Minnesota Today

A special session has been underway today at the state Capitol to pass a budget. Of the 14 bills that are up for a vote, one bill that would remove adult immigrants without legal status from MinnesotaCare passed the House by a small margin. That story and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Jacob Aloi. Music by Gary Meister.

A special session has been called for the Minnesota Legislature - it will happen three weeks to the day after the regular session finished. And a jury has found Derrick Thompson guilty of all charges in the deaths of five women who were in a vehicle struck by the SUV Thompson was driving in 2023. Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Jacob Aloi. Music by Gary Meister.

A Homeland Security agent from the Twin Cities is jailed and charged with producing child sex abuse material. And Gov. Tim Walz says his office did not get a heads-up about a federal raid of a south Minneapolis restaurant earlier this week. Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Jeff Jones. Music by Gary Meister.

Gov. Tim Walz says his administration will send out tens of thousands of layoff notices by Monday if legislative leaders don't reach a final deal before then that can win passage in a special legislative session. And sighs — and breaths — of relief across Minnesota today, as the worst of the smoke from Canadian wildfires has pushed to the east.

Minneapolis police are investigating after a shooting at Boom Island Park last night left one person dead and five more injured. And more rounds of smoke from Canadian wildfires are forecast to move across Minnesota over the next couple of days. That’s prompted officials to extend an air quality alert for the entire state through midday Wednesday. Those stories and more in today’s evening news update. Hosted by Elena See. Music by Gary Meister.

An air quality alert is now in effect for all of Minnesota through Monday evening, as smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to stream across the state. That's an expansion of earlier alerts, as the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency says reinforcing waves of smoke are expected Saturday, Sunday and again on Monday. Listen for more on the MPR News afternoon update for Friday, hosted by Emily Reese. Theme music by Gary Meister.

Layoff notices will begin going out tomorrow as lawmakers work on unfinished pieces of the state budget. And major wildfires burning north of Duluth for nearly three weeks are now nearly fully contained. But state officials expect the risk for more severe wildfires to remain, possibly all summer long. Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Bright. Music by Gary Meister.

The Minnesota Timberwolves’ season is over. They were beaten by the Oklahoma City Thunder Wednesday night 124-94. The Thunder jumped out to a 30 point lead in the first half and were never threatened. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points. OKC won the best-of-seven series 4 games to 1. They play next for an NBA championship. A federal judge in Fergus Falls sentenced two men Wednesday in a human smuggling operation that led to the deaths of an Indian family on the Minnesota-Canada border. The family was trying to cross illegally from Canada in January 2022 when a blizzard hit and they froze to death. Harshkumar Patel, a native of India, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in the smuggling ring. Steve Shand, a Florida resident, was sentenced to 6.5 years. The Minnesota Frost celebrated another championship Wednesday night in St. Paul. It's the second year in a row the Professional Women's Hockey League team won the Walter Cup trophy. A Minneapolis gang member convicted at a trial last fall is headed to federal prison for life.

A wildfire burning in the Boundary Waters in northern Minnesota is growing, leading authorities to close off a part of Superior National Forest land in the Horse River area. The Horse River fire is still relatively small, but it has more than doubled in size in recent days to nearly 25 acres, and it's burning completely uncontained. This is the evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Bright. Music by Gary Meister.

Firefighters are inching closer to fully containing two wildfires that have burned for more than two weeks in northern Minnesota. And funding for the school readiness program Head Start was spared in spending cuts the House passed, but some people who work with struggling families worry cuts could still come as the House bill is considered in the Senate. Those stories and more in today’s evening update. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

A series of events gets underway today in Minneapolis to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the murder of George Floyd and the racial justice movement that it sparked. A moment of silence will be held this afternoon at the intersection of 38th and Chicago where Floyd was killed. The Minneapolis Park Board is closing some parking areas around Bde Maka Ska earlier in the evening. That change is in response to safety concerns stemming from large groups gathering in those parking lots at night. The Park Board said those groups have engaged in “disruptive, illegal, and sometimes violent conduct.” The Timberwolves lost to the Thunder last night in game two of the NBA’s Western Conference championship series 118-103. The Thunder now lead a best-of-seven series 2-0. The Minnesota Frost beat the Ottawa Charge 2-1 last night to knot the PWHL’s Walter Cup finals at a game apiece. Britta Curl-Salemme scored both Frost goals.

Faith leaders gathered at Minneapolis City Hall today for an interfaith prayer, marking the five-year anniversary of George Floyd's murder by Minneapolis police. And Gov. Tim Walz defended a proposal today to roll back a tax exemption for data centers in the state. Those stories and more in today’s evening update. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.