Stories from June 18, 2025

Dealing with traumatic grief after Minnesota’s recent political violence
MPR News host Cathy Wurzer spoke with Stacy Remke. She’s a clinical social worker, a teaching specialist at the University of Minnesota, and the author of the book, “The Insider’s Guide to Grief.”
How a Supreme Court ruling on gender-affirming care could impact Minnesotans
On Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a Tennessee law banning gender-affirming care for children — a ruling that is expected to shield similar laws in at least 20 other states.
Job Interview: Court sketch artist captures Minnesota’s most prominent criminal proceedings
When camera’s aren’t allowed in a courtroom, an illustrator will be asked to step in. Cedric Hohnstadt has been Minnesota’s go-to courtroom sketch artist for nearly 30 years.
Brooklyn Park police are investigating a break-in at the home of DFL leader Melissa Hortman, and her husband Mark. The incident comes days after the Hortmans were shot and killed in their home in what authorities are calling a politically motivated attack. Police say they discovered pried-off plywood that was covering the home’s rear window.
Sexy & Spiteful: The best books to read this summer
Celebrated romance authors Bolu Babalola and Emily Henry return to the show to discuss with Brittany their summer reading recommendations, ranging from spiteful and salacious to sweet and spicy.
Looking for summertime suspense? Turn up the heat with these 4 mystery novels
Maureen Corrigan recommends four great reads: “El Dorado Drive,” by Megan Abbott; “The House on Buzzards Bay,” by Dwyer Murphy; “King of Ashes,” by S.A. Cosby; and “Murder Takes a Vacation,” by Laura Lippman.
‘Drag is Art’ Minnesotan and first Drag Race winner BeBe Zahara Benet to perform Saturday
BeBe Zahara Benet was the first person to win the title of “America’s Next Drag Superstar” on the reality show RuPaul’s Drag Race, which has since exploded in popularity.
Brooklyn Park police investigating break-in at Hortmans' home
Brooklyn Park police are investigating a break-in at the home of slain Minnesota House DFL leader Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark. The incident was reported Wednesday morning.
Israel and U.S. intelligence differ on status of Iran's nuclear program. Who’s right?
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu says Iran is “marching very quickly” toward a nuclear weapon. The U.S. intelligence community says Iran suspended its nuclear weapons program in 2003.
Friedl drives in a pair and Reds rally for 3rd straight win, 6-5 over Twins
TJ Friedl hit a decisive two-out, two-run double in the sixth inning and the Cincinnati Reds rallied for their third straight win, 6-5 over the Minnesota Twins. Cincinnati has won eight of its last 11 games to climb within two games of the third NL wild-card spot.
Remembering Mother Emanuel, 10 years after racist attack on famed Charleston church
Charleston, S.C., reflects on 10 years since a racially motivated attack on the historic Emanuel AME church. A white supremacist killed 9 Black worshippers in 2015 in hopes of starting a race war.
Older U.S. adults are increasingly dying from unintentional falls, and white people account for the vast majority of the deaths. That's according to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that was published Wednesday.
Supreme Court OKs Tennessee ban on gender-affirming care for minors, big loss for transgender rights
The Supreme Court has upheld Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors, a stunning setback to transgender rights. The justices’ 6-3 decision on Wednesday effectively protects from legal challenges many efforts by President Donald Trump’s Republican administration and state governments to roll back protections for transgender people.
Collective grief: Mourning Rep. Hortman and her husband, Mark
Many people are experiencing a collective sense of grief in the wake of the targeted fatal shootings of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband. MPR News host Kelly Gordon talks with her guests about the shared sadness, anger and anxiety — and how people can heal, together.
Many lawmakers named in writings of suspected Minnesota shooter vow not to bow down
From a legislator in downtown Minneapolis to a veteran Ohio congresswoman, many lawmakers included in the suspected Minnesota gunman’s writings and list of targets are vowing not to bow down.
Man charged with killing prominent lawmaker could face a rarity for Minnesota: the death penalty
The man charged with killing a prominent Minnesota lawmaker and wounding another could face the death penalty, something that is a rarity for Minnesota but could become more common under the Trump administration.
New Report: U.S. drug overdose deaths rise again after hopeful decline
The latest 12-month report from the CDC showed 1,400 more deaths in January of this year compared with the year prior. This comes after more than a year of dramatic progress. Experts say they're not sure if this is a “blip” or something more troubling.
A candlelight vigil to honor the late DFL House Leader Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark is planned for Wednesday night at Minnesota’s state Capitol. Federal authorities have revealed that the man suspected in the shootings had an alleged target list that included leaders of Planned Parenthood.
Anne Burrell, TV chef who coached the ‘Worst Cooks in America,’ dies at 55
TV chef Anne Burrell, who coached culinary fumblers through hundreds of episodes of “Worst Cooks in America,” has died. Medical examiners are set to determine what caused her death.
Childhood friend says Minnesota suspect had ‘darkness inside of him’
A lifelong friend of the alleged Minnesota gunman says Vance Boelter had been struggling to find work and was wrestling with a “darkness that was inside of him” at the time of the shootings. But David Carlson told The Associated Press on Tuesday that his friend's involvement was as surprising as “getting struck by lightning.”
Data centers face new regulations, some worry they fall short of protecting water, residents
The largest “hyperscale” data centers can consume millions of gallons of water a year, and use as much electricity as an entire large city. Some environmental and citizen groups who pushed for tougher rules don’t think the bill goes far enough to protect the state’s water supply and consumers.
‘What happens in the streets:’ St. Thomas team continues to document art inspired by George Floyd
A team of University of St. Thomas researchers is documenting street art from the George Floyd protests — murals, posters and graffiti — in an ongoing global archive to preserve these ephemeral expressions of resistance and remembrance.
Sen. Smith calls out Utah lawmaker’s posts about political shootings
Soon after the shootings of Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, Sen. John Hoffman and their spouses, Republican Sen. Mike Lee took to social media to make baseless claims about the alleged shooter’s connection to the political far left.
Photos: Formal procession for Rep. Melissa Hortman and husband Mark
The Hortman family gathered at the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office on Tuesday afternoon as remains of Rep. Melissa Hortman and Mark Hortman were transported to a funeral home in Minneapolis.
4 things to know as the war between Israel and Iran intensifies
Panic and confusion gripped Iran’s capital, Tehran, as Israel warned civilians to evacuate or face more potential strikes as conflict between the two countries spilled into its fifth day.
‘The stuff of nightmares’: The timeline of events leading up to and following Boelter’s attacks
Authorities have revealed a chilling timeline of events that led up to and followed the fatal shooting of former DFL House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark early Saturday.
Former Minnesota ISIS member granted early release after helping terrorism investigators
A federal judge in Minneapolis cut the sentence short of a Twin Cities man who joined the Islamic State group a decade ago. Abdelhamid Al-Madioum left prison Tuesday after providing extensive help to the government in other terrorism cases.
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