Minnesota News

MPR News is your go-to source for Minnesota news and stories.

From local stories from your Minnesota neighbors to breaking news updates across the state, we have you covered.

Aug. 21 update on COVID-19: 15 cases tied to Sturgis, more expected
State health officials have worried for weeks about Minnesotans carrying COVID-19 back from the massive motorcycle rally in Sturgis, S.D. On Friday, they confirmed that Sturgis cases are surfacing, with one person hospitalized.
Behind on rent? A new $100 million housing assistance program may help
Starting Monday, Minnesotans who are behind in their rent or mortgage can apply for housing assistance intended for those struggling financially because of COVID-19. But there will be challenges in getting the money into the hands of people who need it most, so officials want to enlist landlords to help get out the word.
Plaintiffs sue to keep Minneapolis cops on the job
A group of north Minneapolis residents is suing the city to compel it to maintain the legal minimum of police officers on the force. Group members say the number of cops has already dropped below that level.
Aug. 20 update on COVID-19 in MN: School guidance map shifts again
In the latest batch of calculations released Thursday, 11 counties saw their recommendations change for the worse if school started today, away from in-person learning for all students, while six counties saw improvements. Here’s the latest map.
Aug. 19 update on COVID-19 in MN: As deaths rise, a plea to 'do the right thing'
“We’re very concerned about the kind of messages — ‘Well, you can just keep testing and people can use their BC, before COVID, behavior,’” the state’s epidemiologist said Wednesday. “We have to work together.”
Loans for first-time homebuyers see record delinquencies
It's a sign that minority, lower income, and first-time home buyers are getting hit hard financially amid the pandemic. But a vast majority are protected by Congress from foreclosure.
Witnesses told deputies a group of children had been swimming near the dam when some of them were caught up in the churning water that was coming over the dam. The water level at the dam was considerably higher due to the large amount of rain recently, according to officials.
In Grand Forks, giving dignity to a man denied justice
A Black man who was lynched in Grand Forks, N.D., more than a century ago will be memorialized this month, decades after the idea was first raised.
Aug. 18 update on COVID-19 in MN: 9 more deaths; total cases top 66K
Despite some recent stability in the data, Minnesota’s count of active, confirmed cases remains near its late-May high. Public health leaders believe that while the state may be at the crest of the current wave, more waves are coming.