Homepage

High on an Austrian mountain, a Minnesotan finds pieces of his family’s past in a WWII bomber wreck
Conversations with his mom led MPR News photojournalist Ben Hovland to the family story of Richard Rossman, a mischievous Minneapolis kid who learned to fly, and a journey to Austria to see where he died piloting the Powder Ann on a freezing December night in 1943.
Construction projects bill stumble leaves entities seeking building aid searching for workarounds
After lawmakers failed to get a construction projects package approved, entities that had money riding on it are looking for alternatives to keep their infrastructure initiatives on track. Gov. Tim Walz pledges a bigger plan next year.
After four-year hiatus, underground mine tours resume at Soudan State Park
For the first time in four years — after the COVID-19 pandemic and then a $9.3 million reconstruction project — public tours of the Soudan Underground Mine in northeast Minnesota are poised to start up again on Memorial Day weekend.
Advocates urge Walz to sign bill funding free college for former foster youth
The Fostering Independence Grant program currently funds free college for about 645 Minnesotans who were in foster care as teens. It’s in danger of taking a hit this fall if it isn’t given money to cover a budget shortfall due to unexpected demand.
Minneapolis City Council members celebrate statewide Uber/Lyft legislation
Supporters say the new statewide law would increase driver pay by 20 percent. However, the per mile and per minute rates are lower than the levels included in the Minneapolis ordinance which would have gone into effect July 1.
As Walz signs $30 million for rural EMS, providers worry it’s not enough
Rural providers of emergency medical services say they have a mismatch between their costs and reimbursements, so they turned to the state for help. A $30 million infusion is short of the request but could stave off some cutbacks.
Remember last year’s Memorial Day travel jams? Chances are they will be much worse this year
Highways and airports are likely to be jammed in the coming days as Americans head out on and home from Memorial Day weekend getaways. AAA predicts this will be the busiest start-of-summer weekend in nearly 20 years.