Recent content from Jennifer Brooks
Brooks: After insulting Jennifer Aniston and 'childless cat ladies' everywhere, JD Vance heads to Minnesota
Why do politicians keep dragging cats into this?
Brooks: One heartbeat away from making Kamala Harris' search for a running mate all about Minnesota
Minnesota: Cradle of Veeps
![President Joe Biden was kind, even when he didn't need to be.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/VCECISXUQBETNEOZREOGANN4YI.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: Don't cry because it's Joever; smile because I'm about to tell you my incredibly wholesome Naked Joe Biden story
For two years, I was Delaware's entire national press corps. The Biden who passed the torch is the Biden I remember.
![Cooper Waldvogel, 3, couldn't wait to hug his mother Kathryn Waldvogel after her return from Afghanistan at the Inver Grove Heights Training Center, T](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/IREWKD6RL7FTZYMWBX2HOXIF2Q.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: The VA wants your help picking a name for a new clinic for female veterans
If you know a veteran who served her country and her community, the VA is accepting nominations until Oct. 30.
![Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport was bustling with activity 16 years ago, as travelers, including delegates, their families and others conne](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/ULC4OZMVM5B6VOA6WXNE5ZKQWY.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
As all eyes turn to the GOP convention in Milwaukee, a look back at 2008 in St. Paul
A very different catastrophe — a hurricane — dampened spirits at the 2008 Republican Convention in St. Paul.
Brooks: Biden's debate performance was so bad, it may have put Minnesota in play
The Cook Political Report no longer considers Minnesota a "likely" Democratic win — merely leaning that way.
![Arborist Kerrick Sarbacker leads union chants as striking park workers picket at a busy Minnehaha Park on Friday.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/F6RA5BCQ6NHM5MJZ5NFY6JXJ2E.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: Minneapolis parks workers want you to know why they're striking
This is the final day of a weeklong strike by park workers who say they've done too much with too little for too long.
![Laser loon lives: The second life of Minnesota state flag(s)](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/YMIWIREEFVCNHPHG6WABO3ZYGU.png?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Laser loon lives: The second life of Minnesota state flag(s)
Residents have flocked to online and brick-and-mortar shops to buy whichever design says "Minnesota" to them.
![All summer long, Hennepin County libraries are hosting a unique and fuzzy learning experience: Live llamas at the library.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/G6VHKY5VOFDKHAUJNVQZUNLKOQ.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: Check out the llamas all summer long at Hennepin County libraries
There are llamas at the library for the same reason there are books on the shelves.
![Boxes of naloxone sit ready for distribution in the city’s first free naloxone vending machine to help combat fatal overdoses.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/XP77H4A3QNH63GQHYQS46XPA4Y.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Saving lives at the push of a button: Minneapolis unveils first Narcan vending machine
Lifesaving drugs that reverse the effect of an opioid overdose are available free from a vending machine outside a south Minneapolis fire station.
Brooks: A Minneapolis restaurant was beautifying the neighborhood with flowers. A flower thief stood in the way.
Good thing El Sazon Cocina has good neighbors who are good florists.
![Former President Donald Trump speaks during the first 2024 presidential election debate with President Joe Biden at CNN's headquarters in Atlanta, on](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/2KDZPG34QFF4HJEJHQNPJTVU2I.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: A horror show of a debate - and what's that you say about Minneapolis, Donald Trump?
One man lied and blustered, the other was muddled and unconvincing.
![Russ Purdy�s �Ooey, Gooey, Slippery Science Fun� show featuring interactive science experiments. -- Bloomington, Mn., Tuesday, Dec. 28, 1999--Sc](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/VM3DJT375ZFDF4L45XODNDFW2M.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: Tarantula and assault charges fly in Hennepin County Board race
Political hopeful Marisa Simonetti seems to think buying and deploying a tarantula is how adults settle disputes.
![A roly-poly spotted seal pup looks up at the camera with his big eyes, as he lolls on a rock near the aquarium water.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/565PRC3XYRHZ3F5FZSJCZZBQGI.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: Feisty the seal serves as a reminder of resilience a dozen years after devastating Duluth floods
Still Feisty after all these years, Duluth's favorite seal survivor just became a father.
![We only want to see you laughing in the purple rain, Minnesota.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/ZMSVEMPZCJGRBGJFDSEPTUAERI.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
'No such thing as bad weather,' Minnesotans remind ourselves, as it rains and rains and rains on our parades
Rain or shine, Minnesotans press on with summer plans.
![The aurora borealis could be seen on the North horizon in the night sky over Wolf Lake in the Cloquet State Forrest around midnight on Saturday mornin](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/XM55Q72A27QMKBFEHWDUOQMPRA.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: Are we there yet? Minnesotans debate true meaning of 'up north'
What Minnesotans mean when they say "up north" becomes fodder for social media skirmish over where to draw the line.
![Soap maker Marybeth Beseke and Minnesota Rep. Nathan Nelson teamed up to change state law and allow Beseke to continue making soap out of a product th](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/EPER5CQGWBF5TIAXKCN4RBASHM.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: Minnesota Legislature unites to help a soap maker and her celebrated bear fat soap
How one Hinckley soap maker and her local rep helped change state law. Maybe there's soap for us all.
![A group of dancers weave through the darkness with flaming hula hoops.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/Z3XP2JTRLNF5BKQVZGWTYZWHXE.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: On Mondays in Minneapolis, Northern Fire Dynamic plays with fire
The fire performance troupe will stage a free performance in Powderhorn Park on June 10.
![A brown pit bull, wearing a red "Adopt Me" vest, shows the press corps his green squeaky toy during an afternoon walk with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Fre](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/X6RPMXLOIRGULNKTAX6GLGKPYE.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: Check out this dog, literally! Minneapolis Animal Control is lending out pups to help reduce kennel stress.
Minneapolis hopes taking adoptable dogs on day trips will help dogs and humans alike.
Brooks: Trump felony convictions reveal Minnesota GOP's lack of conviction
In the space of a news cycle, MNGOP pivots from screaming for the resignation of a Democrat accused of a felony to "Vote Trump."
![Charles Barkley outside of J.D. Hoyt's Supper Club in Minneapolis.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/U6KEFZKV7JDFVNVKAEEG2BYCPQ.jpeg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: That Minnesota 'snow' was cottonwood seeds, Sir Charles. Bring ya antihistamines!
In which the screams of millions of relieved Wolves fans blow the fluffy seeds off the trees and baffle Charles Barkley.
![Protesters gather outside the Senate chambers after an ERA bill was heard in committee at the Minnesota State Capitol on May 6.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/BNOYMBKHXFHIHKNXDEDRS2DJPM.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: A sad end of an ERA in Minnesota as legislative session closed
A century on, Minnesotans pick themselves up from the legislative wreckage and prepare to try, try again to pass an Equal Rights Amendment.
![Kushal Sehgal, James Kerber and Emily Wagner work on a phototherapy device treat or even prevent Reynaud’s symptoms, developed at the University of](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/IFSLL2UN5JEM5AFBMHV5CSKS6Q.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: No funding, no lab, no problem for dogged University of Minnesota student inventors
Undergrads spent six years building a new medical device to treat Raynaud's.
![South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland, on Friday, February](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/PD54XNAHV5EPHNZQKLQ3ZRLISA.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: Kristi Noem's puppy tale reads even worse in print
The only thing worse than puppy killing excerpts? Puppy killing in full detail.
![South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/AMYDJ55S7ZLZRYNAF6JGRCGA5M.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: Kristi Noem's tale of killing her dog backfires
Noem shoots, Noem scores few fans for her approach to dog training.
![The North Norris fire burning in northern Minnesota in 2021.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/6SBWTO2ZZBHC3AD4W7SFPT2FOI.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: Only you can prevent wildfires, Minnesota
DNR firefighters are hoping Minnesotans take care as fire season comes early.
Brooks: Minnesota state senator's burglary arrest puts private family drama in the election year spotlight
Public waits to learn more after state Sen. Nicole Mitchell was arrested in a relative's home.
An Isanti wedding venue closed without warning. Now these couples have 'nowhere to go.'
Community rallies to help after the Circle B wedding venue closed without warning or refunds.
![Rescuers pulled 124 cats and kittens from a crowded, filthy home in Crystal. The Animal Humane Society says abuse and neglect cases have increased sha](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/QSTGJW3EYJEHLD6S5XZB3LS6LY.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: A tale of 124 hoarded Minnesota cats has at least a hundred happy endings
As animal abuse cases soar, Minnesotans trek to the Animal Humane Society to offer neglected animals loving new homes.
![After "47 years on a job I love," Melanie Benson, Metro Transit's longest-serving bus driver, is retiring.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/M7WRISYLUZFMPDVOYIQU7WKKSE.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: The end of the line for Minneapolis' longest-serving bus driver and the start of a new adventure
Veteran Metro Transit bus driver Melanie Benson bids a fond farewell to the job she loved.
![Commuters wait in line to board a bus Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024 at the Mall of America Transit Station in Bloomington.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/B2MHZCFYWVDSJHSH56RBO5MX5Q.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: If Uber and Lyft let Minnesota down, maybe Metro Transit will pick us up
Minneapolis' hottest new rideshare: The bus.
![Daniel Brody listened as Debbie Moore played her violin near the Mary Tyler Moore statue on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis on June 13, 2023.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/ESPZIKMVKNFJFCPXY6TF76QN4E.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: During Doors Open Minneapolis, you could play DJ along Nicollet Mall
Roller skating, chess, therapy dogs, festivals and more fun events are aimed at bringing folks downtown.
![The Minnetonka Police Department is proud to announce its newest K9 recruit, Winston. The wee weenie stands ready to "take a bite out of crime...or ma](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/5CUF3Q2YX5HQVG7OYMCLWA2CTM.jpeg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: Beware these (innocent) April Fools' Day jokes
Maybe the dogs are all getting promotions today. Or maybe it's the first day of April.
![Still not sure if we're supposed to drink it or play cornhole with it.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/RLOGNXRBCNCZ5H2YYS6R7YFYRI.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: Kwest for Kwik Trip's bagged milk ends with moo-ving realization
The end of a squishy era, as Kwik Trip prepares to discontinue beloved bagged beverage.
![FILE - In this May 24, 2018, file photo, Chair of the Republican National Committee Ronna McDaniel appears on the "Fox & friends" television program i](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/CBMB3FOXGQQ6FXK6IJOZ77THNM.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: NBC's fast-moving Ronna McDaniel flap shows defending U.S. democracy worth the hassle
Faced with petitions, withering criticism and a near-revolt in the news division, network quickly changed course on its decision to hire former RNC chair.
![General Mills Cheerios. Looking at the long history of General Mills lobbying the FDA on behalf of Cheerios, with the company pushing for more health](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/IPGGMB2TKU5V5GHIA4W2OCJKFA.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: Billionaire pees in Duluth's Cheerios
In which Kathy Cargill tries to buy up Park Point, insults the neighbors, ignores questions and withholds pickleball from Duluth.
![Sandra Johnson explores the State Capitol rotunda before heading to a meeting to listen to Sen. Scott Dibble, DFL-Minneapolis, on Wednesday. Minnesota](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/ZYQT2ONRFVCBRJETHBH6V7JJQQ.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: Once a year, the homeless speak and the politicians listen
At Homeless Day on the Hill, a chance to hear stories like Sandra Johnson's.
![Abby Spangler and her daughter Eleanor Spangler Neuchterlein, 16, hold hands as they participate in a "lie-in" during a protest in favor of gun contro](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/FA6ZEEOXP6MD2I245QXGT4GIPI.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: Poll finds America more eager to protect kids from TikTok than school shootings
Where "won't someone think of the children?" meets "thoughts and prayers."
Brooks: Why Kamala Harris' visit to a Minnesota abortion clinic is so important
Everyday rights we have taken for granted are being stripped or attacked.
![South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem speaks at the George R. Brown Convention Center, May 27, 2022, in Houston.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/FM735PZMQFBDZKE2A5V44OJGRY.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: The tooth, and nothing but the tooth: S.D. Gov. Noem posts ad for out-of-state dentist
In a stunning setback to the SoDak dentalverse, governor brags about outsourcing her veneers.
![Mollie Thiet continues stuffing her trash bag with styrofoam remains along the Mississippi River during her volunteer time with the Minnesota Departme](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/26TGZNKIUQRJQLXVMMKMUORRAI.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: What would Goodhue County do? Pick up trash along the Mississippi River. And so can you.
This year's Mighty Mississippi Cleanup Challenge runs from April 15 to May 15.
![A screen at the U.S. Capitol shows Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., delivering the Republican Party’s official response to President Joe Biden's State of t](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/QMXKMXNJY5HSXCE5QE3CB2XFD4.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: Sen. Katie Britt's State of the Union performance Makes America Uncomfortable Again
Writing this from the kitchen where I, a woman, apparently belong?
![Screenshot of a Chisago County Sheriff's video showing the rescue of Honey the collie.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/NCIBGZTOOJCCXKL7NDJPAI52RU.png?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Minnesota deputy paddles to the rescue after dog crashes through lake ice
Chisago County Sheriff's video shows dramatic kayak rescue of Honey the collie.
![This screen shot from cell phone video provided by Eric Hovde’s campaign shows the candidate for U.S. Senate shirtless in the cold waters of Lake Me](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/WKFSJDBOFVHZHH6UYEQNL6HKIY.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: Shirtless politician plunges into icy lake to prove to Wisconsin he's got what it takes
Nobody said running for a U.S. Senate seat in Wisconsin would be easy.
![Mourners pay their respects after a livestream at a church in Burnsville of the memorial service Wednesday.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/LRAZQMIMCNEL5AHDPUDNURC2SY.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: As Burnsville grieves shooting victims, its neighbors stand watch
Police officers and firefighters from across the metro area volunteered to patrol as a community mourns.
Brooks: Wash your Big Ten fingers before you share a bowl of chips on game day
Minneapolis PSA: Beware the norovirus.
Brooks: After homelessness and heartache, Minneapolis Animal Control reunites a family
Here's a tail with a happy ending.
Brooks: Three Burnsville first responders join toll of domestic violence
We lose so many to domestic violence — police and paramedics included.
![Iowa guard Caitlin Clark celebrates after making a 3-point basket during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Michigan, Sunday, F](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/Q3645IV63QMHXVSCH25XM6KDHY.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Caitlin Clark, the pride of Iowa, is the buzz of social media
Everyone's talking about Caitlin Clark, who will be playing in Minneapolis at the end of the month and again in March.
![1600 hockey players on 300 teams braved the cold weather and took to the rinks during last year's Pond Hockey Championships at Lake Nokomis.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/X7V4BADYDVDWMNSQ7HTBOLLLLQ.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
New frostbite drug could save Minnesota lives and limbs
Days like this remind us all of winter's bite.
![Valentine day composition with gift box and red hearts, photo template on pink background. istock](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/KCNLMW2WYXBHG7IHL2632HE3KU.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: Land of 10,000 Valentine pitches
A peek inside the Star Tribune mail bag on Valentine's Day.
![A wooden pole sits in the middle of the sidewalk at the intersection of Lake and Lyndale. Pedestrians will be sidestepping dozens of the temporary pos](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/2H3VRJDR4ZDABJYD7L45R3NJJM.jpeg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: Poles from Lake Street upgrades turn sidewalks into Uptown obstacle course
Welcome to Uptown! Look out for the poles.
![A young barred owl at the Raptor Center.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/M3SIF2DDNW22EUB6HR3GHYCR4I.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Who are you rooting for on this Superb Owl Sunday? Who? Who?
The University of Minnesota's Raptor Center comes to the rescue of threatened birds.
![Fond Minnesota memories went up in smoke when Lutsen Lodge burned](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/3QFK3SSH6ZALJEWZ6LG4XL4ZB4.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Fond Minnesota memories went up in smoke when Lutsen Lodge burned
Minnesotans with their own Lutsen memories mourn the North Shore getaway after a devastating fire.
![Lt. Gov. Tina Smith waited in the back of the room until she was introduced at the 2015 Minnesota Association of County Veterans Services Officers Fal](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/QFVY4FOPEELL3NMVAWYAPKD6RY.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: Need some Minnesota Nice for that burn? Sen. Tina Smith roasts Dean Phillips
The congressman's longshot presidential bid is drawing scorn from one-time allies in the Democratic Party.
![Elmo and Karli on "Sesame Street." In May, the show's creators introduced Karli, a Muppet in foster care, and in October they revealed the reason for](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/WRFYTWPQQH2J6FACJCAMU7TQK4.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Desperately seeking Elmo: Internet searches spike for the little Muppet who was 'just checking in'
Elmo got a little more than he bargained for from X users after a mental health check.
![Gov. Tim Walz rode in the MnDOT snowplow named Barbie’s Dream Plow at the Cedar Truck Station in Richfield on Tuesday.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/UDRVFCRPCFEJBALIL3X52XPW5M.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: From Taylor Drift to Beyonsleigh, here are MnDOT's new snowplow names
It's me. Hi. I'm the snowplow, it's me.
![Election judge Carol Johnson tied a balloon to a chair before the polls opened Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019, at the Arlington Hills Community Center in St. P](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/KJNNRQQJV4GQIE5S3QZGDC5JMM.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: Minnesota braces for election year misinformation
Minnesota voters expect the best. As AI-generated disinformation spreads, election officials prepare for the worst.
![At the prison in Lino Lakes, a new program offers training to become peer counselors for people with firsthand experience in recovery and incarceratio](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/CYLUF242AA2N7Z3HDINNOFBUWQ.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: Incarcerated counselors draw on their own experiences to help others through recovery
"It took coming to prison to learn about integrity, empathy," said one graduate of the peer support program.
![The Vang family of St. Paul. Four of their six children were killed in a house fire on Jan. 3, 2024.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/74LIGZYQU47BA4PCQ7K754SYDY.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: Grieving firefighters give to the St. Paul family they worked to save
A devastating house fire broke hearts around the world.
