Minnesota News & Current Events | Public News Service

According to the U.S. Department of energy, e-bikes topped the 1 million mark in sales in 2022, almost four times the total from 2019. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, July 1, 2024

Can e-bikes become a carbon reduction force?

Tomorrow Minnesota will reopen online applications for electric bike rebates. Environmental advocates are closely watching consumer demand for …

The union representing Minneapolis park keepers says since 1984, the department's superintendent's salary has increased by 229%, but in contrast, frontline workers' wages have fallen behind when factoring in inflation. (Adobe Stock)

Mpls. labor dispute highlights park workers' job challenges

With the July 4 holiday approaching, families are likely to spend time at municipal parks to celebrate and Parks Department staff in Minneapolis hope …

Proposed water permit changes in Minnesota to limit harmful runoff from industrial farms would only cover about 1,000 of the state's 17,000 livestock feedlots. However, environmental groups said the affected farms generate about one-third of the manure spread on agricultural fields. (Adobe Stock)

MN regulators unveil tougher water permit requirements for CAFO's

Minnesota will soon hold public hearings on proposed water permit changes as it seeks to get control of nitrate pollution from industrial farms…

If you are displaced by a natural disaster such as a flood, consumer watchdogs say you should keep all your receipts, including for food and temporary lodging as your home is repaired. It can help recoup expenses when going through necessary insurance claims and other forms of assistance. (Adobe Stock)

Watchdog hopes MN flood victims keep shady contractors at bay

Communities across Minnesota, especially in its southern half, have been responding to flood emergencies, and consumer protection groups are urging …

Violence Free Minnesota reported in 2018 through 2022, nearly 67% of bystanders or intervenors to domestic violence were killed by an abusive person using a firearm. (Adobe Stock)

SCOTUS ruling instills hope for domestic violence prevention groups

Domestic-violence prevention organizations in Minnesota continue to express relief over a U.S. Supreme Court ruling dealing with abusers having …

The Minnesota DNR says rivers in several parts of the state are running extremely high and fast, and conservation officers recommend people stay off the areas until water levels drop. (Photo courtesy of DNR)

Soggy MN weather prompts safety issues as state park season kicks off

Recent bouts of heavy rain are not just leading to flooded basements in Minnesota, they are reducing access to state parks just as summer demand …

Authors of a new report examining election laws for each state say inconsistent federal funding has made operations harder for local election administrators. If states do not fill the funding gap, replacing aging voting equipment becomes more difficult. (Adobe Stock)

Automatic voter registration stands out in MN election-law analysis

This week, Minnesota leaders touted early numbers under a new automatic voter-registration law. The provision was among the highlights in a report …

A senior scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council's Climate and Clean Energy Program said burning wood biomass for renewable energy actually emits more carbon dioxide than coal for every unit of electricity produced. (Adobe Stock)

Could other exceptions come with MN's new carbon-free law?

Minnesota is sorting out details ahead of trying to meet its 100% carbon-free electricity goal by 2040. Some environmental advocates feel energy …

Staring July 1, Minnesota drivers 55 and older will only have to take four hours of a driver safety course to get an auto insurance discount, down from the current requirement of eight course hours. (Adobe Stock)

MN finalizes overhaul of driver safety education policy

On average, nearly 40% of traffic-fatality victims in Minnesota are 55 and older. A law change soon goes into effect to help more of these drivers …

Advocates are concerned that large corporate

MN farmers push for more protection from corporate agriculture in Farm Bill

With a September deadline looming for Congress to finish work on renewing the Farm Bill, Minnesota family farmers are pushing for more regulations to …

Between 2017 and 2022, Minnesota saw a more than 30% increase in farm acres planted with cover crops. (Adobe Stock)

Cover crops: A mighty force for land health, with room for growth

When Minnesota farmers watch their crops grow this summer, some will monitor land that has better soil health. It's because of a fairly popular …

Minnesota has joined nearly a dozen other states in passing Clean Light laws that center around banning the sale of fluorescent bulbs, which contain mercury. (Adobe Stock)

MN turns out the light on fluorescent bulbs

Walk through a store or schools, and there's a chance the overhead lighting will come from long fluorescent tubes. Minnesota is taking steps to phase …

Organizations like Children's Defense Fund-Minnesota recommend bolstering tutoring programs and other out-of-school learning opportunities for kids to help address lagging test scores. (Adobe Stock)

Patience urged as MN policies evolve to improve outcomes for kids

Despite a handful of concerning results for child well-being in Minnesota, one policy expert says the state is well positioned to make structural …

Those behind a new electric ambulance say standard gas-powered EMS vehicles usually only last about seven years. But they say their electric model can stay on the road for a full decade. (Adobe Stock)

You've heard of electric buses, but what about zero-emission ambulances?

