Stories from December 31, 2024

Chilly New Year's Eve; continued cooldown into 2025
We'll ring in the new year with below-average temperatures, ranging from the teens to single digits. As the weekend approaches, temperatures will continue to fall, with highs expected to be at least 10 degrees below the seasonal average.
2024 marks most shooting deaths of law enforcement in Minnesota in 42 years
The deaths of Burnsville police officers Matthew Ruge and Paul Elmstrand, along with Minneapolis Police officer Jamal Mitchell, made for a tragic year in law enforcement. In total, five law enforcement officers in Minnesota died this year.
Starting tomorrow, all court participants will be required to use the Minnesota Digital Exhibit System to upload hearing and trial evidence. And cannabis compact negotiations are underway between the state and some of the 11 tribal nations in Minnesota. If successful, this could lead to tribal cannabis growers providing wholesale supplies to dispensaries around the state when they open in mid-to late 2025.
Airlines file federal lawsuit seeking exemption from Minnesota sick time law
An airline industry group is suing the state of Minnesota in pursuit of an exemption from a new paid sick time law, arguing the requirement runs contrary to federal rules and could hamper flight schedules.
Former CNN anchor and Minnesota native Aaron Brown has died
Aaron Brown, a veteran television news anchor whose steady hand helped guide CNN viewers through the unfolding tragedy of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, has died. The Minnesota native was 76.
Nearly all of Puerto Rico is without power on New Year's Eve
A blackout hit nearly all of Puerto Rico early Tuesday as the U.S. territory prepared to celebrate New Year’s, leaving more than 1.3 million clients in the dark. Officials said it could take up to two days to restore power.
Trump calls it the 'center of the universe.' Mar-a-Lago is a magnet for those seeking influence
President-elect Donald Trump calls his Mar-a-Lago resort the "center of the universe.” Famous figures such as Elon Musk, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg pop up at events held daily at the opulent club. 
NFL Playoff Guide: Postseason bracket much clearer with 1 week remaining in regular season
It’s Week 18 of the NFL season, which means just one game remains before postseason action begins. In the NFC, a crucial game awaits when the Minnesota Vikings travel to face the Detroit Lions on Sunday in a game that will decide the division winner, the No. 1 seed in the conference and home-field advantage until the Super Bowl.
4 ways news media fuel polarization, and some ways to stop it
We live in politically polarized times, and media coverage can be part of the problem, says Diana Mutz, an author and professor who wants American news organizations to rethink how they present political news.
Land return, voting rights and fashion: 2024 Native News coverage through photos
Throughout 2024, MPR News and the Native News team covered Indigenous stories ranging from government policies to the arts. Let’s look at the year in photographs, highlighting some of the reporting.
Poll: American institutions? 1 in 5 say ‘let them burn’
New findings from the McCourtney Institute for Democracy’s Mood of the Nation Poll show that 1 in 5 Americans agree with a statement indicating that the nation’s political and social institutions should be allowed to burn.
Treasury says Chinese hackers remotely accessed documents in 'major' cyber incident
The revelation comes as the U.S. grapples with a massive cyberespionage campaign that gave Chinese officials access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans.