Minnesota
University of Minnesota pro-Palestine encampment cleared, agreement reached
Student protesters clash with police on UW-Madison campus Wednesday
Police officers arrived at UW-Madison Wednesday morning to remove tents set up by pro-Palestinian protesters.
MINNEAPOLIS — Thursday, pro-Palestine supporters agreed to remove their four-day long encampment at the University of Minnesota following an agreement made with school leadership.
Encampments on college campuses across the country have popped up in response to the civilian death toll in Gaza in response to the Israel-Hamas War and students calling for universities to divest from Israel. The university joins a growing list of schools that have made deals with protestors, including Northwestern University and Brown University.
See our map: From Harvard to UT Austin to USC, college protests over Gaza are spreading.
One of the number of student groups involved in organizing the encampment posted on Instagram Thursday that Northrop Mall, where protestors occupied with dozens of tents, would be cleared by noon.
On Wednesday, organizers met with school officials to discuss their demands and interim University President Jeff Ettinger wrote in a letter to organizers they would agree to the following on the condition there are no more encampments.
- Allow the organizing coalition to address the Board of Regents on May 10 concerning their demand for the university to divest from Israel
More: Pro-Palestinian protesters urge universities to divest from Israel. What does that mean?
- Facilitate conversations with the career services department in response to the coalition’s demand to ban companies that do business with Israel from attending campus events and partaking in job fairs
- Provide additional details on university disclosures during an upcoming meeting between leadership and the coalition
- Recommend the University of Minnesota Police Department not arrest or press charges against anyone on a criminal offense as a result of the demonstrations of the last few days if the encampment is removed without issues
Ettinger said in a letter addressed to the university community that “while there is more work to do, and conversations are still planned with other student groups affected by the painful situation in Palestine, I am heartened by today’s progress.”
“It grew out of a desire among those involved to reach shared understanding. While we do not condone tactics that are outside of our policies, we appreciate student leaders’ willingness to engage in dialogue,” Ettinger said in the letter.
Nine were arrested last week for trespassing after setting up tents on campus grounds without permission, but since have seen a minimal police presence despite several dispersal orders, according to protestors.
More: Police sweep onto UCLA campus, remove pro-Palestinian encampment: Live updates
What’s happening on other campuses?
Columbia University has been the heart of the protests as violence has erupted across the country. Since Tuesday, over 300 arrests have been made at the university and City College.
Encampments and protests at the University of Southern California and the University of California, Los Angeles have also turned violent and been met with police force, counter-protestors and dispersal orders. On Wednesday, over 132 arrests were made at UCLA.
More: President Biden breaks silence on college protests: ‘Violence is not protected’
Demonstrators at the University of Wisconsin Madison were confronted by police and 34 people were arrested on Wednesday as well. The encampment remained Thursday.
All buildings previously closed due to the encampment will reopen on Thursday at noon, according to a statement from the university. The university had their last day of classes on Monday, with final exams to start Thursday.
— Sam Woodward is the Minnesota elections reporting fellow for USA Today. You can reach her at swoodward@gannett.com.
Minnesota
Man seriously injured in north Minneapolis shooting; no arrests
Minneapolis police are investigating a shooting that seriously injured a man on the city’s north side Wednesday afternoon.
The shooting happened just before 2 p.m. on the 1200 block of 36th Avenue North, according to the Minneapolis Police Department.
Upon arrival, officers found a man inside the living room of a residence suffering from a life-threatening gunshot wound. Police provided medical aid to the victim before he was transported by ambulance to an area hospital.
Officers are working to determine what led up the shooting, including if it was accidental, according to officials.
No arrest have been made so far.
Minnesota
EF2 tornado injures two, damages homes near Detroit Lakes, Minnesota
The National Weather Service (NWS) has confirmed that the tornado that struck the Detroit Lakes area of northwestern Minnesota on July 6 was rated EF2, with estimated peak winds of 185 km/h (115 mph).
The tornado touched down at 19:47 local time (LT), approximately 3 km (2 miles) south-southwest of Westbury, according to the NWS.
It remained on the ground for about 10 minutes. The tornado had a path length of 10.93 km (6.79 miles) and reached a maximum width of more than 730 m (2 400 feet). It dissipated approximately 6 km (4 miles) northeast of Detroit Lakes at 19:57 LT.
The Becker County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) said deputies and other emergency responders began monitoring the severe weather around 19:30 LT after receiving reports of a possible funnel cloud north of Lake Park.
At approximately 20:14 LT, the Sheriff’s Office received a report of a tornado near the Oakland Beach area, where it caused extensive damage to homes, buildings, and trees.
The NWS confirmed two injuries associated with the event, one of which was directly caused by the tornado.
“1 injury can be directly attributed to the tornado, as a homeowner was injured in their home when their roof was removed by the tornado. The second injury was after the tornado during the cleanup stage and could be due to shock or trauma, according to the county emergency manager,” the NWS reported.
“Responders went from home to home looking for residents and checking for the injured. Two individuals were transported to Essentia St. Mary’s Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. One other patient went to the hospital by private vehicle,” the BCSO said.
The tornado began about 2 km (1 mile) northwest of Wheeler Lake before crossing the lake, where it damaged the roofs of several homes and snapped the trunks of large oak and poplar trees.
It reached its maximum width near the western shore of Big Floyd Lake, with the Oakland Beach neighborhood sustaining the most severe damage.
Multiple garages and lighter outbuildings were swept away, while widespread roof and tree damage was reported. A 2 x 4 m (6 x 12-foot) horse trailer was lofted and carried about 200 m (656 feet) before the tornado crossed Big Floyd Lake and continued east. The last visible damage was identified near the intersection of County Highway 25 and Anchor Road.
More than 500 customers lost power as a result of the storms, according to Detroit Lakes Public Utility.
As the storm tracked east-southeast, strong winds, hail, and heavy rain affected areas north of Audubon before a tornado warning was issued for the Callaway and Rochert areas. Reports of downed trees, power lines, and debris soon followed from Detroit Township between U.S. Highway 59 and County Highway 21.
References:
1 Public Information Statement – NWS – July 7, 2026
Minnesota
Giordano’s deep dish pizza bringing second location to Minnesota
Giordano’s, the famous pizzeria known for their deep-dish style Chicago pizza, is opening a second location in Minnesota at the Mall of America.
The pizza chain also has a location in Richfield, and previously had a location some years ago in Minneapolis in Uptown.
The grand opening of the Mall of America location will be on Thursday, July 16. The restaurant there will be unique, with the restaurant’s first self-service kiosk ordering. It will also have a grab-and-go area and a normal seated restaurant experience.
The Chicago deep-dish chain has been around since 1974, with the vast majority of locations in the Chicagoland area. They have 60 restaurants in nine states and are currently expanding nationwide.
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