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Policast: The last week of the legislative session

It’s the last week of the legislative session, sort of




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Policast: Partisan differences in fighting the pandemic

Partisan differences over the best way to fight the pandemic; state workers may lose a pay raise




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Policast: Gov. Walz to lay out next steps on reopening

Gov. Walz to lay out next steps on reopening; remembering Steve Anderson




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Policast: Gov. Tim Walz relaxes his stay at home order

Gov. Tim Walz relaxes his stay at home order




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Policast: Trying to make nursing home safer from COVID-19

Trying to make nursing home safer from COVID-19




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Policast: Legislative session ends, but not for long

The legislative session ends, but a special session is coming; Ellison goes to court to try to stop bar owner from reopening




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Policast: What the Legislature wants to do when it returns

What the Legislature wants to do when it returns; more businesses cautiously reopen




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Policast: Nurses say they need more protective equipment

Nurses say they need more protective equipment; Asian owned businesses have been especially hard hit




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Policast: Walz takes heat on reopening

Walz takes heat from those saying he’s moving too slowly on reopening businesses and churches




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Policast: Results from the latest Minnesota Poll

Results from the latest Minnesota Poll




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Policast: A call to defund Minneapolis police

Minneapolis city council members want to defund the police department; new agenda items for special legislative session




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Politics Friday: Primary preview special

MPR News political editor Mike Mulcahy looks ahead to Tuesday’s primary election in Minnesota. He’ll discuss the races to watch and how politics and voting has changed during the pandemic.




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Gov. Tim Walz on COVID-19, emergency power, Floyd's killing and more

Six months after Gov. Tim Walz first declared the peacetime emergency, where is Minnesota in the response to the pandemic and what will the next few months bring? On this week’s Politics Friday, MPR News host Mike Mulcahy talked with Walz, discussing some of the pressing issues in Minnesota and taking listener questions from around the state. 




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Minnesota legislative leaders highlight their party's values and issues

On Politics Friday, host Mike Mulcahy speaks with the legislative leaders of both parties about the major issues in the State Senate and House of Representatives races.




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U.S. Senate debate: Candidates disagree on COVID-19, other issues

Sen. Tina Smith and her Republican challenger Jason Lewis sparred over the coronavirus response, public safety, climate change and immigration Friday during a debate on MPR News. 




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MPR News congressional debates in the 6th and 2nd Districts

What’s being done to confront the coronavirus and stem the economic fallout from the pandemic are central to this year’s election campaigns. That was clear when the candidates in Minnesota’s 2nd and 6th Congressional Districts met in separate MPR News debates Friday.




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Politics Friday: 1st District, 3rd District congressional candidates debate the issues

The front-runners in Minnesota’s 1st and 3rd Congressional Districts took part in telephone debates on Politics Friday.




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MPR News congressional debates: 7th District and 8th District

The candidates for Congress in Minnesota’s 7th and 8th districts debated the major issues, on Politics Friday with host Mike Mulcahy.




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Politics Friday: Should we stop trusting pre-election polling?

Is there really such a thing as a "shy Trump voter"? Who is contacted to take part in pre-election polls? And are they reliable or not?




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Boeing machinists reject latest proposal, and a bruising six-week strike continues

Striking machinists voted to reject an agreement that would have boosted wages by 35 percent. It’s another blow for Boeing, which reported a $6 billion quarterly loss on Wednesday.




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Two city council members vie to succeed St. Cloud’s departing mayor

The mayoral race is highlighting some of St. Cloud’s most pressing challenges, including a housing crunch, a struggle to revive its downtown and a perception that the city is less safe. Both candidates talk about addressing those problems, but they differ — sometimes subtly — on how to do so.




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Some colleges are targeting financial aid to middle-class families

Many middle-income families are frustrated by the cost of higher education, feeling they earn too much for financial aid, but not enough to pay for it themselves.




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Lawsuit against Sartell mobile home park alleges sewer backups, deceptive practices

Four residents of a central Minnesota mobile home park are suing its owner, claiming a faulty sewer system caused sewage to back up into their homes. The suit also claims the park’s owners installed inaccurate water meters that wildly overcalculated the amount of water residents used, and deceived them into signing new leases with stricter terms.




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DNR and residents sue to block controversial resort development outside Ely

State environmental regulators and a group of northeastern Minnesota residents have filed separate lawsuits to block a proposed $45 million resort development near Ely and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.




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100,000 rides in less than 6 months: Why riders are digging the Amtrak Borealis

The Borealis route is Amtrak’s second daily train from St. Paul to Chicago and hit a ridership milestone on Oct. 24.




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At the heart of the Boeing strike, an emotional fight over a lost pension plan

Pensions are a major sticking point between Boeing and its striking machinists union. Many workers want the company to restore the pension plan they lost a decade ago, but Boeing hasn’t budged.




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Do you have a book in you?

Do you have a book in you? MPR News host Angela Davis talks with a book agent and the founder of a small publishing company about changes in the publishing industry and what it takes to get your story in print.




