Stories from March 8, 2025

Dairy farmers in Wisconsin see federal funding unfrozen as others are left waiting
Dozens of Wisconsin dairy farmers are breathing a sigh of relief after federal funds they had been awarded were released and payments are now being promised. But anxiety persists for some.
House Republicans unveil bill to avoid shutdown and they're daring Democrats to oppose it
House Republicans have unveiled a 99-page spending bill that would keep federal agencies funded through Sept. 30. It would provide a slight boost to defense programs while trimming nondefense programs below 2024 budget year levels. Congress must act by midnight Friday to avoid a partial government shutdown. 
Tribes and Native American students sue over Bureau of Indian Education firings
Three tribal nations and five Native American students say in a lawsuit that the Trump administration has failed its legal obligations to tribes when it cut jobs at Bureau of Indian Education schools. According to the lawsuit filed Friday, the firings at two colleges have left students and staff with unsafe conditions, canceled classes and delayed financial aid. 
GOP unveils stopgap bill to avert a government shutdown. They may not have the votes.
House Republicans released the text of a continuing resolution that would fund the government through Sept. 30. Now, passing it in a narrowly divided chamber is the next hurdle.
Death toll in violence on Syrian coast rises to more than 1,000, war monitor says
A war monitoring group says the death toll from two days of clashes between security forces and loyalists of ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad and revenge killings that followed has risen to more than 1,000, including nearly 750 civilians, making it one of the deadliest outbreaks of violence since Syria’s conflict began 14 years ago. 
Unions ask court to stop DOGE from accessing Social Security data of millions of Americans
A group of labor unions are asking a federal court for an emergency order to stop Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency from accessing the sensitive Social Security data of millions of Americans. The motion for emergency relief was filed late Friday in federal court in Maryland.
Frost, Maddie Rooney shutout Ottawa Charge 5-0 in Takeover Tour game in Raleigh, N.C.
Kendall Coyne Schofield scored the game-winning goal in the sixth minute of play and Maddie Rooney earned her second shutout as the Minnesota Frost blanked the Ottawa Charge 5-0 in a PWHL game played on the home ice of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes. The Lenovo Center hosted 10,782 fans for the league’s Takeover Tour game.
Conley, Reid and DiVincenzo lead the Timberwolves to 106-104 victory over the Heat
Mike Conley, Naz Reid and Donte DiVincenzo each scored 15 points each and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Miami Heat 106-104 on Friday night for their fourth straight victory. Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels and Julius Randle finished with 13 each. Edwards, who averages 27.5 points per game, attempted a season-low 10 shots and made four.
Sherwood scores tiebreaking goal late in 3rd, Lankinen has 37 saves as Canucks beat Wild 3-1
Kiefer Sherwood scored late in the third period, Kevin Lankinen stopped 37 shots and the Vancouver Canucks beat the Minnesota Wild 3-1. Elias Pettersson opened the scoring for the Canucks on a power play midway through the first period to snap a 15-game scoring drought, and Teddy Blueger added an empty-netter in the final minute. Defenseman Filip Hronek had two assists.
Russian strikes on Ukraine kill 20 as U.S. cuts intelligence sharing with Kyiv
Russian strikes on Ukraine have killed at least 20 people as heavy aerial attacks continued into the second night following a U.S. decision to stop sharing satellite images with Ukraine. At least 11 people were killed in multiple strikes on a town in Ukraine’s embattled Donetsk region late Friday while nine more died as strikes hit several front-line towns and the northeastern region of Kharkiv.
Indigenous playwright debuts new play on the national stage
Playwright Rhiana Yazzie’s, “The Other Children of the Sun,” is based on the Navajo creation story. During times of significant change for the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., Yazzie says it’s a strong statement for Indigenous people and stories to be seen on stage.
Love is political? ‘Love is Blind’ Minneapolis season centers politics more than ever
Production of season eight took place in early 2024 while primaries were still underway for the presidential election. During the pods, participants had in-depth conversations about the LGBTQ+ community, the murder of George Floyd, religion and more.
Feeding Our Future leader Aimee Bock testifies in her own defense
Feeding Our Future founder Aimee Bock on Friday tried to portray Feeding Our Future as an organization that was on the up-and-up, countering extensive prosecution evidence that it was the locus of a $250 million fraud and testimony from former board members that they had no knowledge of the organization until it came under scrutiny.
As Trump cuts millions from Columbia, University of Minnesota urged to take action
The University of Minnesota joins Columbia University on a list of colleges facing federal investigation over pro-Palestinian protests, and now the man who called for that investigation is warning its regents to take action before the U of M faces similar funding cuts.