St. Cloud Times
Minnesota crowns a new Princess Kay of the Milky Way
Jena Hanson, a 20-year-old college student from Owatonna, representing Steele County, was crowned the 73rd Princess Kay of the Milky Way in an evening ceremony Aug. 26 at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. Hanson will serve as the official goodwill...
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Cup of care &ambition
In 1973, Dolly Parton wrote “I Will Always Love You” to soften the blow of leaving her business partner Porter Wagoner after years of producing hit country duets together. Parton was ready to pursue a solo career. So she played the song for Wagoner to...
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Iran urges opposition to new sanctions
DUBAI – Iran condemned the United States’ new economic sanctions on Aug. 28 as “state terrorism” and said other countries were legally obliged not to implement them. The Iranian foreign ministry’s statement came as mediators stepped up efforts to...
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New 1920s-style bodega to open on St. Cloud’s East End
A new 1920s-style convenience store is coming to St. Cloud’s East End. Marla Waseka owns the building under MoXie Ladies, LLC and will operate St. G’s Bodega with her two daughters. Bodega, a term commonly used in large, overcrowded cities, such as...
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Parton’s lasting legacy breaks political divide
In modern political discourse, it’s unusual for Republicans and Democrats to wholeheartedly back a bipartisan cause, and it’s particularly out of the ordinary for President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, to align...
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Trump gets win in mail ballot dispute
WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court said lower courts moved too soon when they partly paused President Donald Trump’s executive order cracking down on mail-in ballots before the midterm elections that will decide control of Congress. The court on Aug. 24...
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Festi-Fall returns to East St. Germain Street
East St. Germain Street will close Sept. 20 for a popular annual street fair that brings the community together and raises money to improve the East End neighborhood. The third annual FestiFall will take place from noon to 5 p.m. on East St. Germain...
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Flock cameras stir concerns across U.S.
License plate readers have been shot at in Tennessee, hit with a truck in California, beaten with a baseball bat in Virginia, cut down with a saw in Texas and splattered with paint in New York. And they’ve been regularly blocked by a protester in...
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New research shows lake sturgeon can live 400 years
DETROIT – They’re the mysterious swimming giants of the Great Lakes region. Fossil records show that their ancestors swam the Earth more than 130 million years ago, meaning they existed alongside dinosaurs. And the oldest known specimen, captured at...
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Midterms are key to Social Security’s fate
Odds for Social Security reform may have dimmed after Aug. 11, when one of the program’s biggest champions lost his primary. But advocates say this only highlights the importance of November’s midterm elections. Rep. John B. Larson, D-Connecticut,...
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Families push for ‘hidden homicide’ laws
Families who believe local officials prematurely ruled their loved ones’ deaths suicides or accidents – rather than investigating whether domestic violence played a role – are pushing lawmakers in a growing number of states to require additional...
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Walz order stops mining near Boundary Waters
Gov. Tim Walz signed an executive order Tuesday banning nonferrous mining near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in what may prove to be one of the most significant conservation acts in generations. For five decades, mining companies have...
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Mayor looks to increase property tax rates for 2nd year in a row
St. Cloud’s property tax rates could increase for the second year in a row. Mayor Jake Anderson presented his 2027 budget Monday night, asking city council members to increase the property tax rate by 3.75% to finance the proposed $81.7 million...
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Funding crunch threatens lead pipe removal goals
Claire Carlson A cloud of dust drifts behind a compact track loader as it slowly rolls down the street carrying dirt and asphalt from a giant hole about five feet wide. About eight feet below ground, a man in a hard hat is dislodging a 125-year-old...
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Kwik Trip opens two new stores in central Minnesota
Kwik Trip has two new central Minnesota 24-hour locations, one in Ramsey and the other in Alexandria. The location in Ramsey opened on July 23 and had a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Aug. 11. The roughly 9,200square-foot store is similar to most other...
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New owners take over Keystone Design Build in Rice
When the new year began, Sam Kelash and Grant Mumm became coowners of a construction business they long admired and in which they have deep roots. h Kelash’s father, Marc, was the longtime owner of Keystone Design Build, spanning two decades. While...
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Could mysterious object be Amelia Earhart’s plane?
What happened to Amelia Earhart? That question has eluded countless researchers, biographers and devoted enthusiasts for almost 90 years. Over the decades, researchers have scanned swaths of the ocean floor, traversed remote islands and scoured...
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New pediatric therapy clinic opens in St. Cloud
Lydia Halligan, clinic director and speech-language pathologist (SLP) at Sora Pediatric Therapy — part of the Ivy Rehab Network — leads a new therapy clinic serving families in the St. Cloud area. The clinic provides pediatric speech therapy, speech...
