Biologists Call For Continued Protection Of Great Lakes Wolves
A group of scientists is taking issue with colleagues who want the federal government to remove gray wolves in the Great Lakes region from the endangered species list.
Watch CBS News
A group of scientists is taking issue with colleagues who want the federal government to remove gray wolves in the Great Lakes region from the endangered species list.
Two U.S. senators announced a renewed push Thursday to strip federal protection from gray wolves in the western Great Lakes region and Wyoming — and to prohibit courts from intervening in those states on the embattled predator's behalf. Legislation introduced this week would order the Department of the Interior to reissue orders from 2011 and 2012 that dropped wolves in Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Wyoming from the endangered species list.
Federal crews have discovered two Asian carp in the Illinois River, 12 miles closer to Lake Michigan than where others of that size previously were seen.
State and federal agencies are teaming with pipeline operator Enbridge Energy Partners for an oil spill response exercise in the area where crude is piped beneath the Great Lakes.
Populations of invasive, fish-killing sea lampreys have fallen to their lowest point in decades across the Great Lakes, showing that control measures costing millions of dollars a year are paying off, officials said Wednesday. Lamprey numbers have reached a 30-year low in Lake Huron and a 20-year low in Lake Michigan, according to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, a U.S.-Canadian organization. Numbers also are down significantly in the other lakes.
Oil and gas industry watchers said Wednesday prices at the pump have jumped across the Great Lakes region because of the unexpected, partial shutdown of a large Indiana oil refinery, and those increases could continue.
Government agencies plan to spend nearly $60 million over the next two years in the battle to prevent invasive Asian carp from reaching the Great Lakes, where scientists say they could unravel food chains and harm native fish.
The group of state Department of Natural Resources scientists that Republican lawmakers targeted for cuts has been working on a number of politically charged issues in recent years, including climate change, pollution and mining.
A panel of experts will study proposals to allow fish farming in Michigan's Great Lakes waters.
Scientists specializing in the Great Lakes are going to be hearing about the challenge plastic pollution poses for the lakes during a conference at the University of Vermont.
U.S. and Canadian crews are working to clear a path through ice on eastern Lake Superior that's left freighters unable to move, including one that had a hole punched in its hull. The Canadian Coast Guard says that by Wednesday afternoon, six vessels heading toward the lower lakes and 12 vessels heading toward upper Lake Superior were waiting to move.
Members of Congress from both parties are lobbying colleagues not to cut funding from a key Great Lakes environmental program. Fifty-one representatives sent a letter Monday in support of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
Michigan is joining the federal government in appealing a decision that restores legal protections for gray wolves in the western Great Lakes region.
Members of Congress are calling for quick action at a crucial spot in the Chicago area to block Asian carp from reaching the Great Lakes.
The Great Lakes Areas of Concern is receiving $7.9 million from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to fund habitat restoration projects. U.S. Sens. Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow announced the grant Wednesday. Both Michigan lawmakers are members of the Great Lakes Task Force.
For the second consecutive winter, bitter weather threatens to turn the surface of the Great Lakes into a vast, frozen plain. Nearly 81 percent of the lakes' surface area was covered with ice, the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory reported Friday.
President Barack Obama's proposed budget for 2016 seeks a $50 million cut in a multi-year program to clean up the Great Lakes. The president's spending plan released Monday requests $250 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, down from $300 million appropriated for this year.
First it was tiny plastic beads, but now scientist are rising concerns about fibers from clothing polluting the Great Lakes. A recent study found polyester fleece sheds thousands of fibers when it's washed.
Scientists who have reported that the Great Lakes are awash in tiny bits of plastic are raising new alarms about a little-noticed form of the debris turning up in sampling nets: synthetic fibers from garments, cleaning cloths and other consumer products.
An organization representing U.S. cargo shippers on the Great Lakes says last year's deep freeze cost the economy an estimated $705 million and shows the need for another heavy icebreaking vessel. The Lake Carriers' Association said Tuesday the volume of freight that U.S.-flagged ships hauled on the lakes between Dec. 1, 2013, and May 30, 2014, was about 7 million tons lower than the same period a year earlier.
With Great Lakes levels finally back to normal after a 15-year downturn, the University of Michigan plans research to help people in the region prepare for future ups and downs. The university's Graham Sustainability Institute announced the program this week, as federal scientists reported that Lakes Superior, Huron, Michigan and Erie are well above their long-term average levels. Lake Ontario is slightly below.
Two unusually wet years have finally ended the lengthiest period on record of low Great Lakes water levels — a blessing for long-suffering cargo shippers and recreational boaters — although scientists said Tuesday it's uncertain whether the recovery is temporary or heralds a trend.
Dave and Amy Freeman are making their way to Washington, D.C. -- in a canoe. The couple is paddling 2,000 miles from Ely to the nation's capitol. They're on a mission to draw attention to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.
It may be June, but a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources warden discovered some icebergs still afloat in Lake Superior near Madeline Island on Friday. DNR Marine Warden Amie Egstad spotted the floating ice – which was covered in resting seagulls – while doing a routine check of commercial nets in the largest of the Great Lakes.
An effort to prevent people from drowning due to dangerous currents along the Great Lakes will include installing kits with life-saving aids such as ring buoys and youth life jackets at 10 public beaches along Lake Michigan, officials announced Monday.
A man is in the hospital after police said he was hit by a stray bullet in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Friday night.
Rookie Peyton Anderson scored her first career goal to spark the Minnesota Frost to a 4-1 victory over the Seattle Torrent in the PWHL.
More and more Minnesota families are struggling to put food on the table. The Salvation Army is working to stop the hardship.
Ayman Mohamad Ghazali made two purchases at a Phantom Fireworks store in Livonia, Michigan. He told the store staff the fireworks were for the end of Ramadan.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has again set up a livestream of a peregrine falcon nest in downtown St. Paul in an effort to monitor and protect the species.
A man is in the hospital after police said he was hit by a stray bullet in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Friday night.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has again set up a livestream of a peregrine falcon nest in downtown St. Paul in an effort to monitor and protect the species.
Despite the potential for a winter storm, people across the Twin Cities are getting ready for St. Patrick's Day celebrations this weekend, and into next week.
A 29-year-old woman is dead after police in Bloomington, Minnesota, found her unresponsive in a cell at the city's jail early Friday, officials said.
Wind sheared off four bolts holding a billboard near the 3M headquarters along Hudson Road in Maplewood, Minnesota, ahead of a winter storm expected to bring heavy snow Saturday night into Sunday.
A man and a woman are in custody after a shootout between the man and Swift County deputies in Appleton, Minnesota, on Friday, according to police.
The hit HBO Max series "The Pitt" is getting buzz for how real it feels, and there's a Minnesota doctor making sure it stays that way.
Gas prices are up for the 12th straight day as the war with Iran pushes up crude oil prices. In Minnesota, the average went up 4 cents overnight. It's now $3.29 a gallon. That's 18-cents higher than just a week ago.
According to Rochester Police, officers were dispatched around 9:30 p.m. to the 1900 block of Ashland Drive Northwest. The call was domestic-related, police say.
Rain is falling Thursday night in the Twin Cities, while snow is falling up north.
As the war in Iran evolves, National Guardsmen from Wisconsin are being recognized for what they are doing in the Middle East.
It's the season for booking those spring break getaways, and if you're looking to skip the airport this year, take a page out of the Condé Nast Traveler.
A judge has sentenced a Wisconsin man who forged threats against President Donald Trump as part of a deportation scheme to 16½ years in prison.
A fire at a hotel in Superior, Wisconsin, Monday night left one person hurt and forced guests to move to new lodgings.
Excitement is in the air in northern Wisconsin with the 52nd annual American Birkebeiner underway.
The Minnesota Department of Corrections says 95% of all incarcerated individuals will eventually be released from prison. The DOC says it does all it can to help people transition back into the community as productive citizens.
Minnesota native and World War II veteran Les Schrenk died earlier this week. He was 102 years old.
People from across the nation are traveling to the Twin Cities, but not as tourists. Many want to learn in person from Minnesota protestors to bring that knowledge back to their own cities.
The Edina wife and mother of three said she felt called to go and protest in south Minneapolis after learning that Alex Pretti had been shot and killed by two Border Patrol agents.
Tuesday afternoon, more than 20 people gathered on the Highway 62 bridge between Minneapolis and Richfield after a small protest sparked a confrontation there last week.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine briefed on Operation Epic Fury in Iran Friday.
