MPR News Update

A Hennepin County judge set bail at $200,000 for an ICE agent accused of shooting and wounding a Venezuelan man in January. Early and absentee voting for November's midterm election starts Friday in Minnesota, just days after the Supreme Court blocked efforts by the Trump administration to curtail mail-in voting.A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to 14 months in prison for spraying vinegar on DFL Congresswoman Ilhan Omar earlier this year.After two seasons of much anticipation, Minnesota fans will get a visit from the 3-on-3 women's basketball league Unrivaled in 2027. The league will make a tour stop in Minneapolis next year.

A federal immigration agent who shot and wounded a man in north Minneapolis this winter pleaded not guilty Friday to federal charges of lying to the FBI. Prosecutors say ICE agent Christian Castro shot through the door of a Minneapolis home, injuring Julio Sosa-Celis, and later lied to investigators about what happened. A federal judge set Castro's bond at $75,000 with conditions. Castro also faces state assault charges in connection with the shooting.An outside investigation into St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her found she engaged in “offensive and inappropriate behavior” with city employees, but did not substantiate allegations that she sexually harassed or retaliated against employees. The findings were released Friday and outline steps for Her to take, including workplace conduct training. Her says she will comply. The investigation followed a complaint filed by Police Chief Axel Henry.Early voting for the midterm elections begins Friday in Minnesota. Community leaders are encouraging people to make a plan to vote and are organizing efforts to help people get to the polls and understand their voting rights. Mail-in voting procedures in Minnesota have not changed from past years. Residents can vote in person starting Friday, and voting information and locations are available through the Secretary of State's office.

A Hennepin County judge set bail at $200,000 for an ICE agent accused of shooting and wounding a Venezuelan man in January. Early and absentee voting for November's midterm election starts Friday in Minnesota, just days after the Supreme Court blocked efforts by the Trump administration to curtail mail-in voting.A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to 14 months in prison for spraying vinegar on DFL Congresswoman Ilhan Omar earlier this year.After two seasons of much anticipation, Minnesota fans will get a visit from the 3-on-3 women's basketball league Unrivaled in 2027. The league will make a tour stop in Minneapolis next year.

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer who shot and wounded a man in north Minneapolis this winter was arrested Wednesday in downtown Minneapolis. Christian Castro faces federal charges for allegedly lying to the FBI about the January shooting, in which he fired through the closed door of a home and wounded a man from Venezuela. Castro also faces state assault charges. He appeared in state court Thursday and is scheduled to appear in federal court Friday.The latest U.S. Drought Monitor shows the extent of drought in Minnesota largely unchanged over the past week, although conditions have improved in some areas. Much of northeastern Minnesota moved from severe to moderate drought after recent rainfall. About 71 percent of the state remains in some level of drought, with especially dry conditions in the Twin Cities, Red River Valley and east-central Minnesota.Minneapolis police have released body camera footage showing officers' encounter with the gunman during a mass shooting at an apartment complex earlier this month. The September 2 shooting left two residents dead and several people wounded, including two officers. The gunman, Carlton Johnson II, was fatally shot by police. The footage shows four officers' perspectives on an exchange of gunfire in a ninth-floor hallway.Several first-time candidates are running for local office in Pine Island and other Minnesota communities this fall, driven by concerns about new hyperscale data centers. Pine Island's City Council approved Google's plan for an 88-acre facility that could eventually expand to more than 400 acres. City Council candidate Tosca Wohl says she was prompted to run by concerns about transparency. Data centers have become an issue in races around the state, with some candidates supporting moratoriums or additional regulations.

Minnesota regulators will take up a nearly two-year dispute Tuesday between a tribal nation and its electric cooperative. The Upper Sioux Community built a large solar array next to its casino near Granite Falls a couple of years ago. Minnesota Valley Cooperative Light and Power Association threatened to cut power to the casino, saying the solar project was far bigger than its policy allows.St. Paul City Council President Rebecca Noecker said in an interview this week that more permanent supportive housing is what's needed to solve the unhoused issue in the city. U.S. Senator Tina Smith says she's working to help free a Somali man arrested in Minnesota and sent to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Federal agents arrested Adam Abdullah in December. The 31-year-old asylum seeker told MPR News last week that he's one of eight Somalis there and is limited to one 10-minute phone call a day.Summit Brewing Company could lose its St. Paul brewery to foreclosure after its lender sued over more than $8 million in unpaid debt. A first court hearing on that lawsuit is set for Friday.

