Curious Minnesota
Listen: How is Mississippi River water made safe to drink?
We visited Minneapolis' drinking water treatment facility to understand the complex process that makes river water safe to drink.
Listen: How cities make Mississippi River water safe to drink
We visited Minneapolis' drinking water treatment facility to understand the complex process that makes river water safe to drink.
Curious Minnesota
How are courts in Minnesota coping with the pandemic?
There were only five state jury trials in December, with COVID-19 protocols in place, but plenty of court hearings are happening, mostly remotely.
Curious Minnesota
When's the last time a Minn. Republican won a majority statewide?
You have to go back a full quarter century for the answer.
Curious Minnesota
![Shoppers during Black Friday at the Mall of America Friday in Bloomington. ]](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/M7SIDBFXBEIS3XWEIMATLEB2XE.jpg?h=91&w=145&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Why doesn't Minnesota charge a sales tax on clothing?
Minnesota is one of just a handful of states that does not charge sales tax on clothing — a bit of tax policy that's so well known that it attracts tourists.
Curious Minnesota
Why was I-94 built through St. Paul's Rondo neighborhood?
The highway connected Minneapolis and St. Paul, but its construction tore a hole through a thriving, historic Black neighborhood.
Curious Minnesota
Why does Minneapolis keep planting trees under power lines?
After a few years, the trees are pruned into "ridiculous V shapes" to keep them from hitting power lines, a Curious Minnesota reader points out.
Curious Minnesota
Listen: Will Minnesota join push toward a national popular vote?
Fifteen states have joined the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, but Minnesota isn't one of them. Host Eric Roper talks to reporter Torey van Oot about why.
Curious Minnesota
Why are car tabs more expensive in Minnesota?
The cost of annual motor vehicle registration varies wildly around the U.S. States use a variety of methods to calculate registration fees, including a vehicle's age, weight, value or a flat rate.
Curious Minnesota
Why is Minnesota the only mainland state with an abundance of wolves?
In October, federal wildlife officials announced they were delisting the wolf, removing endangered species protections.
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
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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.
