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Stories from May 21, 2025

Judge orders U of M student's release from ICE custody

Judge orders U of M student's release from ICE custody

A U.S. District Court judge ordered the immediate release of the University of Minnesota student who was detained by immigration officials in March, ruling that the detention violates his procedural due process rights under the Fifth Amendment.
by Sarah Thamer

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Mayor Frey: Even without federal support, Minneapolis plans to move forward with police reforms

Mayor Frey: Even without federal support, Minneapolis plans to move forward with police reforms

Mayor Frey’s decision comes despite the Department of Justice’s motion to dismiss the agreement with the city and its police department. The agreement stemmed from the police murder of George Floyd five years ago and laid out sweeping reforms.
by Emily Bright and Ngoc Bui

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Hotter-than-normal summer ahead for Minnesota?

Hotter-than-normal summer ahead for Minnesota?

NOAA outlooks favor warmer than normal temperatures this summer across much of the U.S. including Minnesota.
by Paul Huttner

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Author of George Floyd biography says momentum has 'dried up'

Author of George Floyd biography says momentum has 'dried up'

Toluse Olorunnipa, co-author of “His Name is George Floyd,” sees parallels between this moment and the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s when there was also backlash to major social and political changes.
by Emily Reese, Emily Bright and Ngoc Bui

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People rally against potential cuts to disability waivers; Police reform advocates speak out against possible end to federal consent decree

Police reform advocates in Minneapolis are denouncing the Trump administration's attempt to drop the federal consent decree. And a working group on the human services budget bill at the Minnesota Legislature is meeting privately to iron out differences. As they do, advocates for disabled people in the state held a rally this morning to push against possible cuts for disability waivers.
by Emily Reese

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Appetites: Ditch the bun for your brat and serve your sausages charcuterie-board style instead

Appetites: Ditch the bun for your brat and serve your sausages charcuterie-board style instead

A brat board is a Midwestern cousin to the classic French charcuterie board. It takes the idea of using various meats and toppings to create a sampler but with grilled local sausages. Madeline Summers of Mississippi Market Co-Op said it’s great for getting to try everything at a barbecue.
by Emily Bright and Lukas Levin

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Out to Lunch: Billy Sushi chef is unapologetically 'crazy' for Minnesota

Out to Lunch: Billy Sushi chef is unapologetically 'crazy' for Minnesota

Chef Enkhbileg “Billy” Tserenbat is the owner of the wildly popular Minneapolis North Loop restaurant, Billy Sushi. He reflected on starting his business during the pandemic, growing up in Mongolia and why he’s Minnesota’s biggest hype man.
by Nina Moini and Ellen Finn

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'There's reason to be hopeful': AG Ellison on five years after George Floyd

'There's reason to be hopeful': AG Ellison on five years after George Floyd

Sunday marks five years since Minneapolis police officers killed George Floyd at the corner of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue. Reflecting on the years that have passed, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said “there’s reason to be hopeful” even as the country saw the highest number of police killings in a decade in 2024.
by Emily Bright and Ngoc Bui

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George Floyd Square business owner says he was ‘collateral damage’

George Floyd Square business owner says he was ‘collateral damage’

Edwin Reed owns Sincere Detailing Pros at 38th and Chicago in south Minneapolis. He said his business took a dramatic downward turn after the murder of George Floyd five years ago.
by Nina Moini and Ellen Finn

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Historian traces police brutality in Minneapolis back to 1800s

Historian traces police brutality in Minneapolis back to 1800s

The death of George Floyd wasn’t an anomaly. Long before Floyd, there was Ophelia Rice, a Black woman violently assaulted by a white police officer named Thomas Britt in Minneapolis in 1899.
by Cathy Wurzer and Lukas Levin

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Lynx beat Wings 85-81 for 2nd time in 5 days, spoiling homecoming for Bueckers

Lynx beat Wings 85-81 for 2nd time in 5 days, spoiling homecoming for Bueckers

Napheesa Collier had 28 points and eight rebounds to lead the Minnesota Lynx to their second victory over the Dallas Wings in five days, an 85-81 decision that spoiled the homecoming for first overall draft pick Paige Bueckers.
by Anika Besst and The Associated Press

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Stillwater mayor on impacts of planned prison closure

Stillwater mayor on impacts of planned prison closure

MCF-Stillwater is one of the state's oldest prisons and has been plagued by safety spending and staffing concerns, yet it employs more than 400 people in the area. Stillwater Mayor Ted Kozlowski joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer on Morning Edition Tuesday to talk about the plan and its impacts.
by Cathy Wurzer and Gracie Stockton

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Morning Announcements for May 20 and 21

