Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now

Stories from March 13, 2025

Bock acknowledges fraud at Feeding Our Future, denies taking part

Bock acknowledges fraud at Feeding Our Future, denies taking part

Feeding Our Future founder Aimee Bock continues to deny that she took part in an alleged $250 million scheme to defraud taxpayer-funded child nutrition programs. After taking the stand in her own defense, Bock faced rapid-fire questions during cross examination Thursday from lead prosecutor Joe Thompson.
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 sues to stop Ed Dept. dismantling; Nicole Mitchell at Minnesota Senate Ethics Committee

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, along with 20 other attorneys general across the country, is suing to stop the dismantling of the federal Department of Education, and Nicole Mitchell spoke in her own defense today at a Minnesota Senate Ethics Committee hearing.
by Emily Reese

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!
24 Minnesotans reflect on how COVID-19 changed their lives

24 Minnesotans reflect on how COVID-19 changed their lives

On March 13, 2020, Gov. Tim Walz declared the COVID-19 pandemic a peacetime emergency. Five years later, Minnesotans look back on the early days of the public health crisis and the mark it left on their lives.
by Nina Moini, Aleesa Kuznetsov, Ellen Finn, Alanna Elder and Ellie Roth

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!
Politics Friday: Minnesota’s paid leave law remains a flashpoint as launch nears

Politics Friday: Minnesota’s paid leave law remains a flashpoint as launch nears

MPR News senior politics editor Brian Bakst talks with two Minnesota lawmakers about the state’s new paid leave program — scheduled to start in January of next year — and the legislation that could possibly delay or change eligibility.
by Brian Bakst and Matthew Alvarez

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 author provides bucket list in ‘100 Things to Do in Duluth Before You Die’

Minnesota author provides bucket list in ‘100 Things to Do in Duluth Before You Die’

Jay Gabler, a Twin Cities native, told MPR News host Cathy Wurzer he “was really pleased to discover how eager Duluthians are to help newcomers discover the city” on Morning Edition Thursday.
by Cathy Wurzer and Gracie Stockton

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!
Hibbing manufacturer responds to Trump‘s steel, aluminum tariffs

Hibbing manufacturer responds to Trump‘s steel, aluminum tariffs

Canada is the biggest supplier of steel and aluminum for the U.S. The metals are used for products like nuts and bolts, sheet metal, machining and beer cans. Will those levies be a problem for Minnesota companies that get their steel from Iron Range-mined ore and taconite?
by Cathy Wurzer and Gracie Stockton

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!
DNR: Mille Lacs Lake anglers can keep two walleye this summer

DNR: Mille Lacs Lake anglers can keep two walleye this summer

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says after years of tighter fishing regulations, the lake's walleye population appears to be at healthy levels.
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!
Minnesota, 21 other states sue to halt dismantling of U.S. Education Department

Minnesota, 21 other states sue to halt dismantling of U.S. Education Department

The lawsuit filed in federal court in Massachusetts argues dismantling the federal Department of Education is unconstitutional and usurps congressional authority. It seeks a court order to halt the shutdown.
by Elizabeth Shockman

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 presenta proyecto de ley para fomentar intercambio de información migratoria con ICE

Minnesota presenta proyecto de ley para fomentar intercambio de información migratoria con ICE

El proyecto de ley pretende evitar que los gobiernos estatales y locales limiten la capacidad de sus empleados para compartir información migratoria con autoridades federales, incluido el estatus legal de los inmigrantes.
by Sarah Thamer

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!
White House withdraws nomination of David Weldon to run the CDC

White House withdraws nomination of David Weldon to run the CDC

Dr. Dave Weldon, Trump's pick for director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was withdrawn from consideration shortly before a scheduled Senate confirmation hearing.
by Pien Huang

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!
Morning Announcements for March 13

Morning Announcements for March 13

These are the Morning Announcements for Thursday, March 13. Tell us what you’re celebrating!
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!
Trump threatens retaliatory 200% tariff on European wine after EU proposes American whiskey tax