From passenger cars to school buses, the transportation sector is steadily ramping up its push for all-electric vehicles. In the future, ambulances …

The 2024 Kids Count Data Book says 68% of eighth graders in Minnesota were not proficient in math. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Education challenges overshadow MN child well-being

Mirroring national trends, Minnesota has some concerning educational metrics in an annual child well-being report. However, there are some positive …

When it was adopted last year, Minnesota's Driver's Licenses for All law was forecast to allow more than 80,000 undocumented individuals to begin the process to secure a license. (Adobe Stock)

Several months in, Latino advocates assess MN's Driver's Licenses for All

Events are scheduled this month to inform more people about Minnesota's new law eliminating the need for proof of legal residence to get a driver's li…

United Health Foundation says for older adults, the early death rate has gone down by 8%. Officials say while that's an improvement, the rate is still higher than pre-pandemic levels. (Adobe Stock)

Mixed outlook revealed in new well-being report for older adults

Older adults in Minnesota and across the nation are navigating various challenges that affect their quality of life. An annual report shows progress…

The research community reported sexually exploited boys commonly experience adverse mental health effects including depression, PTSD and substance use disorder. (Adobe Stock)

Report sheds light on service gap for boys who are sexually exploited

Experts in the fight against the sexual exploitation of minors said there is a gap in highlighting how young men are targeted and new research said ma…

The pandemic brought a new focus on mental-health care needs, but the industry says it's still adapting to increased demands for services. (Adobe Stock)

Mental health care and MN's facility crunch

Human services leaders say Minnesota is in a mental-health crisis, complicating efforts to manage behavioral health facilities. Closure plans for …

The Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy says a law change, which includes updating the state's public waters list, could provide protections for at least 640 miles of additional waterways across the state. (Adobe Stock)

To shield public waterways from runoff, MN takes an inventory dive

What might seem like an under-the-radar administrative task could end up being a lifesaver for Minnesota waterways in need of safeguards against agric…

The meal pictured above was served at a recent Minneapolis event designed to call more attention to climate change and its effect on food production. (Photo courtesy of Jayme Halbritter)

Can fancy dinners deliver message on climate change?

By Cinnamon Janzer for Civil Eats.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Minnesota News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public N…

According to various tracking organizations, 47% of FAFSA applicants are first-generation college students. (Adobe Stock)

New digital tool emerges to help MN students with FAFSA woes

The effect of technical glitches in overhauling the student financial-aid form known as FAFSA is still being felt. Issues stemming from a redesign …

The federal government collects more than $1 billion every year through an excise tax on such items as licenses, guns, arrows and fishing tackle to fund wildlife conservation programs. (Adobe Stock)

As Congress debates new Farm Bill, hunters and anglers speak up

This week, Congress is picking up work on a new Farm Bill and hunters and anglers said billions of dollars in investments in private-lands …

The National Conference of State Legislatures says addressing prison gerrymandering has become one of the fastest-growing trends in enacting redistricting reforms. (Adobe Stock)

New MN law ends prison gerrymandering

Minnesota's legislative session wrapped up over the weekend with lawmakers banning so-called prison gerrymandering. The provision was part of an …

Leaders with the nonprofit Achieving the Dream say rural community colleges often aren't viewed, as are universities, as the

With national support, MN rural community college can reshape its future

A Minnesota community college serving rural students is getting a lift as it works to bring more innovation to its campus. The school was selected …

The Midwest is expected to see a host of new transmission line projects over the next decade to accommodate clean energy growth. But getting the necessary permits can take time, since these projects often cross multiple jurisdictions. (Adobe Stock)