Morning Announcements for May 20 and 21

These are the Morning Announcements for Tuesday, May 20, and Wednesday, May 21. Tell us what you’re celebrating!
by MPR News Staff

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Minneapolis, St. Paul drop in rankings, but stay in top 5 list of park systems for U.S. cities

Minneapolis, St. Paul drop in rankings, but stay in top 5 list of park systems for U.S. cities

The Trust for Public Land ranks the 100 most populous U.S. cities’ park systems using five categories: acreage, access, equity, investment and amenities. The Twin Cities are in the top 5 for 2025, but they ranked lower than last year.
by Lisa Ryan

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Gerry Connolly, a Democratic congressman and fixture of Virginia politics, dies at 75

Gerry Connolly, a Democratic congressman and fixture of Virginia politics, dies at 75

U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly has died at age 75. His family says he died at home Wednesday morning, surrounded by family members. He is best known as an outspoken Democrat who sought key reforms in the federal government while bringing transformational development to his populous Virginia district.
by The Associated Press

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Minneapolis will follow police reform consent decree, despite DOJ dismissal

Minneapolis will follow police reform consent decree, despite DOJ dismissal

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a motion to dismiss its case against the city of Minneapolis that could have resulted in a federal consent decree and mandated reforms for the Minneapolis Police Department. 
by MPR News Staff

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Promise & Peril: Technology and Mental Health

Promise & Peril: Technology and Mental Health

Technology is ever-present in modern life, from remote work to communities on social media, from dating apps to telemedicine.
by Jessica Bari

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These 7 executive actions show how Trump wants to reshape American history

These 7 executive actions show how Trump wants to reshape American history

President Trump wants to reframe how the country’s stories are told. But historians are pushing back, saying the administration’s actions amount to an attack on core institutions — and on history itself.
by Bill Chappell

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Scattered showers taper off Wednesday with sun Thursday

Scattered showers taper off Wednesday with sun Thursday

Showers continue Wednesday but will become more scattered and generally lighter than in the past 24 hours. Sunshine should pop back out Thursday, warming things up. 
by Sven Sundgaard

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George Wendt, who played Norm on ‘Cheers,’ has died

George Wendt, who played Norm on ‘Cheers,’ has died

Wendt got his start in Chicago’s The Second City improv comedy troupe. He went on to earn six Primetime Emmy nominations for his role as a lovable barfly on Cheers.
by Mandalit del Barco

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Minnesota lawmakers continue budget work. Timberwolves, Frost both lose opening playoff series games

The Timberwolves lost to Oklahoma City Tuesday night 114-88 in the NBA’s Western Conference championship series. The state legislature’s working groups went in and out of meetings Tuesday with legislative leaders to finish up bills after the session adjourned on Monday. 
by Phil Picardi

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Emily Clark’s OT goal lifts Charge over Frost 2-1 in final series opener

Emily Clark’s OT goal lifts Charge over Frost 2-1 in final series opener

Emily Clark scored at 2:47 of overtime on Tuesday night to lead the Ottawa Charge to a 2-1 win over the Minnesota Frost. With the win, the Charge take a 1-0 lead in the Professional Women’s Hockey League best-of-five championship series for the Walter Cup.
by The Associated Press

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Rested Timberwolves look listless in 114-88 loss to Thunder in Game 1 of Western Conference finals

Rested Timberwolves look listless in 114-88 loss to Thunder in Game 1 of Western Conference finals

Minnesota hadn’t played in nearly a week and Oklahoma City had just played in a Game 7 two days earlier. It was the Timberwolves who looked lifeless while the energetic Thunder rolled to a 114-88 victory in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.
by The Associated Press

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How a caterpillar native to Minnesota made its forests fuel for wildfires

How a caterpillar native to Minnesota made its forests fuel for wildfires

A native insect called the spruce budworm has killed trees across more than 2,000 square miles of northern Minnesota forests, creating dry tinder fuel in the areas burned by the Camp House and Jenkins Creek wildfires. 
by Dan Kraker

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Red tape, rising costs slow efforts to rebuild businesses burned after Floyd’s murder

Red tape, rising costs slow efforts to rebuild businesses burned after Floyd’s murder

Five years after George Floyd’s killing set off nights of destruction, vacant lots and broken buildings remain along Lake Street and other Minneapolis business districts. Some business owners say money woes and city zoning rules have made it hard to rebuild.
by Estelle Timar-Wilcox

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The country’s first Hmong male news anchor is making sure he’s not the last

The country’s first Hmong male news anchor is making sure he’s not the last

Chenue Her made history in 2021 when he became the first Hmong male news anchor in Des Moines, Iowa. He has since come back home to Minnesota, joining the FOX 9 Morning Show in 2024 as an anchor.
by Aleesa Kuznetsov

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