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Stories from August 18, 2026

MPR News group home investigation roils politics in Minnesota — and Liberia

MPR News group home investigation roils politics in Minnesota — and Liberia

Politicians in Minnesota and commentators in Liberia were stunned to learn the managing director of the West African country’s National Port Authority was simultaneously serving as the assisted living director for three group homes in the northwestern Twin Cities.
by Christopher Peak, Ellie Roth and Jennifer Lu

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Judge orders full review of grand jury materials in St. Paul church protest case

Judge orders full review of grand jury materials in St. Paul church protest case

A federal judge has ordered prosecutors to turn over a broader set of grand jury materials for review in the case against 38 people charged in connection with a January anti-ICE protest at Cities Church.
by Jon Collins

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Minnesota weather: A chill in the August air

Minnesota weather: A chill in the August air

Don’t get too excited by the prospect of full autumn. Our little taste (complete with a few towns in the 30s) will quickly return to summery weather soon enough.
by Ben Cathey

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Properties owned by former Anoka County attorney used in sex trafficking ring were also used for Medicaid fraud, state says

Properties owned by former Anoka County attorney used in sex trafficking ring were also used for Medicaid fraud, state says

Properties owned by a former Anoka County assistant attorney were used in both a sex trafficking ring and as group home sites that stole more than $1 million in Medicaid, according to charges filed Monday. Andrea Sampson, 35, owned three properties used for Medicaid fraud in state charges filed against 30-year-old Salman Ahmed Elmi.
by Ahmed Hassan

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Frank Beard, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame drummer of boogie-rock trio ZZ Top, dies at 77

Frank Beard, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame drummer of boogie-rock trio ZZ Top, dies at 77

Frank Beard, the drummer for ZZ Top, has died at 77. He passed away Tuesday at his ranch in Richmond, Texas, with family by his side. ZZ Top sold over 50 million records and had six No. 1 singles on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart.
by The Associated Press

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Groups targeted by Homeland Security surveillance call on big companies to condemn tactics

Groups targeted by Homeland Security surveillance call on big companies to condemn tactics

Tuesday morning members of community groups and unions targeted by federal surveillance — including some of the 15 anti-ICE activists facing federal conspiracy charges — gathered in downtown Minneapolis to call on large companies, like Target, to use its influence to condemn what they see as a federal crackdown on dissenters.
by Jon Collins

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Morning Announcements for Aug. 17 and Aug. 18

Morning Announcements for Aug. 17 and Aug. 18

These are the Morning Announcements for Monday, Aug. 17, and Tuesday, Aug. 18. Tell us what you’re celebrating!
by MPR News Staff

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North Loop Mpls. residents gather to discuss proposed data center project

North Loop Mpls. residents gather to discuss proposed data center project

Developer Legacy Investing has bought the old Minnesota Star Tribune printing facility with intentions to turn it into a data center. The North Loop Neighborhood Association has organized workshops for the neighborhood to facilitate conversations about the project.
by Nina Moini and Aleesa Kuznetsov

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A summer without enough rain: Minnesota’s dry summer is adding up

A summer without enough rain: Minnesota’s dry summer is adding up

Minnesota has gone much of the summer without enough rain and the shortfall has become hard to ignore. Still, with fall ahead and the ground not freezing anytime soon, there’s time for the moisture situation to improve — as long as Mother Nature cooperates.
by Mandy Thalhuber

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How to parent through the transition to high school

How to parent through the transition to high school

Starting high school can be exciting, and overwhelming, for teenagers and their parents. MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about how parents can help their teenagers adjust while giving them room to grow.
by Angela Davis and Nikhil Kumaran

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Walz executive order moves to block copper mining near the Boundary Waters

Walz executive order moves to block copper mining near the Boundary Waters

Four months after Congress reversed a ban on mining over about 350 square miles in the watershed of the northeastern Minnesota wilderness, Gov. Tim Walz has issued a state executive order to block copper-nickel mining in the area.
by Dan Kraker

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Hopkins, Burnsville communities remember family killed in apparent murder-suicide

The Hopkins and Burnsville communities on Monday night mourned the deaths of two women and a 7-year-old girl who was the daughter of one woman and the granddaughter of the other. Police believe Nathan Brown killed his wife, their daughter and his mother.
by Phineas Pope

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Lingering instability Tuesday with another chance of rain late week

Lingering instability Tuesday with another chance of rain late week

Southern Minnesota will see some lingering instability with a few showers and thunderstorms Tuesday. Temperatures and dew points will dip midweek slightly.
by Sven Sundgaard

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Ask a Bookseller: ‘Her Last Breath’ by Taylor Adams

Ask a Bookseller: ‘Her Last Breath’ by Taylor Adams

This is not a book for the claustrophobic, unless you believe in exposure therapy through reading.
by Emily Bright

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Hemp builds houses, economy and opportunity in one Minnesota tribal community

Hemp builds houses, economy and opportunity in one Minnesota tribal community

Hoping to diversify its economy beyond gambling, the Lower Sioux Indian Community has put its chips on hempcrete, a sustainable housing insulation. The operation is part of a quiet, national surge in Native-owned startups. But steep challenges remain.
by Chris Farrell

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New MPR Minnesota State Fair tote bag showcases state through an Indigenous lens

New MPR Minnesota State Fair tote bag showcases state through an Indigenous lens

Every year Minnesota Public Radio picks a local artist to design a tote bag to be given to thousands of members at the Minnesota State Fair in exchange for donations. Dakota artist Marlena Myles designed this year's special gift, which features vibrant colors and pays homage to each corner of Minnesota through an Indigenous lens.
by Chandra Colvin

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More than 200 gather in Hopkins to remember family killed in apparent murder-suicide

More than 200 gather in Hopkins to remember family killed in apparent murder-suicide

Community members gathered Monday night to honor Kristen Brown, her 7-year-old daughter, Evie, and Brown’s mother-in-law, Alice, while sharing memories of their lives and the Brown Bear Daycare community.
by Regina Medina

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