MPR News Update

Twin Cities public television, or TPT, is laying off some of its staff. In an email to employees Tuesday, President Sylvia Strobel said, “Due to the loss of federal funding, we have made the decision to reduce our staff.” The email did not say how many people were let go. It said those impacted were notified Tuesday morning and their last day is Wednesday. Last week, Congress approved a recission bill that cut 1.1 billion dollars from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.In Minneapolis, racial justice and police accountability leaders are criticizing city leaders for promoting a police officer who shot and killed a young man during a no-knock raid in 2022. Sgt. Mark Hanneman became a trainer several months after he shock Amir Locke, who was sleeping at an apartment when police burst in.A jury in Minneapolis has convicted two more members of the Highs street gang of racketeering. The men are among more than 100 defendants charged in a federal anti-gang effort.The chair of the Metropolitan Council, a long-time transportation leader in the state, will step down in September. More than a dozen people called for the shutdown of the Hennepin County trash incinerator outside a Hennepin County Board of Commissioners committee meeting Tuesday. State Sen. Nicole Mitchell is due to be sentenced Sept. 10 following her burglary conviction. The first-term DFLer was found guilty on a pair of burglary charges last week. They stemmed from a 2024 break-in at her stepmother's Detroit Lakes home.Hundreds of clinic workers at Essentia Health locations return to work Wednesday after a two-week strike. Nurses at several Twin Ports-area clinics are negotiating their first union contracts and they say Essentia is bargaining too slowly. Essentia has agreed to add more bargaining dates.

State Sen. Bruce Anderson will be interred at Fort Snelling National Cemetery next week. Anderson died unexpectedly Monday at age 75. State Sen. Nicole Mitchell is due to be sentenced in September following her burglary conviction. Hundreds of Essentia clinic workers in northern and central Minnesota will go back to work Wednesday after a two-week strike.This is an MPR News Evening update, hosted by Emily Reese. Theme music is by Gary Meister. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or RSS. 

Sen. Nicole Mitchell will resign her senate seat following her conviction on felony burglary charges. Mitchell announced through her attorneys Monday that she will give up her seat by early August. It forces the Minnesota Senate into another period of political uncertainty and follows widespread calls for her to resign or be forced out if she doesn't.A new study shows that Olmsted County does not have enough housing stock to meet demand.Law enforcement in northeastern Minnesota is continuing efforts to find Gene Doherty, 40, last seen on July 1 in Silver Bay.Those stories and more in today's evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or RSS. 

Nicole Mitchell, a Democrat from Woodbury, is accused of breaking into her stepmother's home in April 2024.Her defense is that she was there to do a welfare check on her stepmother, who has Alzheimer's disease.Prosecutors say Mitchell was there to get some mementos of her late father's — something Mitchell told police at the scene — and is guilty of trying to break in with the intent to steal.Attorneys on both sides say Mitchell's intent is what matters. The weeklong trial included testimony from Mitchell, her stepmother, family and responding officers.A conviction would likely make it impossible for Mitchell to stay in her role as a public official.An attorney with expertise in federal death penalty cases has joined Vance Boelter's defense team. But prosecutors have yet to say whether they'll seek capital punishment for the man accused of killing former DFL House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark.Boelter is charged with the Hortmans murder. He's also accused of shooting and wounding DFL State Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette and attempting to shoot their daughter Hope.A judge today gave the go-ahead for attorney Kimberly Sharkey to work on Boelter's defense team. Sharkey — based in Las Vegas — is part of the federal public defender office's death penalty unit. She joins Minneapolis-based public defender Manny Atwal. Acting U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson says a decision on whether to seek capital punishment is months away. He says it's ultimately up to Attorney General Pam Bondi, with input from local prosecutors and the victims' families.

Law enforcement shot and killed a person in St. Louis County Tuesday after the person allegedly set homes on fire and shot a weapon at officers. Also, Vance Boelter's attorney says his client plans to plead not guilty to charges he killed Minnesota DFL leader Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. A grand jury indicted him Tuesday on six counts of murder, stalking and firearms violations. The murder charges could carry the federal death penalty. This is the afternoon MPR News Update, hosted by Emily Reese. Theme music by Gary Meister.

