Fargo Police arrested a woman for bank fraud using AI facial recognition technology. But the woman is from Tennessee and says she's never been to Fargo. We hear from the Fargo Police Chief about the case and an expert on AI and policing.

The south Minneapolis Uptown neighborhood is struggling, and a new organization is hoping to revitalize the once-bustling business district.

Plus, more and more rentals in the Twin Cities metro are owned by investors. We break down the data.

With warmer weather on the way, Chief Meteorologist Paul Huttner has the forecast.

Plus, Minnesota Hmong artists will share music and poetry in a benefit concert for those impacted by the ICE surge. We talk to an organizer of the event.

A new organization is looking to get the Uptown neighborhood in south Minneapolis back on its feet. First reported by Southwest Voices, community members and business owners have been voicing concerns of an escalation of open drug use, trash littered across the business district and unhoused people and large groups loitering at the transit station and outside vacant businesses.

The newly-formed group “Uptown United” is hoping it can turn that pattern around and revitalize the neighborhood by bringing together neighbors, business owners and local leaders.

Kevin Norman is the leader of the organization, and he joined Minnesota Now to talk about his efforts.

Minnesota Hmong artists are collectively organizing a benefit concert this weekend for families and businesses impacted by the ICE surge in Minnesota. They will share music, poetry and stories about their lives Saturday night at the Pan Asian Center in Maplewood.

MPR News host Nina Moini talked with Tou SaiKo Lee, a local artist and organizer of the event titled Interwoven: A Tapestry of Resilience and Resistance.

Nearly one in 20. That’s the number of single-family rental homes in the Twin Cities metro now owned by a private investor.

The finding comes from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, which has been tracking investor ownership from 2006 to 2024.

It’s one marker of a changing real estate market amid ongoing conversations about housing affordability and ownership possibilities. The Minneapolis Fed will host an event Thursday morning where it will share more about the data.

MPR News host Nina Moini talked with Ben Horowitz, one of the presenters and part of the team behind the project.

The Fargo police chief said Tuesday the department used more than just artificial intelligence to arrest a Tennessee woman for bank fraud. The use of AI in her case has received attention after charges were dropped in December. She has maintained her innocence and says she has never been to North Dakota. MPR News reporter Harshawn Ratanpal has the story.

Plus, George Washington University law professor Andrew Guthrie Ferguson shares context on how police departments around the country are using AI and what could prevent mistaken arrests.

Read more here: Questions swirl around Fargo PD’s use of AI

Some Minnesotans are in a legal limbo as uncertainty continues surrounding the temporary protected status program. The Supreme Court ruled on Monday to temporarily block the end of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians and Syrians.

Lawmakers in the state House and Senate are set to discuss potential regulations for self-driving taxis on Minnesota roads Wednesday. Waymo, the company behind these autonomous cars, has been doing tests in the state since last fall. One expert talked about the future of Waymo in the state.

The Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa celebrated the return of nearly 90 acres of land on Monday.

Thousands of Minnesotans are out on the streets of downtown St. Paul for the 60th annual St. Patrick's Day Parade. We got a glimpse of the festivities.

Our Minnesota Music Minute was "Farewell to Nova Scotia" from The Inland Seas and our Song of the Day was “Danny Boy” by Johnny Cash.

Federal immigration officers arrested 23-year-old Andrea Pedro-Francisco in early February, a week before she was scheduled to have a cyst removed from her ovary.

Members of Congress have taken up her cause, but they have not been able to reach her. That’s in part due to a measles lockdown at Camp East Montana, where she is being held. 

Minnesota Reformer Deputy Editor Max Nesterak wrote about her story and joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about it.

Waymo, the autonomous taxi business, has been testing its vehicles in Minnesota since last fall. Both House and Senate committees will discuss regulations they could place on self-driving taxi services like Waymo during hearings on Wednesday. 

Frank Douma researches autonomous vehicle policy at the University of Minnesota. He joined MPR News host Nina Moini to chat about the future of Waymo in the state.

Temporary Protected Status for several countries is in legal limbo. The legal status known as TPS is an immigration status that allows people to temporarily live and work in the U.S. because of dangerous conditions in their home country such as war or environmental disasters.  

Last fall, the Trump administration moved to end TPS for Somalia. It was set to end Tuesday, but a court ruling earlier in the month paused that. Additionally, on Monday the Supreme Court ruled to temporarily block the end of TPS for Haitians and Syrians.  

Ana Pottratz Acosta is an immigration law expert and visiting clinical professor of law at the University of Minnesota. She joined MPR News host Nina Moini to sift through the meaning of the legal back-and-forth.

Thousands of green-clad Irish and Irish wannabes were downtown St. Paul for the city’s 60th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. One of the VIPs at the parade was Gabe Morcomb. She was awarded the 2026 title of Miss Shamrock. We heard from her along with MPR News reporter Regina Medina, who was at the parade.