Minnesota Today

Gov. Tim Walz testified before Congress Thursday about Minnesota’s cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Walz and two other democratic governors were questioned by a House committee about having what the Department of Homeland Security calls “sanctuary states.” Walz said Minnesota does not have any laws that make it a sanctuary state, and he says local law enforcement work with federal law enforcement. A Republican candidate for governor in Minnesota, Kendall Qualls is using the Walz testimony and the national debate over immigration to stake out a position in the race. Qualls called Minnesota a sanctuary state. Minnesota could lose up to $1.6 billion annually if proposed federal funding cuts to Medicaid take effect. Another defendant in the sprawling Feeding Our Future case has entered a guilty plea. I-94 will be closed to traffic in both directions this weekend between I-35W and Huron Boulevard for construction. The closure starts at 10 p.m. Friday and runs through early Monday. Traffic will be detoured north to Highway 36. The Metro Transit B Line opens Saturday. It's a 13-mile bus rapid transit line between St. Paul and Minneapolis via Lake Street and Marshall and Selby avenues.

Students interrupted a University of Minnesota Board of Regents meeting today — protesting a sale of university land to an aerospace company that works with the U.S. Department of Defense. And the homes of several members of the University of Minnesota Board of Regents were vandalized yesterday. Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Elena See. Music by Gary Meister.

Gov. Tim Walz testified before Congress Thursday about Minnesota’s cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Walz and two other democratic governors were questioned by a House committee about having what the Department of Homeland Security calls “sanctuary states.” Walz said Minnesota does not have any laws that make it a sanctuary state, and he says local law enforcement work with federal law enforcement. A Republican candidate for governor in Minnesota, Kendall Qualls is using the Walz testimony and the national debate over immigration to stake out a position in the race. Qualls called Minnesota a sanctuary state. Minnesota could lose up to $1.6 billion annually if proposed federal funding cuts to Medicaid take effect. Another defendant in the sprawling Feeding Our Future case has entered a guilty plea. I-94 will be closed to traffic in both directions this weekend between I-35W and Huron Boulevard for construction. The closure starts at 10 p.m. Friday and runs through early Monday. Traffic will be detoured north to Highway 36. The Metro Transit B Line opens Saturday. It's a 13-mile bus rapid transit line between St. Paul and Minneapolis via Lake Street and Marshall and Selby avenues.

An effort to open up a big swath of federal land near the Boundary Waters to copper-nickel mining has been stripped from the massive budget bill moving through Congress. Several dozen people protested outside the Sherburne County Jail in Elk River today in support of a St. Paul woman arrested for alleged actions during a raid in Minneapolis last week. Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Bright. Music by Gary Meister.

A St. Paul woman is facing federal charges after allegedly assaulting a FBI agent during last week’s search of a Minneapolis restaurant. In a criminal complaint, prosecutors allege the woman was recorded on video trying to punch an FBI SWAT officer as others in the crowd tried to stop her. She then allegedly kicked the agent before breaking free of the crowd and pushing another FBI agent. The state’s response to protests following the murder of George Floyd five years ago was a point of contention in a congressional hearing Tuesday. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testified before a House panel. Minnesota DFL Rep. Betty McCollum questioned sending the military to quell protests in Los Angeles. Hegseth responded by criticizing Minnesota’s handling of those protests. He said the current deployment in California is needed so federal immigration agents can conduct their operations. Gov. Tim Walz says the Legislature showed they could work together despite being closely and deeply divided. After a regular session that featured a three-week holdout by Democrats in the House, two Senators facing criminal charges, special elections, a nearly even Republican-Democrat divide and adjournment without agreement, lawmakers came back to St. Paul and finished their work early Tuesday in a special session. A Becker County judge has denied all pretrial motions raised by state Sen. Nicole Mitchell’s defense team in her upcoming criminal trial for burglary.

In a marathon one-day special session that ended early this morning, the Legislature passed 15 bills, most of them dealing with the budget. And two Minnesotans — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Democratic Representative Betty McCollum — sparred during a congressional hearing today in Washington. Those stories and more in today’s evening update. Hosted by Emily Bright. Music by Gary Meister.

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.