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A new vision for a fresh chapter in Minnesota

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A new vision for a fresh chapter in Minnesota


Today, there are people who will tell you that’s no longer possible. They’ll tell you there’s not just one real truth. That it’s more convenient to retreat from objectivity and to spend our time seeing events through the prisms of groups whose viewpoints match our own. Some may have even given up on the idea that a divided country or state can still find ways to come together.

We reject those ideas. We believe strongly in the power of journalism to surface the truth, and we take seriously our obligation to share it with you. And we think Minnesotans agree. In our travels across this state, what we hear most often is an urgent desire for objective reporting that can lift up a common set of facts in our communities.

This is a state that cares deeply about its future and one in which people consistently show up to vote, donate and take care of one another at the highest rates in the country. We think a strong statewide news organization is a critical part of that tradition.

We also believe that the Minnesota Star Tribune’s report should give you just as many reasons to laugh as it might give you to cry. This wonderful, dynamic, innovative, quirky and delightful pocket of the country that we call home gives us way more than 10,000 reasons to be grateful we live here. We hope to spend more time reminding ourselves why that is and sharing ideas and advice on how to live your best life in Minnesota. You’ll see that come through in our refreshed approach.

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We’re reintroducing ourselves to you today not because we thought it’d be a great marketing strategy — we know Minnesotans can see past that. We’re reintroducing ourselves because we want to serve you better. A fresh take on our work is our way of showing you the urgency with which we see this moment.

Because not only do we think you should subscribe to the Minnesota Star Tribune to make your life better, but also to make your community better. We are living in a time of major disruption in media. Most of our peer organizations across the country are shedding staff at a breakneck pace — or worse, shutting down altogether. We’re reinventing ourselves to buck that trend in Minnesota, but we can only do it with your support. Quality journalism doesn’t come free — it requires resources to get it right.



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Minnesota investigators say child care centers captured in viral video were operating as expected

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Minnesota investigators say child care centers captured in viral video were operating as expected


A video by a right-wing content creator accusing several Somali-owned child care centers in Minnesota of fraud went viral and led to compliance checks by Minnesota’s Department of Children, Youth, and Families. The agency says they were operating normally, except for one that was not yet open when investigators arrived.



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Game Recap: Kings 5, Wild 4 (S/O) | Minnesota Wild

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Game Recap: Kings 5, Wild 4 (S/O) | Minnesota Wild


Matt Boldy scored late in the third to tie it and ultimately send the game to overtime, helping the Wild (25-10-8) extend their point streak to six games (3-0-3). Brock Faber had a goal and an assist, Jake Middleton and Joel Eriksson Ek also scored, and Jesper Wallstedt made 34 saves.

It was the second game of a back-to-back for Minnesota, which is coming off a 5-2 win at the Anaheim Ducks on Friday. The Wild and Kings will play again in Los Angeles on Monday.

“It was far from perfect of a game from us,” Faber said. “I thought we could have played better. With that quick turnaround, we’ll take the point. Now we need two in the next.”

Kempe put the Kings up 1-0 at 6:08 of the first period, scoring on a wrist shot from close range off Anze Kopitar’s cross-slot pass from below the goal line.

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Middleton tied it up 1-1 at 8:28, getting his first goal of the season in 36 games on a snap shot from the left circle set up by Mats Zuccarello.

“I think he thought I was Kirill (Kaprizov) in the slot there, so it was nice to get one,” Middleton joked. “I normally have a few goals before I take 35 games off from scoring, so this one was getting a little stressful but we got it out of the way.”

Perry gave Los Angeles a 2-1 lead at 16:57 of the second period when Byfield’s shot struck him in the wrist and redirected in for the power-play goal.

Eriksson Ek tied it 2-2 at 18:23 on the power play, taking Quinn Hughes’ stretch pass at the offensive blue line for a short breakaway, fending off defenseman Joel Edmundson and scoring on a wrist shot from the left circle.

Byfield put Los Angeles back in front 3-2 at 4:54 of the third period. He shot the puck caroming off the boards back into the crease, where Wallstedt lost it in his skates and it was eventually knocked in by a Wild stick during the ensuing scramble in front.

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“Shouldn’t be, that was terrible,” Byfield joked when asked if he knew it was his goal. “No, it’s good. I think it’s two now that were liked that, so I’ll take them how they come.”



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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on the defensive as fraud allegations mount after viral video uncovered Somali aid scheme

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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on the defensive as fraud allegations mount after viral video uncovered Somali aid scheme


Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz pushed back against the ever-growing fraud allegations levied against him in the disastrous aftermath of a viral video where an independent journalist cracked open a crucial part of the alleged Somali aid scheme.

A spokesperson for Walz, a Democrat who frequently provokes President Trump’s ire, addressed a bombshell video posted by conservative YouTuber Nick Shirley.

“The governor has worked for years to crack down on fraud and ask the state legislature for more authority to take aggressive action. He has strengthened oversight — including launching investigations into these specific facilities, one of which was already closed,” the spokesperson told Fox News.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz listens during a hearing with the House Oversight and Accountability Committee at the US Capitol on June 12, 2025 in Washington, DC. Getty Images

The spokesperson added that Walz has “hired an outside firm to audit payments to high-risk programs, shut down the Housing Stabilization Services program entirely, announced a new statewide program integrity director, and supported criminal prosecutions.”

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In the 43-minute video published on Friday, Shirley and a Minnesotan named David travel around Minneapolis and visit multiple childcare and learning centers allegedly owned by Somali immigrants.

Many were either shuttered entirely, despite signage indicating they were open, or helmed by staff who refused to participate in the video.

YouTuber Nick Shirley posted a mega-viral video on Friday uncovering new parts of the alleged Somali aid scheme. X / Nick Shirley

One of the buildings they visited displayed a misspelled sign reading “Quality Learing Center.” The ‘learning’ center is supposed to account for at least 99 children and funneled roughly $4 million in state funds, according to the video.

Shirley appeared on Fox News’ “The Big Weekend Show” on Sunday evening and boasted about his findings. He joked that the alleged scheme was “so obvious” that a “kindergartener could figure out there is fraud going on.”

“Fraud is fraud, and we work too hard simply just to be paying taxes and enabling fraud to be happening,” Shirley said.

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Shirley was kicked out for trespassing in one of the centers. X / Nick Shirley
Shirley joked that the alleged scheme was “so obvious” that a “kindergartener could figure out there is fraud going on. X / Nick Shirley

“There better be change. People are demanding it. The investigation have been launched just from that video alone. So there better be change, like I said we work way too hard to be paying taxes and not knowing where our money’s going,” he added.

Many officials have echoed Shirley’s calls for change, with FBI Director Kash Patel even announcing that the agency surged extra personnel to investigate the resources doled out to Minnesota. He said this is one of the first steps in a wide-reaching effort to “dismantle large-scale fraud schemes exploiting federal programs.”

FBI Director Kash Patel said the agency was fielding additional personnel to investigate fraud in Minnesota. FNTV

Federal investigators say half of the $18 billion granted to Minnesota since 2018 could have been stolen by fraudulent schemes — amounting to up to $9 billion in theft.

As of Saturday evening, 86 people have been charged in relation to these fraud scams, with 59 convicted so far.

Most of those accused of fraud come from Minnesota’s Somali community.

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Shirley’s mega-viral video cracked 100 million views Sunday night.



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