Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now

Stories from August 19, 2025

TikTok lawsuit; West Nile on the rise; Southern Minnesota flooding

Attorney General Keith Ellison has filed a lawsuit against the social media app TikTok, claiming it's harming children. West Nile Virus cases have been on the rise in the U.S., and neighboring states like North and South Dakota have seen a rise in the mosquito borne disease. And rivers are still rising across parts of southern Minnesota... in the wake of heavy rain in recent days.
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!
Warm, muggy overnight but cool air coming by the weekend

Warm, muggy overnight but cool air coming by the weekend

Dew points will drop a bit over the next 24 hours but the really dry, cool air moves in this weekend. Temperatures will be 10 to 15 degrees cooler than normal by Sunday. 
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!
Minnesota DNR stocks fish pond ahead of State Fair opening

Minnesota DNR stocks fish pond ahead of State Fair opening

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources stocked its popular State Fair fish pond Tuesday morning. There, fairgoers can see the rare paddlefish and prehistoric lake sturgeon, plus a few dozen more species.
by Estelle Timar-Wilcox

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!
Hurricane Erin update: Forecast sees huge storm moving closer to U.S.

Hurricane Erin update: Forecast sees huge storm moving closer to U.S.

Forecasts nudge Erin's likely path to the west, increasing the risks at U.S. beaches. Experts say the storm's massive size, rather than its windspeeds, is what makes it a threat.
by Bill Chappell

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!
Many North Dakotans are receiving smaller checks from oil companies pumping on their land

Many North Dakotans are receiving smaller checks from oil companies pumping on their land

Across the border in North Dakota, companies pump oil on private land and send the owners a check. Recently, those checks have been coming in smaller amounts. A reporter explains what’s behind the shift.
by Nina Moini 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!
WNBA postseason race heats up with teams jockeying for playoff position behind Minnesota

WNBA postseason race heats up with teams jockeying for playoff position behind Minnesota

With less than a month left in the WNBA regular season, the Minnesota Lynx have a firm lock on the top seed in the playoffs. The rest of the postseason picture is still up in the air, with more than half the league jockeying for positioning. Minnesota has looked like the best team all season even with star forward Napheesa Collier sidelined with a right ankle sprain.
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!
Research suggests doctors might quickly become dependent on AI

Research suggests doctors might quickly become dependent on AI

A study in Poland found that doctors appeared less likely to detect abnormalities during colonoscopies on their own after they’d grown used to help from an AI tool.
by Geoff Brumfiel

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 Aug. 19

Morning Announcements for Aug. 19

These are the Morning Announcements for Tuesday, Aug. 19. 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!
Talking Gen Z: How young people today use slang

Talking Gen Z: How young people today use slang

Every generation has its slang. From “groovy” and “far out” to “lit” and “slay.” MPR News host Angela Davis talks with a linguist and a St. Paul poet and hip-hop artist to unpack the slang of 2025.
by Angela Davis and Nikhil Kumaran

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 service dog nonprofit establishes fund in honor of Melissa and Mark Hortman

Minnesota service dog nonprofit establishes fund in honor of Melissa and Mark Hortman

The Hortman Heroes Fund — in honor of Minnesota House DFL leader Melissa Hortman, her husband Mark and their dog Gilbert — will be focused on programs that train service dogs for veterans and first responders with PTSD.
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!
Minnesota blood center declares blood emergency due to shortage

Minnesota blood center declares blood emergency due to shortage

Memorial Blood Centers says the state’s blood supply has dropped below a two-day inventory. A seven-day supply is needed to meet the demands of hospitals and patients.
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!
An AI divide is growing in schools. This camp wants to level the playing field

An AI divide is growing in schools. This camp wants to level the playing field

For years, research has shown a digital divide when it comes to schools teaching about new technologies. Educators worry that this could leave some students behind in an AI-powered economy.
by Lee V. Gaines

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 blood center declares blood emergency due to shortage

A Minnesota blood center declared a blood emergency due to a shortage throughout the state. Memorial Blood Centers says the state’s blood supply has dropped below a two-day inventory. A seven-day supply is needed to meet the demands of hospitals and patients.
by Jacob Aloi

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!
Gun violence hits Black communities hardest. Trump is rolling back prevention efforts

Gun violence hits Black communities hardest. Trump is rolling back prevention efforts

The suffering of America’s gun violence crisis is concentrated in Black neighborhoods damaged by decades of disinvestment and racial discrimination. Trump is unravelling efforts to solve the problem.
by Fred Clasen-Kelly and Renuka Rayasam

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!
Surface high pressure brings drier, calmer weather

Surface high pressure brings drier, calmer weather

High pressure is bringing sunshine and dry weather after some early fog. Temperatures will be above normal through Thursday, but much cooler air arrives this weekend. 
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!
‘A patchwork of prohibition’: Cities, counties find ways to block cannabis businesses

‘A patchwork of prohibition’: Cities, counties find ways to block cannabis businesses

Cities like Silver Bay have adopted ordinances that prohibit cannabis businesses, even though it’s against state law. But small business owners don’t have the money or time to take them to court.
by Nicole Ki

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!
Countdown to Minnesota paid leave launch puts preparations in spotlight

Countdown to Minnesota paid leave launch puts preparations in spotlight

Come Jan. 1, tens of thousands of Minnesotans who don’t currently get paid family and medical leave through their employers will have access to partial pay through a state-managed program.
by Dana Ferguson

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!
Rochester considers delaying clean energy goal

Rochester considers delaying clean energy goal

Brian Ross from the Great Plains Institute said several changes by the Trump administration are creating an uncertain situation for cities like Rochester that are trying to move toward cleaner energy sources.
by Catharine Richert and Ngoc Bui

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!