Tell us: What is the best part of winter in Minnesota? MPR News reporter Dan Olson joined Christopher Smith on a recent ice fishing outing. That got us thinking about winter, and how despite the recent polar vortex, there are plenty of folks of love this time of year. Are you one of them? Why?January 17, 2014
Congress blocks slaughtering horses for meat in U.S. The rule is part of the omnibus spending bill that was approved by both the House and Senate. It bans the funding of U.S. Department of Agriculture inspections at horse slaughter plants. And without inspections, slaughterhouses can't be in business.January 17, 2014
Should public schools randomly drug test students? The Duluth school district is considering a policy that would allow require random drug tests for students, as administrators view substance abuse as a growing problem. What do you think about that? Tell us.January 16, 2014
Westminster dog show adds event with mixed breeds It's a notable embrace for the nation's premier canine event, which also is adding three breeds at next month's show: the Chinook, the Portuguese podengo pequeno and the rat terrier.January 15, 2014
Photos: St. Paul landmark Seven Corners Hardware closes after 80 years After 80 years, Seven Corners Hardware, the St. Paul landmark at 216 W. 7th Street, is closing its doors. Seven Corners owner Bill Walsh has decided to close the store and its catalog business and sell off its building, just a block from the Xcel Energy Center.January 14, 2014
Leopard kills leopard in zoo mating mess The female cat was in heat at the time of the attack, and the zoo's staff is at a loss to explain what went wrong. The animals had been paired in the past without incident.January 14, 2014
Bullets and beer: A South Dakota businessman's plan The Deadwood Guns complex proposed by Greg Vecchi would have several businesses, including a gun shop, a pawn shop, a shooting range and a bar called the Bullets and Beer Saloon.January 14, 2014
1500 ESPN cuts Jeff Dubay Jeff Dubay was let go from KSTP Radio, the struggling all-sports radio station that's become the moonlight home for newspaper sportswriters.January 13, 2014
Forget the cold, cows come first for Minn. farmer Even in minus 26 degree cold, only one number matters to dairy farmer Karen Naatz -- 210. That's the number of cows that need milking. Dairy farming isn't for the weak-hearted, she said.January 13, 2014
Prison gardens help inmates grow food and skills There's a pretty vibrant movement of prison vegetable gardens across the country that provide inmates with satisfying work, marketable skills and fresh food to eat, from Connecticut to Minnesota to California.January 12, 2014
Ships on Lake Superior battle ice Ships using Lake Superior are having a tough time due to the worst build up of ice in decades.January 12, 2014
Israel's former Prime Minister Sharon dies at 85 As one of Israel's most famous soldiers, Sharon was known for bold tactics and an occasional refusal to obey orders. As a politician he became known as "the bulldozer," a man contemptuous of his critics while also capable of getting things done.January 11, 2014