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Demuth defeats Trump pick in governor primary
House Speaker Lisa Demuth won the Republican Party’s nomination for governor on Tuesday, beating President Donald Trump’s endorsed candidate, Mike Lindell, as well as Kendall Qualls — the choice of GOP state convention delegates. Demuth, who lives in...
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Critics take aim at Trump vaccine order
bargaining agreement with the teachers unions. “MPS and the union sit on opposite sides of the bargaining table, and the court cannot simply trust that one party to a (collective bargaining agreement) will safeguard the interests of the other party,”...
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Many grocery stores dropping synthetic dyes
The next time you reach for a favorite cereal, drink or box of macaroni and cheese, take a closer look. The package may call attention to the artificial colors that are no longer inside, and the food may appear a little different or even cost...
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Military bases delay toxic PFAS cleanup
It’s been almost five years since Brandi and Brad Hyatt found out the well at their home next to an Army base in Washington is contaminated with “forever chemicals.” They started using bottled water for everything from making coffee to rinsing off...
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Trump open to contempt charges against Fauci
The eNewspaper is an electronic copy of your print newspaper. Enjoy every page by going to sctimes.com/enewspaper or scan this code on your mobile device. You will also find late news and sports in the bonus sections. Check it out today! Joey...
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Reports: U.S. missile supply badly depleted
The war on Iran has severely depleted key U.S. missile stockpiles and left the nation and its allies in a vulnerable position for potentially years to come, several experts and reports say. U.S. missile stockpiles were low before President Donald...
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The Grande Depot closes doors for good
An iconic St. Cloud-area boutique and wine shop has closed its doors. On July 31, The Grande Depot locked its doors for good, folding the pages on an 18-year adventure. The explanation the business gave on its website was that the owner decided to...
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ICE to pay private company $536M to reopen MN prison
Immigration and Customs Enforcement will pay private prison company CoreCivic more than half a billion dollars to reopen a defunct 1,600-bed prison in rural western Minnesota as an immigrant detention center. CoreCivic said in a press release the...
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New hope for MN low-dose THC products
The low-dose THC industry that makes the popular beverages and edibles you see at liquor and convenience stores and breweries got a sliver of hope Sunday in the face of a looming federal prohibition of the key ingredient they need for their...
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For restaurant supplier, all roads go through St. Cloud
There’s a new kitchen supply company in St. Cloud. Zepole Supply Co. opened their first location in Minnesota on July 21 on Crescent Street . Zepole is a family-owned business that provides restaurant supplies and equipment across the U.S. Vice...
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Wetterling documentary to be played in St. Cloud
The documentary “Echoes in the Night: The Search for Jacob Wetterling” had its world premiere this spring at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Fest; now it is headed to theaters in central Minnesota, closer to where Jacob lived. Newberry...
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A year after fire, Grand Canyon starts to recover
Ranger Matt Baldwin left two aspiring junior rangers at the information booth window and trotted to a white government pickup to retrieve his signature wide-brimmed hat. h There was no line of visitors behind the kids waiting for his help. Nearly a...
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Attack sparks fears wars could merge
WASHINGTON – Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States insisted that leaders in Kyiv are not playing “a game of chess” with their recent drone strike on an Iranian ship and have no interest in leveraging their conflict with Russia into a wider, global...
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‘THE DECLINE IS SIGNIFICANT’
When Ashton Reed voted for President Donald Trump in 2024, he was drawn by Trump’s vow to recharge the economy and curb the inflation that many around his hometown of Jackson, Missouri, blamed on thenPresident Joe Biden. Reed, 22, who has worked at an...
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Fauci invokes 5th at contentious hearing
WASHINGTON – Dr. Anthony Fauci may be held in contempt after refusing to answer Republicans’ questions about the origins of COVID-19 as he sat in a witness chair invoking the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. The former head of the...
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Craig and Flanagan clash over fraud in MN Senate primary
Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, left, and U.S. Rep. Angie Craig, right. Michelle Griffith U.S. Rep. Angie Craig and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan traded critiques of one another Monday during their second debate as the duo face off in a competitive and sometimes...
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New attractions coming to 2026 Stearns County Fair
The Stearns County Fair has become one of central Minnesota’s most enduring summer traditions, drawing thousands of visitors each year to Sauk Centre, for rides, food, livestock shows and community events. This year the fair will run from July 29 to...
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Sauk Rapids’ Kinder Coffee eyes expansion in central MN
When Kinder Coffee owner Guy Magno first opened up his original store on Cooper Avenue in St. Cloud, he quickly realized it was too small. “We picked poorly in our first spot. It was our first coffee shop. We didn’t exactly know what we were doing,”...
