Minnesota
People gather at Minnesota Capitol in nationwide protest against President Trump
Hundreds of people rallied at the Minnesota Capitol Wednesday to protest President Donald Trump’s first actions in office.
Protesters marched to the Capitol from St. Paul College, carrying signs denouncing policies on immigration, LGBTQ+ rights and federal agencies.
Reese Melgar works in health care and said he’s worried about Trump’s immigration and health policies.
“I hope that they realize that this is the people’s outcry, that we’re not gonna just roll over and take it, remind them that they work for the people and not the lobbying of corporations,” Melgar said.
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Reese Melgar attended the protest, and said he’s worried about Trump’s policies around immigration, health care and LGBTQ people.
Estelle Timar-Wilcox | MPR News
The protestors marched in 20-degree weather, carrying signs that read: “Danger, we are now in a dictatorship” and “Nobody elected Elon.”
Minneapolis lawyer Jacky Williams was joined by her sister, Cathy Williams, from Grand Forks, N.D.
“This is the people’s country,” Williams said. “It’s ours, and we’re going to protect it. And even people who wouldn’t normally speak up like me, are speaking up. We have to speak up because this is our country.”
The protest was one of dozens scheduled to take place across the country today, as part of a loosely organized day of action called “50-50-1,” which stands for 50 protests, 50 states, 1 day. The protests were organized mostly on social media.
Hundreds of people gathered at the Minnesota state capitol or a protest against President Donald Trump’s first actions in office and Project 2025.
Estelle Timar-Wilcox | MPR News
One of the organizers of the event, Brielle Barrett, said she put out the call on Facebook and other platforms.
“It was just the call that we’re all feeling that this administration every day it’s something new,” she said. “It’s every person, every walk of life. It’s touching all of us … our friends, our family and it’s enough. And it’s time for the American people to use their voice and not count on the people that we’re supposed to count on because they’re obviously not doing their job right now.”
She found out about another organizer who used Reddit, and they merged their efforts to pull off the St. Paul event.
Executive director of Common Cause Minnesota Annastacia Belladonna-Carrera spoke to protesters.
Estelle Timar-Wilcox | MPR News
Minnesota
AJR Brings Their Catchy Pop Hits To The Minnesota State Fair in 2026
ST. PAUL (WJON News) — A multiplatinum indie pop trio will grace the stage of the Great Minnesota Get Together this summer. AJR will hit the stage at the Minnesota State Fair on Wednesday, September 2nd. The trio has generated billions of streams and four platinum singles, along with being one of the 500 most listened to artists on Spotify.
AJR will be joined by Quinn XCII (92) and Avery Cochrane. Quinn XCII (92) blends pop, alternative, and genre-bending storytelling and has garnered multiple platinum singles like “Straightjacket.” Tickets for AJR go on sale at 10:00 a.m. on Friday.
9 grandstand shows have now been announced for the 2026 state fair.
AJR joins Bonnie Raitt, “Weird” Al Yankovic, Sierra Ferrell, Tommy James & The Shondells with special guest Herman Hermit’s Peter Noone, Rod Stewart with Richard Marx, Brad Paisley, and the It’s Iconic tour with TLC, Salt-N-Pepa, and En Vogue as acts announced for the 2026 state fair.
Minnesota State Fair
READ MORE FROM AUTHOR PAUL HABSTRITT
2025 Minnesota State Fair
The Great Minnesota Get Together is a rite of passage, and the first sign that summer is coming to an end. 2025 saw perfect weather for the entire 12-day run of the Minnesota State Fair.
Gallery Credit: Paul Habstritt
Kansas and Jefferson Starship at The Ledge
Two classic rock legends in Kansas and Jefferson Starship brought down the house at the Ledge Amphitheater in 2025.
Gallery Credit: Paul Habstritt
Turnpike Troubadours at the Ledge
The American Country Band Turnpike Troubadours took the stage at the Ledge Amphitheater in Waite Park with their “Wild America” tour and special guest Old Crow Medicine Show.
Gallery Credit: Paul Habstritt
Minnesota
What a University of Minnesota grad has done for space exploration
Minnesota
Minnesota county is investigating potential kidnapping and false imprisonment by federal officers
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota officials are planning to investigate the actions of federal law enforcement officers in one county, potentially including a kidnapping, burglary and false imprisonment.
Ramsey County Attorney John Choi and Sheriff Bob Fletcher said they planned to release more details about the investigation at a news conference later Monday. Ramsey County includes the state capital of St. Paul.
Choi and Fletcher said they will pursue information they need for the investigation from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The department has refused so far to cooperate with other state and local investigations into the killings by federal officers of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis during the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
The news conference announcement did not specify which incident is being investigated, but the county’s chief prosecutor and sheriff said they would ask the public for information about this and other incidents.
The state and the chief prosecutor in Hennepin County, which includes Minneapolis, sued the Trump administration last month to gain access to evidence they say they need to independently investigate three shootings by federal officers in Minneapolis, including the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
The lawsuit accuses the federal government of reneging on its promise to cooperate with state investigations after the surge of around 3,000 federal law enforcement officers into Minnesota.
Minnesota and Hennepin County have also appealed to the public to share information about federal officers’ potentially illegal activities, given the refusal by federal authorities to provide evidence.
The Trump administration has suggested Minnesota officials don’t have jurisdiction to investigate those cases. State and county prosecutors say they need to conduct their own inquiries because they don’t trust the federal government.
The Justice Department in January said it was opening a federal civil rights investigation into Pretti’s killing, and two officers have been placed on leave, but the agency said a similar federal probe was not warranted in Good’s death.
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