Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now

Stories from August 3, 2026

Todd Barnette will remain in city safety post during replacement search

Todd Barnette will remain in city safety post during replacement search

Minneapolis Community Safety Commissioner Todd Barnette will remain in office through the end of the year while the city searches for a replacement, after the City Council twice rejected his nomination for a second term.
by 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!
State-level murder prosecution for Vance Boelter in lawmaker attacks moves forward

State-level murder prosecution for Vance Boelter in lawmaker attacks moves forward

The hearing lasted 13 minutes and defense attorney Geoffrey Isaacman asked Judge Juan Hoyos that his client remain in custody at the Sherburne County Jail. Boelter also said that he had some questions for the judge about his rights.
by Matt Sepic

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!
New maps point toward increased fire threat this fall

New maps point toward increased fire threat this fall

There is heightened risk for wildfires to form over northern Minnesota late this summer and continuing into fall. This is separate from the already-started fires in the Boundary Waters region.
by Ben Cathey

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 wildfires continue burning; More states report cyberattacks on water systems

Fires still burning in parts of the Boundary Waters have charred nearly 65,000 acres. And federal officials say Minnesota was one of at least seven states that reported cyberattacks on city water systems last week.
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!
Add State Auditor to the list of contested primaries on the GOP ballot

Add State Auditor to the list of contested primaries on the GOP ballot

The State Auditor is a role that doesn’t get as much publicity as other statewide Constitutional offices, but it has served as a launching pad for some politicians and came close to breaking the long winless streak for Republicans in statewide office races in 2022.
by 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!
‘That job changed my life‘: Former Pearson's employee reflects on her days on the candy line

‘That job changed my life‘: Former Pearson's employee reflects on her days on the candy line

On Friday, the maker of the legendary Salted Nut Roll, Pearson’s Candy Company, announced it will close its St. Paul factory. Traci Travis worked there for about eight years in the early 2000s. She is 27 years sober and says the job helped her stabilize her life after treatment.
by Kelly Gordon, Alanna Elder 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!
Minnesota raises kratom purchase age as poison center calls climb

Minnesota raises kratom purchase age as poison center calls climb

A new Minnesota law raises the legal age to buy kratom to 21. The change comes as health officials warn about increasingly potent products and a rise in kratom-related poison center calls.
by Nicole Ki

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: Minnesota water systems need updating to prevent future attacks

Expert: Minnesota water systems need updating to prevent future attacks

Minnesota is believed to be one of seven states where municipal water systems were hacked. Faisal Kaleem, a cybersecurity expert with Metro State University, said many of the systems municipalities use are older, legacy programs that make them vulnerable to a cyberattack.
by Kelly Gordon 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!
Gusty winds, dry conditions cause uptick in northeastern Minnesota wildfire activity

Gusty winds, dry conditions cause uptick in northeastern Minnesota wildfire activity

There was an uptick in wildfire activity over the weekend in northeastern Minnesota. But overall progress toward containing the fires is allowing more Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness entry points to reopen this week.
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!
Ahead of St. Paul's largest encampment closure, outreach workers look to find residents shelter

Ahead of St. Paul's largest encampment closure, outreach workers look to find residents shelter

Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities has been at Pig’s Eye Park encampment in St. Paul nearly every day for the past several weeks, working to connect people to their shelter and services. The encampment is set to close Wednesday.
by Kelly Gordon 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!
Storms bring much needed rain. Severe threat looms for Monday

Storms bring much needed rain. Severe threat looms for Monday

Thunderstorms are already bringing rain to parts of Minnesota early Monday, with additional rounds of storms expected to develop later Monday and continue into early Tuesday.
by Mandy Thalhuber

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 Aug. 3

Morning Announcements for Aug. 3

These are the Morning Announcements for Monday, Aug. 3. 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!
Women's Professional Baseball League makes a rainy debut in front of enthusiastic crowd

Women's Professional Baseball League makes a rainy debut in front of enthusiastic crowd

The Women’s Professional Baseball League has started its inaugural season. Mo’ne Davis and the Los Angeles Queens rallied for a wild 10-8 victory over Denae Benites and the New York Heights on opening day for the first women’s professional baseball league in the United States in almost 30 years.
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!
Making sense of student loan changes

Making sense of student loan changes

Student loan rules recently changed and many borrowers are feeling the impact. MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests break down the latest federal changes, what they mean for payments and how people can make the best financial decisions for themselves.  
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!
She protested ICE raids. Then agents showed up at her door

She protested ICE raids. Then agents showed up at her door

The Justice Department is using federal conspiracy charges to sweep up ICE protesters. Some legal experts worry the agency is casting too wide a net to prosecute political activists.
by Meg Anderson

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!
Emerson singles in 9th for Mariners' second straight walk-off victory over the Twins

Emerson singles in 9th for Mariners' second straight walk-off victory over the Twins

Colt Emerson singled to right in the ninth inning to score pinch-runner Stuard Fairchild from third for the Seattle Mariners’ second straight walk-off victory over the Minnesota Twins, 7-6 on Sunday.
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!

Vance Boelter due in court Monday for first appearance on state charges

The man serving life in federal prison for killing former DFL House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark is due in Hennepin County court Monday afternoon to make his first appearance on state charges. Meanwhile, small business owners in northeastern Minnesota told their state legislators that the wildfires are having a “disastrous” impact on their bottom lines.
by Phineas Pope

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!
Advancing cool front increases storm chances Monday into Tuesday

Advancing cool front increases storm chances Monday into Tuesday

An advancing cool front out of the Dakotas will touch off more storms late Monday into Tuesday morning. Behind the front we’ll see another dip in temperatures and dew points.
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!
Highway 280 on track to reopen before State Fair. But it's still closed right now

Highway 280 on track to reopen before State Fair. But it's still closed right now

MnDOT officials say they are on track to reopen Highway 280 before their target date of Aug. 22 before the Minnesota State Fair. Officials also say some drivers are endangering workers by prematurely going around the barriers.
by Matt Mikus

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!
Rochester's construction boom creates noise, detours and a lot of good paying jobs, too

Rochester's construction boom creates noise, detours and a lot of good paying jobs, too

Rochester is undergoing a transformation as Mayo Clinic expands. And that means detours around torn up roads and other construction projects. But in the midst of all the barricades, cranes and cement trucks are good paying jobs, as Rochester leads the state in creating new construction jobs.
by Catharine Richert

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 the next generation takes over the family farm, a tough economy brings new challenges

As the next generation takes over the family farm, a tough economy brings new challenges

Passing on the family farm to the next generation is typically an involved process, both financially and emotionally. A turbulent agricultural economy the past few years has made that transition even more difficult.
by Tadeo Ruiz Sandoval

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!