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President Joe Biden hails bipartisan deal to avert debt default in a rare Oval Office address

President Biden praised a bipartisan agreement that raised the debt ceiling and averted a calamitous debt default in a rare Oval Office speech Friday.
people walk towards a building

'All those dreams are crushed': visa-holding employees face uncertainty after Windom plant closure

As the HyLife pork processing plant closes today the people of Windom, including hundreds of workers whose visas depend on employment at the plant, wonder about the future.
  • PreviouslyHyLife plant closes in Windom; company says new buyer doesn't intend to retain workers
aerial view of a high school in Minneapolis

Minneapolis students use 'Rickroll' prank to highlight district computer security flaws

Two Minneapolis Public Schools students used an email prank Friday to draw attention to what they say are more security flaws in the district's computer systems.
The Sherburne County Generating Station dominates the skyline.

Xcel Energy will ask state regulators to reconsider electric rate hike

Xcel says it will reevaluate its investments in the clean energy transition and is withdrawing a proposal to build a network of more than 700 electric vehicle charging stations.
a man is speaking at a podium

Do Allina Health’s alleged billing practices violate MN law? The attorney general is looking into it

On Thursday, the New York Times published an investigation into Allina’s billing practices. The story alleges the company refused to provide certain types of care for patients with at least $4,500 in medical debt. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison asks those who’ve experienced “aggressive billing practices” at Allina Health to contact his office.
Players in white jerseys and red letters and numbers

Polanco's RBI double gives Twins 1-0 win over Guardians

The Twins have won the first two games of the series and four of five overall. They played without Carlos Correa, Byron Buxton and Joey Gallo on Friday night, and Polanco was in his second game back after a stay on the injured list with a hamstring strain.
Grand Old Day

St. Paul's Grand Old Day fest returns this weekend after three-year respite

Regularly drawing a quarter million people along Grand Avenue, the celebration is back at it Sunday from Fairview Avenue to Dale Street.
Signs marking road construction zones

Two major freeway closures planned in Twin Cities this weekend

It’s going to be a challenging weekend for drivers in parts of the Twin Cities metro area, with two major freeway closures planned.
The English Understand Wool

Ask a Bookseller: The English Understand Wool

Part of the fun of talking with independent bookstores is hearing about great books from smaller, independent presses. Today's recommendation combines both.
Rescuers work at the site of passenger trains that derailed in Balasore district, in the eastern Indian state of Orissa, on Friday.

More than 200 people are dead and 800 hurt after 2 trains derail in India

Two passenger trains derailed Friday in India, killing more than 200 people and trapping hundreds of others inside more than a dozen damaged rail cars, officials said.
A journalist interviews a girl on a park bench

ChangeMakers: Showcasing transgender and nonbinary Minnesotans for Pride month

Every week in June, MPR News is featuring transgender and nonbinary Minnesotans who are making an impact. These are our “ChangeMakers.”
Jaqueline Benitez pushes her cart down an aisle as she shops for groceries at a supermarket in Bellflower, Calif., on Monday, Feb. 13, 2023. Benitez, 21, who works as a preschool teacher, depends on California's SNAP benefits to help pay for food.

Congress created changes to food assistance. Here's what they mean

In an effort to avoid defaulting on the nation's loans, lawmakers created updates to SNAP, the nation's largest food assistance safety net. There are new work requirements as well as exemptions.
In this handout image supplied by the European Space Agency on July 16, 2008, the Echus Chasma, one of the largest water source regions on Mars, is pictured from ESA's Mars Express.

Here is the first livestream from Mars — a rare, almost real-time look into space

On Friday afternoon, spectators had a chance to see the most current images of Mars possible — which take 3 to 22 minutes to reach Earth — courtesy of the European Space Agency.
A person paints a rainbow on a kids face

Celebrate pride month in Minnesota with these LGBTQ+ events

Minnesota has lots of events to offer for Pride month. Here is a sampling of activities around the state.
YouTube announced on June 2 that it will no longer take down video that make false claims about the legitimacy of U.S. elections.

YouTube will no longer take down false claims about U.S. elections

The Google-owned video platform's reversal comes as former President Donald Trump continues to baselessly claim the 2020 election was stolen
A graphic with the state of minnesota and pieces of art

Arts Briefs: Unexpected public art

This week’s arts briefs look at the new season for Cantus, art at the capitol and a huge pencil. Also: Absolute Bleeding Edge looks at stripped-down Swedish glam rock.
HyLife sign in front of plant

HyLife plant closes in Windom; company says new buyer doesn't intend to retain workers

More than 1,000 workers will lose their jobs in the plant closure, including half who are in the U.S. on work visas connected to employment at the company. The City of Windom and social service agencies are working to help employees.
Student loan borrowers gather near The White House in May 2020. On Thursday, the Senate voted to repeal President Biden's plan to offer up to $20,000 in federal student loan debt relief.

Senate passes GOP-led resolution to block Biden's student loan relief plan

With President Biden pledging a veto, the resolution amounts to a mostly symbolic show of congressional disapproval on a plan to cancel up to $20,000 in federal student loan debt.
A customer walks by a "Now Hiring" sign posted in front of a store in Novato, Calif., on April 7, 2023. The labor market remains red hot. That's great for workers, but it's bound to reinforce concerns about high inflation.

The U.S. added 339,000 jobs in May. It's a stunningly strong number

Employers added a whopping 339,000 jobs in May, far above expectations, according to a report from the Labor Department on Friday.
Dev Shah, 14, from Largo, Fla., reacts as he wins the Scripps National Spelling Bee finals, Thursday, June 1, 2023, in Oxon Hill, Md.

With winning word 'psammophile,' 14-year-old from Florida wins National Spelling Bee

Dev Shah won by correctly spelling "psammophile," a noun that is used to describe animals and plants that prefer to live in sandy soil environments
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