Minneapolis Public Schools is considering three restructuring plans that would leave 15 or 16 buildings without K-12 programming. Depending on the proposal, 12 percent to 14 percent of students would be affected by school mergers or boundary changes. Two judges at the Fort Snelling immigration court have stepped down. Their departures last month mean there are just four full-time judges to handle tens of thousands of cases. The immigration court — part of the Executive Branch — decides deportation and asylum cases.The city of Fargo and a police detective are being sued by a woman who says she was falsely arrested after police relied on artificial intelligence. Angela Lipps was arrested in Tennessee last year and held in jail for six months in connection with a case of bank fraud in Fargo.

FBI Director Kash Patel says his agency continues to work with utilities across the country to strengthen their cyber defenses. That's in the wake of cyberattacks on U.S. water systems earlier this year, including in Minnesota. And Carleton College has announced it will eliminate loans from its financial aid packages beginning next fall.Those stories and more in today's evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

About 150 doctors at Allina Health's Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids and its Unity campus in Fridley began a four-day strike Monday. Physicians have been negotiating their first union contract for three years but haven't been able to reach a deal.The Olmsted County Board will consider competing plans Tuesday for the long-vacant Seneca Foods site. Fire officials in Duluth say a worker was injured when a large fuel tank exploded at a fuel transfer facility. Local officials and cycling advocates are celebrating the completion of the state's longest paved biking trail Tuesday in Tower, Minn.

The average price of diesel in Minnesota has crossed the $6 mark for the first time — another record high. And those high diesel prices are throttling the benefits of the highest corn prices in three years. Part of the rally in corn prices is due to U.S. expectations of a tighter crop supply, making it more valuable. Jordan Goblish farms corn, soybeans and black beans in Redwood County. He says the price bump is nice, but it's not enough to fully offset increasing costs.

Minnesotans can start casting their ballots in the midterm election this Friday. Absentee ballots will start to be mailed out and voters will also be able to vote absentee in person at certain early voting locations. Two office buildings in downtown St. Paul have a new owner. 375 Jackson Street and 135 5th Street were recently purchased by Florida real estate investor Jamie Rand through his Downtown Revival Trust.The average tenures of Minnesota school board members are shrinking. School board members are serving about half as long as they once did.

Diesel prices continue to set records amid the ongoing war in the Middle East — with the average price in Minnesota jumping more than 10 cents overnight. And hundreds of people in St. Paul gathered to pack meals for food shelves today to commemorate 25 years since 9/11.Those stories and more in today's evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Mesiter.

Events around Minnesota Friday are marking twenty-five years since the September 11 attacks with music, ceremonies and community service.A man convicted in the 1970 ambush killing of a St. Paul police officer is expected back before the state parole board Friday. The Republican nominee for Minnesota governor doesn't support President Donald Trump's plan to issue five thousand dollar dividends to all adult citizens if Republicans keep congressional control. The city of Crystal is the latest municipality in Minnesota to stop using Flock cameras. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs executed a search warrant at a tribal building on the Red Lake Reservation Thursday.

Some good news and some bad news for Minnesota in the latest U.S. Drought Monitor update, issued earlier today.And a Hennepin County judge today found a Minneapolis man not guilty by reason of mental illness in the 2023 killing of a Loring Park grocery store clerk. All that and more in today's evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

The chief of the Brooklyn Center police department says nearly two dozen people have been arrested in a human trafficking investigation that targeted four area hotels. And a congressional watchdog has cleared U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar of allegations of 'false reporting of her assets.'Those stories and more in today's evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

A Somali man arrested in St. Paul is being held at the military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Adam Abdullah has no criminal record and was living legally in St. Paul after seeking asylum in the U.S. in 2023.Two of the defendants charged in the brutal killing of a transgender man from Minnesota in upstate New York last year were sentenced Tuesday to life in prison without parole. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said police should have filed an extreme risk protection order against the suspect in last week's mass shooting in downtown Minneapolis.

