Stories from February 20, 2025

Bill that would make more attorney general data public fails in Minnesota House vote
House Republicans pushed for a vote on a bill to require the attorney general’s office, occupied now by DFLer Keith Ellison, to be more forthcoming with records. Democrats framed it as a partisan measure.
Ellison: Trump order on transgender athletes violates Minnesota law
Attorney General Keith Ellison’s opinion comes days after the Trump administration said it would investigate the state high school league’s plan to follow state law and let students participate in sports consistent with their gender identity, despite the president’s executive order.
A nonprofit says the Trump Administration has frozen funds for a more than $2.5 million project to improve the Mississippi River corridor in parts of Minnesota, and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has vetoed the city council's plans for George Floyd Square.
New Duluth nonprofit aims to address economic inequality in northeast Minnesota
The Duluth NAACP is hosting its annual Freedom Fund Dinner on Saturday. Donations from the dinner will go to the Duluth NAACP as well as a newer organization called Ignite Empower Transform.
Frey vetoes council move toward a pedestrian plaza at George Floyd Square
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has vetoed the City Council’s plan to explore building a pedestrian-only mall at George Floyd Square, the intersection where an officer killed Floyd in 2020. 
Trump loyalist Kash Patel is confirmed as FBI director by the Senate despite deep Democratic doubts
The Senate has narrowly voted to confirm Kash Patel as as President Donald Trump's FBI director. The 51-49 vote Thursday puts the Trump loyalist atop the nation’s premier federal law enforcement agency despite Democrats' doubts about his qualifications and concerns he'll do Trump’s bidding and go after the Republican president's adversaries.
Sen. Mitch McConnell won't seek reelection in 2026, ending long tenure as Republican power broker
Fellow senators have clapped for Mitch McConnell after he announced he won’t seek reelection next year. The Kentucky Republican is ending a decadeslong tenure as a power broker who championed conservative causes but ultimately ceded ground to the fierce populism of President Donald Trump.
Feeding Our Future jury bribe courier charged with DWI after crash
The Minnesota State Patrol says Ladan Ali had a blood alcohol concentration of .284, or more than 3 1/2 times the legal limit, when she rear-ended another driver in Mendota Heights on Feb. 14. Ali is awaiting sentencing for trying to bribe a juror in the first Feeding Our Future trial.
Help me decide when to get a pet
It’s that time of year when you may be feeling cooped up, spending more time at home, and thinking it would be nice to have some company. Is it the right time to get a pet?
Panama sends 97 U.S. deportees to migrant camp after they refused to be repatriated
The migrants refused to be repatriated to their countries. They will be held in a migration facility near the Darien Gap along the Colombian border until third countries can be found to take them.
U.S. and Canada want to put the new Cold War on ice and play a 4 Nations hockey final for the ages
The U.S. and Canadian hockey teams are trying to skate back the geopolitical tension that has infiltrated the 4 Nations Face-Off as they looked ahead to the championship game Thursday night for what has turned into one of the best international hockey tournaments in decades. 
A military vet and a scientist were securing America’s food system. Trump fired them
More than 10,000 federal employees who had yet to complete their probationary periods have been fired by the Trump administration, including those who work to protect American agriculture.
Seven Chilean men are charged with stealing millions from high-profile athletes’ homes
Seven Chilean men face federal charges related to a string of burglaries at the homes of six high-profile athletes. NFL quarterbacks Pat Mahomes and Joe Burrows were among the targets.
2 people are dead in a small plane collision at a southern Arizona airport
A midair collision involving two small planes in southern Arizona has killed two people. Federal air-safety investigators said each plane had two people aboard when they collided in Marana Regional Airport on the outskirts of Tucson.
What’s the key to surviving a plane crash? Skilled crew, strong seats and wings that detach
All 76 passengers and four crew walked away from Monday’s disaster, with 21 people suffering minor injuries. It’s a credit, aviation experts said, to advances in plane design as well as a crew that flawlessly executed an evacuation plan.
All but one passenger injured in a flight that crashed while landing in Toronto on Monday has been released from the hospital, Delta Air Lines says. And Minnesota Rep. Pete Stauber is ruling out runs for governor and senate in 2026.
Double-digit highs for Thursday and Friday; big weekend warmup
The current deep freeze will break by Thursday, with temperatures rising into the double digits. Sunny skies and a warmer weather pattern will bring 30s and 40s back to the forecast for the upcoming weekend.
Black farmers among those left in limbo amid federal funding freeze
The federal government has historically discriminated against Black farmers. The recent funding halt from the Trump administration presents yet another hurdle to those who have spent decades fighting for equity in farming.
Hamas releases the bodies of four Israeli hostages, including mother and young sons
Today’s release is the first time Hamas has handed over the bodies of hostages during the war, although several have been recovered by Israeli forces in Gaza and returned to Israel.
Latino business owners say customers are staying away in wake of deportation threats
Some Latino business owners say customers have been staying away out of fear of being detained and deported. Twin Cities business and city leaders are encouraging people to buy from Latino-owned shops this Saturday.
As helium prices balloon, hopes rise that northeast Minnesota has big deposit of the gas
Pulsar Helium is conducting exploratory drilling in northern Minnesota, hoping to confirm a profitable deposit of helium, a valuable gas used to make products from party balloons to semiconductor chips.
Public health worker in Minneapolis laid off in mass firings by the Trump administration
MacClement Guthrie was working with Minneapolis schools on the prevention of sexually transmitted infections as a part of a fellowship program under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention when he was let go suddenly.
Appetites: How to cook PFAS-free now that Minnesota ban is in effect
Nicole Hvidsten, taste editor at the Minnesota Star Tribune, offers tips on how to check if your cookware contains PFAS and suggests non-stick alternatives now that these “forever chemicals” are banned in Minnesota.
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