Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now

Stories from February 26, 2026

Minnesota braces for Medicaid funding freeze

A proposal to tie up Medicaid funds to Minnesota could force tough budget choices. Gov. Tim Walz says the announced halt in Medicaid funding continues a campaign of retribution from the Trump administration.
by Emily Reese

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Two federal judges rebuke Minnesota U.S. Attorney after ICE fails to follow court orders

Two federal judges rebuke Minnesota U.S. Attorney after ICE fails to follow court orders

A federal judge in St. Paul ordered Minnesota’s U.S. attorney to court over DHS’s failure to return property to unlawfully detained immigrants, as another judge rebuked his office.
by Matt Sepic and Jon Collins

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
NBA fines Anthony Edwards $25,000 for throwing a ball into the stands after the halftime buzzer

NBA fines Anthony Edwards $25,000 for throwing a ball into the stands after the halftime buzzer

Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star Anthony Edwards was fined $25,000 by the NBA on Thursday for “throwing the game ball with force into the spectator stands,” the league announced.
by The Associated Press

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Mostly melty through Friday, then another wintry weekend

Mostly melty through Friday, then another wintry weekend

A mild Pacific air mass brings another thaw Friday to southern Minnesota. Colder temperatures return for the upcoming weekend. Light snow in the south Saturday.
by Paul Huttner

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
From Minnesota to the Olympics: Doctor makes history for Mexico in skiing

From Minnesota to the Olympics: Doctor makes history for Mexico in skiing

Regina Martinez Lorenzo got her start in cross-country skiing in Minnesota while she was going to medical school. She just returned from the Olympics as the first woman to compete for Mexico in the sport.
by Nina Moini and Alanna Elder

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Minnesota writers gather to break Ramadan fast, build community

Minnesota writers gather to break Ramadan fast, build community

On Thursday, a community of writers came together to break the Ramadan fast, also known as Iftar, and held a public reading at Baba’s Hummus House in Minneapolis. The event was organized by Mizna, which promotes the work of Arab and Southwest Asian and North African artists.
by Nina Moini and Aleesa Kuznetsov

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Expert: Gov. Walz 'cautious' with eviction moratorium decision given legal, political factors

Expert: Gov. Walz 'cautious' with eviction moratorium decision given legal, political factors

Some are calling on Governor Tim Walz to enact an eviction moratorium and rent relief payments. University of Minnesota professor Larry Jacobs breaks down the legal and political considerations facing the governor around an eviction moratorium.
by Nina Moini and Ellen Finn

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Minnesota comedians respond to ICE presence, and aren't afraid to get political

Minnesota comedians respond to ICE presence, and aren't afraid to get political

Minneapolis comedians are responding to ICE’s presence in Minnesota by “punching up” through political comedy and fundraising roasts that channel fear and anger into community support, even as the immediate enforcement surge begins to recede.
by Gretchen Brown

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Crashes raise concerns about pursuit rules for immigration agents

Crashes raise concerns about pursuit rules for immigration agents

Federal agents are accused of using dangerous driving tactics during immigration enforcement. Their vehicle pursuits have been blamed for crashes and at least one death.
by Martin Kaste

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Federal Medicaid funding freeze ‘totally illegal and unprecedented,’ Walz says

Federal Medicaid funding freeze ‘totally illegal and unprecedented,’ Walz says

Gov. Tim Walz said Minnesota has cooperated with the federal government to tighten up Medicaid program controls but would fight an announced freeze of funds to the state.
by Dana Ferguson and Peter Cox

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Wild and Stars on playoff collision course in powerful Central Division as they chase NHL-best Avs

Wild and Stars on playoff collision course in powerful Central Division as they chase NHL-best Avs

The Dallas Stars surged into the Olympic break on a six-game winning streak. The Minnesota Wild won their last five games to finish 8-1-1 before the NHL’s three-week schedule pause.
by The Associated Press

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Memorial services for Jesse Jackson begin at Chicago headquarters of his civil rights organization

Memorial services for Jesse Jackson begin at Chicago headquarters of his civil rights organization

Memorial services for the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. begin in Chicago and stretch across the country to honor his long civil rights legacy. Starting Thursday, he lies in repose for two days at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition headquarters.
by The Associated Press

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Morning Announcements for Feb. 26

Morning Announcements for Feb. 26

These are the Morning Announcements for Thursday, Feb. 26. Tell us what you’re celebrating!
by MPR News Staff

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
What are you watching?

What are you watching?