MN lawmakers give clean energy permitting a makeover

In the future, clean energy projects in Minnesota might come together more quickly, since state lawmakers have advanced a permitting reform measure…

Minnesota's minimum wage of $10.85 took effect in January. It includes lower levels for small employers and workers falling under a handful of other categories. (Adobe Stock)

MN poised to establish standardized minimum wage

Minnesota is moving closer to ensure all workers are eligible for the state's minimum wage of $10.85 an hour. The Legislature has been taking action …

According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, nearly 90% of contractors are experiencing moderate-to-high difficulty finding skilled talent. Figures like that are prompting enhanced efforts to train more apprentices in the construction trades. (Adobe Stock)

Pick up a hammer? MN apprentices say, 'Why not?'

It's graduation season, and in Minnesota, it's not just high schools and universities sending off waves of students. Organizers say they're seeing a …

Stakeholders across the renewable-energy industry say there's a bottleneck of projects due to constraints within the nation's power grid. (Adobe Stock)

For clean energy, power grid is a Rubik's Cube needing to be solved

A federal agency today is expected to announce reforms related to the power grid, which is stretched thin as the nation transitions away from fossil …

In a new poll commissioned by the Rural Democracy Initiative, nearly half of rural voters indicated they would vote for a culturally aligned rural Democrat over a Republican businessperson from an urban area on the East Coast. (Adobe Stock)

New poll shows rural voters aren't pigeonholed on key topics

Former President Donald Trump is expected to appear at a Minnesota fundraising event later this month. It comes amid new polling data in battleground …

Researchers with the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions say safe storage of firearms is a good way to prevent suicides, especially when adolescents are in the home. (Adobe Stock)

Firearm storage bill highlights latest MN gun safety efforts

The end date for Minnesota's legislative session is less than two weeks away. One of the remaining debates is gun safety and supporters of a safe …

For the 2023 tax year, the top five Minnesota counties under the state's wind energy production tax received nearly $12-million in combined revenue. (Adobe Stock)

In some MN counties, wind turbines are taxpayers, too

Minnesota is coming off another windy month of April. Those strong wind gusts may have translated into some extra cash for counties with wind …

A Minnesota research group said between 2020 and 2022, buried utility infrastructure was damaged 7,440 times, with broadband installation serving as a major factor. (Adobe Stock)

Broadband crunch produces side effect: underground digging mishaps

Government leaders are acting with urgency to get underserved communities connected with high speed internet but in Minnesota, underground digging …

The American Heart Association cites emerging research showing in stroke care, elements of artificial intelligence-based supports reduced the chances of additional strokes by more than 25%. (Adobe Stock)

AI has its critics, but for stroke patients, it might be a lifesaver

Artificial intelligence has come under scrutiny over potential negative impacts on society but a Minnesota medical expert said it has become one of ma…

Over the past five years, Minnesota added 2.2 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity while reducing coal dependency by 1.2 gigawatts. (Dusanpetkovic1/Adobestock)

Report: Carbon-free sources now power more than half of Minnesota’s electricity

Minnesota is a leader in renewable energy - getting 54% of its electricity from zero-carbon sources last year, according to the 2024 Minnesota Energy …

In 2023, MnDOT says volunteers spent nearly one hundred thousand hours clearing little along state highways and rest areas in Minnesota. (Photo courtesy of University of Minnesota-Duluth)

MN appeals for roadside cleanup volunteers

Minnesota is closing in on the 35th anniversary of a volunteer program for clearing litter and debris along highways and rest areas. With spring in …

Trade unions said workers in areas such as construction, meat processing and agriculture need protection from unscrupulous employers who cheat them out of wages and benefits. (Adobe Stock)

Legislation aimed at stopping MN employers from misclassifying workers

Minnesota lawmakers are considering a measure which would force employers to properly classify certain trade union workers and others as employees rat…

Pushback vs. pushback: MN parents respond to political forces in education

Minnesota's largest school district is at the center of a budget controversy tied to the recent wave of school board candidates fighting diversity pro…

Alan Bedtka is pictured in a stand of sorghum-sudangrass, which he was paid to plant to boost soil health and reduce his fertilizer use. (Photo courtesy of Alan Bedtka)

Can taller cover crops help clean the water in farm country?

