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Violent crime falls, but remains elevated over pre-pandemic levels
Violent crime fell sharply in Minnesota last year, with the Twin Cities as well as Greater Minnesota posting fewer homicides and other major offenses, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. In the seven-county Twin Cities region, robberies decreased by 18%, homicide by 11%, and rape and aggravated assault were both […]
This labor market just won’t quit: 5 charts on Minnesota’s labor economy
Minnesotans work at higher rates than the nation as a whole. They also are more likely to be in a union and earn more money. “It’s good to live in Minnesota,” said Aaron Sojourner, a labor economist at the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research. Now is especially a good time, as a labor shortage […]
Do cops actually make schools safer?
Gov. Tim Walz is weighing whether to call a special session to address law enforcement concerns over a recently passed ban on putting students in chokeholds and other extreme forms of physical restraint. Republican lawmakers are urging Walz to act, claiming that the provision effectively outlaws all forms of physical force by police officers in […]
Going to the bathroom at a highway rest stop does not make you a drug trafficker, appeals court rules
Have you ever driven a borrowed vehicle? Taken a road trip out of the Twin Cities? Gone to the bathroom at a highway rest stop? Then you may be a drug trafficker, according to the Minnesota State Patrol. That’s how a State Patrol officer justified a drug-sniffing dog search of a car driven by Jeron […]
Wealthy suburbs lead the pack on standardized test scores, data show
Minnesota students’ state test scores still haven’t rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, according the latest data from the state. It’s a reflection of the learning losses that happened during the COVID-19 pandemic, when schools shut down in the hopes of preventing the spread of the disease. Mapping the 2023 Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment results reveals considerable geographic […]
Americans think Minneapolis is less safe than it used to be
Americans’ opinions of Minneapolis have taken a hit in recent years, driven by the protests and riots in response to the police murder of George Floyd and a subsequent right-wing campaign to paint the city as violent and crime-ridden, according to data released last week by Gallup. Fifty-eight percent of national respondents said they considered […]
Dirty air is shortening lives in Minnesota, study finds
Air quality improvements mandated by the passage of the federal Clean Air Act have added about six months to the typical Minnesotan’s life since the 1970s, according to data released this week by the Air Quality Life Index at the University of Chicago. The data, which are updated annually, show that several more months could […]
Where Minnesota’s worst state parks are
As the summer winds down, the Department of Natural Resources has released a survey of visitors to Minnesota’s state parks. Overall it paints a cheery portrait of the parks and their visitors, showing increasing diversity among park users, a significant and positive effect on the state economy and enthusiasm for new initiatives. This positivity has […]
USDA kills hundreds of Minnesota wolves to protect ranchers’ profits
It’s not easy being a wolf in northern Minnesota. Every year dozens of the animals die of starvation, disease, parasites, vehicle traffic and poaching. But the No. 1 killer of Minnesota wolves may come as a surprise: agents of the federal government, acting with the full force of the law. In 2022, there were 174 […]
Feds withhold conservation funding over DNR logging practices
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is withholding more than $20 million in conservation grants over concerns the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is allowing logging in sensitive wildlife habitat. “The DNR has acknowledged that it sold logging permits without providing the necessary advance documentation of the habitat purpose of the sales,” according to a […]
How deadly brainworms jump from deer to moose
Minnesota’s moose are dying. Researchers with the Department of Natural Resources and tribal groups estimate that the statewide population numbered around 3,300 this year. While the population has been relatively stable for the past decade, it’s a decline of more than 50% since the mid-2000s. One major factor in that decline? Brainworms. Several years ago […]
What to expect in the first year of cannabis legalization
Marijuana has been legal in Minnesota for one week, and so far the sky hasn’t fallen. As people all over the state celebrate the ability to use their recreational drug of choice without fear of prosecution, officials are beginning the hard work of setting up the regulatory infrastructure to oversee a new industry. Until the […]