Curious Minnesota
Will Minnesota join the push to switch to a national popular vote?
Coming off the 2020 presidential election, the conversation around the Electoral College continues to heat up.
Curious Minnesota
Is it legal to panhandle in the median of Minneapolis city streets?
The legality of panhandling on a median is a bit complicated. "Whether it's legal or not depends on how you conduct yourself," says Timothy Richards of the Minneapolis City Attorney's Office.
Curious Minnesota
Why does St. Paul leave alley snowplowing to its residents?
In St. Paul, many residents have to band together to hire plow drivers during the winter.
Curious Minnesota
![Southdale Mall anchors Macy's and Herberger's. ] GLEN STUBBE * gstubbe@startribune.com Thursday, November 17, 2016 1002522579 - Do stores still make a](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/KCUTFJK2Y776N35PFTPEPB2CXI.jpg?h=91&w=145&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Listen: Why do so many Twin Cities mall names end in 'dale'?
Malls ending in the suffix "dale" are peppered across the Twin Cities. But why "dale"? Reporter John Ewoldt joins host Eric Roper to discuss the history of the Dales, starting with the landmark mall that started it all — Southdale.
Curious Minnesota
Are motorcycles allowed to be louder than cars in Minnesota?
Loud bikes are a pet peeve of many who say the unbridled mufflers make their bodies shake, hurt their ears and wake them from sleep.
Curious Minnesota
Listen to the Curious Minnesota podcast
What do you wonder about the people, places and culture of Minnesota? Listen to our community-driven reporting project, which invites listeners to ask questions that our newsroom researches and answers.
Curious Minnesota
How many WPA projects were built in Minn. as part of FDR's New Deal?
It's easy to stumble across the fruits of the agency's work, however — just look for the telltale bronze plaques.
Curious Minnesota
Why do so many Twin Cities mall names end in 'dale'?
Southdale was designed to be more than a shopping experience, complete with a day care center, aviary, fish pond and sidewalk cafes.
Curious Minnesota
How do cities make Mississippi River water safe to drink?
Minneapolis and St. Paul treat about 100 million gallons of river water per day.
Duluth
![Pecan Ave. in Duluth has one of the few public lanes on a public road in the city. ] ALEX KORMANN • alex.kormann@startribune.com Duluth markets itse](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/INZH7YZA7NIYBLRIPP4ELPGPKA.jpg?h=91&w=145&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
If Duluth is such a great outdoors city, where are all the bike lanes?
Duluth has just 12.5 miles of bike lanes on the city's 450 miles of roads. City officials and council members have long sided with on-street parking needs.
Curious Minnesota
Did German POWs really work on Minnesota farms during World War II?
About 400,000 Axis prisoners of war captured during World War II were dispatched to 500 camps around the United States. Many Minnesotans are unfamiliar with this episode in history.
Curious Minnesota
Listen: Why hasn't Minnesota passed the Equal Rights Amendment?
Neither the U.S. nor the Minnesota Constitutions have amendments addressing gender equality. ERA supporters continue to push for change at the state and federal levels, but they face legal and ideological opposition.
Curious Minnesota
What was the most destructive tornado in Minnesota history?
The state has seen dozens of terrifying twisters over the years.
Curious Minnesota
Why do Minnesota coyotes howl when trains go by?
Nope, it's not just a coincidence: Coyotes are compelled to let out a wail – and science explains why.
Curious Minnesota
Who decides when the I-35W bridge is lit in color, and how is it done?
When the I-35W bridge was built to replace the structure that collapsed in 2007, it became one of the first segments of interstate highway in the country be illuminated with L.E.D. lighting
Who decides when the I-35W bridge is lit in color, and how is it done?
When the I-35W bridge was built to replace the structure that collapsed in 2007, it became one of the first segments of interstate highway in the country be illuminated with L.E.D. lighting
Curious Minnesota
Why do some major Twin Cities highways not connect directly?
For motorists who want to navigate from southbound I-35W to eastbound I-94, it's a case of you can't get there from here. And that's just one example.
Curious Minnesota
Why hasn't Minnesota passed the Equal Rights Amendment?
The battle that has dragged on for decades is grabbing public attention again, with 2020 marking the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage.
Curious Minnesota
Corn dog vs. Pronto Pup: Why are Minnesotans so loyal to only one?
As Minnesotans mourn the loss of this year's State Fair, now is a good time to dive into the history of this great debate.
Curious Minnesota
Why is recreational marijuana not legal in Minnesota?
Since 2012, 11 states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for recreational use — that includes other Midwestern states like Michigan and Illinois. But not Minnesota.
Curious Minnesota
![Waste water churns in aeration tanks. ] Mark Vancleave - mark.vancleave@startribune.com * The Metropolitan Wastewater Treatment plant in St. Paul whic](https://chorus.stimg.co/21663278/1CURIOUS041220.jpg?h=91&w=145&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Listen: When you flush a toilet in the Twin Cities, where does everything go?
Most maps of the Twin Cities feature highways and bridges that connect our region. Few show another grid that is even more crucial to daily life. It transports poop, not people.
Curious Minnesota
![A flock of wild turkey roamed the streets Tuesday in Northeast Minneapolis. ] ANTHONY SOUFFLE • anthony.souffle@startribune.com A flock of wild turk](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/HLSANK6GB2OK5Q7TRO22GUUT2E.jpg?h=91&w=145&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Why do wild turkeys seem to thrive in the Twin Cities metro?
When it comes to urban living, it seems like wild turkeys are as common a neighbor as any these days.
Curious Minnesota
After Lake Calhoun, what about other Minn. place names with racist roots?
Numerous places are named in honor of Minnesota's first two governors, both of whom have complicated legacies.
Curious Minnesota
What's the story behind Pilot Knob Road, other odd street names?
Yankee Doodle and Johnny Cake Ridge are two more that raise eyebrows. Turns out each has a story to tell.
Curious Minnesota
Listen: Do all the things we recycle actually get recycled in Minnesota?
What happens to the bottles, cans and other items we toss in our curbside recycling bins? Host Eric Roper talks with Kate Davenport from Eureka Recycling about how much of what we put in those big blue bins gets recycled.
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Curious Minnesota
Curious Minnesota, a Star Tribune community-driven reporting project, puts readers' inquiries at the center of our newsroom's reporting.
