Politics and Government News

MPR News is your hub for the latest politics and government news coverage. Whether you're looking for the status of a recent Supreme Court ruling, or want updates on Minnesota's newest laws, we have comprehensive state and national news coverage ready for you.

January 19, 2020 4:55 PM

Rep. John Lewis' fight for civil rights began with a letter to Martin Luther King Jr.

As a teenager growing up in Alabama, Lewis wrote a letter to Martin Luther King Jr. during the budding civil rights movement. In a letter back, King invited the 18-year-old to join the cause.

by Emma Bowman, Aisha Turner and Kerrie Hillman

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January 19, 2020 1:00 PM

On the edge of America, census begins in a tiny Alaska town

The decennial U.S. census has started in rural Alaska, out of tradition and necessity, ever since the U.S. purchased the territory from Russia in 1867.

by The Associated Press

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January 19, 2020 8:25 AM

$11 billion and counting: Trump's border wall would be the world's most costly

The costs keep piling up for President Trump's border wall, which has a current price tag of $11 billion — nearly $20 million per mile. It's more expensive than any other wall under construction in the world.

by John Burnett

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January 18, 2020 6:27 PM

Amtrak asks 2 people who use wheelchairs to pay $25,000 for a ride

It usually costs $16 to take Amtrak from Chicago to Bloomington, Ill. The company defended the $25,000 cost for the extra wheelchair users, saying it reflects a new policy.

by Joseph Shapiro

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January 18, 2020 5:20 PM

Trump team, House managers trade sharp views on impeachment

President Trump's legal team issued a fiery response ahead of opening arguments in his impeachment trial Saturday while House Democrats laid out their case in forceful fashion, saying the president had betrayed public trust with behavior that was the “worst nightmare" of the founding fathers.

by The Associated Press

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January 18, 2020 4:32 PM

Mexico blocks hundreds of migrants from crossing border span

Mexican authorities closed a border entry point in southern Mexico on Saturday after hundreds of Central American migrants tried to push their way across a bridge spanning the Suchiate River between Mexico and Guatemala.

by The Associated Press

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January 18, 2020 4:21 PM

Gun-rights activists gear up for show of force in Virginia

Police are scouring the internet for clues about plans for mayhem, workers are putting up chain link holding pens around Virginia's Capitol Square, and one lawmaker even plans to hide in a safe house in advance of what's expected to be an unprecedented show of force by gun-rights activists on Monday.

by The Associated Press

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January 18, 2020 1:49 PM

Thousands gather for Women's March rallies across the U.S.

Thousands gathered in cities across the country Saturday as part of the nationwide Women's March rallies focused on issues such as climate change, pay equity, reproductive rights and immigration.

by The Associated Press

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January 18, 2020 11:59 AM

A mayor in Norway's Arctic looks to China to reinvent his frontier town

Melting ice means more ships are traversing polar shipping lanes, so Rune Rafaelsen wants Chinese investors to help turn the small town of Kirkenes into a major logistics hub. But doubters abound.

by Jackie Northam

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January 17, 2020 7:15 PM

Ordinance would ban fur sales in Minneapolis

Council members Alondra Cano and Cam Gordon signaled their intent to bring a fur ban ordinance before their colleagues later this month.

by Matt Sepic

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