MPR News Update

After more than two years of negotiations... a union representing more than 600 doctors, physician assistants and nurse practitioners at Allina Health clinics has reached a tentative first contract agreement.And for the first time since May of 2007, Minnesota's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate ticked up higher than the nation's.Those stories and more in today's evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Elena See. Music by Gary Meister.

It may be April Fools' Day', but the weather forecast for Minnesota is no joke -- with a mix of rain, sleet, ice and snow expected from tonight through tomorrow.And the city of Minneapolis will hold two open houses later this month, to provide an update on construction projects slated to begin in June at George Floyd Square.Those stories and more in today's evening update from MPR news. Hosted by Elena See. Music by Gary Meister.

When Minnesota lawmakers return from recess next week one item before them will be a bill proposing new regulations for mobile home parks.Thousands of Minnesotans are expected to lose their SNAP benefits starting as soon as Wednesday due to stricter work and eligibility requirements. Now, all able-bodied adults under the age of 65 must work at least 80 hours a month in order to continue receiving their monthly SNAP food aid benefits. Until today, the work requirement had applied to those under age 55.A new bill would exempt families from a rule stripping subsidized child care funding after 25 absent days. Child care programs do not receive payment after a child misses 25 days. Parents fearing immigration enforcement kept kids home and are approaching this limit.

Amid public backlash, the Bemidji School board stalled on efforts to close an elementary school where 70 percent of students are Native American. And the City of Fargo has appointed an interim police chief to replace retiring Chief Dave Zibolski.Those stories and more in today's evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Elena See. Music by Gary Meister.

About 3,800 Minnesota residents were arrested during the federal government's surge into the state this winter. That's according to new data released through a Freedom of Information lawsuit to the Deportation Data Project.Federal officials said in public statements during the surge that they were targeting the “worst of the worst.” The new data shows that fewer than a quarter of those arrested had a criminal conviction on their record. The vast majority were arrested for civil immigration violations.The U.S. Department of Justice sued Minnesota Monday over policies that allow transgender athletes to play on teams consistent with their gender. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison on Monday called the lawsuit a, “sad attempt to get attention over something that's already been in litigation for months.”

A top legislative leader says Minnesota lawmakers need to provide a rescue package this year for Hennepin County Medical Center.And the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office came in close to $15.5 million dollars over budget in 2025. Those stories and more in today's evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

A Minneapolis city council member says she's working to rename the city's Cesar Chavez Avenue after recent reports that the labor movement leader sexually abused women and girls.The U.S. Department of Agriculture canceled most funding for a $300 million program designed to help underserved farmers access land nationwide. That affected three projects active in Minnesota. The MSP Airport Foundation says it helped distribute about $30,000 in donation money to TSA workers who have gone weeks without pay during the government shutdown.

Organizers expect millions of people will take part in "No Kings" rallies around the world Saturday to protest the Trump administration. About 100 events are planned in Minnesota alone, with the national flagship event taking place in St. Paul at the State Capitol. A proposed new training center for Minneapolis police and emergency personnel is now delayed after the city council voted Thursday to postpone a decision on funding.Those stories and more in today's evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

Organizers say they expect millions of people to take part in No Kings rallies around the world Saturday. The national flagship event is in St. Paul, where Bruce Springsteen and Sen. Bernie Sanders top the list of high-profile names on the formal lineup. More than 3,000 events are planned across every U.S. state and beyond. Around 90 event will take place in Minnesota. A federal judge in Minneapolis has extended an order that requires immigration authorities to ensure detainees held at the Whipple Federal Building have access to attorneys. The Minneapolis City Council delayed a vote on funding a new emergency responder training center. The council was set to vote Thursday on whether or not to reallocate more than $5 million from animal control and traffic safety budgets to the training center project.

Minneapolis police are still searching for the suspect in a hit-and-run that killed a University of St. Thomas senior last weekend. And a federal appeals court has sided with the Trump administration in a closely watched Minnesota immigration case. Those stories and more in today's evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

A rural Minnesota hospital system could be forced to close within weeks as millions of dollars in Medicare payments have been delayed. The Mille Lacs Health System is at risk of closing its hospital and rural health clinics that serve multiple counties. That's because the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has withheld about $2.5 million dollars in Medicare payments since January.A new lawsuit is challenging the Trump Administration's move to fast-track deportations of Somalis. The Advocates for Human Rights — a Minneapolis nonprofit — is suing the Justice Department over its effort to speed up deportations of non-citizens from Somalia. The government had already targeted many for removal, but the plaintiffs allege that the administration is fast-tracking court hearings for Somalis after President Donald Trump called them "garbage."

