The first of two snow-producing systems arrives later Thursday. A winter weather advisory is posted for later in the day Thursday into Thursday night and early Friday for much of central and southeast Minnesota into western Wisconsin. Get the latest weather news on Updraft.
Coming up on Morning Edition: There's a lot of uncertainty about what may happen if Uber and Lyft make good on their threat and stop service in the Twin Cities May 1. It could mean a boom in business for the taxi industry. But there are far fewer taxis now since rideshare apps entered the market about a decade ago.
Blue and White Taxi has been in the Twin Cities for nearly a century. Its CEO and co-owner Waleed Sonbol joins MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about the industry.
Coming up at 9 a.m.: Ethnic studies will roll out to Minnesota K-12 classrooms in 2026. The content area was added to the state social studies standards this winter. The Minnesota Department of Education is still working on a final framework to guide curriculum, but some districts aren’t waiting. MPR News gathered teachers and students participating in ethnic studies and asked them to share their experiences, with the goal of imaging the future as ethnic studies is incorporated into schools across the state. Angela Davis hosts this special North Star Journey Live conversation, recorded live at Roseville Area High School.
For over 50 years, Summit Academy OIC has served as an economic mobilizer for low-income communities and communities of color.
“Summit has been a part of building just about all the stadiums in the Twin Cities,” said Leroy West, president and CEO of Summit Academy.
West said their focus is on training people who are unemployed and underemployed, and providing them with skills to make a living wage. Many students are living below the poverty line before they come to school: The average household income of enrolled students is under $21,000.
Kristen McCoy has dedicated her life to making clothes out of trash. Yes, that kind of trash. In her recent fashion challenge she made four outfits out of non-latex condoms.
Fifteen years ago, for a post-apocalyptic cyberpunk fashion show, she collected trash from the streets of Minneapolis and used parchment paper and an iron to smooth out possible designs. She then used trash bags as corsets and lace.
“There’s so many ways to be sustainable and eco-friendly and glamorous right now and you know, the price tag is right to do so,” she said.
Eighty years ago this week, one of the most famous airplanes in U.S. military history — one with a connection to the Twin Ports — crashed in the South Pacific. Now an expedition is being launched to find it.
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was the longtime plane of ace pilot Richard Bong, a farm boy from far northwestern Wisconsin who gained international fame during World War II. He shot down more enemy planes than any other American pilot — a record that still holds to this day.
The plane became almost as famous as Bong himself. The aircraft was dubbed “Marge,” after a photograph of Bong’s girlfriend Marjorie Vattendahl he lacquered to the nose of the twin-engine fighter.
No criminal charges against St. Paul officers in the death of Yia Xiong. Ramsey County Attorney John Choi and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison jointly announced Wednesday “criminal charges are not warranted” in the death of Yia Xiong in February 2023. Minneapolis school district proposes eliminating at least 200 staff positions. Music teachers, nurses, custodians, content experts, information technology workers, athletics, transportation and special education positions are all facing cuts as the district faces a $110 million budget deficit.
Poll: A majority support federal involvement in dealing with water shortages and flooding. The latest Mood of the Nation Poll finds that nearly half of Americans think the federal government should play a major role in determining water allocations in parts of the country that are experiencing water scarcity.
3 people escape serious injury after hot-air balloon crash in Rochester. Preliminary information indicates the balloon was trying to land in a field when a gust of wind pushed it into a power line. The basket became disconnected from the balloon and fell approximately 20-30 feet to the ground, police reported.