Authorities say the man suspected of killing a DFL state lawmaker and her husband last month likely acted alone. Prosecutors have revealed new details about the investigation. The Justice Department has not decided if it will seek the death penalty in the case.Jurors in the trial of state Senator Nicole Mitchell are seeing what transpired when police responded to her stepmother's Detroit Lakes home. The first witnesses and evidence was presented yesterday in Becker County. Mitchell, a DFLer from Woodbury, is accused of felony burglary. The Minneapolis Police Officer who fatally shot Amir Locke during a no-knock raid in 2022 is responsible for leading the department's use of force training. Council President Elliott Payne says it was the wrong choice to put the man who killed a 22-year-old Black man at the helm of use of force training, especially as the department works to repair trust with the community.Governor Tim Walz says Minnesota is likely to be confronted with higher costs administering Medicaid after recent federal changes.The federal prison camp in Duluth, which had been slated for closure, will now remain open. The Bureau of Prisons announced last December it would close the facility due in part to aging infrastructure. Now the agency says it's changing course, following a reassessment and site visit last week from the bureau's new director. The camp employs 90 people and currently houses fewer than 300 inmates.

Witnesses are on the stand after opening statements today in the burglary trial for DFL Senator Nicole Mitchell in a Becker County courtroom. And more than 200 Minnesota small businesses will get a funding boost from the state under a wave of funding that goes out soon.Those stories and more in today's evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Kelly Bleyer. Music by Gary Meister.

Starting next year, Minnesotans who use social media will see new warnings on those sites. And a Minnesota K-9 unit is heading to Texas to help with search and recovery efforts after this month's devastating flash floods.Those stories and more in today's evening update. Hosted by Jacob Aloi. Music by Gary Meister.

Gov. Tim Walz announced today that a special election to fill the Minnesota House seat of the late DFL Leader Melissa Hortman will take place September 16.And another round of Canadian wildfire smoke is moving across Minnesota today -- and an air quality alert is now in effect for the entire state through Monday morning.Those stories and more in today's evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

State lawmakers convened at the Capitol Tuesday for the first legislative hearing since two colleagues were shot last month.An effort to start the process of modifying a Minneapolis police reform agreement is now on pause. The Minneapolis City Council has voted to pause the effort to start modifying the existing MPD agreement with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights. Supporters of the proposal want the city to add provisions from a federal consent decree that was dismissed by a judge earlier this year to its existing pact with the human rights department.The organization Abbey‘s Hope reached a milestone Tuesday in its effort to match Minnesota kids with life jackets. Scott and Katey Taylor formed the group after their 6-year-old daughter Abbey died following an incident in a wading pool where she got stuck in a filter pump.The historic Stone Arch Bridge in downtown Minneapolis is reopening in full next month.The Minnesota Department of Transportation has temporarily turned off the lights on the Mississippi River bridges at Winona amid an ongoing mayfly hatch. The twin bridges carry State Highway 43 across the river to Wisconsin. The lights attract the insects in swarms and can create dangerous driving conditions.

Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher is renewing his call for increased Capitol security following attacks on state lawmakers at their homes. Officials in west central Minnesota say people wanting to help with flood clean-up should contact a service organization such as the Red Cross, rather than just show up.Those stories in more in today's evening update from MPR news. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

State lawmakers convened at the Capitol Tuesday for the first legislative hearing since two colleagues were shot last month.An effort to start the process of modifying a Minneapolis police reform agreement is now on pause. The Minneapolis City Council has voted to pause the effort to start modifying the existing MPD agreement with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights. Supporters of the proposal want the city to add provisions from a federal consent decree that was dismissed by a judge earlier this year to its existing pact with the human rights department.The organization Abbey‘s Hope reached a milestone Tuesday in its effort to match Minnesota kids with life jackets. Scott and Katey Taylor formed the group after their 6-year-old daughter Abbey died following an incident in a wading pool where she got stuck in a filter pump.The historic Stone Arch Bridge in downtown Minneapolis is reopening in full next month.The Minnesota Department of Transportation has temporarily turned off the lights on the Mississippi River bridges at Winona amid an ongoing mayfly hatch. The twin bridges carry State Highway 43 across the river to Wisconsin. The lights attract the insects in swarms and can create dangerous driving conditions.

