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Stories from August 21, 2025

Review: Soft-serve beer makes its debut and s'mores abound

Review: Soft-serve beer makes its debut and s'mores abound

This year’s roster of new Minnesota State Fair foods includes a wide variety of new foods and drinks to sample. And as she’s done every year, food writer Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl was out there bright and early on the first day to try every single new offering.
by Emily Bright and Ngoc Bui

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Minnesota DFL rescinds Minneapolis mayoral endorsement

Minnesota DFL rescinds Minneapolis mayoral endorsement

The Minnesota DFL is rescinding its endorsement of State Sen. Omar Fateh in the Minneapolis Mayor’s race after a committee found problems with the endorsement process held earlier this summer. The party will not endorse a candidate in the race.
by Peter Cox and Cait Kelley

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Lights out for fireflies? Climate change, pesticides and light pollution threaten lightning bug population

Lights out for fireflies? Climate change, pesticides and light pollution threaten lightning bug population

MPR News Chief Meteorologist Paul Huttner talked with journalist Eric Berger about the declining population rate for fireflies across the country.
by Paul Huttner and Matthew Alvarez

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Iowa Democrats consider bringing back lead off caucuses, even if it means going 'rogue' in 2028

Iowa Democrats consider bringing back lead off caucuses, even if it means going 'rogue' in 2028

Iowa’s state party officials say it was a mistake that the party’s 2024 nominating calendar forced them to ditch the five-decade, first-in-the-nation caucus where community members publicly signal their support for a candidate.
by The Associated Press

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50 years of cheese curds and record breaking food sculptures, test your fair trivia

50 years of cheese curds and record breaking food sculptures, test your fair trivia

The Minnesota State Fair began more than 165 years ago, enough time for a lot of interesting history to accumulate. What better way to sort through it all than with trivia?
by Nina Moini and Ellen Finn

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Minn. joins challenge to federal investigators' demands for information on transgender patients

Minn. joins challenge to federal investigators' demands for information on transgender patients

When the U.S. Justice Department sought information from doctors and clinics that provide gender-affirming care for young transgender patients, officials weren’t just asking for policies. They also demanded information about individual patients.
by The Associated Press

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Shakopee’s new venue name announced, Mystic Lake Amphitheater to open next summer

Shakopee’s new venue name announced, Mystic Lake Amphitheater to open next summer

Live Nation announced the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community has purchased the naming rights to its new outdoor music venue south of the Twin Cities. Mystic Lake Amphitheater is expected to open in 2026.
by Melissa Olson

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A day in the life of WeeWee the chiweenie, a traveling stunt dog

A day in the life of WeeWee the chiweenie, a traveling stunt dog

People have traveled from every corner of Minnesota and beyond to the state fair to show their animals, from fancy pigeons to dairy cows. But there are also animals that put on a show, like WeeWee the Chi-Weenie.
by Nina Moini and Alanna Elder

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Try this when your doctor says ‘yes’ to a preventive test but insurance says ‘no’

Try this when your doctor says ‘yes’ to a preventive test but insurance says ‘no’

Health insurance wouldn’t cover one child’s hearing tests. Reporters with Health Care Helpline investigated and share this advice for what to do if preventive care gets denied.
by Jackie Fortiér

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The National Guard has been deployed to enforce the law before. What’s different now?

The National Guard has been deployed to enforce the law before. What’s different now?

The National Guard has been deployed many times historically. Experts say the president’s decision to deploy the Guard as a blanket response to crime in D.C. is a departure from its intended mission.
by Alana Wise

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Russia hammers Ukraine with drones and missiles as peace efforts drag on

Russia hammers Ukraine with drones and missiles as peace efforts drag on

The Ukrainian Air Force says Russia has launched a major aerial attack on Ukraine, firing 574 drones and 40 missiles. The attack has targeted western regions, killing at least one person and injuring 15 others. 
by The Associated Press

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Wright County’s Malorie Thorson crowned 72nd Princess Kay of the Milky Way

Wright County’s Malorie Thorson crowned 72nd Princess Kay of the Milky Way

A 20-year-old college student from Waverly was crowned the 72nd Princess Kay of the Milky Way on Wednesday, the night before the Minnesota State Fair began. The winner, Malorie Thorson, studies dairy production at South Dakota State University.
by Regina Medina

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Rain or shine, they keep strumming at the Silver Creek International Ukulele Carnival 

Rain or shine, they keep strumming at the Silver Creek International Ukulele Carnival 

An unexpected sight — and sound — was created in the middle of the Lake County Fairgrounds when over 375 musicians joined the annual Silver Creek International Ukulele Carnival for four days of ukulele fun and community.
by Anika Besst

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