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Over 200K subscribers flee Washington Post after Bezos blocks Harris endorsement

Over 200,000 people canceled their subscriptions in the first few days following news that The Washington Post would not endorse any presidential candidate.




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Why you’re seeing scary-high chocolate candy prices this Halloween

Don't be surprised if you see fewer chocolate treats in your trick-or-treating loot. Customers are souring on costly chocolate, resulting from a few disappointing cocoa crop years.




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Starbucks hopes faster drinks, fewer upcharges and nicer mugs bring people back

Shoppers complain that Starbucks isn’t fancy enough — but they also say it’s too expensive. The new CEO, Brian Niccol, is ordering up big changes.




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Millions of low-cost homes are deteriorating, making the U.S. housing shortage worse

Older homes are the only ones many Americans can afford, but they are costly to fix and maintain, especially for seniors. A patchwork of programs to help are underfunded and have years-long waitlists.




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Boeing cleaned up on Air Force parts, including soap dispensers marked up 8,000 percent

Boeing overcharged the Air Force nearly $1 million for spare parts on C-17 cargo planes, including an 8,000 percent markup for simple lavatory soap dispensers, according to the Pentagon’s inspector general.




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More than $10 billion has been spent on ads in the 2024 election

Spending on campaign ads is up $1 billion from four years ago, according to data from AdImpact, analyzed by NPR. The state that's been the target of the most money is Pennsylvania.




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Sustainable fuels plant to be built in Moorhead and operational by 2030

A Washington D.C. based company announced it will build a $5 billion sustainable fuels production facility in Moorhead. The plant is expected to create 650 jobs and be operational by 2030.




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Warren Buffett is sitting on over $325 billion cash as Berkshire Hathaway keeps selling Apple stock

Warren Buffett is now sitting on more than $325 billion cash after continuing to unload billions of dollars worth of Apple and Bank of America shares this year and continuing to collect a steady stream of profits from all of Berkshire Hathaway’s assorted businesses without finding any major acquisitions.




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A new copyright rule lets McDonald's fix its own broken ice cream machines

What would a McDonald’s be without its temperamental McFlurry machines? We may be closer to finding out.




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Public input sought on major powerline proposed for southwest Minnesota

Xcel Energy wants to build the roughly 170-mile power line from Garvin in Lyon County to Becker in central Minnesota. It would connect solar and wind energy from southwest Minnesota to the electrical grid.




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How generational differences shape workplaces

Gen Z does a good job taking sick days, unlike their older coworkers. MPR News host Angela Davis talks about how the mix of generations in today’s workforce is redefining how we work.




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Boeing factory strike ends as workers vote to accept contract

A strike by 33,000 Boeing factory workers is coming to an end after more than seven weeks. The aerospace giant's unionized machinists voted on Monday to accept a company contract offer that includes a 38 percent wage increase over four years.




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Ruby slippers from 'The Wizard of Oz' are for sale nearly 2 decades after they were stolen

A pair of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz” is on the auction block nearly two decades after a thief stole the iconic shoes, convinced they were adorned with real jewels.




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Trump win ignites crypto frenzy that sends bitcoin to a record high

The price of bitcoin has hit a new high as investors bet that Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election will be a boon for cryptocurrencies. 




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Molson Coors to close Leinenkugel’s Brewery in Chippewa Falls

Molson Coors says move will consolidate operations at company’s main Milwaukee Brewery in early 2025.




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With Trump’s win, Elon Musk stands to benefit

The billionaire businessman has spent weeks campaigning relentlessly for Donald Trump. That dedication could lead to major benefits for him and his companies.




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Twin Cities stands out nationally for ‘job accessibility’

If you feel like your drive to work has gotten longer recently, it’s not just you. New research shows that the return of traffic has led to fewer jobs being reachable within 30 minutes by car.




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It’s Veterans Day. The VA says it can’t help thousands of vets it left stranded

An NPR investigation finds thousands of veterans were pushed into high-cost mortgages by a program that was meant to help them. A rescue plan being rolled out by the Department of Veterans Affairs is excluding many vets who need help.




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Veterans face challenges starting small businesses but there are plenty of resources to help

Many veterans who’ve started small businesses tell a similar story: Their military service prepared them mentally for the task, but they were at a disadvantage when it came to the financial part.




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Why high prices toppled Democrats — and other governments around the world

Voters really don't like inflation. In fact, whenever there's a sustained jump in the cost of living, the party in power often pays a price.




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St. Paul to wipe out medical debt for 32,000 residents

City officials said the $40 million program will help alleviate medical costs for debt-strapped residents.




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Will Trump’s election slow the shift to clean energy? Two policy experts weigh in

Rolf Nordstrom, president and CEO of the nonpartisan nonprofit Great Plains Institute, and Gregg Mast, executive director of Clean Energy Economy Minnesota, weigh in on what the election results will mean for the energy transition already underway.




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Christian falsely accused of blasphemy in 3 cases released on bail

A Christian falsely charged with blasphemy in three cases was released on bail this week after prosecutors failed to produce evidence against him, his attorney said.