Stories from July 3, 2025

Warm night ahead sets the stage for sizzling Fourth of July
A mild, muggy Thursday night will lead us into a hot July 4 holiday. Temperatures will climb back into the 90s, with heat advisories in effect for parts of the state. There’s also an increasing risk for severe thunderstorms Thursday night and Friday night.
Here are the nonfiction books NPR staffers have loved so far this year
A deep dive on gossip. Revolutionary history. A meditation on muscle. A closer look at the color blue. And memoirs galore. There’s something for everyone on this nonfiction summer reading list.
Minnesota's U.S. House members split along party lines on a tax and budget bill that President Donald Trump plans to quickly sign.
Behind the scenes of the Minnesota company putting on 68 July Fourth fireworks displays
It is a busy time of year for RES Pyro based in Belle Plaine. They are behind many fireworks displays statewide. They also manufacture fireworks for displays worldwide, including the Super Bowl and Tokyo Disneyland.
 Lawsuit challenges new Minnesota law requiring prescription drugs for county jail inmates
The law’s opponents say the law requires health care providers to give inmates medicine even if they think it could worsen their health. Supporters say it's needed to ensure inmates are provided with the medicine they need.
Minnesota counties worry about cost shifts from Trump's big bill
Minnesota is one of 10 states where counties administer Medicaid and SNAP benefits. St. Louis County estimates it will have to pay an additional $16.4 million to be able to continue providing benefits to residents.
Supreme Court will take up a new case about which school sports teams transgender students can join
Just two weeks ago, the Supreme Court upheld a ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth. On Thursday, the justices said they'll review lower court rulings in favor of transgender athletes in Idaho and West Virginia. The case will be argued in the fall.
Liverpool player Diogo Jota and his brother killed in a car accident in Spain
Liverpool player Diogo Jota and his brother were killed in a car accident in Spain. The Spanish Civil Guard confirmed to The Associated Press that Jota and his brother were found dead after their car went off a road near the northwestern city of Zamora.
Wisconsin governor signs budget in early morning to secure Medicaid funds
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers signed a new two-year budget in the early morning hours Thursday in a race against Congress to ensure the state gets a federal Medicaid match that it would lose under President Trump's tax and spending cuts package.
Are you a glucose 'dipper'? Here's how to fix those blood sugar highs and lows
After a meal, some people experience high spikes in blood sugar followed by crashing lows. This can cause fatigue, anxiety and trigger overeating. Learning how to manage your blood sugar can help.
To kick off celebrations of America’s founding, Trump travels to its heartland
President Trump will give a speech in Iowa Thursday night as the official start to a year of events marking the country’s 250th anniversary. It comes at a crucial time for his domestic policy agenda.
The House gives final approval to Trump's big tax bill and sends it to him to sign
House Republicans have propelled President Donald Trump’s $4.5 trillion tax breaks and spending cuts bill to final congressional passage. Republicans overcame multiple setbacks to approve his signature second-term policy package Thursday before a Fourth of July deadline.
How a GOP rift over tech regulation doomed a ban on state AI laws in Trump’s tax bill
A stark disagreement over regulating AI in Republicans’ tax cut and spending bill is the latest tension among conservatives about whether to let states continue to put guardrails on emerging technologies or minimize such interference.
Guide to summer birdwatching: What to look and listen for
MPR News host Angela Davis talks with Sharon Stiteler, also known as "the Birdchick," about summer birdwatching — what to look for, where to go, and why this season is more active than you might think.
Iconic Palmer’s Bar in Minneapolis announces it will close in September
The 119-year-old Minneapolis gathering place and music venue Palmer’s Bar announced on social media late Wednesday that its final day of business will be Sept. 14. Palmer’s dates back to 1906.
Communities across Minnesota will be celebrating the Fourth of July with parades, picnics and fireworks displays. While most fireworks are Friday night, a few cities will get an early jump on the holiday with shows Thursday. Minneapolis police are hoping to avoid a repeat of the mayhem that plagued the last three July Fourth holidays.
Red Panda has fractured left wrist, released from hospital after fall at WNBA game
Red Panda, the popular performer who fell off her unicycle and crashed to the court during intermission of the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup final between the Indiana Fever and the Minnesota Lynx, has a broken left wrist and will need further consultation with an orthopedic surgeon, the agency that represents her said Wednesday.
Prosecution moves forward after alleged Hortman assassin waives hearings
Vance Boelter made another brief appearance in a St. Paul federal courtroom Thursday, where he waived his right to the hearings that had been scheduled. Boelter is charged with killing former DFL House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark.
Review: The Guthrie’s ‘Cabaret’ is a chilling look at how fascism happens
The Guthrie Theater’s production of “Cabaret” uses its familiar songs and story to show how escaping into entertainment can dull resistance to rising fascism, drawing clear parallels to today’s authoritarian threats.
After six years, on Fourth of July this lighthouse beacon will again sweep across Lake Superior
The old light broke in 2019. Volunteer lighthouse keepers raised $50,000 to purchase a new LED light from a Finnish company that mimics the historic lighthouse’s sweeping pattern across Agate Bay.
Radio Camp 2025 explores the work of Loft Literary Center writers and those who support them
Radio Camp this year focused on writers of fiction, poetry and memoir and the Minneapolis center where many teach. The Loft Literary Center offered interviewees so high school students could learn to research, interview and produce radio stories.
The GOP’s massive bill would add trillions of dollars to the country’s debt
The GOP tax cut and spending bill passed by the Senate this week is expected to add trillions of dollars to the federal debt over the next decade. The savings would mostly go to top earners.
Recipe scavenger hunt takes you to historic sites across the state
The Minnesota Historical Society has a new cookbook. But there’s a catch — all of the recipe cards are missing! All Things Considered host Clay Masters spoke with Jacob Rorem from MNHS to get more information on the so-called recipe adventure.
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