![Maybe you loved a flag that didn’t make it to the end of the year. The North Star. The Starflake. That flag that was just a photo of somebody’s do](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/A6BM6ZEFNFOK7KWUYG6G23AFRY.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: Grab some fabric and let's felt our feelings about 2023
Maybe the real 2023 was the laser loons we met along the way.
Brooks: Good things come to those who shop downtown Minneapolis
In a year without a Holidazzle, downtown's biggest boosters work to give shoppers a reason to visit.
Brooks: Community welcomes formerly homeless home to south Minneapolis
Church members provide housewarming, heartwarming gifts for neighbors transitioning out of homelessness
![Fred Brathwaite, who owns Mama Sheila’s House of Soul restaurant with his wife Sheila, laid out his vision for a Black cultural center on the site o](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/52EGQYLNUWS7FVBR2C7UI5V374.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: Minneapolis neighbors want to determine the Third Precinct's second act
The neighborhoods around the charred and abandoned police station want a say in what comes next.
![When Minnesota State Fair officials questioned whether yellow mustard is a true Minnesota crop — and thus eligible to be used in crop art at the fai](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/AQV2SCRSEEJOPJJLIYDFA2IV6E.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: Minnesota crop artists may be able to put a little mustard on it
The Minnesota Crop Improvement Association is improving the state's crops and maybe its crop art.
![William Pittner gives a pitch during the Fowler Business Concept Challenge, hosted by the Schulze School of Entreprenuership, in the Anderson Student](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/IEVLEMMW4C3IDT3GF673QJ2XPQ.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: One Minnesotan's quest to stop food waste and help hungry neighbors
A St. Thomas student saw food going to waste and set out to do something about it.
![Loons and laser eyes on the new Minnesota flag?](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/U7SBCNCN73APZPYQLKYSGSRT3I.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: Land of 10,000 flags (and loons with laser eyes)
Minnesota offers 2,123 answers to the question: How hard can it be to design a new state flag?
![A prized caramel apple from Abdallah Candies.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/RXRXSOH3AOYVGV337ADRCSVORE.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: Sweet sorrow as a tight labor market hits Minnesota right in the caramel apple
Two family businesses, Abdallah Candies and Pine Tree Apple Orchard, adapt to an economy that keeps trying to upset the apple cart.
![First-time pheasant hunters don’t have to go it alone. Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and other relative newcomers to the sport headed out on Sat](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/SNDJWTO3ZX4YCIKVOYHXVCV7IM.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: Line of women in blaze orange highlights push to diversify sport
Eager to encourage new hunters, the Minnesota DNR rolls out the welcome mat.
![When Ellen Hock weighed in on her local school board election on Tik Tok, she found herself on the receiving end of internet harassment like this phot](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/I2WAUKNKPOAIUOFE4X6RX6TCA4.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: Election season pits Minnesota mom against TikTok attacks
As more Minnesotans get their election information from social media, opponents target not just the message, but the messenger.
![Former Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak joined other current and former elected officials as they took sledgehammers to a piece of drywall to symbolically](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/3DCKTFCNKSDRSEEASGJCI4IXFU.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: Minneapolis takes the first swing at the worst Kmart
Living the Minneapolis dream, current and former city officials take a ceremonial swing at the big box that blocks Nicollet.
![Smile! This big brown bat, being nursed back to health at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota, wishes you and yours a very happy Bat Week](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/SWFH5QZBA3CQNLUH5JMD3HSRCE.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: Bats are more than spooky Halloween decor at this weekend's Minnesota Bat Festival
The tooth, and nothing but the tooth, about the Minnesotans who help bats — including the ones in need of a good bat dentist.
![A member of Carnavaleros de Puebla made his way to the rest of the group past a large mural during an annual Cinco de Mayo celebration on Lake Street.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/JH3YOLX6JJDMXY3L6VYSWZNVWA.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: Meet the folks who are 'part of the solution' to keep Lake Street vibrant
Three years ago, suburban Rotary clubs came to help small businesses recover. They're still here.
![Deaunteze Bobo (left) and Jermaine Ferguson, both serving life sentences, volunteered at a resource fair at the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Rus](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/K4U4A2Q44EPBRUOTX6XAYH6PAI.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Brooks: Minnesota prison resource fairs pave the way for what comes next
At a prison resource fair, life after prison starts with support and connections inside
![Rosemary Nally of Methodist Hospital held babies adorned with Homer Hankies on Oct. 11, 1987. From left were Karen Aderhold, Joseph Parpart and Ryan K](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/4RKGVMJ3C6NMT7SKX7ZOJE27O4.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Happy Homer Hankyversary: The scrap of fabric that holds all our hopes and dreams turns 36
How a newspaper promotion became a tradition