Controversial data center near Duluth on pause

Federal agents clashed with protesters during an operation at a St. Paul manufacturer today. Agents from the FBI, DEA and ICE carried out a search warrant at Bro-Tex Incorporated, according to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson. And the entire Minnesota delegation in the U.S. House voted in favor today of forcing the release of investigative files involving sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

A Minneapolis business consultant has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison for a a $3.5 million scheme to defraud government pandemic aid programs. A St. Paul man is charged with vehicular homicide and fleeing the scene after allegedly killing a woman who was out walking her dogs last week. Minnesota hasn’t elected a third-party governor since 1998, but Mike Newcome hopes that will change in 2026. Newcome has launched a campaign as an Independence party candidate. Newcome says he's a fiscal conservative and a social liberal. He says he'd like to break up the partisan divide in St. Paul.Nonprofit housing providers are warning 3,600 Minnesotans who have overcome homelessness could be at risk of losing their homes. That's because of new rules from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD, that cut funding for permanent housing by nearly 70 percent. Eighty years after his death, federal investigators have identified the remains of a Minnesota man killed during World War II.

State Rep. Sandra Feist announced today that she'll leave the Legislature when her term runs out next year.And it's open enrollment season for many people who get health insurance through their employer. A recent survey found the average cost per employee will go up 7 percent.Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Elena See. Music by Gary Meister.

Local officials are denouncing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement over the detention of a Northfield man who, according to court records, has no criminal history.Adan Nunez Gonzalez was detained by ICE agents last Tuesday on his way to work and is now being held at Kandiyohi County Jail.Nunez Gonazlez is a father of four and has lived in Northfield for more than a decade.The demand for food assistance continues even with the restoration of SNAP benefits last week.Jessica Sund is director of development and communications at the Channel One Food Bank, which serves southeastern Minnesota and Western Wisconsin.Sund says the organization had 800 more people visit the Olmstead County shelf in October compared to September.The company pursuing an underground mine for copper and nickel near Ely has submitted a plan to the state to conduct more exploratory drilling. Go deeper with the latest edition of the Minnesota Today newsletter.'That's my dad': Northfield man's detention by ICE concerns local officialsEven with shutdown over, Minnesota's food shelves brace for surge in need as holidays nearTwin Metals seeks to continue copper exploration near Boundary Waters

A DFL state lawmaker is running for Congress in an attempt to unseat Republican U.S. Rep. Michelle Fischbach in a district representing a wide swath of western Minnesota.And Minneapolis climate advocates face a Monday deadline to complete the purchase of a site for an urban farm project... and they're short several million dollars.Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

The Clearwater County Sheriff's Office reports one of its deputies shot and killed a man following a car chase in Bagley Thursday. The developer of a controversial proposed data center in the northeastern Minnesota city of Hermantown has paused the project to gather more community input. Gov. Tim Walz Thursday told an audience in Texas he won’t relent on his campaign for new gun laws even if it costs him politically next year. The second-term DFL governor spoke at the Texas Tribune Festival. His push for a special session has stalled, but the issue could be on the agenda for the Legislature next year.Walz and a delegation of business leaders are bound for Germany and Switzerland this weekend as part of a trade mission. A long stretch of I-494 in Bloomington will be closed this weekend. The westbound lanes will be closed between Highway 77 and Highway 100. Eastbound drivers will experience closures between I-35W and Highway 77.Go deeper with the latest edition of the Minnesota Today newsletter.Clearwater County Sheriff's deputy shoots and kills man following police chaseDeveloper of controversial Hermantown data center plans public meeting, weighs changes

Property owners across Minnesota could be asked to come up with nearly one billion dollars more for city, county and other local government operations. Minnesota police groups say a judge set bail far too low for a man accused of assaulting an Anoka County sheriff’s deputy. Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

Minnesota lawmakers voted with their parties on the bill to end the federal government shutdown. The U.S. House passed the bill last night that replenishes government funds for agencies shut for more than seven weeks. Republicans Tom Emmer, Michelle Fischbach, Brad Finstad and Pete Stauber backed the bill. Democrats Angie Craig, Betty McCollum, Kelly Morrison and Ilhan Omar voted against.The University of Minnesota is raising concerns about an agreement between Fairview Health Services and a group of physicians at the University of Minnesota Medical School. In a unanimous vote, the St. Paul city council has passed a ban on military-style assault rifles in the city. The ordinance also prohibits large-capacity magazines, binary triggers that increase the rate of fire, and home-assembled firearms known as ghost guns that lack serial numbers. The measure is unenforceable because Minnesota law does not allow local governments to regulate firearms. Gun rights supporters say the measure is illegal and have said they plan to sue the city.

Federal prosecutors said today that they're still deciding whether to seek the death penalty against the man accused of killing former DFL House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark. A one-year contract between a key Minnesota agency and a consulting firm will cost the state $2.3 million. Those stories and more in today’s evening update. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

An independent evaluator will spend the next several months reviewing the law enforcement response to the shootings of former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark. Several law enforcement agencies in the state requested the review and said they want analysis of what worked, and what they could have done better. Minneapolis police have arrested two teens suspected of carjacking Minneapolis City Council member Jamal Osman earlier this week. Police say the teens threatened Osman while he was parked near a Lake Street coffee shop, then took his car. Police discovered and arrested them shortly after. In the aftermath, Osman is calling on parents and the city to better support youth.Former state Senator Nicole Mitchell's restitution hearing is set for today in Becker County. Mitchell was convicted on two felony counts of burglary earlier this year for breaking into her stepmother's home. Two people were taken to hospitals yesterday following a house fire in New Hope. Police say the fire happed at a home on 38th Avenue North. The cause of the fire is under investigation.Authorities on the Iron Range say there were NO injuries from an explosion and fire at a metal recycling business yesterday. The Saint Louis County Sheriff’s Office says the fire was at Holmes Recycling Services along Highway 37 near Iron Junction. Authorities say there was an explosion as a car was being crushed.