Stories from November 18, 2025

Two professional women's volleyball leagues announce new Minnesota teams
Major League Volleyball announced Tuesday that a Minnesota team will join the indoor volleyball league. League One Volleyball revealed its new Minnesota team on Friday. Both leagues will start in 2027.
Federal agents clashed with protesters during an operation at a St. Paul manufacturer today. Agents from the FBI, DEA and ICE carried out a search warrant at Bro-Tex Incorporated, according to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson. And the entire Minnesota delegation in the U.S. House voted in favor today of forcing the release of investigative files involving sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
 South Dakota governor announces he will run for a full term next year
South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden says he's running to remain in office next June. Rhoden is seeking a full term after having taken over the governor's office in January when his predecessor, Kristi Noem, joined the Trump administration.
Minneapolis police criticized after handling three high-profile cases
The Minneapolis Police Department is facing criticism for its handling of three high-profile cases. The most recent is the killing of a woman who made multiple reports of domestic violence before she died. MPR News host Nina Moini talked to the Minnesota Star Tribune reporter Liz Sawyer, who looked into her case.
Vaccines before the holidays? It's not too late, pharmacist says
To find out what people should know about getting the COVID, flu and RSV vaccines ahead of the holiday season, Cathy Wurzer talked to Ann Philbrick, a doctor of pharmacy and professor in the University of Minnesota’s College of Pharmacy.
A St. Cloud police officer briefly chased the vehicle as it sped through the city. He ended the pursuit, but the vehicle crashed into a parked truck and a light pole.
Minnesota cattle producers to vote on proposed increase in beef checkoff fees
The Minnesota Beef Council has proposed a 50-cent increase to the $1 fee charged to cattle producers on every head of cattle sold. The checkoff fee hasn’t been raised in nearly 40 years, but to make it more palatable to members, the fee would be refundable for those who want to opt out of the program.
Can relationships across the political divide build more trust and better government?
He’s a Republican lawmaker from the Iron Range. She’s a DFLer from Minneapolis. MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with two new state legislators about a first-of-its-kind program that’s helping build bipartisan trust.  
Cloudflare resolves outage that impacted thousands, ChatGPT, X and more
Internet infrastructure provider Cloudflare says it is deploying a fix for an issue that caused global outages for ChatGPT, social media platform X, League of Legends and other prominent internet services. Cloudflare said on its status page earlier Tuesday that it identified an issue that was impacting multiple customers.
McCarthy’s growing pains aren’t going to suddenly vanish anytime soon for frustrated Vikings
J.J. McCarthy and the Minnesota Vikings fell too far behind on his development during his injury absences to warrant another pause. They realize how vital it is for McCarthy to continue to build his catalog of meaningful snaps no matter how erratic as his performance has been recently for a team fading fast from the NFC playoff race.
A Minneapolis business consultant has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison for a a $3.5 million scheme to defraud government pandemic aid programs.
MSP food workers announce strike deadline before Thanksgiving rush
Hospitality workers at Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport have set a Nov. 24 strike deadline that could limit food options during the Thanksgiving travel rush.
 In this Twin Cities kid yoga class, it’s no stretch helping children focus, learn
Yoga can help grown-ups find more focus and balance in life. Can it do the same for kids? One nonprofit is finding yoga is helping some of the Twin Cities youngest learners improve their behavior and schooling at the same time they find their zen.
Minnesota applies for $1B in rural health care funds, but it won’t offset massive Medicaid cuts
Minnesota is applying for $1 billion over five years, but rural health care providers say even if the state gets the funding, it won’t come close to making up for the massive amount that's being cut.
COVID loan fraudster gets 7 years, ordered to repay $3.5M
Tezzaree El-Amin Champion was sentenced to 7 years in federal prison for a $3.5 million pandemic-aid fraud scheme involving phony loans and a fake nonprofit.
Got sticker shock? Here's how much employer-based health insurance costs have risen in Minnesota
Employer-based health insurance costs are expected to rise sharply in 2026. To learn how this is playing out in Minnesota, Cathy Wurzer talked to Brooks Deibele, a Minneapolis-based executive vice president at the benefits consultant firm Holmes Murphy.