The Hennepin County Attorney's Office has charged two people in what officials are calling a "massive" methamphetamine seizure. A Columbia Heights man is now charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of his 16-year-old son. Jordan Collins Sr. was charged in Anoka County and made his first court appearance this morning.

State lawmakers convened at the Capitol Tuesday for the first legislative hearing since two colleagues were shot last month.An effort to start the process of modifying a Minneapolis police reform agreement is now on pause. The Minneapolis City Council has voted to pause the effort to start modifying the existing MPD agreement with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights. Supporters of the proposal want the city to add provisions from a federal consent decree that was dismissed by a judge earlier this year to its existing pact with the human rights department.The organization Abbey‘s Hope reached a milestone Tuesday in its effort to match Minnesota kids with life jackets. Scott and Katey Taylor formed the group after their 6-year-old daughter Abbey died following an incident in a wading pool where she got stuck in a filter pump.The historic Stone Arch Bridge in downtown Minneapolis is reopening in full next month.The Minnesota Department of Transportation has temporarily turned off the lights on the Mississippi River bridges at Winona amid an ongoing mayfly hatch. The twin bridges carry State Highway 43 across the river to Wisconsin. The lights attract the insects in swarms and can create dangerous driving conditions.

Minnesota school districts are facing a new financial hit after learning the Trump administration will withhold tens of millions in education funding.About three hundred nurses and other medical staff went on strike today in the Duluth area. They work at six Essentia Health facilities and are negotiating their first union contracts.Those stories and more in today's evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

The cost of health insurance is soaring for Minnesota school districts and teachers. And the massive budget bill passed by Congress and signed by President Trump over the holiday weekend makes some tax cuts permanent, and cuts spending on Medicaid.

The National Weather Service has confirmed the severe storm that struck Beltrami County in late June was a so-called microburst. Surveys show the “microburst” created a ten-mile swath of destructive straight-line winds — reaching as high as a hundred-and-twenty-miles-per-hour.St. Louis County on Monday opens a temporary collection site for debris from properties affected by wildfires earlier this year. That collection site at the old county garage along Highway 44 in Brimson. It'll stay open Mondays through Saturdays through the end of July. The Camp House, Jenkins Creek and Munger Shaw fires burned thousands of acres in May and destroyed dozens of buildings, including homes and cabins.A 13-year-old boy died after being struck by a firework on Friday in Mahnomen County.Minnesota is warning people to be on the lookout for door-to-door pest-control scams. Drivers traveling Interstate 35 between Duluth and the Twin Cities will encounter lane closures in Carlton County, starting Monday. MnDOT crews will be wrapping up work that started last year on the Atkinson Bridge. That'll mean single-lane traffic for both southbound and northbound traffic on weekdays through July 18.

Prosecutors are moving forward with their case against the man accused of killing former DFL House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark. Vance Boelter, 57, is charged in a six-count criminal complaint with the murder of the Hortmans early on June 14 and with shooting and wounding DFL State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette earlier the same night. Boelter is also charged with stalking the lawmakers.A Minnesota Department of Education employee no longer works there after a conservative news site reported on a prior conviction of criminal sexual conduct.And boaters can expect to see extra law enforcement officers on Minnesota waterways Friday and through the holiday weekend.Go deeper with the latest edition of the Minnesota Today newsletter.Prosecution moves forward after alleged Hortman assassin waives hearingsMinnesota education agency employee out after sex-crime conviction surfacesLaw enforcement warns boaters to drive sober this holiday weekendSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or RSS.

Minnesota's U.S. House members split along party lines on a tax and budget bill that President Donald Trump plans to quickly sign.That story and more in today's evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

Communities across Minnesota will be celebrating the Fourth of July with parades, picnics and fireworks displays. While most fireworks are Friday night, a few cities will get an early jump on the holiday with shows Thursday. That includes the Stars and Stripes Days fireworks in Pequot Lakes beginning at dusk. On the Iron Range, the Aurora Patriotic Days fireworks begin at 10 p.m. and the Thunder Over Eveleth fireworks are at 10:15 p.m. In the Twin Cities, Bloomington's annual Summer Fete is Friday evening.Minneapolis police are hoping to avoid a repeat of the mayhem that plagued the last three July Fourth holidays. While gun-related crime in Minneapolis has spiked around July 4 for the past five years, crime statistics overall are trending downward.Law enforcement is warning boaters it will be aggressively enforcing laws prohibiting impaired boating over the Independence Day weekend. The Department of Natural Resources is calling the campaign Operation Dry Water. It runs tomorrow through Monday. The White Earth Nation opened its second, off-reservation recreational cannabis dispensary Thursday, this time in St. Cloud.

