Politics and Government News

Stay updated with the latest political and government news. MPR News covers local, state and national politics, providing in-depth analysis and updates on policies, elections and governmental actions.

Minnesota to spend $9M on COVID-19 ad push
From bus stop ads to television spots, Minnesota plans to launch an awareness campaign about ways the public can help prevent the spread of coronavirus. The effort will move ahead despite Republican opposition.
Supreme Court: Montana can't exclude religious schools from scholarship program
The 5-4 decision, in which Chief Justice John Roberts joined the court's other conservatives, is a win for parents who wanted to use the state tax credit to help send children to religious schools.
China enacts security law, asserting control over Hong Kong
Despite fierce international criticism and opposition in Hong Kong, Beijing's rubber-stamp legislature passed a law allowing the mainland to impose security measures in the former British colony.
AP sources: White House aware of Russian bounties in 2019
Top officials in the White House were aware in early 2019 of classified intelligence indicating Russia was secretly offering bounties to the Taliban for the deaths of Americans, a full year earlier than has been previously reported, according to U.S. officials with direct knowledge of the intelligence.
‘The precinct is on fire’: What happened at Minneapolis’ 3rd Precinct — and what it means
Faced with angry, violent protesters after George Floyd’s death, Minneapolis city leaders made the unprecedented decision to abandon a police station. It marked not only the further erosion of the department’s relationship with the community, but perhaps the beginning of a shift in American policing.
2020 Aspen Ideas Festival: Dr. Anthony Fauci, David Byrne, Stacey Abrams
From the 2020 Aspen Ideas Festival: Dr. Anthony Fauci on the COVID-19 pandemic, musician David Byrne on why art matters, and Stacey Abrams on the importance of voting and participating in the census.
Reddit unveiled an update to its hate speech policies on Monday, including shutting down about 2,000 subreddits. It is the latest example of a popular online platform cracking down on hate speech.
Supreme Court gives president power to fire key independent agency chief
But the court left intact the rest of the statute that created the CFPB. The decision was a victory for President Trump and others who have long sought to trim the sails of independent agencies.