Minnesota Today

The Minneapolis City Council approved $7 million in funding today for small businesses that have lost money during the ongoing federal immigration operation.

And at the state level, Minnesota legislators are discussing the potential economic impact of the recent immigration enforcement surge.

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

Parts of the North Shore will be digging out from close to 3 feet of snow Thursday in the wake of Wednesday’s blizzard. A weather spotter in Hovland in Cook County reported 34 inches of snow as of Wednesday night.

And for the Twin Cities, that band of snow that swept into the metro Wednesday afternoon and evening stuck around all night. There’s more than a half-foot of snow in parts of the south metro.

A federal judge is considering whether to temporarily restrict immigration enforcement practices in Minnesota after a lawsuit accused federal agents of racial profiling and unlawful arrests during the enforcement surge.

Winter storm warnings continue across northern Minnesota through Thursday morning with blizzard warnings for Duluth and the North Shore. Winds have been gusting to more than 60 mph at the Duluth airport and utilities are reporting thousands of homes and businesses without power. There’s even been some lightning amid the heavy snow.

To the south, rain will change over to snow Wednesday. The Twin Cities may get an inch or two by Thursday, with 2 to 4 inches for Willmar and St. Cloud.

Former colleagues of Melissa Hortman paid tribute to the slain lawmaker today in a somber opening to the 2026 session.

And winter storm warnings are posted across northern Minnesota — with blizzard warnings along the North Shore.

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

As a new legislative session begins Tuesday, lawmakers will be carrying the weight of an incredibly difficult eight months since they last met.

The time off has been marked by the assassination of former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, a deadly school shooting and the shooting deaths of two Minnesotans by federal agents during a large-scale immigration operation.

The son of the late Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman says her memory will inspire lawmakers to act more kindly toward each other.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey says he's feeling cautious relief following yesterday's announcement by the Trump administration that it's ending the surge of federal immigration agents to Minnesota.

And a federal judge is ordering the Department of Homeland Security to ensure that immigration detainees held at the Whipple Federal Building near Minneapolis have access to lawyers.

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

Federal officials say they’re ending a major immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota and beginning to draw down ICE agents after months of intensified activity. But lawyers and advocates say the consequences of that operation are still unfolding.

Minnesota U.S. Attorney Dan Rosen on Thursday dropped charges against two men accused of assaulting an immigration officer.

A judge Thursday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from cancelling $42 million in public health funding from the Minnesota Department of Health.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz says he’s cautiously optimistic about today’s announcement that the Trump administration is ending the surge of immigration agents to the state.

St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her is also optimistic about the announcement that the ICE surge is drawing down.

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

A hearing on Capitol Hill is yielding few answers about why the U.S. Department of Justice has excluded Minnesota investigators from probes into the Renee Macklin Good and Alex Pretti fatal shootings in Minneapolis.

Attorney General Pam Bondi sidestepped the topic when pressed by Democrats during today's House Judiciary Committee hearing.

And St. Paul police say federal agents were pursuing a person in a vehicle in St. Paul today -- leading to a multi-car crash. The person who was pursued had non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to the hospital.