Today's evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

A Minneapolis student is one of five Americans receiving a national award Wednesday in Washington, D.C. The Congressional Medal of Honor Society named Victor Greenawalt this year's Young Hero Honoree. The 11-year-old was injured and hospitalized after he shielded a classmate with his body during the shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church and School in August.A man who served as an election judge in northern Minnesota faces sentencing in May after pleading guilty to allowing unregistered voters to cast ballots.Minnesota lawmakers in a House committee hearing Tuesday were split on legislation that would ban AI practices that pay out lower wages to gig workers. Supporters of the bill argue it's needed to make sure workers and consumers are treated fairly. But Jonathan Cotter of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce says the bill oversteps into workplaces.

A bill to create a new fraud-fighting office in state government has finally made it through a House committee. It's an important step for the Office of Inspector General bill that has been stalled for weeks. And a Minnesota House committee is considering a proposal to include kickbacks to the state definition of fraud.Those stories and more in today's evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

While the White House has deployed immigration agents to help with security at some airports, it appears the Twin Cities airport is not a part of that plan. Security wait times at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport have generally remained short while other airports have seen hourslong waits in recent weeks. That's as TSA workers go without pay amid a funding impasse.Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison yesterday joined his counterparts from 19 other Democratic-led states plus the District of Columbia in a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The states are challenging Trump Administration threats to cut funding.Safety concerns along a highway in the southern Twin Cities metro area are prompting transportation officials to hold a series of meetings. MnDOT says it's studying a 12-mile stretch of State Highway 3 — also known as Robert Trail — through Inver Grove Heights, Eagan and Rosemount. The goal is to identify safety improvements for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. MnDOT says it's looking at intersection and roadway designs to reduce the number of crashes and improve traffic flow in a growing part of the metro area.

Authorities continue to investigate after four people were found dead following a house fire in White Bear Lake over the weekend. Friends and colleagues identified the victims as longtime Minnesota hockey journalist Jessi Pierce and her three young children. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.And in other news, federal prosecutors last week dropped charges against a woman they mistakenly identified as being part of a January church protest in St. Paul. Now lawyers representing other defendants are demanding the government immediately turn over evidence they suspect could clear others.

Legal advocates were back in federal court in Minneapolis today, asking a judge to order better access to lawyers for people detained at the Whipple federal building.And State Senator John Hoffman recently authored two bills that increase criminal penalties for people who impersonate a police officer and also require any former law enforcement vehicle sold to be stripped of all law enforcement insignias.Those stories and more in today's evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese.

Leaders at St. Paul's Academia Cesar Chavez charter school say they're profoundly concerned about recent reports that Chavez sexually assaulted women and girls. And Democratic secretaries of state are urging Congress to block an elections bill they say could prevent millions of eligible voters from casting a ballot.Those stories and more in today's evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

President Trump's nominee to replace Kristi Noem as secretary of Homeland Security says he regrets comments he made about Alex Pretti after Pretti was fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis in January. In the immediate wake of that shooting, Oklahoma Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin had called Pretti a deranged individual who had come to cause, “max damage.” And a bill to ban non-disclosure agreements around proposed data centers passed a state senate committee yesterday with bipartisan support.Those stories and more in the evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

A bill intended to improve transparency around proposed data center projects is gaining bipartisan backing in the Minnesota state legislature. Bills introduced in the state house and senate would ban local governments from signing non-disclosure agreements that prohibit them from sharing details on who is behind data center proposals.A health system in Northern California plans to acquire Minnesota-based Allina Health. Sutter Health and Allina Health announced Tuesday that they signed a nonbinding letter of intent to combine into a $26 billion nonprofit system.Residents of mobile home parks were at the Minnesota Capitol Tuesday asking legislators to keep their parks affordable. Residents say as private equity firms buy up mobile home parks, rent and evictions have increased dramatically.

Lawmakers in the tied Minnesota House of Representatives are considering shaking up the number of state legislators to avoid future ties.And Gov. Tim Walz is asking lawmakers to approve a new tax on social media companies as part of his supplemental budget plan.Those stories and more in the evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

Snow is forecast to develop across central and southern Minnesota through the day Saturday and intensify Saturday night. Winter storm warnings are in place for the weekend for most of the southern half of the state, including the Twin Cities. A Minnesota Senate Committee Friday approved a bill that bans assault weapons.Those stories and more in today's evening update. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

Minnesota lawmakers were divided over a bill seeking to ban local governments from allowing ICE to use their jails for detention. The bill stalled in a House committee Wednesday on a tie vote. Some Republican legislators who voted no on the bill said many Minnesotans protesting ICE were not cooperative with law enforcement and defied federal law.Minnesota's leaders of the national Target boycott say the economic blackout of the retail giant continues. Local activist Nekima Levy Armstrong says the main demand — for Target to reinstate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, has not been met and so the boycott can not end.