Last week's mass shooting at a downtown Minneapolis apartment building is raising questions about what landlords can do when they're concerned about a tenant with a gun.And classes are back in session today for many Minnesota school children. Some districts got state approval to start the school year before Labor Day, but now that the holiday is behind us, most schools are now open.

Most Minnesota schools are having their first day of classes Tuesday, but a few dozen got permission to start early this year. For 40 years, Minnesota law has required schools to start classes after Labor Day. Back-to-school season means back to riding the big yellow bus. But as Minnesota sees record high diesel prices, school bus operations are juggling more costs to get students to the classroom.North Dakota is banning some forms of kratom and is regulating others. People use the drug recreationally and to help with pain. GoFundMe pages have been created to support at least two people who were critically injured last week in a mass shooting at a downtown Minneapolis apartment building. Investigators say three were killed in the shooting, including the shooter. Several people were injured, including Minneapolis police officers.

The mass shooting in Minneapolis at an apartment building earlier this week started as a custody handoff between the suspected shooter and a former partner. And Minnesota officials can fine technology companies that enable creation of AI-generated nude images of real people, after a federal judge declined to put a new state law on hold as a lawsuit proceeds.

The ICE agent who allegedly shot and wounded a man in Minneapolis will be charged with lying to federal investigators. And authorities continue to investigate yesterday's mass shooting at a downtown Minneapolis apartment building that left three people dead, including the suspected gunman.Those stories and more in today's evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

Three people, including the suspected shooter, are dead and six other people were injured, including three police officers, following a shooting Wednesday afternoon at a downtown Minneapolis apartment complex.Minnesota's first congressional district race is gaining national attention as a political newcomer attempts to unseat GOP incumbent Rep. Brad Finstad. Minnesota senators successfully pushed to postpone a ban on hemp products.A Hennepin County judge set a Nov. 2 trial date for the man who killed DFL House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark. Vance Boelter is serving two consecutive life sentences plus 40 years after pleading guilty in June to federal charges. But at a hearing Wednesday he pleaded not guilty to similar state charges.

Students in the Fridley school district are returning to classes Wednesday morning. The Fridley school district was among those most affected in the Twin Cities by Operation Metro Surge.The first imports of discounted, foreign beef are expected to enter the U.S. this month. President Donald Trump announced the imports last week, requiring this new beef to be sold at 25 percent below the market price.A judge in Minneapolis Tuesday handed lengthy prison sentences to the two men convicted in a mass shooting last year. Hennepin County Judge Juan Hoyos sentenced Arlonzo Williams Jr.Members of Minnesota's Nepali community and supporters gathered outside the state Capitol Tuesday to honor the victims of flash floods and landslides in Nepal and Tibet.

Photos reportedly showing federal Homeland Security agents stationed at or near the Minnesota State Fair have spread on social media. That's caused heightened concern, in the wake of last winter's federal immigration surge. But fair officials say they are not immigration agents.And Minnesota's Supreme Court heard arguments today in a discrimination case weighing whether a Catholic school illegally fired a transgender employee.