Trump threatens retaliatory 200% tariff on European wine after EU proposes American whiskey tax

The European Commission is calling on President Donald Trump to revoke tariffs now that he's threatened a 200 percent tariff on European wine, Champagne and spirits if Europe goes forward with a planned tariff on American whiskey.
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!
Monitor: Minneapolis police likely to make many year-one goals set for state settlement agreement

Monitor: Minneapolis police likely to make many year-one goals set for state settlement agreement

Members of a group overseeing the court-enforced agreement between the Minneapolis Police Department and the Minnesota’s Human Rights Department told community members Wednesday that MPD will likely finish required policies by the end of the review period.
by Cari Spencer

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 Putin aide rejects Trump's 30-day Ukraine cease-fire proposal

A Putin aide rejects Trump's 30-day Ukraine cease-fire proposal

As U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff enters talks in Moscow on a Trump administration proposal for a 30-day cease-fire with Ukraine, an adviser to the Russian president rejected the idea.
by Nick Spicer

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!
Gophers fire men's basketball coach Ben Johnson after four seasons with U of M

Gophers fire men's basketball coach Ben Johnson after four seasons with U of M

Gophers Athletics Director Mark Coyle announced early Thursday that he fired men’s basketball coach Ben Johnson after Minnesota lost to Northwestern in Wednesday’s Big Ten Tournament opener.
by MPR News Staff and 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!

Gophers men's basketball coach fired. Minneapolis school district sending layoff notices

Gopher men’s basketball coach Ben Johnson has been fired. And the Minneapolis school district is sending out layoff notices to staff members as part of its attempt to deal with a $75 million budget deficit.
by Phil Picardi

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!
Martinelli scores 28 and Northwestern beats Minnesota 72-64 to begin the Big Ten tourney

Martinelli scores 28 and Northwestern beats Minnesota 72-64 to begin the Big Ten tourney

 Nick Martinelli scored 28 points to help No. 13 seed Northwestern beat No. 12 seed Minnesota 72-64 to begin the Big Ten Tournament. Northwestern earned its first conference tournament win since 2022 for a chance to play No. 5 Wisconsin in the second round. 
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!
More anomalous warmth ahead of a significant storm system

More anomalous warmth ahead of a significant storm system

Temperatures will run 20 to 30 degrees above normal Thursday and Friday ahead of a potent spring storm that will bring thunderstorms late Friday and snow 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!
Supporters of a bill to protect wild rice rally at the capitol

Supporters of a bill to protect wild rice rally at the capitol

Indigenous and environmental organizations from across Minnesota came together at the state capitol to advocate for a series of bills they say will help protect the environment.
by Allison Herrera

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 officials express concern about Madison Equities treatment of Alliance Bank Center tenants

St. Paul officials express concern about Madison Equities treatment of Alliance Bank Center tenants

The property owner, Madison Equities, told tenants on Monday to vacate the premises immediately. It hadn’t been paying its utility bills, and the power was scheduled to shut off Wednesday.
by Alex Haddon and 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!
COVID boosted efforts to track diseases in wastewater

COVID boosted efforts to track diseases in wastewater

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, wastewater sampling wasn't routinely done for public health purposes. But as the case number climbed scientists and public health officials saw the value of getting a sneak peek of where the virus was spreading, and where the next hot spot might be.
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!
‘Identical patients’: A Minneapolis ER doc remembers the COVID-19 surge

‘Identical patients’: A Minneapolis ER doc remembers the COVID-19 surge

Dr. John Hick saw Minnesota’s busiest emergency department fill with patients, many struggled to breathe. Five years later, health care is still dealing with the pandemic’s aftermath.
by Erica Zurek

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!
Despite evidence, Bock denies knowledge of Feeding Our Future fraud

Despite evidence, Bock denies knowledge of Feeding Our Future fraud

The former head of the Twin Cities nonprofit said Wednesday she shut down meal sites she suspected were stealing taxpayer money. She also claimed in federal court the $2,800 payments from vendors were for a policy manual. Prosecutors allege they were kickbacks.
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!