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Minnesota senators have voted for a stringent set of electronic cigarette standards that would make their use unacceptable in any place regular tobacco is disallowed. The approach endorsed Thursday goes further than a House companion bill, so the two measures must be reconciled for any e-cigarette regulations to become law. A move to pare back the indoor air restrictions in the Senate bill failed on a 35-28 vote.
Supporters of defining electronic cigarettes in the same light as traditional tobacco products won a key round Monday in the Minnesota Legislature. By an 11-8 vote, lawmakers pushing for tough regulations on the fast-spreading devices defeated an effort to pare back their bill.
Gov. Mark Dayton has broken with his Health Department commissioner over the extent of regulation needed on electronic cigarettes. Dayton said that he is uncomfortable with legislative efforts to put e-cigarettes in the same category as conventional cigarettes when it comes to prohibition of use in public spaces.
Minnesota Poison Control System officials say they're seeing a sharp increase in the number of young people being harmed by e-cigarette liquid. In 2012, the poison center received five reports of e-cigarette-related poisonings for people under 20 years old. Last year, that number jumped to 50.
The growing popularity of smokeless electronic cigarettes has Minnesota lawmakers weighing whether they should be regulated in similar fashion to traditional tobacco products.
For years, the University of Minnesota has been doing research on tobacco and tobacco-related products. The dangers of the emerging market of electronic cigarettes is still widely unknown.
Forty attorneys general sent a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday urging the agency to meet its own deadline and regulate electronic cigarettes in the same way it regulates tobacco products.
More smokers are turning to electronic cigarettes as a less-expensive and less-regulated way to get their nicotine. But they're still so new, governments and businesses are grappling with how to deal with them. E-cigarettes have a battery-powered heating element that produces vapor rather than smoke. They're not restricted under Minnesota's Clean Indoor Air Act, but many businesses – including the Minnesota Twins - are telling customers to put them away.
It's been a month since the state's cigarette sales tax increased by more than a dollar and-a-half a pack. That's brought the total tax on cigarettes to more than $2.80 per pack.
Kaprice Richards was sentenced to two years in prison and three years of supervised release Tuesday for being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to court records.
Two people are dead after a head-on crash Tuesday evening in southern Minnesota.
Scientists say Minnesota's Northwoods are at risk of becoming grasslands in as little as 50 years because trees can't adapt as quickly as our weather is warming.
After a frosty morning in the Twin Cities, the sun will shine, wind speeds will decrease and highs will reach the low 60s
Alex Kirilloff hit a two-out, game-ending single after Byron Buxton led off the ninth inning with a tying homer, and the major league-worst Chicago White Sox fell to 3-20 with a 6-5 loss to the Minnesota Twins.
Kaprice Richards was sentenced to two years in prison and three years of supervised release Tuesday for being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to court records.
Even though it's considered a lifetime ban, it isn't for everyone. In Dakota County, since 2019, 109 people there tried to have their gun rights restored. Of those, 72 succeeded.
Anoka County is one of the few counties that could decide who wins Minnesota in the 2024 presidential election.
Tyler Nubin says he's approaching 100% health and performing well at the Gophers pro day in front of NFL scouts, as well as many of the Minnesota Vikings coaches.
Several venues across Minnesota want to help, posting on Facebook that they're ready to either donate their space or negotiate lower prices.
Two people are dead after a head-on crash Tuesday evening in southern Minnesota.
A Korean War veteran from Minnesota who still carries shrapnel in his leg from when he was wounded in combat will finally get his Purple Heart medal, 73 years late.
The Brown County Sheriff's Office says fire crews responded to 16 wildfires between March 1 and April 22. Over the same period of time last year, there was just one fire call. The year before that, there were two.
A Minnesota man is accused of sexually exploiting children abroad.
Researchers say if help doesn't arrive soon, the deep, dark boreal forests we know in northern Minnesota could become mostly grasslands within the next 50 years.
The 59th annual Flood Run motorcycle ride is this Saturday, and the Minnesota State Patrol is asking bikers and motorists alike to be extra careful while cruising beside the St. Croix River.
A partial building collapse in Superior, Wisconsin prompted evacuations Thursday, including at a nearby daycare.
