MPR News

Pallbearers move the casket of George Floyd

Mourners hold memorial for Floyd in North Carolina as more protests take shape

Hundreds of mourners lined up Saturday to pay respects to George Floyd in his North Carolina hometown, while a number of rallies and marches were taking place this weekend in the Twin Cities. Washington prepared for what was expected to be the city’s largest demonstration yet against police brutality.

Protesters march toward the Minnesota State Capitol building.

Floyd demonstrators vow to sustain momentum until change happens

Protesters stirred by the police killing of George Floyd are vowing to turn an extraordinary outpouring of grief into a sustained movement as demonstrations shift to a calmer, but no less determined, focus on addressing racial injustice.

A man wearing a face mask walks a dog.

Latest on COVID-19 in MN: 22 more deaths reported; confirmed cases surpass 27,000

Minnesota health officials reported 22 more confirmed COVID-19 deaths and 526 more confirmed cases on Saturday, just one day after Gov. Tim Walz announced further loosening of restrictions on businesses and other aspects of society during the coronavirus pandemic beginning next week.

Former Vice President Joe Biden speaks in Philadelphia. He has now secured enough delegates to win the Democratic presidential nomination.

Biden formally clinches Democratic nomination, while gaining steam against Trump

Months after sealing up the primary campaign, former Vice President Joe Biden has formally earned enough delegates to secure the Democratic nomination. He's also risen in recent general election polling.

Two people raise their fists

Minneapolis to ban police chokeholds in wake of Floyd death

Negotiators for the city of Minneapolis agreed with the state Friday to ban the use of chokeholds by police and to require officers to report and intervene anytime they see an unauthorized use of force by another officer.

A Buffalo police officer shoves a man

Prosecutors: 2 Buffalo police officers charged with assault

Two police officers in Buffalo, N.Y., were charged with assault Saturday, prosecutors said, after a video showed them shoving a 75-year-old protester in recent demonstrations over the death of George Floyd.

Being black in America: 'We have a place in this world, too'

As protests continue around the country in response to several high-profile deaths of African Americans in recent weeks, black people say they are frustrated, fearful and fatigued.

Three people stand on a sidewalk to listen.

Walz tours devastated Minneapolis businesses

Gov. Tim Walz said as Minnesota communities devastated by rioting rebuild, all efforts must be made to bring them back to life in their own image. Walz and several other DFL politicians toured some of the hardest-hit areas of Minneapolis Friday morning.

A man in a vintage U.S. World War II uniform

Amid pandemic, the loneliest of D-Day remembrances is observed in France

Compared to last year, when many tens of thousands came to the northern French beaches of Normandy to cheer the dwindling number of World War II veterans, the coronavirus lockdown turned this year's D-Day remembrance into one of the eeriest ever.

Denver Police observe the crowd during a protest outside the State Capitol on Saturday, May 30, 2020, in Denver.

Judge grants order limiting police use of tear gas, projectiles at Denver protests

The order is in response to a complaint filed against the city of Denver that alleges the police department's use of such weapons violated citizens' First and Fourth Amendment rights.

A number of St. Paul police officers kneeling

Black cops feel pain of Floyd's death, duty to their uniform

Black officers find themselves torn between two worlds when it comes to the protests against police brutality happening around the U.S. While they are part of the “thin blue line” of policing, the officers say they also understand the anguish expressed by demonstrators.

Young person paints a mural on a brick wall.

Photos: Students, staff, community turn out to paint mural at Gordon Parks High School

While the exterior of Gordon Parks High School in St. Paul was boarded up, students, faculty, staff, community members gathered to paint murals on the plywood boards covering the windows on Friday.

Two people stand in booths as they vote.

Primary primer: What you need to know about Minnesota's August election

In August, Minnesota voters will choose the DFL and Republican nominees for U.S. Senate, most of the state’s U.S. House seats and dozens of state legislative seats. See who is on your primary ballot.

President Trump says a strong economy is his solution to racial injustice in America.

Trump says strong economy will bring racial justice

The president intimates that George Floyd, killed by police, would be happy with the lower than expected unemployment rate.

A brown-haired woman speaks at a podium.

U of M president calls for in-person classes to resume in fall

University of Minnesota President Joan Gabel will recommend regents reopen the U to in-person instruction and reopen residence halls, dining facilities and other campus services for the fall semester, within public health guidelines.

Majdi Wadi, center, with his daughter Lianne Wadi.

Holy Land grocery CEO faces boycotts after daughter’s past racist posts resurface

In an interview with Sahan Journal, Majdi Wadi said he will hire a consultant to train employees against bias and examine any issues of racism at Holy Land. “I am ready to conduct an investigation,” he said. “I’m ready for any consequences.”

"I Voted!" stickers

ACLU, NAACP lawsuit: Amid pandemic, mail absentee ballots to all Minnesota voters

The American Civil Liberties Union is suing the Minnesota secretary of state, asking that absentee ballots be mailed to every registered voter due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two people work in a coffee shop.

U.S. unemployment drops unexpectedly to 13.3% amid outbreak

U.S. employers unexpectedly added jobs last month as the unemployment rate declined, signs that people are returning to work as states reopen their economies. President Trump celebrated the news.

Gov. Tim Walz gets his haircut

Latest on COVID-19 in MN: Walz eases more life, business curbs

“COVID is still with us, but we gotta live with it,” Gov. Tim Walz said Friday as he announced a further loosening of restrictions on restaurants, salons and barbershops, religious services and other parts of daily life amid some evidence the pandemic may be plateauing.

Rashad Turner founded the St. Paul chapter of Black Lives Matter in 2015. As a child growing up there, he wanted to help his community by being a police officer.

Rashad Turner had wanted to be a cop. He founded a Black Lives Matter chapter instead

The St. Paul native trained to be a police officer — because he wanted to help. To him, the cops were the good guys. But what once felt like a calling to wear a badge ended long ago.

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