NewsPartners

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

On the stand, Tony Lazzaro admits to giving money to teen after sex, but denies it was transactional
The one-time Minnesota Republican political operative and top donor testified in his own defense Tuesday. The 32-year-old faces federal charges of giving five girls, who were 15 and 16, cash and gifts in exchange for sex.
Walz's temporary quarters stir uproar over dollars
Gov. Tim Walz and his family will be required to relocate during renovation of the Governor’s Residence, but the rent at a leased property is giving critics sticker shock.
St. Paul, Minneapolis lift parking restrictions
Both Minneapolis and St. Paul are lifting their winter parking restrictions starting Wednesday at 8 a.m. 
Drop in water temperature causes fish kill near Monticello nuclear power plant
Authorities say fluctuating water temperatures in the Mississippi River following the shutdown of Xcel Energy’s Monticello nuclear power plant have killed more than 200 fish. Company and state officials said the fish kill is not the result of tritium.
25 years after tornadoes tumbled southern Minnesota, residents still carry the lessons learned
It’s been 25 years since a tornado outbreak devastated several southern Minnesota communities, killing two people, and destroying hundreds of homes and businesses. The lessons and stories the destruction left behind still have an impact on those who witnessed the storms and rebuilt their lives afterward. 
Final three alleged trafficking victims testify against former GOP operative, Anton Lazzaro
Federal prosecutors are expected to rest their case Tuesday in the sex trafficking trial of Anton “Tony” Lazzaro, 32, a former Minnesota Republican Party operative and top donor who’s charged with paying five minors for sex. On Monday, the final three alleged victims, and the mother of one, testified for the government.