Latest Minnesota Headlines

All the headlines from our Minnesota Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Minnesota Safety Officials Building Awareness of New Hands-Free Cellphone Law

Jul 2 2019 // Minnesota safety officials are redoubling their efforts to make drivers aware of a state law that takes effect Aug 1 requiring that motorists use hands-free devices while phoning on the road. Department of Public Safety...

Hailstorm Destroys Thousands of Acres of Crops in Minnesota

Jul 1 2019 // Thousands of acres of corn and soybeans have been destroyed by a hailstorm that moved through southwest Minnesota. And, in some cases it’s too late in the season for farmers to replant. Agronomist Steve Michels at...

How Insys Bankruptcy Case Could Alter Fate of Thousands of Opioid Lawsuits

Jun 28 2019 // The fate of thousands of lawsuits seeking to hold drugmakers responsible for fueling the U.S. opioid epidemic hinges in part on a thorny legal question: Can a company can use a bankruptcy to stop lawsuits from cities and...

Insurance to Pay Most of Minnesota Diocese’s $34M Settlement with Abuse Victims

Jun 27 2019 // The Diocese of New Ulm in Minnesota has reached a $34 million settlement in its bankruptcy case with 93 people who say they were sexually abused by priests and others, the diocese and an attorney representing survivors...

Aging Oil Pipelines Operated by Canada’s Enbridge Raise Fears over Great Lakes Spills

Jun 10 2019 // Fears about oil spills into the Great Lakes from two aging U.S. pipelines have flared, raising doubts about their future and creating fresh headaches for operator Enbridge Inc and the Canadian energy sector.Canada has...

Minnesota Supreme Court Malpractice Ruling Has Doctors Concerned

May 29 2019 // A recent ruling from the Minnesota Supreme Court saying doctors can be sued for malpractice even if they’re not directly treating a patient is causing angst in the state’s medical and legal communities.The high...

Minnesota Clergy Abuse Victims to Sue Vatican, Seek Abusers’ Names

May 15 2019 // Five men who say they were sexually abused by Roman Catholic priests when they were minors are planning to sue the Vatican and are demanding the names of thousands of predator priests they claim have been kept secret by...

Arnold Appointed Deputy Insurance Commissioner for Minnesota

Apr 26 2019 // Grace Arnold has been tapped to lead the insurance division at the Minnesota Commerce Department.Arnold was named deputy insurance commissioner by Minnesota Commerce Commissioner Steve Kelley earlier this month. Arnold...

Minnesota AG: For-Profit Health Insurers Could Raid State’s Reserves

Apr 25 2019 // Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has called on lawmakers to reverse a consequence of 2017 law that repealed the state’s ban on for-profit health maintenance organizations, saying for-profit companies could...

Minnesota’s ProHost USA Acquired by Distinguished Programs

Apr 17 2019 // Distinguished Programs, a national insurance program manager headquartered in New York, has acquired Minneapolis, Minnesota-based ProHost USA, a specialty insurance program for restaurants and related risks.Distinguished...

‘Bomb Cyclone’ Adds to Weather Woes in Central US

Apr 12 2019 // A storm system known as a “bomb cyclone” slowly churned through the U.S. interior Thursday for the second time in a month, unleashing a blizzard that struck the Upper Midwest and creating hazardous fire...

Hub International Acquires Assets of Minnesota’s Corey Steinbach Insurance Agency

Apr 5 2019 // Chicago-based global insurance broker, Hub International Limited (Hub), has acquired the assets of Corey Steinbach Insurance Agency LLC (Corey Steinbach Insurance) in Felton, Minnesota.Terms of the transaction were not...

1 Million Acres of Midwest Farmlands Flooded as Corn Planting Deadlines Approach

Apr 1 2019 // At least 1 million acres (405,000 hectares) of U.S. farmland were flooded after the “bomb cyclone” storm left wide swaths of nine major grain producing states under water this month, satellite data analyzed by...

Minnesota Truck Repair Shop Contests OSHA Fines Tied to Explosion Injuries

Mar 28 2019 // A truck service shop in North Mankato, Minnesota, is contesting federal fines levied after a natural gas explosion last November that injured two workers. The explosion happened Nov. 14 at Allstate Peterbilt when natural...

Report: Farm Income Continues to Drop in Minnesota

Mar 27 2019 // A report finds Minnesota farm income continues to drop and hit a new low last year.University of Minnesota Extension and Minnesota State tracked the past 23 years of data and found after adjusting for information,...

U. of Minnesota Worker Charged with Stealing $134K in Computers from School

Mar 26 2019 // A former University of Minnesota employee who admitted to stealing iPads from Target is also accused of the using school funds to purchase 78 computers over 14 months and sell them for personal profit, according to...

Bitter Debate Over Health Reinsurance Plan Erupts in Minnesota House

Mar 22 2019 // A bitter, partisan debate erupted on the Minnesota House floor on March 20 when Republicans tried to bring up a health care reinsurance bill that House Democrats oppose as a giveaway to the insurance industry.Back in 2017,...

Hands-Free Phone Use While Driving Bill Passes Minnesota House

Mar 21 2019 // Minnesota motorists would be required to use hands-free devices when talking on the phone while driving under a bill that passed the state House on Monday night, after sponsors said the measure will cut down on distracted...

Critics Say North Dakota Dioceses Too Slow in Naming Problem Priests

Mar 15 2019 // North Dakota’s Roman Catholic dioceses are mulling whether and when to release information about priests accused of sexual abuse, even as critics say they are moving too slowly following explosive revelations in...

Heavy Snow Collapses Barn Roof at Minnesota State Fairgrounds

Mar 14 2019 // Heavy snow has caused some structural damage at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. Authorities say part of the roof of the cattle barn gave way Tuesday night. No one was hurt. The 99-year-old brick barn is used for storage...