Stories from June 16, 2025

‘It feels different in here’: Walz returns to the Capitol after death of friend and colleague
Gov. Tim Walz called Rep. Melissa Hortman, who was fatally shot Saturday, his “closest ally” and praised her bipartisanship as a model for a divided country. Walz told MPR News he has asked his staff to prepare for the possibility of Hortman and her husband to lie in state at the Capitol.
Demuth says this is ‘not a time for partisanship’ as the House processes loss of Hortman
The Minnesota House of Representatives is reeling from the loss of Rep. Melissa Hortman. Speaker of the House Lisa Demuth spoke with MPR News senior politics reporter Clay Masters about how she and the rest of the Legislature is processing the death of Hortman and what comes next.
'This cannot be the norm': Minnesotans struggle with surge in political violence
A man suspected of assassinating a Minnesota state lawmaker and shooting another was taken into custody Sunday evening. Angela Davis and her guests talk about how Minnesotans are processing the news.
Salmonella poisoning linked to pistachio cream sickens 3 in Minnesota
Four people have been sickened in two states by salmonella poisoning linked to pistachio cream, a nut butter spread. Three people in Minnesota and one in New Jersey fell ill. One person was hospitalized.
Feds charge Boelter with murder, say he targeted 2 other DFL lawmakers Saturday
Vance Boelter had been planning attacks for “some time” and went to the homes of four DFL politicians Saturday intending to kill them, the acting U.S. attorney for Minnesota said Monday. “It’s no exaggeration to say this is the stuff of nightmares.”
Mauricio Dubón's walk-off single lifts Astros over Twins 2-1, sweep 3-game series
Victor Caratini had a sacrifice fly in the ninth and Mauricio Dubón hit a walk-off single with two out in the 10th to help the Astros beat the Minnesota Twins 2-1 and sweep the three-game series.
This mother relies on SNAP to help feed her kids. Now, she’s bracing for cuts
Millions of people who use the food assistance program SNAP are facing changes: on what food they can buy, how much money they’ll receive or even if they’ll still qualify for the program.
Israel strikes state-run Iranian TV during live broadcast while Trump issues warning to Tehran
Israel struck Iran’s state-run television station during a live broadcast, forcing a reporter to run off camera following an explosion, after Iran fired a new wave of missiles at Israel that killed at least eight people. 
A two-day manhunt for the suspect in the killings of a top DFL lawmaker and her spouse ended with his capture late last night. Vance Boelter faces murder charges in the deaths of former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark.
Friends say Minnesota shooting suspect was deeply religious and conservative
The man accused of assassinating the top Democrat in the Minnesota House held deeply religious and politically conservative views, telling a congregation in Africa two years ago that the U.S. was in a “bad place” where most churches didn’t oppose abortion.
Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith contemplates increased security after shooting of Democratic lawmakers
Lawmakers are still reeling from the shooting that killed one Minnesota state legislator and her husband and severely wounded another and his wife. Even as authorities searched for the suspect in the shooting, the state’s two U.S. Senators noted the attack was one of an increasing examples of political violence.
Artificial intelligence and legislation: The latest in Minnesota 
The use of artificial intelligence has become a hot topic in classrooms, around dinner tables and, increasingly in recent years, in state legislatures. What AI conversations did Minnesota legislators have this session? And what could it mean for the technology moving forward?
Minnesota artist weaves human hair into wearable art, reviving an ancient craft
Artist Karen Keenan discovered she had family ties to the centuries-old practice of turning human hair into art through an intricate process of braiding and shaping. Now she wants to revive the once-popular Swedish art form by teaching it to others.
Volume Button
Volume
Now Listening To Livestream
MPR News logo
On Air
BBC World Service: Newshour