Photo Galleries

Photos: Twin Cities' diversity on display
If you want to learn the make-up of a city, just check out its public murals. Communities' ethnic and cultural backgrounds are often reflected on the sides of their convenience stores and barbershops, restaurants and apartment buildings.
Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney waged a seesaw battle for supremacy in Iowa's Republican presidential caucuses late Tuesday night, a dramatic opening round for the campaign to pick a challenger to President Barack Obama.
MPR News pictures of the year, July through September
As summer, and the state government shutdown, stretched on, we were drawn to farms, food insecurity, and the growing Pagami Creek wildfire in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
MPR News pictures of the year, April through June
With spring came floods, tearful good-byes of soldier/spouses in the war, and college graduations. And a rare tornado tore through the north side of Minneapolis.
MPR News pictures of the year, October through December
As the year came to a close, the Norwegian royal family payed a visit, the lockout at American Crystal Sugar dragged on, we visited a farm at harvest time and watched the crows fly over downtown Minneapolis. Then, in late December, we went on the road with Rep. Michele Bachmann in Iowa to watch her quest for the presidency.
MPR News pictures of the year, January through March
The winter of 2011 was one for the record books when it came to snow; we played in it, we shoveled it and some of us sought shelter from it. Meantime, there were protests in the Twin Cities over tuition hikes, and at the Wisconsin Capitol over efforts to neuter public employee unions.
MPR News photos of the week
The war in Iraq is officially over, but not for the Minnesota National Guard's Red Bulls -- and their families waiting anxiously at home. The NBA lockout is over, and we finally got to see Ricky Rubio in a Timberwolves uniform.
Photos: Deployment on the homefront
With the recent adoption of two girls they've been foster parenting for more than a year, Freddy and Jenny Munoz are still adjusting to life as new parents. However, they are doing so while living apart. Freddy, a member of the Minnesota National Guard "Red Bulls" 34th Infantry Division, is stationed in Kuwait assisting with the drawdown in Iraq as Jenny is home with Eszie, 6, and Emma, 8. This is a look at how the St. Francis, Minn. family is dealing with a deployment on the home front.
Photos: Final tour of the Ford plant
Ford's Twin Cities Assembly Plant was open for retirees and the media to see some of the last Ranger pickup trucks come off the production line on Dec. 1, 2011.