By Brian DeVore for Civil Eats.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Minnesota News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public News…

State meteorologists in Minnesota say several climate change effects have greatly increased the amount of fuel available for wildfires, which can grow rapidly and be difficult to extinguish. (Adobe Stock)

More summer smoke? Experts monitor climate-fueled events and health effects

Wet weather this spring has improved drought conditions in Minnesota and southern Canada. However, experts remain on alert for increased wildfire …

Turnover of election officials has been lower in smaller jurisdictions over the past two decades. (Adobe Stock)

New data illustrates turnover trends among local election administrators

Local offices around the country that help administer elections have seen higher rates of turnover in the past two decades. Newly compiled data show …

Elsa-Ruth Pryor plays a Hardanger fiddle that she made during a wintertime concert in the Fargo area. (Photo courtesy Gabby Clavo)

Midwest communities embrace unique musical instrument

By Kate Mothes for Arts Midwest.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Minnesota News Connection reporting for the Arts Midwest-Public News Service Collab…

In the mid-1990s, news media from around the world descended upon Los Angeles for wall-to-wall coverage of the O.J. Simpson murder trial. (Adobe Stock)

Measuring long-term impact of Simpson trial on media literacy

O.J. Simpson's death has the nation looking back on the infamous murder trial that resulted in his acquittal. Experts say one of the lasting impacts …

PFAS are chemicals used since the 1940s. They are found in everyday products such as nonstick cookware. Public officials are sounding the alarm about health risks associated with the chemicals, including their presence in drinking water. (Adobe Stock)<br />

EPA finalizes national standard for PFAS in drinking water

Minnesota is the site of a high-profile drinking-water contamination case linked with so-called forever chemicals and advocates are hopeful residents …

If Minnesota adopts a plan that asks private companies to fund innovations in recycling and the collection of discarded materials, the state also would set a goal of all packaging being reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2032. (Adobe Stock)

MN plan would overhaul its recycling approach

Minnesota ranks high for its recycling rate, but it still has a waste problem, putting more pressure on local governments. A plan in the …

The IRS says undocumented workers who don't have a valid Social Security number need to complete a W-7 form so they can get an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), a key tool they need to file their federal and state tax returns. (Adobe Stock)

During tax time crunch, multilingual sites in MN pitch in

Minnesotans who haven't completed their tax returns yet might be fretting about meeting the April 15th deadline. For those facing language barriers …

Public school leaders say competition from charter schools - and in some states, vouchers for private schools - are contributing to enrollment declines, impacting how much aid districts receive. (Adobe Stock)

Mpls. funding fight underscores larger school budget pain

From expiring pandemic aid to declining enrollment, school districts in Minnesota face financial pressure and public school advocates and community …

Straw purchases for guns are already a felony under federal law, but Minnesota lawmakers are expressing the need to do the same under state law following the recent fatal shooting of three first responders in a Twin Cities suburb. (Adobe Stock)

Tragedy has MN lawmakers focused on straw purchases for guns

Minnesota lawmakers return this week following an Easter break. They're expected to resume talks on a gun-safety proposal seeing renewed urgency…

Audio Activation
	"Siri, play the Public News Service (podcast)"
	"Hey Google, play the Public News Service podcast"
	"Alexa, play Public News Service podcast" or "Alexa, what's my news flash?" once you set it up in the Alexa app
	Embed this Newscast

Audio Activation
	"Siri, play the 2024 Talks podcast"
	"Hey Google, play the 2024 Talks podcast"
	"Alexa, play 2000 24 Talks podcast" or "Alexa, what's my news flash?" once you set it up in the Alexa app
	Embed this Newscast

Audio Activation
	"Siri, play the Yonder Report podcast"
	"Hey Google, play the Yonder Report podcast"
	"Alexa, play the Yonder Report podcast" or "Alexa, what's my news flash?" once you set it up in the Alexa app
	Embed this Newscast

PNS Daily Newscast: Afternoon Update - July 2, 2024

2024Talks - July 2, 2024

The Yonder Report - June 27, 2024

Minnesota