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Stories from January 21, 2026

U.S. House votes to repeal ban on mining near Boundary Waters

U.S. House votes to repeal ban on mining near Boundary Waters

The U.S. House of Representatives voted Wednesday to overturn a 20-year ban on mining near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The vote could pave the way for Twin Metals Minnesota to re-apply for state and federal permits to open a proposed underground copper nickel mine outside Ely. The resolution now heads to the U.S. Senate.
by Kirsti Marohn, Clay Masters and Matthew Alvarez

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President Trump railed against Minnesota in front of a global audience

A federal appeals court today put a temporary hold on a judge's order in a case challenging the actions of immigration authorities in Minnesota. President Donald Trump railed against Minnesota in front of a global audience today over local resistance to his ongoing deportation campaign.
by Emily Reese

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Federal agents detain two teenagers in Minneapolis

Federal agents detain two teenagers in Minneapolis

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers handcuffed and detained two teenagers in south Minneapolis Wednesday afternoon. 
by MPR News Staff

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Internal ICE memo gives officers authority to enter homes without judicial warrants

Internal ICE memo gives officers authority to enter homes without judicial warrants

Federal immigration officers are asserting sweeping power to forcibly enter people’s homes without a judge’s warrant, according to an internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement memo obtained by The Associated Press, marking a sharp reversal of longstanding guidance meant to respect constitutional limits on government searches.
by The Associated Press

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Out to Lunch: Chef Ed Porter uses food and music as vehicles for connection

Out to Lunch: Chef Ed Porter uses food and music as vehicles for connection

Chef and musician Ed Porter blends his culinary talents with his skills in the studio. He released an album and paired it with a 12-course menu. He has a podcast where he talks with guests about food and music.
by Nina Moini and Alanna Elder

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Unpacking the DOJ’s investigation into top Minnesota elected officials

Unpacking the DOJ’s investigation into top Minnesota elected officials

An expert breaks down the Justice Department’s investigation into the Governor, Attorney General and the mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul for their repeated criticisms of federal immigration enforcement activity in the state.
by Nina Moini, Matt Sepic and Alanna Elder

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10 Minnesota chefs and restaurants named James Beard Awards semifinalists

10 Minnesota chefs and restaurants named James Beard Awards semifinalists

The list includes two Minnesotans in the category of outstanding chef and four for best chef in the Midwest. The James Beard Awards are among the restaurant industry’s most prestigious honors.
by MPR News Staff

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Court suspends decision that restricts immigration officers' tactics in Minnesota

Court suspends decision that restricts immigration officers' tactics in Minnesota

An appeals court has suspended a decision that restricts the aggressive tactics of immigration officers in Minnesota. The government persuaded the appeals court to freeze a judge’s ruling that bars officers from using tear gas and taking other steps against peaceful protesters in Minnesota’s Twin Cities.
by The Associated Press

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Man ordered released from ICE custody nearly a week ago still not home

Attorneys representing a man detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said the Department of Homeland Security is not complying with a federal judge’s order to release him.  
by MPR News Staff

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St. Paul church considering legal action over protest

St. Paul church considering legal action over protest

Cities Church says it’s considering its legal options after anti-ICE protesters disrupted its service on Sunday. Meanwhile, two Catholic leaders in the state are urging immigration agents to take a different enforcement approach, and hundreds of clergy members are preparing to march Friday.
by Regina Medina and MPR News Staff

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St. Paul church considering legal action over protest, as other faith leaders call out DHS tactics

St. Paul church considering legal action over protest, as other faith leaders call out DHS tactics

Cities Church says it’s considering its legal options after anti-ICE protesters disrupted its service on Sunday. Meanwhile, two Catholic leaders in the state are urging immigration agents to take a different enforcement approach, and hundreds of clergy members are preparing to march Friday.