Heavy snow and howling winds are in the forecast for Minnesota over the coming days. Up first, a storm late Thursday into Friday that'll bring mainly rain for southern Minnesota with strong northwest winds statewide. They could gust to more than 60 miles per hour tonight. A federal judge in St. Paul heard arguments Thursday from the state of Minnesota and the Trump administration over a halt of $259 million in Medicaid payments to the state.Those stories and more in today's evening update. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

Minnesota lawmakers were divided over a bill seeking to ban local governments from allowing ICE to use their jails for detention. The bill stalled in a House committee Wednesday on a tie vote. Some Republican legislators who voted no on the bill said many Minnesotans protesting ICE were not cooperative with law enforcement and defied federal law.Minnesota's leaders of the national Target boycott say the economic blackout of the retail giant continues. Local activist Nekima Levy Armstrong says the main demand — for Target to reinstate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, has not been met and so the boycott can not end.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has vetoed a proposal to extend the city's eviction timeline. Instead, he proposed allocating $1 million in city funding to rental assistance as an alternative way to help residents pay their bills. Gov. Tim Walz is getting mixed reactions to his plan to overhaul the way the state administers Medicaid services.Those stories and more in today's evening update. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

Minnesota lawmakers took up a bill to prohibit artificial intelligence companies from making chatbot services available to minors Monday. The Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee heard testimony about a bill that would direct AI companies to keep chatbot services away from minors or face civil penalties.A bill that would allow Minnesota voters to decide whether to limit the governor and lieutenant governor to two terms in office has cleared a state House committee. If the constitutional amendment were passed by voters, the change would go into effect in 2030.Townships across Minnesota will hold elections and annual meetings Tuesday. Township residents have a say in local affairs like taxes, new buildings and development, road upkeep and Tuesday — electing people to serve in town offices.

 Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday out rolled a plan to remake the way Minnesota provides Medicaid services that includes centralizing much of the work handled now by counties and the state's managed health care organizations. A public meeting of the Minneapolis Community Commission on Police Oversight yesterday drew comments from several people -- who said police should have done more to protect residents during the federal immigration surge.Those stories and more in today's evening update. Hosted by Todd Melby. Music by Gary Meister.

Minnesota lawmakers took up a bill to prohibit artificial intelligence companies from making chatbot services available to minors Monday. The Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee heard testimony about a bill that would direct AI companies to keep chatbot services away from minors or face civil penalties.A bill that would allow Minnesota voters to decide whether to limit the governor and lieutenant governor to two terms in office has cleared a state House committee. If the constitutional amendment were passed by voters, the change would go into effect in 2030.Townships across Minnesota will hold elections and annual meetings Tuesday. Township residents have a say in local affairs like taxes, new buildings and development, road upkeep and Tuesday — electing people to serve in town offices.

The jump in the cost of gas and diesel across the country comes just weeks ahead of the spring planting season in Minnesota — and that could have an impact on farmers in the region.Anglers on Mille Lacs Lake in central Minnesota will be able to keep three walleye this summer.Those stories and more in today's evening update. Hosted by Jacob Aloi. Music by Gary Meister.

County leaders are lobbying Minnesota lawmakers for computer technology upgrades. They're coalescing around a goal of upgrading IT software that counties use to sign people up for Medical Assistance.Meanwhile, the Minnesota House will vote this week on renaming a state community solar garden program in honor of former House Speaker Melissa Hortman, who was assassinated last year. Hortman advocated strongly for the program and got it passed.Travel by air and road are also getting more expensive in part because of war in the middle east. AAA reports the average gallon of regular gas will cost Minnesotans $3.25 Monday morning. That's up from $2.83 just a week ago. In the Twin Cities metro, prices are about 10 cents higher. The national average is about $3.48 a gallon.

Minnesota U.S. Sen. Tina Smith says President Donald Trump's firing of Kristi Noem as Homeland Security secretary is welcome news -- but she is skeptical about his pick to replace her. Trump says he'll nominate one of Smith's Senate colleagues, GOP Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin. Flags were at half-staff across Minnesota Friday in honor of Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor of White Bear Lake, who was killed in an airstrike in Kuwait.Those stories and more in today's evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Elena See. Music by Gary Meister.Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or RSS.

Some Minnesota lawmakers are responding to the firing of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. After news broke of Noem's firing, Minnesota House Democratic Leader Zack Stephenson praised Minnesotans who he says showed the incompetence of immigration enforcement in the state. Republican Rep. Isaac Schultz says he believes President Donald Trump made a sound decision.Another federal judge is threatening to hold government officials in contempt of court for failing to return critical items including work permits and driver's licenses to former immigration detainees. For the second time this week, Minnesota U.S. Attorney Dan Rosen promised a judge that ICE would replace missing personal items or pay compensation.

The husband of a Minnesota soldier killed in Kuwait says the family is grieving and planning a memorial. The standing of a key state agency commissioner has become another political flashpoint in the Minnesota Senate. Those stories and more in today's evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

Flags are at half-staff in White Bear Lake in honor of Army Reserve Sergeant Nicole Amor.And there were moments of constructive dialogue during an otherwise rancorous congressional hearing today on fraud in Minnesota.Those stories and more in this evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.