Stories from May 7, 2025

Donald Trump taps wellness influencer close to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for surgeon general
President Donald Trump is tapping Dr. Casey Means, a wellness influencer with close ties to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., as his nominee for surgeon general after withdrawing his initial pick for the influential health post.
The driver charged in a crash that killed two people and injured nine others at a St. Louis Park restaurant last year entered a guilty plea in Hennepin County court this morning. And a bill that strengthens consequences for people with multiple DWIs has passed the Minnesota Senate.
Black smoke rises from the Sistine Chapel as cardinals cast an unsuccessful first vote
Black smoke streamed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, signaling that the more than 130 cardinal electors have not come to a two-thirds agreement about who the next pope should be.
On first day of Real ID requirement, travelers at MSP find minimal hassle
After lots of warnings about potential delays at security checkpoints on the first day of new Real ID requirements, travelers passing through the Twin Cities airport on Wednesday encountered minimal wait times.
Out to Lunch: MPR News host Tom Crann has guided Minnesotans through two decades of headlines
From the 35W bridge collapse to election night, All Things Considered host Tom Crann has been a steady voice on the airwaves for 20 years. He sat down for lunch with Minnesota Now host Nina Moini to reflect on his departure from MPR News and his return to his classical music roots.
Hennepin County promotes using salvaged goods for home renovations with Salvage Crawl
MPR News host Cathy Wurzer and Olivia Cashman, a construction and demolition waste specialist with Hennepin County, talk about home renovations and recycled materials.
May 13 special elections in Minnesota
A number of special elections for vacant seats and ballot questions are happening across Minnesota on May 13. Elections will be held for races in Orono, Traverse County and Mora schools. Referendums are being held in Slayton and Unorganized Township 63-17 in St. Louis County, as well as school districts in Cedar Mountain, Chisago Lakes, Fulda, Kingsland and Windom.
Our team collected referendum questions — exactly how they are phrased on the ballot — for special elections being held in Slayton and Unorganized Township 63-17 in St. Louis County, as well as school districts in Cedar Mountain, Chisago Lakes, Fulda, Kingsland and Windom.
A special election is being held on Tuesday, May 13, to fill a vacancy on the Orono City Council. The candidates running are Ryan Kanive, Bruce Lemke, Jon Schwingler, Aigul "Gigi" Simpson and Todd Trettel.
A special election is being held on Tuesday, May 13, to fill a vacancy on the Mora school board - ISD 332. The candidates running are Tina Akers, Matt Heggerness, Kimberly Hodson, Marci Jenson and Brett Parson.
Wild GM Guerin aims for Kaprizov extension and aggressive summer spending with cap constraints gone
The Minnesota Wild have entered a critical offseason. They’re able to fully participate in free agency again after two years of significant salary cap constraints.
In an email to staff and families, Robbinsdale Area Schools Superintendent Teri Staloch said a computer network technician was arrested on suspicion of possessing child sex abuse material. She said the staffer did not have unsupervised access to students.
Defending PWHL champion Minnesota opens playoffs in rematch vs. Toronto; Montreal faces Ottawa
Kendall Coyne Schofield and the Minnesota Frost are back in the PWHL playoffs — but barely — in a bid to defend their inaugural Walter Cup championship. Montreal and Toronto return, carrying the weight of losing in the semifinals last year.
Mike Osterholm on how the Trump administration is reshaping public health in America
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. vowed to transform public health in America. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with epidemiologist Michael Osterholm about how the new priorities and funding cuts are affecting Minnesota.
López fans 11 as Correa, Buxton homer in Twins’ 9-1 win over Orioles
Pablo López struck out a season-high 11 batters and Carlos Correa hit an upper-deck two-run homer during a five-run third inning as the Minnesota Twins opened a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles with a 9-1 win.
The conclave to choose a new pope is about to begin
As more than a billion Catholics around the world await the election of a new pope, all eyes are on the Sistine Chapel, where 133 cardinals will begin the secretive process known as a conclave.
Starting Wednesday, air travelers need more than a regular driver’s license to get through airport security checkpoints. And the Timberwolves lost to the Golden State Warriors 99-88 in Game 1 of a best-of-seven second round playoff series.
Wildfires burn thousands of acres on tribal lands in North Dakota
Thousands of acres of tribal lands in North Dakota have burned in the last several days due to wildfires amid dry and breezy conditions. Officials were tracking several large fires still burning Tuesday across wooded areas and grasslands on the Turtle Mountain Reservation near the Canadian border that have burned about 6.5 square miles of wooded areas and grasslands.
Warriors take Game 1 from cold-shooting Wolves 99-88 despite Curry’s departure with hamstring strain
Buddy Hield and Draymond Green delivered from 3-point range with Golden State star Stephen Curry suddenly sidelined by a hamstring strain, and the Warriors opened the second-round series with an inspired 99-88 victory over the Timberwolves.
As bill to toughen DWI punishment nears passage, a guilty plea in case that led to bill
The man charged with killing two people and injuring many more on a St. Louis Park patio last year pleaded guilty Wednesday morning in Hennepin County District Court as part of a plea deal that could send him to prison for decades.
Art Deco King: Remembering St. Paul artist Paul Manship on the 100th anniversary of a movement
A major figure in American Art Deco, St. Paul-born sculptor Paul Manship is celebrated at the Minnesota Museum of American Art with zodiac medallions and other works that trace his celestial obsessions and lasting legacy.
From a garden in Laos to Fort Snelling State Park, his life has been devoted to nature
Kao Thao remembers the beauty of nature in Laos before he and his family fled. In Minnesota, he has spent his career teaching fishing, birding and canoeing for the Department of Natural Resources.
Minnesota graduation rates reach historic high after pandemic slide
Just over 84 percent of Minnesota’s high school seniors graduated last year — the highest rate the state has ever recorded, data released Wednesday shows. State schools made significant gains after losing ground in the COVID-19 pandemic.