Stories from February 27, 2025

The Minneapolis City Council this morning overrode Mayor Jacob Frey’s veto of a plan to pursue a pedestrian-only plaza at George Floyd Square, and Red Wing Public Schools canceled a Black History Month event where Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison was scheduled to speak.
Breezy conditions Thursday night; precipitation chances northeast
Brisk northwesterly winds will persist through Thursday night and intensify by Friday with gusts potentially exceeding 50 mph. Snow showers are mainly expected in the northeastern part of the state with a chance of rain mixing in as temperatures rise overnight.
Oldest Minneapolis cemetery designated Underground Railroad site
The oldest cemetery in Minneapolis is now part of the Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. Genealogists discovered that four African Americans buried there were part of the vast network that helped enslaved people travel north to freedom.
Minneapolis will explore pedestrian plan for George Floyd Square after council overrides mayor’s veto
The Minneapolis City Council voted Thursday to move forward with a study that explores turning the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue into a pedestrian mall.
Thank You, Stranger: A bone marrow donor halfway across the world saved this woman's life
Lisa Korslund was diagnosed with leukemia in 2010 while she was living in Switzerland. Her doctors told her she needed a bone marrow transplant. She said a stranger halfway across the world saved her life.
Minnesota-based group fights stigma surrounding fetal alcohol spectrum disorders
About one to five percent of school-age children in the United States are living with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, developmental challenges caused by drinking alcohol during pregnancy.
 How a Minnesota Supreme Court ruling could make schools liable for dangerous hires
A Minneapolis charter school can be held legally responsible for hiring a gym teacher who sexually assaulted students. The Supreme Court decision could have implications for schools across the state.
Minnesota artists travel to the Outsider Art Fair in New York
New York’s Outsider Art Fair will feature work from five artists with Interact, a St. Paul-based arts center supporting artists with disabilities, marking a long-awaited milestone for the organization.
Former Minnesota school employee accused of using AI to create child sex abuse images
A former employee of two Minnesota school districts now faces federal charges for allegedly receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material — including allegations that he used artificial intelligence technology to produce images of child sex abuse.
St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter announced Wednesday the city will join San Francisco in taking legal action against President Donald Trump. The Department of Justice has charged a Maplewood man with using AI technology to produce sexual abuse images of children in his care, as a school district employee from 2021 until last month.
A rare ‘parade’ of all 7 planets will move across the night sky this week
This phenomenon known as a “planet parade,” will feature Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune all present at the same time along a line in the night sky on Friday, NASA says.
Oscar-winner Gene Hackman, wife Betsy Arakawa and dog were dead for some time, warrant shows
Gene Hackman was found dead Wednesday in a mudroom and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, was found dead in a bathroom next to a space heater. Authorities said Thursday that foul play isn’t suspected, but they haven’t disclosed how the couple died and said an investigation was ongoing.
Minnesotan rehired after losing Forest Service job in Colorado
Emma Schultz, who is originally from Roseville, was terminated from her position — but a supervisor notified her over the phone that she had been terminated by mistake because her job had been deemed “mission critical.”
DFL, GOP team up on bills to battle absenteeism in Minnesota schools
Minnesota lawmakers this week are moving forward on five bills aimed at addressing chronic absenteeism in Minnesota schools, and DFLers and Republicans are working together on policy solutions.  
Minnesota cancer researchers face uncertainty amid sudden proposed changes to NIH funding rules
The Trump administration wants to cap NIH funding for indirect costs associated with medical research to a set 15 percent rate. The current rate at the University of Minnesota is 54 percent. The cap is not supposed to affect the research itself, but the university said the two cannot be separated.
Federal freeze on energy and climate funding causing concern, confusion in Minnesota
Some of the money has been released since federal judges ordered the funding to be unfrozen. But weatherization programs and rebates for home efficiency upgrades are still on hold. State and local officials say a lack of communication has led to confusion and uncertainty.
Art Hounds recommend one-act plays, two generations of artists and art of the fjords
Art Hounds recommend Theatre Du Mississippi’s One Act Play Festival, “Reflections and Conversations: Monica Rudquist and Jerry Rudquist” and the exhibit “Sund: Notes from the Sea.”
Musk says federal workers should expect another round of ‘pulse check’ emails
President Trump warned federal workers who did not reply to recent emails asking them to describe “five things” they accomplished are “on the bubble” suggesting they are at risk of losing their jobs.
Hennepin County reviewing deputies’ actions after video shows them punching man during arrest
The one-minute clip captures deputies yelling at the 34-year-old man to put his hand back and punching him in the head, while bystanders call out the use of force. One onlooker protests that the man is not resisting.
Minneapolis, St. Paul join lawsuit against president over immigration enforcement
The White House argues St. Paul’s 2004 separation ordinance interferes with federal immigration enforcements, but St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter said the city’s policy does not oppose lawful immigration enforcement.
Volume Button
Volume
Now Listening To Livestream
MPR News logo
On Air
The Splendid Table with Francis Lam