Stories from April 10, 2025

5 buzzy books out this week that look inward
A number of books out this week — a tale of tribal politics, a close-focus mystery, measured criticism and a unique relationship — are tied up in answering the question: How do we define ourselves?
Most Americans want to read more books. We just don’t.
When we worry about the declining rates of literacy and a lack of reading skills, it’s often about children. But how often are adults reading these days? And what are we reading? A new NPR/Ipsos poll finds out.
Shorting workers $37K nets felony wage theft conviction for contractor
A Hennepin County judge on Wednesday found a Twin Cities painting contractor guilty of deliberately underpaying five workers. The felony wage theft conviction of Frederick Leon Newell is believed to be the first under a 2019 Minnesota law.
Nearly 200 Minnesota Association of Professional Employees rallied outside a state office building on the grounds of the State Capitol to protest Trump administration cuts to public health.
Minnesota Department of Health workers rally against Trump administration cuts
Members of the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees rallied outside a state office building on the grounds of the State Capitol Thursday to speak out against cuts to public health programs.
Who gets to be a critic? And why are some so ‘bad’?
Andrea Long Chu and Britney Luse discuss why art is a “fossil record” of desire, what kind of authority critics have, and why we might need to rethink what criticism should do for us.
North Minneapolis‘ Phyllis Wheatley Community Center celebrates 100 years
Valerie Stevenson is the interim executive director and has worked with the center for more than 20 years. She joined Minnesota Now to talk about the early years of the center and what 100 years means.
Federal jobs watch: Just-released February jobs report shows few losses in Minnesota
The federal workforce includes nearly 34,000 jobs in Minnesota. Over 20,000 are located in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ month jobs report shows a loss of 100 federal jobs through Minnesota from January to February. Surprisingly, the report showed a gain of 100 federal jobs in the Minneapolis and St. Paul metro.
Four years after Daunte Wright‘s death, Brooklyn Center scales back police reform
After police killed Daunte Wright, the Brooklyn Center City Council passed a resolution promising a set of reforms. Since then, the makeup and focus of the council has changed, and the mothers of two men who were killed by Brooklyn Center police are not happy.
Trump administration nixes plan on disparities for Native students in Rapid City, S.D.
The Education Department has withdrawn from an agreement to address disparities in discipline for Native American students at a South Dakota school system, saying it was wrongly rooted in efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion. 
Severe Weather Awareness Week: Tornadoes
April 7-11 is Severe Weather Awareness Week. It’s a time where we help educate the public about severe weather preparedness, safety and the importance of weather awareness. Let’s take a closer look at tornadoes.
Severe weather sirens will sound twice in Minnesota, Wisconsin for annual tornado drills
If you heard tornado sirens blaring across Minnesota and Wisconsin on Thursday, don’t be alarmed — but don’t completely ignore them, either. It was the annual tornado drill day in both states.
Going backwards? Health care equity in Minnesota, five years after COVID
Has health equity in Minnesota improved since the pandemic? We took that question to Red Wing for a North Star Journey Live discussion and asked health care workers on the front lines to assess what they’ve seen since 2020.
‘It’s devastating’: Minneapolis health officials cancel vaccine clinics after loss of federal funding
Minneapolis health officials canceled upcoming vaccine clinics after federal funding was cut. They say they’re worried about falling vaccination rates.
Trump officials halt $1 billion in funding for Cornell, $790 million for Northwestern
More than $1 billion in funding for Cornell University and around $790 million for Northwestern University have been frozen over alleged civil rights violations at both schools, the White House says.
Cleanup underway of the Keystone oil pipeline spill in North Dakota
Trucks and workers started a cleanup effort at the site of a spill of the Keystone oil pipeline in rural North Dakota. The cause of the spill and the timing to get the pipeline back online remain unclear.
Joe Ryan pitches 7 scoreless innings and Twins beat Royals 4-0
Joe Ryan continued his mastery over Kansas City, giving up just two hits over seven scoreless innings in the Minnesota Twins’ 4-0 victory over the Royals. Ryan (1-1), who struck out four and did not give up a walk, is now 7-0 in nine career starts against the Royals with a 1.30 ERA in 55 1/3 innings.
Be ready for the annual statewide tornado drill today in Minnesota. There will be two drills Thursday — the first at 1:45 p.m. and the second at 6:45 p.m. And the Minnesota Department of Agriculture says a lack of federal funding is forcing it to cancel plans to spray for invasive moths in parts of Minnesota this year.
Eriksson Ek, Kaprizov return to lead the Wild past the Sharks, 8-7 in overtime
Joel Eriksson Ek scored a career-high four goals in his return from a lower-body injury, Kirill Kaprizov had his second of the game in overtime in his first game back and the Minnesota Wild outlasted the San Jose Sharks 8-7 on Wednesday night.
Where did U.S. humanities grants go? To projects from a baseball film to AI research
From AI research to historical preservation, programs funded by grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities reach every corner of the U.S. Now the government has terminated those grants.
As measles spreads, federal budget cuts force closure of vaccine clinics
Federal funding cuts, though temporarily blocked by a judge, have upended vaccination outreach across the country, including in Arizona, Minnesota, Nevada, Texas, and Washington state.
Graphic Gatsby: K. Woodman-Maynard on adapting a classic for comics
Minnesota graphic novelist K. Woodman-Maynard discusses her adaptation of “The Great Gatsby” into a graphic novel, reflecting on its visual style, classroom potential and enduring themes as the original novel turns 100.
Lack of federal funding forces Minnesota to cancel an invasive moth spraying program
Spongy moths are an invasive defoliating pest that threatens the health of forests. The Department of Agriculture says there is only a short springtime window to spray against them, but because they haven’t received federal funds, they have to cancel.
‘A better direction’: Minnesota starts mandatory training for police in schools
Lawmakers last year ordered required training for school resource officers, a decision rooted in the 2020 police killing of George Floyd. A recent training session in St. Michael — the first of its kind in Minnesota — offered a glimpse of life in schools that’s real but rarely discussed.