The 38 people charged in connection with an anti-ICE protest at a St. Paul church say they have been singled out for selective or vindictive prosecution. A motion to dismiss filed Monday in federal court says the defendants, including journalists who covered the protest, are being prosecuted for protected speech. The motion says protesters who disrupted a service at an LGBTQ-friendly church in Orlando, Florida, last year did not face charges. It alleges the Florida protesters were not prosecuted because their political views aligned with President Donald Trump and his administration.The Democratic candidate running against Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer says Congress has been weakened under President Donald Trump. Election policy expert Doug Chapin is running against Emmer in Minnesota's 6th Congressional District. Emmer is part of Republican House leadership and has won his six previous races easily. Chapin says Emmer has allowed executive power to grow on his watch, but says the changing district and an anti-incumbent mood could work in his favor.A months-long strike in Chisago County is officially over after the county board approved contract agreements for striking workers. About 125 county workers had been on strike since May. That was about a third of the county's staff, including health and human services workers and other government center employees. The union says the three-year deal includes pay raises and better health care plans.Thousands of dead fish have washed up on the shores of Lake Mille Lacs in recent weeks. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says it is common for some fish to die every summer, but hotter-than-normal weather has increased lake temperatures. That can be hard on cold-water fish such as tullibee, also known as cisco. Cisco populations are under pressure in some Minnesota lakes that are warming due to climate change.

A state representative has pleaded guilty to one count of misdemeanor driving while intoxicated stemming from a traffic stop earlier this year.And the planned merger of North Memorial Health and Sanford Health is moving forward.Those stories and more from today's evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Todd Melby. Music by Gary Meister.

An ICE agent charged with felony assault in Minnesota walked out of a Texas jail Thursday after Gov. Greg Abbott let a 90-day holding period expire without signing an extradition warrant. Christian Castro is accused of shooting Julio Sosa-Celis of Venezuela through the closed door of his Minneapolis home, then falsely claiming Sosa-Celis attacked him. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty had asked Abbott to extradite Castro to Minnesota after his arrest in Texas in May. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison sued after Abbott did not sign an extradition order.Bells tolled across the Twin Cities Thursday morning to mark one year since the mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis. The bells rang at 8:26 a.m. in tribute to Fletcher Merkel and Harper Moyski, the children who died in the shooting. The Annunciation community says it is focused on remembrance and is asking people to place two candles or lights in their windows in memory of Harper and Fletcher.Minnesota's Secretary of State's Office says it is too late to start a recount of the Republican governor's primary and complete it before ballots need to be prepared for the general election. A filing with the state Supreme Court seeks dismissal of Mike Lindell's bid for a hand recount. Lindell failed to formally request and pay for a recount by a Monday deadline. He lost the GOP primary to Lisa Demuth by 45,000 votes.The Minnesota State Fair opened Thursday morning, with crowds already filling the streets. Some fairgoers lined up as early as 24 hours before the gates opened for a chance to be first inside. Visitors are enjoying a warm, sunny day at the fair, with long lines already forming for donuts, coffee and crop art.The union representing Chisago County workers who have been on strike for nearly four months says it has reached a tentative contract agreement. Teamsters Local 320 says the three-year deal is slated for a ratification vote Friday. The union says the agreement addresses two main sticking points, including a wage increase of more than 20 percent over three years and health insurance through the Teamsters. About 125 union members have been on strike since May 1.

A federal judge in Minneapolis will consider whether to order the government to turn over more investigative documents tied to the Minnesota 15 conspiracy case. 15 Minnesota residents are charged by the federal government with conspiracy for their anti-ICE activism. A federal judge in Texas refused to order Gov. Greg Abbott to extradite an ICE agent charged with shooting and wounding a man in Minneapolis. The shooting happened during the Trump Administration's Minnesota immigration operation. On Thursday, Minneapolis marks one year since the shooting at Annunciation Church and School, with a day of service and remembrance in Pearl Park. One year ago, a shooter injured 29 people with gunfire, killing two children. Get ready for Sweet Martha's Cookies, crop art, Grandstand shows and all the rest — the Minnesota State Fair kicks off its 12-day run Thursday.

A federal judge today denied the state of Minnesota's attempt to keep an ICE agent in custody before the Texas governor can sign an extradition order.And Minneapolis is holding listening sessions to get residents' input on what they want in a new police chief.Those stories and more in today's evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Elena See. Music by Gary Meister.

Hennepin County prosecutors said today that they will not file felony charges against a far-right provocateur in connection with an incident Saturday in downtown Minneapolis. And fans around the world and here in Minnesota are mourning the loss of music icon, actress, entrepreneur and philanthropist Dolly Parton. She died today in Nashville at the age of 80. Dolly Parton was no stranger to Minnesota over the years -- including a concert at Grand Casino Hinckley in 2016.

