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Questions or requests? Contact MPR News editor Michael Olson at molson@mpr.org.

Rep. McCollum: End of protected status for Myanmar could affect a thousand Minnesotans
Minnesota is home to about 22,000 people from Myanmar. Most arrived as refugees in the early and mid-2000s and would be unaffected by the policy change.
How a Carleton College alum went from Northfield to ‘Saturday Night Live’
Claire McFadden, a Carleton College graduate, talked with MPR News about how she got started in comedy, her decision to pursue it as a career, and how her time in Minnesota prepared her for this highly coveted opportunity.
MN Shortlist: Winter stories, warmer rooms — 6 picks for Dec. 5–Dec. 11
December arrives like a season that knows it’s putting on a show. The city fills with borrowed memories, holiday oddities, local stories and a little frost for dramatic effect. This week’s picks slip right into that cast, where familiar traditions get re-staged and the past refuses to stay backstage.
Owner of Lutsen Lodge charged with arson in fire that destroyed iconic resort
Bryce Campbell, the owner of the Lutsen Resort Lodge on Lake Superior’s North Shore, has been arrested on charges of arson and insurance fraud for his alleged role in the fire that destroyed the lodge in early 2024.
Mountain lion spotted in Duluth has been wandering across Minnesota for 3 months
DNR officials say they’ve been tracking the mountain lion’s journey across the state. It is originally from Nebraska, but was first spotted in Fergus Falls, Minn. in September.
St. Paul City Council approves budget, property tax increase
The St. Paul City Council has approved an $883 million budget for 2026. It includes a 5.3 percent property tax increase, money for development in cultural corridors and downtown, and funding for immigration legal defense.
‘We are here’: In St. Cloud, Somali community pushes back against Trump’s ‘garbage’ comments
More than 100 people gathered in St. Cloud on Wednesday for an event aimed at showing unity and solidarity. Somali residents and other community members said they felt compelled to speak out against what they call the president’s unfair and divisive rhetoric.
Batteries need manganese but talk of mining the mineral roils northern Minnesota’s lake country
There’s a renewed effort in northern Minnesota’s Brainerd Lakes area to develop an underground mine for manganese, which is coveted to make batteries. Many local residents are uneasy.
Beltrami County Board approves cuts to libraries and other community services
The Beltrami County Board of Commissioners finalized next year's county budget earlier this week. As a result, funding for the county museum, public transit and both Blackduck and Bemidji libraries will be cut by about forty percent.