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Qualls dismisses poll numbers as gubernatorial primary nears
Kendall Qualls speaks at the Minnesota Republican Convention in Duluth on May 30. Michelle Griffith Kendall Qualls should be in the driver’s seat as the Republican primary nears Aug. 11. The former healthcare executive and Army veteran was endorsed...
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U.S. strikes shipping point on Red Sea
DUBAI – U.S. missiles struck targets across Iran, reaching as far as its Caspian coast, on July 24 after President Donald Trump vowed “major military punishment” for Tehran and its Houthi allies in Yemen for extending the war to a second major shipping...
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Trump adds Jefferson statue to Rose Garden
A sculpture of Thomas Jefferson by George Lundeen was recently placed in the White House Rose Garden.
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THE PRICE TO PLAY
Courtney Hamby and her husband spend close to $6,000 per year for their daughter Ellie’s cheer and tumbling classes, competition fees and uniforms. That doesn’t include their travel expenses for multiple out-of-town competitions, including hotel...
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Can Bernie Sanders help Peggy Flanagan win?
U.S. Rep. Angie Craig recently derided Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, her rival in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, by saying America doesn’t need another Bernie Sanders in Congress. The thousand people who packed into First Avenue Monday night to...
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Cities hit record levels of hazardous air
Toxic smoke from the Canadian wildfires is setting records for the levels of hazardous air in the eastern United States. On July 17, hazy skies were commonplace from Minnesota to Virginia as the smoke traveled hundreds of miles from Canada, where more...
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St. Cloud faces ‘hazardous’ air from wildfire smoke
Smoke from out-of-control wildfires in northern Minnesota and Canada continued to migrate south Thursday, leading to hazardous air quality levels in much of Minnesota. Air quality improved somewhat in the southern and western parts of the state Friday...
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St. Cloud director to premiere horror film
Local writer and director Matthew Luczak is releasing his third film, “Demon,” at the Cold Spring Quarry Cinema on July 25 and 27. h The majority of the film was shot in St. Cloud on a roughly $15,000 budget and became Luczak’s first horror film. The...
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U.S. and Iran trade infrastructure attacks
– The United States struck bridges and an airport in Iran on July 17 and Tehran responded by hitting a power and desalination plant in Kuwait, as the warring foes risked further escalation by expanding their targets to include infrastructure. In the...
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Northern Hollow Winery serves up wood-fired pizzas
Before Northern Hollow Winery became the first winery to win the Governor’s Cup — an esteemed wine competition — two years in a row, owner Jim Truehart discovered his love for the craft when his wife bought him a wine making kit some years ago. “We...
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St. Cloud air quality alert issued as wildfires grow
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has issued an air quality alert for parts of Minnesota, including central Minnesota and the Twin Cities metro area, for Tuesday through Friday, as wildfires in the northern parts of the state and Canada...
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New effort seeks to bridge Minnesota political gaps
Just in time for election season, several area nonprofits recently launched a new project aimed at combating divisiveness in Minnesota. The idea? Connect people who may not agree with each other to talk about issues important to them and, with any...
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Christine’s Cheesecakes has grand opening for new store
After just one year of introducing dirty soda to the menu, Christine’s Cheesecakes is opening another location. In addition to cheesecake and ice cream, the new store in Sartell will sell its dirty soda staple. The new store will be open from 11 a.m....
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Sisters of St. Benedict build new ‘right-sized’ monastery
When they first arrived in central Minnesota nearly 170 years ago, the Sisters of the Order of St. Benedict in St. Joseph settled in what eventually became St. Cloud. Six years later, they moved to their current site in St. Joseph. The main brick...
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Our American Vision
As we celebrate 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, we asked Americans across the Midwest a simple question: In a few words, what does America mean to you? The answers we received in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan,...
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Ceasefire falls apart as Iran buries slain leader
The fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran appeared to have fallen apart over continued strife over the Strait of Hormuz as Iranians buried their supreme leader, killed by U.S.-Israel forces at the outset of the war. There were no new...
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New lumber yard opens in Foley, carries on tradition
Residents of Foley, Benton County and most of central Minnesota have another spot to serve their construction needs. Kotsmith Lumber, which opened last year, is a retail lumber yard that works with houses, sheds, decks, garages, windows, doors and...
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Be The Hope Music Fest to launch this weekend
Place of Hope will be holding its first Be the Hope Music Festival fundraiser on July 11 at Iron Street Distillery, with a goal of raising $50,000. Including headliners Charlie Roth and Paul “Stretch” Diethelm, the festival will feature over 20...