A federal judge in Texas is expected to hear arguments Tuesday over whether Gov. Greg Abbott should be forced to extradite an ICE agent charged with assaulting a man in Minneapolis.A statewide coalition is working to reverse the trend of declining vaccination rates across Minnesota.A federal judge has set a hearing for next week to hear why the government believes it shouldn't be held in contempt of court for violating an injunction barring immigration actions at a Minneapolis church.The U.S. imposed high tariffs on Canadian goods over the weekend after trade talks between the two countries broke down. Canada is Minnesota's largest foreign trading partner, and the two economies are closely connected through cross-border trade and travel.

A Republican legislator says people who live in and around Appleton have mixed reactions to the opening of a detention center there. State Rep. Paul Anderson co-hosted a town hall forum yesterday about the facility that will begin housing people detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers later this year. Anderson says he understands some people have moral objections to the detention of immigrants.This is the evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Todd Melby. Music by Gary Meister.

Police escorted several people out of a Google data center open house in Hermantown last night. And the state is shutting down Minnesota group homes run by a Liberian government official due to fraud allegations and safety risks, after an MPR News and APM Reports investigation. This is the evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Todd Melby. Music by Gary Meister.

Gov. Tim Walz authorized state disaster assistance for six southern Minnesota counties following severe storms and floods earlier this summer. Walz says the state will provide funding and public assistance to help rebuild critical public infrastructure damaged in the storm.Documents from a lawsuit against firearms retailer Fleet Farm were made public Wednesday. The case was settled in February. Attorney General Keith Ellison's office sued Fleet Farm in 2022. It alleged that the retailer negligently sold firearms to straw buyers.Mike Lindell says he'll pay for a hand recount in the Republican governor primary that he lost by tens of thousands of votes. The founder of MyPillow says he wants a statewide hand recount and audit of every paper ballot cast in the Republican primary for governor.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Lindell is disputing last week's election results after House Speaker Lisa Demuth handily won the Republican primary. Lindell trailed Demuth by more than 45,000 votes, meaning there will not be a publicly funded recount. Lindell says he'll personally pay for one. The Secretary of State's office says that will cost more than $800,000, and Lindell has until Monday to make a formal request and provide the money or a surety bond.Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Klobuchar says she wants to break from the St. Paul status quo. Klobuchar has called for a full state government audit, a money-back guarantee if state permits come late, and bipartisan plans to reshape health care, housing and economic development. Gov. Tim Walz has publicly clashed with President Donald Trump, and Klobuchar says she would push back when Trump's actions hurt Minnesota. Lisa Demuth, who is running against Klobuchar, says the only way to change the status quo in St. Paul is to elect a Republican.The mayor of New Hope is calling on state lawmakers to reverse a 2024 law that stripped cities of the power to shut down group homes. Only the state has that authority now. The law came after New Hope tried to close group homes tied to Sekou Dukuly, the subject of an MPR News and APM Reports investigation. New Hope Mayor John Elder says the state does not have enough staff to adequately monitor group homes.Minnesota gas prices are currently higher than the national average, according to Triple-A. St. Thomas economics professor Tyler Schipper says the U.S. war against Iran has disrupted oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Schipper says Minnesota usually tends to be a little below the national average because the state gets more oil from Canada that is refined locally. He says he would not be surprised if Minnesota prices fall below the national average next week.

An executive order Gov. Tim Walz signed Tuesday blocks copper mining near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. But whether the ban becomes permanent could depend on Walz's successor.El Niño is strengthening quickly, according to NOAA, and that could have big implications for Minnesota's upcoming winter.A federal judge will hear arguments Wednesday on a request to upend Minnesota's new law banning use of AI to create certain nude images. The law passed this year seeks to punish use of AI technology that permits creation and distribution of fake images of people naked without their consent.Minnesota and U.S. vaccination rates declined while exemptions are at a record high, according to new data from the CDC.A new MPR News and APM Reports investigation is having a political impact in Liberia.