Minnesota Today

Firefighting officials say the wildfires in northeastern Minnesota are more than 50 percent contained. While fighting fires and protecting property remain the priorities, authorities are also looking to prevent future fires.

A man charged with threatening ICE agents in Minnesota pleaded not guilty Monday. Kyle Wagner is one of 15 people facing federal charges of interfering with immigration agents during the enforcement operation in Minnesota.

A judge in Minneapolis is temporarily blocking a new state law that bans prediction markets.

Black Business Week is kicking off in Minneapolis. The week features free workshops, networking events and business resources designed to support Black entrepreneurs.

And a musical adaptation of Purple Rain announced it's headed to Broadway.

The Democratic U.S. Senate candidates debated issues and approaches today in their last one-on-one debate before the primary election.

And Gov. Tim Walz says he's talking to legislative leaders about calling a special session in mid-August.

Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

The National Forest Service says it will reopen nearly 40 percent of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness to the public next week, barring significant wildfire activity. Overnight camping access is set to reopen Thursday at 37 of the 103 quota entry points. That would reopen more than 400,000 acres to the public. Some entry points in Cook County are also expected to reopen for day use Monday.

Gov. Tim Walz says a special legislative session may be needed to address some of the fallout from wildfires burning in and near the Boundary Waters. Walz told MPR News that lawmakers may have to return to St. Paul next month if the fires continue burning. The governor declared a peacetime emergency to deploy additional resources to the firefighting effort. Lawmakers would need to weigh in if that declaration extends beyond 30 days.

Dozens of people gathered Friday at the memorial for Alex Pretti, six months after he was shot and killed by a federal immigration agent. Flowers and artwork mark the spot on Nicollet Avenue where Pretti was killed in January. Community members who help maintain the memorial say they want to make sure Pretti and the response to his death are remembered. Hennepin County prosecutors are still investigating the killing, but no agents have been charged.

Charges have been filed against a 25-year-old man accused of breaking into two Brooklyn Park homes over the past week and sexually assaulting two women. Darius Olson-Baker faces 10 felony counts. According to the criminal complaint, the women provided similar descriptions of their assailant, and DNA testing also allegedly pointed to Olson-Baker as the suspect. He was arrested Wednesday and remains in custody.

Basketball superstar LeBron James will not be taking his talents to downtown Minneapolis. The 41-year-old announced Friday he will join the Philadelphia 76ers in a bid to end their 43-year championship drought. The Minnesota Timberwolves had actively recruited James, though Wolves star Anthony Edwards said earlier this week they were not among LeBron’s top three choices.

A federal judge sentenced Vance Boelter Thursday to two life sentences plus 40 years for the killings of former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and the attacks on state Sen. John Hoffman, his wife, Yvette, and their daughter, Hope. Boelter pleaded guilty in June to the attacks a year earlier. John and Yvette Hoffman and the Hortmans’ two children were among those who spoke before the sentence was handed down. Following the sentencing, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said it will proceed with its prosecution of Boelter on state charges.

The U.S. Forest Service says it will allow day-use permits to enter the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness at some entry points starting Monday. Superior National Forest officials say a larger portion of the Boundary Waters in Lake and Cook counties could reopen for overnight use July 30, barring any additional fire activity.

Republican Mike Lindell says President Donald Trump’s endorsement has boosted his campaign for governor. Lindell says the endorsement led to a surge in fundraising and polling support. He is running against endorsed Republican candidate Kendall Qualls and House Speaker Lisa Demuth in the Aug. 11 primary. Early voting is underway.

Minneapolis police are explaining why the department partnered with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security during the ICE surge this winter. MPR News first reported the agreement in April. Minneapolis police say 63 officers earned overtime while working with a federal task force focused on drugs and violence, not immigration enforcement. The collaboration has resulted in charges against 25 people.

A federal judge in Minneapolis will hand down the sentence for Vance Boelter, the man who pleaded guilty last month to fatally shooting former House speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, and injuring Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette.

In court filings, prosecutors asked the judge to impose two life sentences, plus 40 years. They said Boelter caused, “astonishing damage to his victims and the state of Minnesota,” and said he should spend the rest of his life in prison.

Boundary Waters permit cancellations will remain in effect through Friday, but federal and state officials say they are developing a plan that could reopen some areas of the wilderness to visitors.

A memorial has been set up outside the St. Paul apartment leasing office where three people were killed there Monday. Apartment resident Tsegaab Binessu is charged with shooting that killed the three employees after a parking contract dispute.

Wildfires burning across Minnesota’s Arrowhead have not been very active in recent days. Tom Hall with the U.S. Forest Service says cooler, wetter weather has allowed fire containment to improve. But Hall says fire conditions are expected to get worse going into Aug. and Sept.

One victim of a shooting targeting Minnesota lawmakers and their families is denouncing the gunman’s request to serve his sentence in Florida. Vance Boelter will be sentenced in the deaths of former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, as well as the wounding of state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. Boelter admitted to shooting them in June 2025 at their homes. Yvette Hoffman wrote on Facebook that Boelter does not deserve a say in where he serves his sentence.

A man charged with killing three people in a St. Paul leasing office made his first court appearance Wednesday. Tsegaab Binessu is charged with three counts of second-degree murder. Charges say he opened fire on employees of an apartment management company after they told him he could not cancel his garage parking contract. His bail is set at $10 million, and his next court appearance is scheduled for Aug.13.

Former Minnesota Sen. Nicole Mitchell is running for Woodbury City Council a year after she was convicted of felony burglary. Mitchell resigned from the Legislature after a jury found her guilty of breaking into her stepmother’s home. The DFLer filed Tuesday for the nonpartisan office. Mitchell says she will focus on clean water issues and transparency in city government.

Hundreds of firefighters continue to battle wildfires that have burned tens of thousands of acres in the Boundary Waters. Those fire crews saw cooler temperatures and higher humidity Tuesday, which helped efforts to contain the fires — but there were also winds that gusted to near 30 miles per hour.

The use of no-knock warrants by law enforcement agencies in Minnesota has declined dramatically since a state law restricting their use went into effect in 2023.

After admitting to shooting Minnesota lawmakers, Vance Boelter is now asking to serve his time at a prison outside of Orlando, Fla. Sentencing memos filed by the federal government and Boelter's attorney lay out their positions ahead of a Thursday court hearing. The U.S. Attorney's Office says Boelter should never be free again for shootings that were "the worst form of political violence."

Federal officials are withholding more than $200 million in federal Medicaid payments to Minnesota due to suspected fraud in the state’s public health insurance programs.

And a leader of the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme could have even more time added to his prison term for trying to bribe a juror two years ago. He faces sentencing this week.

Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.