Greater Minnesota

Rising health needs drive U's new effort to draw Native students to medical school
University of Minnesota Medical School leaders in Duluth say their new effort to boost the number of Native physicians and other health care workers is crucial to meeting a yawning need in an era of COVID-19 and other concerns.
Cliffs to idle Northshore Mining as fight over royalty fees intensifies
The company does not want to pay "absurdly high" royalty fees to Mesabi Trust and is using more scrap metal in its electric arc furnaces.
What a '70s farmers uprising can teach U.S. as it prepares to spend billions on clean energy
A tense, years-long standoff between farmers and crews trying to build a power transmission line through west-central Minnesota offers lessons for energy companies today, as the United States prepares to spend billions on clean energy infrastructure.
Biden administration cancels Twin Metals' leases to mine near BWCA
The action deals a potentially fatal blow to the company’s bid to build an underground mine on the doorstep of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. 
Forest Service slashes BWCA permits to protect wilderness. Some say the cuts go too far
Canoeists eager to take a summer trip into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness can start making reservations Wednesday. But competition for those permits could be more intense this year after the Forest Service slashed the number of available slots.
State court reverses PolyMet water permit, but sides with company on other issues
The state appeals court has reversed a key permit for the proposed PolyMet copper-nickel mine, sending it back to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency for additional analysis of its impacts to groundwater. But in a mixed ruling, the court also sided with PolyMet and the MPCA on several issues.
Two Harbors requests review of mayor's underwater-hotel pursuit
The Two Harbors City Council has directed the Minnesota Attorney General's office to review whether Mayor Chris Swanson's pursuit of an underwater hotel in Lake Superior crossed an ethical or legal line and issue a written opinion on it.
Cities across Minnesota declare climate emergencies, demand action
From Moorhead to St. Louis Park, cities around the state are working with the Minnesota Cities Climate Caucus to draw local attention to the climate crisis, calling on state and federal governments for legislative and financial support. 
Co-op to receive power from largest wind farm in ND
A Minnesota-based cooperative plans to receive power from what is expected to be the largest stand-alone wind farm in North Dakota.
Forest Service announces 13 percent cut in Boundary Waters entry permits
About 23,000 fewer people will be allowed to enter the Boundary Waters Canoe Area each summer starting this year, according to newly released changes the U.S. Forest Service says are needed to relieve crowding and congestion and protect natural resources.