Grievances aired around Capitol Festivus pole About 100 people showed up Monday to celebrate Festivus in the state Capitol, the made-up holiday made famous in an episode of the television show "Seinfeld."December 23, 2013
AK-47 designer Mikhail Kalashnikov dead at 94 Mikhail Kalashnikov, whose work as a weapons designer for the Soviet Union is immortalized in the name of the world's most popular firearm, died Monday at the age of 94.December 23, 2013
Returning soldier comes gift-wrapped for his kid We don't tire of stories about kids being surprised by their parent returning from active duty. In Zimmerman, Jesse Stenberg, was wrapped in a big box and placed at an area mall where his three kids were waiting to see Santa.December 23, 2013
Grassland gone: A Delaware-sized transfer to cropland in 2013 If you drive through farm country, especially in the northern plains, you'll see large fields covered with grass. The federal government is paying for much of that grass, to try and preserve an ecosystem that benefits agriculture. But agriculture, more and more, is gobbling up that land.December 23, 2013
Top 12 stories from the Twin Cities in 2013 As 2013 winds down, here's a look at the biggest stories from the Twin Cities, as well as lesser-known favorites from our reporters and photographers.December 23, 2013
Top 12 stories from Greater Minnesota in 2013 As 2013 winds down, here's a look at some of the biggest stories from outstate Minnesota, as well as lesser-known favorites from our reporters and photographers.December 23, 2013
$2 million in Salvation Army donations Minnesotans and North Dakotans responded strongly to an opportunity to get their donations to the Salvation Army matched by anonymous donors.December 22, 2013
AP poll: Obama health care overhaul top 2013 story The saga of "Obamacare" - as the Affordable Care Act is widely known - received 45 first-place votes out of the 144 ballots cast for the top 10 stories. The marathon bombing received 29 first-place votes and the papal transition 21.December 22, 2013
Same-sex couples in Utah getting marriage licenses Hours after a federal judge struck down Utah's ban on same-sex marriages the Salt Lake County Clerk began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.December 20, 2013
Ford will save St. Paul plant facade In a letter to the city, Ford says it has hired a restoration company to "remove and store" those elements of the structure for use in a future memorial to the plant.December 20, 2013
Tell us: Is Christmas a cultural or religious holiday? Nine-in-10 Americans say they celebrate Christmas, but the meaning of the holiday is changing for many according to a new report by the Pew Research Religion & Public Life project.December 19, 2013
2 kids at risk, a journalist, and the way up Their father had killed himself by jumping off a bridge. Their mother, who had mental health issues, wasn't able to make ends meet. She spoke no English. So a reporter put his pencil and notebook aside and starting filling in the cracks.December 17, 2013
NewsCut: The myth of drug addicts on welfare Bob Collins writes that the new state law to drug test people who receive welfare benefits provides a perfect case study in how the Minnesota Capitol can be a fact-free zone when setting public policy.December 16, 2013