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Arctic outbreak on the way: What it means and how to prepare

Arctic outbreak on the way: What it means and how to prepare

Extreme cold warnings and watches are in effect across parts of the region as an arctic air outbreak brings dangerous wind chills capable of causing frostbite on exposed skin within minutes. How to best prepare for the incoming cold.
by Mandy Thalhuber

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Meteorologists blame a stretched polar vortex, moisture, lack of sea ice for dangerous winter blast

Meteorologists blame a stretched polar vortex, moisture, lack of sea ice for dangerous winter blast

Meteorologists warn that a stretched polar vortex could bring severe winter weather to much of the United States. This week, warm Arctic waters and cold continental land are combining to send subzero temperatures, heavy snow, and ice across the eastern two-thirds of the country.
by The Associated Press

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Minnesota Wild lose to the Montreal Canadiens 4-3

Minnesota Wild lose to the Montreal Canadiens 4-3

Cole Caufield scored the winner with 15 seconds remaining to lift the Montreal Canadiens to a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night.
by The Associated Press

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Trump slams Minnesota at global forum in Switzerland

President Donald Trump took his criticism of Minnesota leaders and protests overseas. He touched on the strife in the state during a speech to the World Economic Forum.
by Brian Bakst

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Former chief White House ethics lawyer for George W. Bush calls subpoenas ‘political theater’

University of Minnesota law professor Richard W. Painter called the U.S. Department of Justice’s subpoenas issued Tuesday to Democratic leaders in the state are a dangerous escalation.
by Cathy Wurzer and Lukas Levin

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‘ICE is here!’ Refugee family with legal status unsettled by early morning arrest 

‘ICE is here!’ Refugee family with legal status unsettled by early morning arrest 

A Minneapolis family says U.S. immigration agents detained their son, an incident advocates say highlights a broader federal initiative that is fueling fear in legally present refugee communities.
by Sarah Thamer

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Supporting youth mental health during uncertain times

Supporting youth mental health during uncertain times

Federal immigration enforcement is affecting families across Minnesota. MPR News host Angela Davis talks about what children, teenagers and young adults are experiencing — and how adults can support their mental health.
by Angela Davis and Cari Dwyer

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Democratic state officials face federal subpoenas

The Trump administration claims at least 3,000 people have been arrested in the ongoing ICE operation in Minnesota. Critics of the operation note that people with no criminal record and some U.S. citizens have been detained, arrested or otherwise swept up by federal agents.
by Emily Bright

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Another round of light snow followed by the coldest air of winter

Another round of light snow followed by the coldest air of winter

Wednesday will be closer to normal with highs in the 20s. We get another round of midday and afternoon snow showers followed by the coldest air mass of winter. 
by Sven Sundgaard

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As ICE tactics draw Minneapolis protests, people in greater Minnesota offer nuanced views

As ICE tactics draw Minneapolis protests, people in greater Minnesota offer nuanced views

Two weeks after a federal ice agent shot and killed Renee Macklin Good in Minneapolis, we take the pulse of how folks in outstate Minnesota are feeling about the immigration enforcement actions and the protests against them. For many, they see the issues not as black and white or red and blue, but as shades of gray and nuanced.
by Dan Kraker, Kirsti Marohn, Catharine Richert, Tadeo Ruiz Sandoval and David Schaper

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Central Minnesota nonprofit delivers food, supplies to families in fear of ICE

Central Minnesota nonprofit delivers food, supplies to families in fear of ICE

Fe y Justicia, which is Spanish for “Faith and Justice,” is a faith-based organization that serves the Latino and immigrant community in central Minnesota. For the past couple of weeks, it’s been organizing an effort to collect donations and deliver groceries and other supplies to families in need.
by Kirsti Marohn

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Former sports broadcaster Michele Tafoya enters Minnesota U.S. Senate race

Former sports broadcaster Michele Tafoya enters Minnesota U.S. Senate race

Michele Tafoya filed campaign paperwork Tuesday for a U.S. Senate seat could vault Minnesota into the national picture of competitive races. She’s competing for the Republican nomination.
by Dana Ferguson

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Doctors warn ICE presence is harming patient care across Minnesota

Dozens of physicians from across Minnesota say patients are suffering due to the presence of U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in hospitals and clinics.
by Erica Zurek

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