Republican lawmakers have filed a new lawsuit alleging partial vetoes Gov. Tony Evers made to a bill designed to bolster students' reading performance were unconstitutional.
Nicolae Miu, the man convicted of reckless homicide and other crimes after stabbing five people on Wisconsin's Apple River in 2022, will be sentenced this summer.
The director of Donald Trump's 2020 presidential campaign in Wisconsin who pushed allegations of widespread fraud that were ultimately debunked has been hired to run the Republican Party of Wisconsin heading into the November election.
An Eden Prairie family is keeping their son's legacy alive, one year after his sudden death.
Fifteen-year-old Bennett Fisk loves baseball and has been playing youth league his whole life. Unfortunately, last season, he had to sit out because even the largest adult-size baseball helmet didn't fit his head and it was too unsafe to play without a helmet.
For the first time in Minnesota cannabis usage on 420 is legal.
A new restaurant is hoping to serve the community for years to come.
Investigators have found at least 265 cats in just three Minnesota homes since late February.
Eight students and one faculty member were arrested on Tuesday during anti-war protests at the Univeristy of Minnesota in Minneapolis.
It comes over a year after a shooting at a Nashville school killed three children and three adults.
Jurors in former President Donald Trump's trial in New York heard testimony from a former media executive about his efforts to bury negative stories about Trump before the 2016 presidential election.
Anoka County is one of the few counties that could decide who wins Minnesota in the 2024 presidential election.
Police arrested nine students during the first of two demonstrations Tuesday at the University of Minnesota.
The owner of a Twin Cities-based car dealership is accused of scamming Minnesotans out of thousands of dollars.
Saturday marks, for some, a holiday.
There's a state recovery fund for families who are out of money for a loss due to a contractor, but there's a gap in the law — a contractor with one specialty is exempt from paying into the fund.
The Minnesota Department of Health says state inspectors have seized and destroyed about $500,000 worth of illegal cannabis products from retailers.
The Minneapolis City Council on Thursday voted to delay implementation of a controversial ordinance establishing a minimum wage for rideshare drivers in the city.
Kaprice Richards was sentenced to two years in prison and three years of supervised release Tuesday for being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to court records.
Even though it's considered a lifetime ban, it isn't for everyone. In Dakota County, since 2019, 109 people there tried to have their gun rights restored. Of those, 72 succeeded.
Criminal charges have been unsealed for an 18-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy in connection to last summer's deadly mass shooting at the Minneapolis backyard music venue dubbed Nudieland.
The owner of a Twin Cities-based car dealership is accused of scamming Minnesotans out of thousands of dollars.
A Minnesota man is accused of sexually exploiting children abroad.
UnitedHealth said it paid the criminals behind attack that crippled hospitals and pharmacies to protect sensitive patient data.
Cancer cases are on the rise in younger adults, and early onset cancer is up in patients under 50, many of them without typical risk factors.
An Eden Prairie family is keeping their son's legacy alive, one year after his sudden death.
Health officials are warning consumers not to consume Infinite Herbs basil sold at some Trader Joe's and Dierberg's stores after 12 people were sickened.
Minnesota lawmakers are considering a bill to tweak the new paid family and medical leave program they passed last year.
The Vali-Hi Drive-In in Lake Elmo has been closed for almost two years now — but a filmmaker raised in Woodbury is keeping memories of the iconic theatre alive.
Eight years ago this week, music icon Prince died of an accidental painkiller overdose at his Paisley Park estate.
La Raza's mission is to bring music, news and community to more than 200,000 Latinos in the Twin Cities.
Mary J. Blige, Cher, Foreigner, A Tribe Called Quest, Kool & The Gang, Ozzy Osbourne, Dave Matthews Band and Peter Frampton have been named to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Eight years after Prince died from an accidental fentanyl overdose, thousands of his fans are flocking to the Twin Cities.
Alex Kirilloff hit a two-out, game-ending single after Byron Buxton led off the ninth inning with a tying homer, and the major league-worst Chicago White Sox fell to 3-20 with a 6-5 loss to the Minnesota Twins.
Jaden McDaniels scored 25 points for a career best in the playoffs and spearheaded another stifling defensive performance by the Minnesota Timberwolves in a 105-93 victory over the Phoenix Suns to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round series.
