Lifestyle

Winter Play: The anticipation, anguish and magic of ice dipping
As MPR News staff fanned out across the state to experience cold weather activities they had never tried for the Winter Play series, Regina Medina and Elizabeth Shockman took a transformative plunge in Lake Harriet.
Winter Play: We tried Minnesota birrrd-watching
It’s cold. But the birds here don’t mind. Why not try your hand at joining them? As part of the Winter Play series MPR News’ Amy Felegy took to a snowy, wooded path in northwestern Minnesota to give you the scoop on winter birding for the first time.
Dog helps family escape fire at Duluth home
Fire officials in Duluth say the barking of a yellow Lab named Dudley woke up a 12-year-old girl — who in turn alerted her family and helped everyone to escape to safety after a fire at their home Wednesday night.
SNAP recipients will lose their pandemic boost and may face other reductions by March
Congress ended the temporary benefit meant to help low-income households with pandemic-era hardships. A huge increase in Social Security benefits may mean some households see further SNAP reductions.
Winter Play: Ice fishing — learning family tradition hook, line and sinker
Our staff across the state set out to try a new-to-them winter pastime. MPR News’ southwest Minnesota reporter Hannah Yang spent her first day ice fishing with her father-in-law and husband in Faribault, Minn.
Tired of cold? This saint turns water to beer and says spring is near
Long celebrated by farmers welcoming spring, St. Brigid Day is a bank holiday in Ireland for the first time this year. Though the start of spring is farther off for us here in Minnesota, chef and cookbook author Beth Dooley says there’s no reason we can’t cook up some bread and stew to celebrate, too.
Winter Play: Ice climbing on the North Shore
As part of MPR News’ Winter Play series, reporter Dan Kraker tried ice climbing for the first time on a cliff north of Two Harbors, an experience he found challenging, rewarding and — when it was over, at least — fun.