When the world feels heavy, sometimes the best escape is a great show or movie. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with two entertainment writers about what we’re all watching.
by Angela Davis and Nikhil Kumaran

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Disability advocate says Medicaid freeze could lead to death, homelessness

Disability advocate says Medicaid freeze could lead to death, homelessness

Vice President JD Vance and Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Dr. Mehmet Oz, announced millions of dollars will be withheld from Minnesota in an attempt to mitigate supposed fraud. A disability advocate weighs in.
by Cathy Wurzer and Lukas Levin

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
ICE surge tests relations between St. Cloud police, community

ICE surge tests relations between St. Cloud police, community

At an annual meeting to review the city’s longstanding community policing agreement, St. Cloud Police Chief Jeff Oxton fielded questions about why his department didn’t do more to stop federal agents who may have violated laws or civil rights.
by Kirsti Marohn

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
As bill to ban cryptocurrency ATMs in Minnesota gets airing, local police departments back it

As bill to ban cryptocurrency ATMs in Minnesota gets airing, local police departments back it

Several local police department officials are supporting a ban on cryptocurrency kiosks. A legislative proposal doing that got an airing at the Minnesota Capitol on Tuesday but discussion is continuing.
by Cathy Wurzer, Gracie Stockton and Brian Bakst

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Morning Announcements for Feb. 25

Morning Announcements for Feb. 25

These are the Morning Announcements for Wednesday, Feb. 25. Tell us what you’re celebrating!
by MPR News Staff

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

Health officials in Trump administration freeze $259 million dollars in Medicaid payments

Minnesota won’t get federal payments for quarterly Medicaid services unless it supplies a corrective plan and more data to the federal government. Health officials in the Trump administration have frozen $259 million dollars in payments bound for the state.
by Emily Bright

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Mild air returns Thursday and Friday before a cool weekend

Mild air returns Thursday and Friday before a cool weekend

Warmer air is back today and tomorrow. It will also be pretty windy Friday ahead of yet another cold front Friday night. That front could produce snow showers too. 
by Sven Sundgaard

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

Four killed in head-on crash in Mille Lacs County

The Minnesota State Patrol says four people died and another person was seriously injured Wednesday night in a crash along U.S. Highway 169 in central Minnesota.
by MPR News Staff

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
‘Someone loved them’: As the ICE surge continues in Minnesota, pets suffer

‘Someone loved them’: As the ICE surge continues in Minnesota, pets suffer

As Minnesotans are detained and deported by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, volunteers and pet shelters are led to provide housing and care for the animals that are often the family members involuntarily left behind. 
by Sam Stroozas

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Man released from ICE custody felt stuck while waiting for return of ID, work permit

Man released from ICE custody felt stuck while waiting for return of ID, work permit

Yeferson Gonzalez Contreras was released after five months in ICE detention without his work permit and identification, which prevented him from working or moving around freely for weeks.
by Sarah Thamer

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Art Hounds: Harp harmonies, Hildegard and heartfelt quartet

Art Hounds: Harp harmonies, Hildegard and heartfelt quartet

Art Hounds recommend Bakken Ensemble, the musical “In the Green” and the Lakes Area Music Festival.
by Emily Bright

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
'An amazing brotherhood' — The Apollo Club men’s chorus celebrates 130 years

'An amazing brotherhood' — The Apollo Club men’s chorus celebrates 130 years

As the Apollo Club marks 130 years of song with a major anniversary concert at the Ordway in St. Paul, longtime and new members alike describe the men’s chorus as a rare, enduring brotherhood whose shared music has carried them through war, change and the pressures of the present.
by Alex V. Cipolle

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
How a Dungeons & Dragons meetup turned into mutual aid during ICE operations

How a Dungeons & Dragons meetup turned into mutual aid during ICE operations

A Twin Cities Dungeons & Dragons meetup that began as a way to play the game has grown into a 2,500-person community offering friendship, refuge and mutual aid as immigration enforcement ramps up in Minnesota.
by Jacob Aloi

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
President Trump's State of the Union: Key takeaways

President Trump's State of the Union: Key takeaways

MPR News host Catharine Richert and her guests analyze the major themes, claims, and policy proposals from President Donald Trump's State of the Union address.
by Catharine Richert and Cari Dwyer

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Minnesota food shelves shift gears and deliver groceries to immigrants in hiding

Minnesota food shelves shift gears and deliver groceries to immigrants in hiding

Many Immigrants and BIPOC in greater Minnesota remain too afraid to go to work, school, or shop for groceries. In southern Minnesota, food shelves are adapting, making deliveries of food and necessities to those who don't have enough to eat.
by Hannah Yang

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!