Minneapolis, MN
Minnesotans flock outside despite smoke from wildfires in Canada
(FOX 9) – Wildfire smoke drifted from Canada into the Twin Cities on a weekend when the weather had many hoping to get outside.
But at parks around the metro, people were sticking it to Mother Nature on Sunday. Many Minnesotans went outdoors to ride bicycles, play volleyball, kayak, or sunbathe.
Some say they recognized that air quality was compromised but wanted to do things anyway.
“It’s not the best… definitely the air quality is not great,” Sid Shad told FOX 9. “We do have to live our lives… you have to deal with it.”
Advice from an expert
What they’re saying:
FOX 9 Meteorologist Cody Matz says he expects the smoky air to linger through Monday. June 2, until winds shift to give us a bit of a reprieve.
In the meantime, Matz suggests, “if you smell smoke, then it’s usually thick enough to where you’re going to run into some health issues. It’s not instantaneous, [but] if you’re spending large amounts of time outside, at some point your lungs may start to burn a little bit. You may have some breathing trouble, so it’s just a recommendation to get inside, seek filtered air to help relieve that stress on your body,” Matz said.
The backstory:
Summer season is wildfire season in Canada, and already this season, at least a dozen wildfires have scorched over a million acres of land in Canada.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN — The Basilica Block Party has officially come to an end after more than 25 years as one of the Twin Cities’ best-known summer music events.
The Basilica of Saint Mary said this week that the final Block Party was held in 2024, “concluding an incredible run and leaving a lasting legacy in our community.”
“For over 25 years, the Basilica Block Party brought together an extraordinary spirit of music and community in the Twin Cities,” organizers said in a statement. “We are deeply grateful for the fans, the artists, and the support shown for our beloved Basilica.”
The event began in the 1990s as a fundraiser for the Basilica of Saint Mary and grew into a major outdoor music festival, drawing national acts and thousands of fans to downtown Minneapolis over the years.
While the Block Party is ending, the Basilica said it will continue hosting other events and community opportunities.
“The Basilica of Saint Mary continues to be a strong voice in our community and we look forward to new events and opportunities to build connections in the future,” organizers said.
The Basilica also pointed supporters to its “Restoring Beauty, Inspiring Hope” campaign, a comprehensive restoration and capital campaign aimed at preserving and renewing the historic church.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN — A 23-year-old Minneapolis man was sentenced Wednesday to 102 months in prison and 15 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to attempting to provide material support and resources to ISIS, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota.
Prosecutors said Abdisatar Ahmed Hassan tried to travel from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport to Somalia in December 2024 to join and fight for the foreign terrorist organization.
ISIS has been designated a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. secretary of state since 2014.
According to court documents cited by federal prosecutors, Hassan consumed and reposted ISIS propaganda, obtained bombmaking and weapons-related manuals, and communicated on social media with ISIS media wings and recruiters operating in Somalia.
The U.S. attorney’s office said Hassan bought a one-way ticket, left Minneapolis for Chicago on Dec. 29, 2024, and was prevented from continuing to Somalia after an interview by Customs and Border Protection’s Tactical Terrorism Response Team.
Prosecutors said he later continued researching ISIS attacks and posting pro-ISIS content online before the FBI arrested him on Feb. 27, 2025.
Hassan pleaded guilty Sept. 29, 2025, before Judge Donovan W. Frank, who imposed the sentence on April 22.
In the announcement, FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson said, “Abdisatar Hassan took active steps in an attempt to join and support ISIS—a brutal foreign terrorist organization responsible for the violent deaths of thousands of innocent people.”
He added that the sentence “takes a would-be terrorist off the streets and sends a clear message that the FBI and our partners will unremittingly pursue anyone seeking to join or support a foreign terrorist organization.”
This case was investigated by the FBI, the Joint Terrorism Task Force, Customs and Border Protection and the New York Police Department.
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