If you have plans to watch fireworks or take part in other outdoor activities on the Fourth of July, keep an eye on the forecast over the next couple of days. MPR meteorologist Sven Sundgaard says a cool front may touch off thunderstorms. Also, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced Wednesday he is joining a multistate coalition suing the Trump Administration, accusing it of sharing personal health data with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This is the afternoon MPR News update, hosted by Emily Reese. Theme music is by Gary Meister.

Law enforcement officials are continuing their investigation into the death of 16-year-old Jordan Collins who was known as “Manny.” Anoka County Sheriff Brad Wise says searchers found the boy's body in a landfill in Elk River over the weekend. Wise says law enforcement still wants any help it can get from the public to solve the crime.A 14-year-old boy was killed and a 13-year-old boy suffered life-threatening injuries when a pickup truck struck the motorized scooter they were riding Tuesday in St. Paul. Police say that older teen was driving the scooter and ran a stop sign on the city's west side just before 9 a.m. The driver of the pickup is cooperating with investigators.A judge has sent a St. Paul man to federal prison for 10 years for hiding fentanyl pills inside stuffed animals and mailing them to the Twin Cities.The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board has closed the beach at Lake Hiawatha temporarily because of high E. coli bacteria levels. The agency says it hasn't received any reports of illness, but closed the beach as a precaution after routine water quality testing. All of the city's other beaches remain open.The Lynx lost to Indiana last night in the WNBA's Commissioner's Cup game 74-59. The Lynx surrendered a 13-point lead and made only 35 percent of their shots.

The U.S. Senate passed a major tax and budget package today after after days of floor debate over the bill's contents. Vice President JD Vance cast the tiebreaking vote.Law enforcement is asking the public for any information about Jordan Collins Jr. -- known as "Manny." Searchers found the teen's body in a landfill in Elk River over the weekend.Those stories and more in today's evening update from MPR News.

Starting tomorrow motorcyclists in Minnesota will be allowed to maneuver between lanes of traffic in certain conditions -- but only when traffic is stopped or moving slower than 25 miles per hour. And a new state law meant to protect minor children from appearing on the internet goes into effect tomorrow.Those stories and more in today's evening update. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

It was a weekend of severe weather for much of Minnesota. The National Weather Service says four tornadoes swept through Carver County alone. The the storms knocked down trees and power lines, but no storm-related injuries have been reported.Storms spawned a large twister on the Minnesota-South Dakota border. Heavy rains from the storms caused localized flooding as well.It was also a weekend of mourning in the Twin Cities with funeral services for Melissa and Mark Hortman. After a viewing at the Minnesota Capitol on Saturday, friends, family members and dignitaries gathered Saturday for a funeral at the Basilica of St. Mary. The former DFL House Speaker and her husband were remembered for their service to the state, their sense of humor and their love of community. Gov. Tim Walz gave one of the remembrances of the Hortmans, calling Melissa Hortman the most consequential speaker of the House in Minnesota history.A man is in custody following a standoff with police in Rochester. Police say the incident started as a domestic disturbance late Saturday. The man allegedly had a knife and fled the scene before police arrived. Early Sunday, during a traffic stop, police say the suspect emerged from a vehicle with a rifle and a police officer fired a gun. The man was not injured, but fled into a residence and — he finally surrendered more than four hours later.Stillwater-native Denis McDonough, a former White House insider, will teach at St. John's University and the College of St. Benedict next school year.

