Stories from March 10, 2025

Former Minnesota Sen. Melisa López Franzen hopes to fill the seat U.S. Sen. Tina Smith will leave after next year's election. And Ontario moved forward with previously announced plans to charge 25 percent more for the electricity it exports to the U.S. in response to President Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs.
Before the internet, how the LA Public Library helped readers pick their next novel
The Los Angeles Public Library stores thousands of index cards with staff reviews of books dating back to the 1920s. A librarian explains how they were used and what we can learn from them today.
About 30,000 fewer Americans die each year from street drugs. Survivors in one of the most drug-scarred cities say their community is trying to help, but the safety net feels dangerously thin.
Stocks’ sell-off worsens as Wall Street wonders how much pain Trump will accept for the economy
The U.S. stock market’s sell-off cut deeper on Monday as Wall Street questioned how much pain President Donald Trump will let the economy endure through tariffs and other policies in order to get what he wants.
Downtown St. Paul leader hopes new grocer will come in after Lunds & Byerlys closure
Lunds & Byerlys operated as downtown St. Paul’s sole grocer for 11 years. The company said it will partner with the city and landlord to keep store equipment and infrastructure in place for a future grocery store.
Ontario slaps 25% increase on electricity exports to U.S. in response to Trump's trade war
Trump launched a new trade war last week by imposing tariffs against Washington’s three biggest trading partners, drawing immediate retaliation from Mexico, Canada and China and sending financial markets into a tailspin.
Act to repeal harmful law may not go far enough for Dakota people 
The Sioux Dakota Removal Act passed in 1863 could be repealed in South Dakota. Dakota people in Minnesota wonder if it will go far enough to undo the harm it caused when it was originally passed. 
Funeral service with full police honors for former St. Paul officer Felicia Reilly
Reilly died last weekend at the age of 67 — 15 years after suffering a traumatic brain injury when she was attacked while on duty. Reilly’s family said her death was due to injuries stemming from that assault.
Benita Long disappeared. So why wasn’t she added to this missing person database?
A federally funded database helps track long-term, missing-person cases. Yet an NPR investigation finds that even in states legally required to use it, more than 2,000 people haven’t been added.
Driving while high is hard to detect. States are racing to find a good tool
Police are experimenting with various methods to determine whether drivers are under the influence of marijuana, but unlike alcohol, a number of factors make that difficult to know with certainty.
Timberwolves top Spurs 141-124 for 5th straight win on 25-point night for Anthony Edwards
Anthony Edwards scored 25 points on 10-for-15 shooting to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves past the San Antonio Spurs 141-124 for their fifth consecutive victory and highest score this season.
Rudy Gobert returns to Timberwolves’ lineup after 10-game absence with lower back trouble
Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert returned to action against San Antonio after a 10-game absence due to a lower back injury and joined in the team’s highest-scoring game of the season.
Crosby scores a pair of goals and Jarry stops 30 shots as Penguins top Wild 3-1 to end 4-game skid
Sidney Crosby scored twice, Evgeni Malkin also had a goal and Tristan Jarry made 30 saves and had an assist to help the Pittsburgh Penguins snap a four-game skid with a 3-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild.
As federal firings stir uncertainty, here's expert advice to prep for a potential job loss
Avery Bardell, workforce development manager with Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota, which offers job training and career support, told MPR News preparation is key in this turbulent and anxiety-inducing time.
Playwright Athol Fugard, who chronicled apartheid and its aftermath, dies at 92
The celebrated South African playwright was known for Blood Knot, The Road to Mecca and “Master Harold”...and the Boys. He said his job was to make “leaps out of my reality and into other realities.”
Postal workers conducting the census is part of a Trump pitch for a USPS takeover
The Trump administration has suggested bringing the U.S. Postal Service under White House control, and having mail carriers conduct the census. Here's what to know about the controversial ideas.
More Black teens are in mental health crisis. This church tries to help them heal
At First Corinthian Baptist Church in Harlem, New York, a therapist was fielding 10 calls a week from parents of teens who needed mental health help. Now the church is part of a national pilot intervention and study to address suicide risk among Black teens.
Voters in a Minnesota House district make a decision Tuesday in a special election that will determine chamber control. A funeral service with full police honors is Monday for former St. Paul officer Felicia Reilly. Reilly died last weekend at age 67 — 15 years after suffering a traumatic brain injury when she was attacked while on duty.
Osterholm predicted a pandemic for years. Then the battle against COVID-19 became personal
Five years ago, news of a fast-spreading respiratory virus was making headlines in the United States. In Minnesota, public health expert Michael Osterholm was keeping close tabs.
Minnesota House seat gets filled as Legislature begins confronting new budget reality
Minnesota’s Legislature will see a major change this week with a special election in the House, and will start grappling with the updated budget forecast that showed tighter finances. Both will likely change the dynamic of this legislative session moving forward.
Minnesota sculptor forges a passion for people who put their lives on the line
Near the small town of Kimball, a Minnesota sculpture studio creates highly detailed statues honoring first responders and the military. They can be found in hundreds of public spaces across the country. For the studio’s owners, the work is more than just a business.
COVID in Minnesota: Five years in five graphs
The COVID-19 pandemic upended life in Minnesota and across the country in March 2020. Schools and businesses closed. Hospitals nearly reached a breaking point as deaths and hospitalizations leaped. Five charts show different ways in which the pandemic shaped us.