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Stories from July 17, 2026

How weather and climate shape wildfire risk

How weather and climate shape wildfire risk

Coming up at 9 a.m. on Friday, MPR News guest host Kelly Gordon talks with MPR News meteorologists about the weather conditions that make wildfires more likely to ignite and spread and how a changing climate is influencing fire seasons in Minnesota.
by Kelly Gordon and Cari Dwyer

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‘We gotta go’: Brothers tell of harrowing wilderness escape as wildfires closed in

‘We gotta go’: Brothers tell of harrowing wilderness escape as wildfires closed in

Tom and John Connelly put in on Saturday for what was supposed to be a 10-day fishing trip through Quetico Provincial Park, across the Canadian border from the Boundary Waters. Then came the fires and a heart-pounding struggle to make it out.
by Dan Kraker

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Reaching a record level, Duluth's hazardous air quality forces many tourists indoors

Reaching a record level, Duluth's hazardous air quality forces many tourists indoors

Smoke from the wildfires burning in northeastern Minnesota and in Canada is creating the worst air quality on record in many cities across Minnesota and the entire Great Lakes region. One of the worst spots has been Duluth, which is in the height of the city's busy tourist season.
by Dana Ferguson

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Boundary Waters closed? These alternatives can deliver a wilderness fix

Boundary Waters closed? These alternatives can deliver a wilderness fix

There’s no perfect substitute to the BWCA. But paddlers and campers can still find peaceful water, star-filled skies and off-the-beaten path experiences in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Here’s where to look.
by Kirsti Marohn

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MN Shortlist July 17-24: An arcade tourney, a Guthrie romance, art of the border and a new art space

MN Shortlist July 17-24: An arcade tourney, a Guthrie romance, art of the border and a new art space

An arcade tournament, exhibitions openings in the Twin Cities and Grand Marais, a new gallery in downtown Minneapolis, a musical play in Alexandria and a feisty romance at the Guthrie.
by Jacob Aloi and Alex V. Cipolle

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In heated Minnesota Senate primary, barrage of political ads is omen of more to come this fall

In heated Minnesota Senate primary, barrage of political ads is omen of more to come this fall

In a closely contested battle for DFLers in the U.S. Senate primary, candidates and their backers are spending big on advertising. They’re bringing their case to every available screen they can find.
by Peter Cox

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