The Minnesota Timberwolves ownership dispute is moving into mediation.
Tyler Nubin says he's approaching 100% health and performing well at the Gophers pro day in front of NFL scouts, as well as many of the Minnesota Vikings coaches.
The 2024 NFL draft starts Thursday night, and fans — and even many other teams — are eagerly waiting to see what the Minnesota Vikings will do.
It may have been more than 25 years ago, but Jesse Ventura's 1998 win for governor stands out as one of he most successful third-party runs in U.S. history.
This weekend, Minnesota has seen the celebration of all things green — as in marijuana. Leading the charge was former Gov. Jesse Ventura, who has his own marijuana startup. As Esme Murphy reports, Ventura’s long legacy also includes one of the most successful third-party candidacies in recent American history.
An emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more students are not going to school. In Talking Points, Esme Murphy talks to the people looking for solutions.
An emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more students are not going to school. Esme Murphy Republican Sen. Julia Coleman, the ranking Republican on the Senate education policy committee about the issue.
An emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more students are not going to school. Esme Murphy spoke with John Choi, the Ramsey County Attorney, about his work on the frontlines of getting kids back into the classroom.
Decades ago, at an 88-acre pasture near Annandale, cars replaced cows and French Lake Auto Parts was born.
There's an attraction in Fergus Falls that's centered around a man-made disaster.
In this week's Finding Minnesota, John Lauritsen goes to New Ulm where the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame is celebrating 35 years.
It cost $85,000 to build St. Stan's — equivalent to about $100 million today. As the basilica approaches its 130th birthday, its biggest fans say they wouldn't change a thing.
Built in 1857, the stairs were originally wood. Around 1970, concrete replaced wood, but over time, that too crumbled.
What do Lebron James, David Bowie and Bill Gates all have in common? They're left-handed. While they're a minority of the population, they're not alone. So why are we right- or left-handed? Good Question.
April is Earth Month and we're less than a week from Earth Day. That timing matches up with an email we received from Mary in Minneapolis. She wants to know: What can the average person do to help reduce global warming? Good Question.
The gorgeous weekend we had was more than just a great time to get outside. For many, it was a chance to get their hands dirty whether they wanted to or not. We wanted to know How can we efficiently clean our homes? Good Question.
If you have a drawer packed with old cellphones, cameras and laptops, you're not alone. Global electronic waste has hit record highs and it's growing five times faster than recycling rates. So how should you dispose of e-waste?
It's a yearly expense that Minnesota drivers often aren't too fond of paying. Bill from Otsego wanted to know: How do they calculate license tab fees? Good Question.
Many Minnesotans were treated to a stunning double rainbow on Thursday.
Nicolae Miu, a 54-year-old man from Prior, Lake, Minnesota was found guilty of six criminal charges, including first-degree reckless homicide. Miu's trial lasted eight days in a Hudson, Wisconsin courtroom.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed early Tuesday, March 26 after a column was struck by a container ship that reportedly lost power, sending vehicles and people into the Patapsco River.
An early spring snowstorm made for many beautiful sights across the state of Minnesota over the weekend.
State fire officials say a grass fire near Waseca is contained Monday morning after burning more than 1,000 acres.
Wednesday will be sunny and near 60, but we've got a wet weekend ahead.
In Minnesota, weather can be all over the place. Here at WCCO, we want to give you what you need to prepare for what's happening next.
Meteorologist Joseph Dames says Wednesday will be sunny and less breezy.
Liz Heinecke, the Kitchen Pantry Scientist, shares some cool weather-related experiments.
Meteorologist Joseph Dames says after a chilly morning, Wednesday will be sunny and less windy.
Wednesday will be sunny and near 60, but we've got a wet weekend ahead.
Minnesotans are getting a rare, close-up look at the place where tens of thousands of our state's fish are born and raised each year.
Meteorologist Joseph Dames says Wednesday will be sunny and less breezy.
Liz Heinecke, the Kitchen Pantry Scientist, shares some cool weather-related experiments.
Author Christopher Michaelson, a business ethics professor at the University of St. Thomas, discusses his new book about a topic many working adults have probably pondered.