President Trump's comments came shortly after he said that the U.S. military had conducted "one of the most power bombing raids" on a vital Iranian oil hub.
More than half-a-million taxpayer dollars meant to help Minnesotans was stolen, according to state investigators, who say a home health care provider took the money to buy flights, order food and take rides instead of helping the needy.
Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were murdered in their home in June 2025. On top of grieving the sudden, tragic loss of his parents, Colin Hortman says the cleanup of his childhood home was a headache.
Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were murdered in their home last June. Their son says what followed with the insurance company only made matters worse.
Delta is canceling flights at Midwest airports, including its Minneapolis-St. Paul hub, ahead of expected significant snow and winds starting Saturday evening through Sunday, the airline said Friday.
Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were murdered in their home in June 2025. On top of grieving the sudden, tragic loss of his parents, Colin Hortman says the cleanup of his childhood home was a headache.
Data show that catalytic converter thefts are on the rise again in the Twin Cities.
The war in Iran is not only blocking oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, it is also holding up much of the world's fertilizer supply, a development that is drawing close attention from farmers preparing for spring planting.
Renters' rights advocates and tenants gathered outside Hennepin County courtrooms Thursday to protest Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey's recent veto of an eviction notice extension ordinance.
Ayman Mohamad Ghazali made two purchases at a Phantom Fireworks store in Livonia, Michigan. He told the store staff the fireworks were for the end of Ramadan.
Police in St. Paul, Minnesota are investigating after a student at Macalester College accused a former professor of urinating on her belongings.
More than half-a-million taxpayer dollars meant to help Minnesotans was stolen, according to state investigators, who say a home health care provider took the money to buy flights, order food and take rides instead of helping the needy.
Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were murdered in their home in June 2025. On top of grieving the sudden, tragic loss of his parents, Colin Hortman says the cleanup of his childhood home was a headache.
Data show that catalytic converter thefts are on the rise again in the Twin Cities.
The hit HBO Max series "The Pitt" is getting buzz for how real it feels, and there's a Minnesota doctor making sure it stays that way.
More than half-a-million taxpayer dollars meant to help Minnesotans was stolen, according to state investigators, who say a home health care provider took the money to buy flights, order food and take rides instead of helping the needy.
Can a quick workout and your phone reveal something about your heart health? Researchers at the University of Minnesota Medical School say yes, and they've built an app to prove it.
A new Iowa law bans local nondiscrimination protections on the basis of gender identity after the state became the first in the U.S. to roll back its civil rights code last year.
At a Minnesota State Capitol hearing Wednesday morning, the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs unveiled its "Veteran Suicide Prevention Plan."
The hit HBO Max series "The Pitt" is getting buzz for how real it feels, and there's a Minnesota doctor making sure it stays that way.
A woman was arrested on Sunday for firing multiple shots at the Beverly Hills home of Rihanna, Los Angeles Police Department officials say.
Valleyfair in Shakopee, Minnesota, will soon come under new ownership.
A new art exhibition in Shoreview, Minnesota, is inviting visitors to see art — and maybe themselves — a little differently.
Actor and filmmaker Bruce Campbell told fans that he is in treatment for cancer and will cancel some upcoming public appearances.
Rookie Peyton Anderson scored her first career goal to spark the Minnesota Frost to a 4-1 victory over the Seattle Torrent in the PWHL.
Minnesota siblings Jamison and Amaya Battle are both basketball stars, with the brother playing forward for the Toronto Raptors and sister playing point guard for the Gopher women's team.
Travis Konecny scored the lone goal in a shootout to give the Philadelphia Flyers a 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night.
The Minnesota Vikings have signed quarterback Kyler Murray to compete with J.J. McCarthy for the starting job next season, the team announced Thursday.
The Minnesota Vikings are hosting Kyler Murray on a free agent visit, focusing their latest quarterback search on the first overall pick in the 2019 draft who was just released by the Arizona Cardinals.
Talking Points is tracking a partisan push to end surveillance pricing this legislative session.
This session, a bipartisan bill to end surveillance pricing is moving forward at the Minnesota Capitol. In Talking Points, Esme Murphy spoke with Minnesota DFL Rep. Erin Koegel about the push and how the ban could protection your personal data.