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Lindell addresses unpaid property taxes on residence
The check’s in the mail, MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell assured the Reformer Monday when asked about Hennepin County records showing he owes about $48,000 in unpaid property taxes. Lindell, along with House Speaker Lisa Demuth and Kendall Qualls, who was...
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Salon works with children, those on the spectrum
Shear Bellezza in Waite Park, Minnesota.
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A
year ago, Ryan Tseng, the head of U.S. defense tech startup Shield AI, announced his company had turned a new page. After a gory incident that partially severed a U.S. Navy official’s fingers during a test of its V-BAT drone, Shield AI had addressed...
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ICE releases nun detained in Texas
A Catholic nun who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers while walking to Sunday Mass in southern Texas has been released after intervention from members of Congress, officials said. Sister Leticia “Letty” Ugboaja was...
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THE MEANING OF REVOLUTION
Like Americans today, the people living in the United States in 1826 were preparing to celebrate a milestone for their country. July Fourth of that year marked the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. As what was known as the “Jubilee”...
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Uihlein shapes MN GOP race by funding Demuth
If House Speaker Lisa Demuth becomes the Republican nominee for Minnesota governor in August, she’ll have one donor in particular to thank: Richard Uihlein. Uihlein owns one of North America’s largest distributors of shipping and packaging supplies,...
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Find July 4 fireworks and events in St. Cloud area
The annual St. Cloud July 4 event is almost here. The festivities, including fireworks, will take place at Wilson Park. Elk River and St. Joseph will also have Independence Day fireworks. And if you want a more mellow evening, you can head to a state...
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Cool off at these St. Cloud ice cream spots
Summer is a great time to grab an ice cream cone with both friends and family. Here are seven independently owned shops in the greater St. Cloud area to check out. Flavors range from mocha caramel latte to bubblegum, pistachio or blueberry cheesecake....
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Dominion drops $1.3B lawsuit against Lindell
Dominion Voting Systems has reached a settlement over defamation allegations against Mike Lindell and dropped its billion dollar lawsuit, ABC reports. Dominion was sold in October 2025 and renamed Liberty Vote. The company and MyPillow founder...
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Tips for Minnesotans facing data center projects
As communities across the United States wrangle with multibillion-dollar data center proposals, they’re forced to make quick decisions that can affect their economy, natural resources and way of life for generations. How can communities with no prior...
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Trump sees wins on immigration, guns
WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court handed President Donald Trump victories in two immigration cases June 25. In the divide between gun rights and gun violence, the justices struck down another state law, this one in Hawaii, aimed at curbing guns in public...
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Voters push back on new data center proposals
Driving down a dirt road that runs along a sprawling farm field, Aubree Derksen described feeling like David against Goliath. Her Goliath is Google, the tech behemoth working with a developer to transform that rural field into a hyperscale data...
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Granite City Days ends with pancake breakfast
The five ongoing days of fun provided by St. Cloud’s annual Granite City Days events conclude with a special event at St. Cloud’s Sky Central Airport. Airplanes, classic cars and much more will all be on display Sunday morning with the long-awaited...
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Twins stadium workers demand higher wages
Dozens of unionized concessions workers picketed outside Target Field’s “front door” Gate 34 in Minneapolis on Monday as part of a one-day strike, the first in the stadium’s history, as workers seek higher pay and health insurance. The strike landed...
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U.S.-Iran war talks wrap ‘successfully’
The first round of peace talks between the United States and Iran in Switzerland “concluded successfully,” mediators said on June 22, after negotiations appeared strained over the Strait of Hormuz and persistent fighting in Lebanon. “The discussions...
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App created for navigating abuse
Sara Love sat at her kitchen island in Des Moines, hunched over her laptop, painstakingly combing through code for weeks while developing an app built upon her experiences with domestic abuse, as well as those from friends, family and the...
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Awe inspiring landmarks cross the country
America is turning 250, but some of its greatest treasures don’t sit behind museum glass. The awe-inspiring scenes that take your breath away and remind you of the beauty of our nation are hidden along winding roads, tucked into mountain valleys,...
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Next round of Iran peace talks on hold
Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire June 19 after escalating violence between Israel and Lebanon complicated President Donald Trump’s efforts to reach a final peace agreement with Iran. Still, negotiations to end the war appeared to be delayed,...
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See the assets of MN members of Congress
WASHINGTON – Rep. Kelly Morrison is likely the wealthiest member of Minnesota’s congressional delegation, Rep. Betty McCollum is burdened with two mortgages, and Rep. Angie Craig sold her condo on a Mexican beach. Those are just some of the findings...
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Connecting the dots
People who carry out mass public shootings often display observable warning signs long before an attack, but those signals are frequently fragmented across friends, family members, coworkers and institutions, making them difficult to piece together,...
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