuesday. The 32-year-old faces federal charges of giving five girls, who were 15 and 16, cash and gifts in exchange for sex.
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!

Minnesota flags will fly at half-staff to honor the Nashville school shooting victims

Flags in Minnesota will be flown at half-staff at all state buildings until sunset Friday to honor the Nashville school shooting victims. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Hannah Yang. Music by Gary Meister.

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!
Walz's temporary quarters stir uproar over dollars

Walz's temporary quarters stir uproar over dollars

Gov. Tim Walz and his family will be required to relocate during renovation of the Governor’s Residence, but the rent at a leased property is giving critics sticker shock.
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!
St. Paul, Minneapolis lift parking restrictions

St. Paul, Minneapolis lift parking restrictions

Both Minneapolis and St. Paul are lifting their winter parking restrictions starting Wednesday at 8 a.m. 
by Jon 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!
Messy rain-snow system on track Thursday through Friday night

Messy rain-snow system on track Thursday through Friday night

While it’s early, the Canadian model shows a trend toward mostly rain for the Twin Cities and southern Minnesota Thursday into Friday, with a potential shot of snow as the system sweeps by through Friday night. There may also be a little thunder with this system.
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!
Court reinstates Adnan Syed's conviction in 'Serial' case

Court reinstates Adnan Syed's conviction in 'Serial' case

A Maryland court did not give the family of the murder victim in the case chronicled in the hit podcast “Serial” enough time to attend a court hearing in person that led to Adnan Syed's release, a Maryland appellate court ruled Tuesday, and it ordered a new hearing to be held.
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!
AP Sources: Judge rules Pence must testify before grand jury

AP Sources: Judge rules Pence must testify before grand jury

A federal judge has ruled that former Vice President Mike Pence will have to testify before a grand jury in the Justice Department's investigation into efforts by former President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
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!
Shawn McKenzie, James Beard-nominated Pastry Chef, tells us what's for lunch

Shawn McKenzie, James Beard-nominated Pastry Chef, tells us what's for lunch

Four chefs and one pastry chef from the Twin Cities have been nominated by the prestigious James Beard Foundation. We spoke to pastry chef Shawn McKenzie about her work.
by Cathy Wurzer, Melissa Townsend and Ellen Finn

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!
From the archives: Diana Abu-Jaber on 'Birds of Paradise'

From the archives: Diana Abu-Jaber on 'Birds of Paradise'

This Friday on Big Books and Bold Ideas, author Diana Abu-Jaber returns to talk about her latest novel, “Fencing with the King,” which was just released in paperback. To get you in the mood, enjoy one of host Kerri Miller’s last conversations with Abu-Jaber — this one from 2011, about her book, "Birds of Paradise."
by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

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!
Black pregnant people are twice as likely to die in childbirth. How doctors are making pregnancy safer

Black pregnant people are twice as likely to die in childbirth. How doctors are making pregnancy safer

There was a 40 percent increase in maternal deaths between 2020 and 2021. That rate was more than twice as high for Black pregnant people, whose maternal mortality rate was 70 deaths for every 100,000 live births.
by Cathy Wurzer and Ellen Finn

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!
Rebroadcast: Tutoring boosts students after the pandemic 'teaching loss'

Rebroadcast: Tutoring boosts students after the pandemic 'teaching loss'

The loss of classroom instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic fell hardest on low-income families and students of color. In this rebroadcast, MPR News host Angela Davis talks about how intensive tutoring could help Minnesota students catch up, build confidence and close the pandemic gap.
by Angela Davis and Maja Beckstrom

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 youth vaping trial of e-cigarette maker Juul opens

Minnesota youth vaping trial of e-cigarette maker Juul opens

Minnesota is seeking more than $100 million in damages, Ellison said, accusing San Francisco-based Juul of unlawfully targeting young people to get a new generation addicted to nicotine.
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!
Snow showers north Tuesday; snow, rain, thunder Thursday into Saturday

Snow showers north Tuesday; snow, rain, thunder Thursday into Saturday

Northern Minnesota gets a fresh coating of snow Tuesday. Wednesday’s colder statewide with subfreezing highs. Rain, snow and even thunder develop late Thursday into Saturday.
by Sven Sundgaard

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!
An Afghan girls' education activist has been arrested, the U.N. says

An Afghan girls' education activist has been arrested, the U.N. says

Matiullah Wesa is the founder and president of Pen Path — a local nongovernmental group that travels across Afghanistan with a mobile school and library. He was reportedly detained on 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!

Volunteers start sandbagging along riverfront in downtown Stillwater

Teams of volunteers started filling sandbags Monday in downtown Stillwater ahead of anticipated major spring flooding along the St. Croix River. This is an MPR morning news update, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.

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!
Drop in water temperature causes fish kill near Monticello nuclear power plant

Drop in water temperature causes fish kill near Monticello nuclear power plant

Authorities say fluctuating water temperatures in the Mississippi River following the shutdown of Xcel Energy’s Monticello nuclear power plant have killed more than 200 fish. Company and state officials said the fish kill is not the result of tritium.
by MPR News Staff

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!
The simple intervention that may keep Black moms healthier

The simple intervention that may keep Black moms healthier

A Boston hospital gets daily, home blood pressure checks for moms at risk for the pregnancy complication, pre-eclampsia. The effort is a response to alarming rates of Black maternal mortality.
by Priyanka Dayal McCluskey

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 showers for central, northern Minnesota Tuesday; larger storm Thursday into Saturday

Snow showers will spread across northern and central Minnesota Tuesday with potential snow squalls in northeast Minnesota. Temperatures will be colder Wednesday. A larger storm brings rain and snow Thursday into Saturday.
by Sven Sundgaard

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!
Boldy has another hat trick, Wild beat Kraken 5-1

Boldy has another hat trick, Wild beat Kraken 5-1

Matt Boldy had his second hat trick in the last five games for Minnesota, Marc-Andre Fleury made 35 saves, and the surging Wild beat the Seattle Kraken 5-1 on Monday night.
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!
Migrants start fire at Mexico detention center, killing 40

Migrants start fire at Mexico detention center, killing 40

Migrants fearing deportation set mattresses ablaze at an immigration detention center in northern Mexico, starting a fire that killed at least 40 people. That's according to the Mexican president. It was one of the deadliest events ever at a Mexican immigration lockup. 
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!
Unions are having a moment. So why isn't union membership booming?

Unions are having a moment. So why isn't union membership booming?

Labor organizing surged last year. A Gallup survey found 71 percent of Americans approve of unions. Yet only 10 percent of workers belong to a union, as employers continue to fight back.
by Andrea Hsu

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!
Pay up, kid? An ER's error sends a 4-year-old to collections

Pay up, kid? An ER's error sends a 4-year-old to collections

A Florida woman tried to dispute an emergency room bill, but the hospital and collection agency refused to talk to her — because it was her child's name on the bill, not hers.
by Daniel Chang

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!
25 years after tornadoes tumbled southern Minnesota, residents still carry the lessons learned

25 years after tornadoes tumbled southern Minnesota, residents still carry the lessons learned

It’s been 25 years since a tornado outbreak devastated several southern Minnesota communities, killing two people, and destroying hundreds of homes and businesses. The lessons and stories the destruction left behind still have an impact on those who witnessed the storms and rebuilt their lives afterward. 
by Hannah 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!