Minnesota Democratic Rep. Angie Craig, who is running for U.S. Senate, says she now regrets her vote in favor of the Laken Riley Act last year.
With severe weather season right around the corner, what homeowners need to know about the evolving coverage for your roof.
With severe weather season right around the corner, what homeowners need to know about the evolving coverage for your roof. In Talking Points, Esme Murphy spoke with Grace Arnold, Department of Commerce commissioner about what's driving rising insurance premiums and what you should look from in home insurance coverage.
Denis Doyle was born in Kilkenny, Ireland. He emigrated to the U.S. and in 1856, Doyle traveled to Le Sueur County. Other Irish immigrants joined Doyle and the town was born.
One of the oldest operating theaters in the Midwest is in danger of closing its doors for good.
In St. Louis Park, Minnesota, there's a place where you can find radio and television technology that's nearly a century old — and it still works.
One of the best views in Minnesota is at the top of a Bloomington hill. But 15-year-old Jacob Larson isn't here for the scenery. He's here for the jump.
Pine trees are a common sight up north. But on a Carlton, Minnesota, road, they're joined by giant lollipops. They serve as the welcoming committee for Sweetly Kismet, one of the largest candy stores in the state.
Minnesota lakes remain frozen. The people walking on trails around them remain bundled up. After a warm start to March, the seasonal shift is sputtering as it often tends to do.
Drivers are bracing themselves for higher prices when they pull up to gas stations. But the pump isn't the only place you can expect to pay more in the weeks ahead.
A push for stricter gun laws in Minnesota is not new. However, this session comes on the heels of a devastating mass shooting last summer in which the target was students in prayer at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis.
The military strikes against Iran have sparked intense debate in Congress. U.S. lawmakers are not only split on whether to support the operation but also on whether President Trump should have sought congressional approval in advance. WCCO investigates how the Constitution defines declarations of war.
Traveling is already stressful, especially flying, but the deadly conflict south of the border might have some travelers second-guessing their upcoming trips.
Minnesotans got a great view of the northern lights Tuesday night.
A look at the newest addition to the polar bear population at St. Paul, Minnesota's Como Zoo.
From food shelves to school programs, our team is proud to serve where it matters most.
The Minnesota State Fair has unveiled its new food, drinks and vendors for 2025.
A suspect was taken into custody after an attack on Pearl Street Mall in Boulder on June 1 in which there were 15 people and a dog who were victims. The suspect threw Molotov cocktails that burned some of the victims, who were part of a march for Israeli hostages.
People across Minnesota are making their final preparations ahead of a winter storm that's expected to move into the state on Saturday evening. Ubah Ali reports from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport where several airlines are making changes and travelers are trying to escape the snow.
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.
The Twin Cities could see around a foot of snow by Sunday afternoon as a result of a winter storm that's set to move into Minnesota on Saturday evening, according to NEXT Weather meteorologist Chris Shaffer.
A winter storm warning is in effect for a large area of Minnesota From Saturday night to Monday morning, according to NEXT Weather meteorologist Chris Shaffer.
A winter storm is set to impact Minnesotans across the state on Saturday night into Sunday. Photojournalist Tony Peterson found out how businesses are helping residents prepare.
The Sibleys' oldest son plays basketball in Minnesota with a bleeding condition. As Mike Max explains, it's just a small piece of life for the family that is making a difference beyond what most feel is possible.
It was all about basketball for high schools across Minnesota on Friday as boys teams battled for spots in the state tournament. Plus, meet a Minnesota teen playing basketball despite a bleeding disorder and his parents, who have supported their son and dozens of foster children, in the March 13, 2026, edition of High School Sports Rally.
Police in Appleton, Minnesota, say a shootout between a man and deputies led to two arrests on Friday. Officials said no one was seriously hurt in the incident.
People across Minnesota are making their final preparations ahead of a winter storm that's expected to move into the state on Saturday evening. Ubah Ali reports from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport where several airlines are making changes and travelers are trying to escape the snow.
The Twin Cities could see around a foot of snow by Sunday afternoon as a result of a winter storm that's set to move into Minnesota on Saturday evening, according to NEXT Weather meteorologist Chris Shaffer.