Stories from August 25, 2025

'Illegal and costly': Chicago's mayor blasts Trump's threat to deploy National Guard
President Donald Trump suggested he will "straighten out" Chicago next. Mayor Brandon Johnson told NPR that would be "illegal and costly" — but said there are other ways the federal government could help.
Elon Musk accuses Apple and OpenAI of stifling AI competition in antitrust lawsuit
Elon Musk on Monday targeted Apple and OpenAI in an antitrust lawsuit alleging that the iPhone maker and the ChatGPT maker are teaming up to thwart competition in artificial intelligence.
Are weighted vests good for bones and muscle? Fact-checking a fitness trend
It’s a growing fitness trend. People say wearing a weighted vest when you exercise builds bones, strengthens muscles and improves cardiovascular health. But does research back up these claims?
Trump says National Guard is at the ready but hedges on Chicago plans
President Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders doubling down on law enforcement, particularly related to Washington, D.C., but he equivocated on whether he will send troops to Chicago next.
Minnesota Senate candidates move forward after primaries to fill two seats
The special primaries determined which candidates advance to the Nov. 4 special general elections for the Senate District 29 and 47 seats. The results could determine which party controls the chamber.
A hit-and-run crash early Monday seriously injured a pedestrian and a cyclist in Minneapolis. As of Monday evening, authorities had located the suspect vehicle but were still searching for the driver.
Brianna Decker continues transition from playing to coaching in being hired as PWHL Frost assistant
Brianna Decker, a former U.S. national hockey team forward, has transitioned from playing to coaching after a career-ending injury at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games. Decker joins the Minnesota Frost as an assistant coach.
Doctors want women to know the nuanced reality of hormone therapy for menopause
Hormone therapy has been shrouded in confusion for years. Research testing one type was stopped early more than two decades ago because of concerns about increased risks of breast cancer and blood clots.
Why child care costs so much in Minnesota
Minnesota has the third-highest average cost of infant child care in the country. MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about why child care is so expensive, who's affected most and what ideas for solutions are on the table. 
State Senator John Hoffman returns to the public eye after surviving a June assassination attempt. He spoke Monday at the Democratic National Committee’s summer meeting in Minneapolis, calling for less “performance politics” and more focus on solutions.
Israeli airstrike on southern Gaza hospital kills 19, hospital says
Gaza’s health ministry says an Israeli airstrike has hit southern Gaza’s main hospital, killing 19 people. The ministry says the victims on the fourth floor of Nasser Hospital were killed Monday in a strike with one missile hitting and then followed by another moments later as rescue crews arrived.
AP freelancer among 4 journalists killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza hospital, health officials say
Health officials say Israeli strikes on a hospital in southern Gaza has killed four journalists, including a freelancer who worked for The Associated Press. Mariam Dagga was a visual journalist who freelanced for the AP during the war, as well as other news outlets.
A window into America’s high schools slams shut
For decades, the federal government has surveyed high school students — and repeatedly followed up with them as adults. The goal was to gather data on their educational choices and careers so researchers could draw connections between them. Trump put an end to that effort as part of his quest to dissolve the Department of Education.
‘At what point does it break?’ Nation’s Report Card at risk, researchers say
The National Assessment of Educational Progress is one of the few federal education initiatives that the Trump Administration has vowed to preserve. But the administration has slashed the staff responsible for keeping the series of tests up to date. And the board overseeing the assessment has eliminated more than a dozen scheduled tests over the next seven years, citing “cost efficiencies.”
Taj Bradley gets off to a rough start in Minnesota Twins debut
Taj Bradley got off to a rough start in his first game with the Minnesota Twins after he was acquired in a trade with Tampa Bay. The 24-year-old Bradley permitted seven runs and nine hits in five innings during Sunday’s 8-0 loss at the Chicago White Sox. 
Lawsuit saves massive reading experiment
The Trump administration tried to kill the largest reading experiment ever funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s research arm — just months before the yearslong study was complete. The administration agreed to finish the research only after it was sued.
‘Our way of life’: State Fair traditions keep a Minnesota farm family close across generations
Sarah Schmidt hoped her kids would take to the farm life she grew up with and maybe show their animals at the State Fair. Years of early mornings, livestock shows and ribbons prove she didn’t have to worry.
‘This will take forever’: My crop art journey to the Minnesota State Fair
A first-time crop artist chronicles her exhausting but joyful journey of creating a whimsical, Magritte-inspired seed art piece for the Minnesota State Fair, discovering both the beauty and madness of gluing millet one seed at a time.
Family ties, loyal crowds keep a Minnesota small-town movie theater thriving
Small town movie theaters have struggled to survive for years in an increasingly on-demand world. In Wadena, the local theater is flourishing thanks to generations of work by one family. Meet the Quincers.