Minnesotans get an opportunity to pay their final respects to former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark Hortman Friday. The Hortmans, along with their golden retriever Gilbert, will lie in state at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul Friday from noon to 5 p.m.State investigators say one of the Brooklyn Park police officers sent to check on Melissa Hortman the night of her slaying fired shots at the man suspected in the killings. A Michigan news outlet is reporting the deaths of two people at Isle Royale National Park earlier this month are being investigated as a murder-suicide. A woman who was shot while driving on Interstate 394 in Minneapolis last weekend has died.  The victim and another woman told police that someone shot into their car on the interstate on Sunday night. She drove to Hennepin County Medical Center with the wound, but died this week. No arrests have been made.For a second day in a row Thursday, there were reports of tornadoes as severe storms moved across southern Minnesota. The National Weather Service says spotters reported a tornado just east of Albert Lea — near Myre Big Island State Park. Emergency management also reported downed trees and power lines south of Albert Lea.The DNR says Lake Bemidji State Park reopens to the public Friday afternoon — nearly a week after a line of severe storms caused major damage in the park and the surrounding region. While the state park will be open for both day-use and camping, officials say most trails are still closed due to downed trees. The fishing pier and boat launch are also still closed.

The wife of Vance Boelter — the man charged in the killing of State Rep. Melissa Hortman — has released her first public statement since the shootings. More rain is expected across central and southern Minnesota today, following storms that caused flash flooding yesterday.Those stories and more in today's evening update. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

The U.S. Justice Department is suing Minnesota over a state law that gives undocumented college students access to in-state tuition rates at public colleges and universities.A bipartisan resolution honoring Melissa and Mark Hortman was passed by the U.S. House Wednesday. It was introduced by Minnesota's congressional delegation, alongside leaders from both parties.Community leaders in Minneapolis are speaking out against violence in the wake of the fatal shooting of an 11-year-old boy Monday in a north side park.Inmates at a Minnesota prison say they are not receiving basic hygiene products.

A tentative truce between Israel and Iran is faltering. Israel is vowing to retaliate after saying Iran launched missiles into its airspace more than two hours after a ceasefire was supposed to take effect. And as that conflict, and the U.S. part in it, soaks up interest around the globe, Iranians in Minnesota are voicing their concerns.A year ago this week, many of us will remember the images of a house plunging into the raging Blue Earth River as it carved a path around the Rapidan Dam in southern Minnesota. Aging infrastructure upgrades — including flood and stormwater projects — are needed across the U.S. as severe weather events become more frequent.Since the 1990s, conservationists say there's been a sharp drop in the number of monarch butterflies around the world. One Minnesota nonprofit is trying to reverse that trend. The Monarch Joint Venture is hosting a North American summit this week to discuss ways to protect the monarch butterfly and its migration. The event begins Tuesday at the McNamara Alumni Center on the University of Minnesota's Minneapolis campus.

The late Minnesota House DFL Leader Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark will lie in state at the Capitol on Friday.And a Hennepin County judge today sentenced the woman who pleaded guilty to unintentional murder and assault for driving her automobile into a group last fall. Those stories and more in today's evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

A tentative truce between Israel and Iran is faltering. Israel is vowing to retaliate after saying Iran launched missiles into its airspace more than two hours after a ceasefire was supposed to take effect. And as that conflict, and the U.S. part in it, soaks up interest around the globe, Iranians in Minnesota are voicing their concerns.A year ago this week, many of us will remember the images of a house plunging into the raging Blue Earth River as it carved a path around the Rapidan Dam in southern Minnesota. Aging infrastructure upgrades — including flood and stormwater projects — are needed across the U.S. as severe weather events become more frequent.Since the 1990s, conservationists say there's been a sharp drop in the number of monarch butterflies around the world. One Minnesota nonprofit is trying to reverse that trend. The Monarch Joint Venture is hosting a North American summit this week to discuss ways to protect the monarch butterfly and its migration. The event begins Tuesday at the McNamara Alumni Center on the University of Minnesota's Minneapolis campus.

Beltrami County and the city of Bemidji have declared a state of emergency due to severe storm damage over the weekend. The storms early Saturday had winds of more than 100 miles per hour.And another defendant in the Feeding Our Future case admitted that he tried to bribe one of the jurors at his trial last year.That story and more in today's evening news update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

Gov. Tim Walz says the Minnesota Legislature should consider prohibiting people from carrying firearms in the state Capitol. Current law says Minnesotans with a permit to carry are able to bring a gun inside the statehouse. Walz comments come after authorities charged a registered lobbyist who allegedly sent a text message threatening violence at the Minnesota Capitol.Also, heat advisories and warnings are in place for parts of southern and western Minnesota as a sweltering heat wave is expected across the state. This is the afternoon MPR News update hosted by Emily Reese. Theme music by Gary Meister.