Stories from October 1, 2025

Carleton College alum joins 'Saturday Night Live' for 51st Season
“Saturday Night Live” has hired a Carleton College graduate to join the writing staff of the long-running sketch comedy series, which returns for its new season Saturday.
A warm and windy Twin Cities Marathon ahead Sunday
An unseasonably warm air mass will linger into midday Sunday in the Twin Cities.
Federal workers are either furloughed or working without pay during the government shutdown that started today. And federal officials say Minnesota’s inclusion of trans athletes in female sports is a violation of Title IX.
Report: At least 24 people killed in Minnesota due to intimate partner violence in 2024
A report by Violence Free Minnesota names 24 people who were killed last year due to intimate partner abuse in Minnesota, plus three others whose deaths it describes as suspicious.
'There's great hope': Minnesota's first neurology-dedicated pet clinic opens
As the state’s only veterinary clinic dedicated to neurology gets up and running, Dr. Missy Carpentier told Cathy Wurzer why pets and their people can have hope in medical situations that start out scary.
How will the federal government shutdown affect Minnesota?
Congressional Democrats and Republicans couldn’t reach a spending agreement Tuesday night, which means as of Wednesday much of the federal government has shut down. Here’s what we know about how the shutdown will impact Minnesota.
Sen. Smith: Government shutdown, higher health insurance premiums a 'lose-lose situation'
The U.S. government has shut down after the Senate failed to pass a stopgap spending bill. U.S. Sen. Tina Smith from Minnesota is one of many Senate Democrats who voted against the Republican-backed bill.
Minnesota health insurance premiums will rise sharply in 2026
The Minnesota Department of Commerce has released the final rates for individual and small group health insurance plans for 2026. The average premium increase on the individual market will go up 22 percent, while the small group market sees a 14 percent increase. This is the most significant rate hike since 2017.
New books this week: War, murder and Lionel Richie
This week’s notable book releases promise a veritable potpourri of death — and a celebration of life from one of America's most ubiquitous singers.
PEN America warns of rise in books ‘systematically removed from school libraries’
A new report says that the number of books being challenged or removed from public schools across the country has risen exponentially in the past two years. “A Clockwork Orange” tops their list.
Award-winning Owamni to bring Indigenous cuisine to Guthrie Theater
Owamni, the James Beard Award-winning restaurant founded by chef Sean Sherman, will move in spring 2026 to the Guthrie Theater’s long-vacant riverfront restaurant space in downtown Minneapolis.
Minneapolis crime is down — even if it doesn’t always feel that way
Producer Gretchen Brown talked with University of Minnesota Sociology Professor Michelle Phelps to try to make sense of the gap in crime perception versus reality.
Poll: Agreement that political violence may be necessary to right the country grows
On hot button issues, a majority say children should be vaccinated; controlling gun violence is more important than gun rights; and Epstein files should be released, in a new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll.
Where things stand with Trump’s National Guard deployments
The Trump administration has deployed or threatened to deploy National Guard troops in more than half a dozen American cities that it says are crime ridden.
Minneapolis council members advance proposal targeting problem landlords
Under the proposed ordinance, the city council will hold public hearings and vote on whether to renew licenses for properties that have been repeatedly flagged for violations. 
How 2 Minnesota graduate students are helping implement free period products in schools
This is the second year that Minnesota schools are required to provide free menstrual products. MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with two graduate students who created a toolkit that helps educators put the law into practice.
Part of a high-rise apartment building in New York City collapses, no injuries reported
Part of a high-rise apartment building in New York City has collapsed, leaving a corner of the building in a pile of rubble. The city’s fire department said it had no immediate reports of injuries.
Planned Parenthood closes Louisiana clinics after 40 years due to financial and political pressure
Louisiana’s only two Planned Parenthood locations have closed after 40 years. The organization says the closure Tuesday is the result of political attacks and funding woes, following President Donald Trump’s spending and tax plan that eliminates Medicaid reimbursements for organizations that provide abortion.
Dozens killed in a powerful earthquake that hit the Philippines
The death toll was expected to rise from the Tuesday magnitude-6.9 earthquake that trapped an unspecified number of residents in the hard-hit city of Bogo and outlying rural towns in Cebu province.
Taylor Swift popularized fighting for masters. Are more artists getting ownership?
Taylor Swift turned masters ownership from a behind-the-scenes conversation into a mainstream debate about artist autonomy. But how has that fight influenced other artists in the music industry?
Federal agencies are rehiring workers and spending more after DOGE’s push to cut
Eight months after the Department of Government Efficiency effort to shrink the federal workforce began, some agencies are hiring workers back – and spending more money than before.
October begins with summerlike heat ahead and potential records
It’ll be another warm day Wednesday for the first day of October. Then it’ll be downright hot by Friday and Saturday with cooler air finally moving in early next week along with potential rain. 
What happens now that a government shutdown is underway
Washington is bracing for what could be a prolonged federal shutdown after Congress deadlocked and missed the deadline for funding the government.
Community leaders call for further investigation after Minneapolis mosque fire ruled accidental
While Minneapolis Fire Department officials ruled a Monday evening fire at Alhikma Islamic Center accidental, community leaders are calling for further investigation into what led to the blaze.
Lou Nanne, voice of Minnesota high school hockey tournament, inducted into Broadcasters Hall of Fame
Ahead of Tuesday’s ceremony, Lou Nanne joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer from his Florida home via Zoom to reflect on his 60 years behind the microphone.