Florian Chmielewski, famed for his polka prowess and longtime service in state government, died Tuesday at age 97. According to an obituary shared by his family, Chmielewski had been experiencing congestive heart failure and “passed away peacefully” at his home in Sturgeon Lake, Minn. As a longtime member of the Chmielewski Funtime Band, the musician helped preserve and celebrate a musical tradition with deep roots in the state’s European settler communities. His band toured widely, recorded extensively and became television’s Partridge Family of polka. “It’s just like a piece of his ..read more

After trading up to select Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy with the No. 10 pick, the Vikings remained aggressive in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday night, trading up once again, this time select Alabama edge rusher Dallas Turner with the No. 17 pick. It was a rather hefty price tag to make the deal, as the Vikings flipped the No. 23 pick and the No. 167 pick in this year’s draft  to the Jacksonville Jaguars, as well as a third-round pick and a fourth-round pick in next year’s draft. It’s safe to assume defensive coordinator Brian Flores was very happy with the selecti ..read more

The assumption was that the Vikings would have to make a blockbuster move to get their next quarterback. They couldn’t sit back and wait. Not with so much riding on this decision. In the end, the Vikings only had to make a minor move to get their guy, acquiring the No. 10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and using it to select Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy. It’s the first time the Vikings have ever selected a quarterback in the Top 10. The cost of the Vikings trading up not nearly as astronomical as originally expected with them only having to flip the No. 129 pick and the No. 157 pick to the ..read more

The mother of an 8-month-old boy who died of a fentanyl overdose at a Roseville hotel in 2022 has been charged with manslaughter. Wynona Ann Littlewolf, 29, was charged by warrant Thursday in Ramsey County District Court with two counts of second-degree manslaughter in connection with her son’s death. Littlewolf, who is currently incarcerated at the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Shakopee on a second-degree burglary conviction out of Cass County, was listed as a resident of Cass Lake, Minn. Wynona Ann Littlewolf (Courtesy of the Minnesota Department of Corrections) According to Thursday ..read more

By TARA COPP (Associated Press) WASHINGTON (AP) — Ukraine has sidelined U.S.-provided Abrams M1A1 battle tanks for now in its fight against Russia, in part because Russian drone warfare has made it too difficult for them to operate without detection or coming under attack, two U.S. military officials told The Associated Press. The U.S. agreed to send 31 Abrams to Ukraine in January 2023 after an aggressive monthslong campaign by Kyiv arguing that the tanks, which cost about $10 million apiece, were vital to its ability to breach Russian lines. But the battlefield has changed substantially sinc ..read more

Suddenly, the Twins are talking about a winning streak, about playing the type of baseball they believe they are capable of playing, about hot bats and playing well in all facets of the game. A four-game sweep can lead to that, and the Twins saw their wishes become reality on Thursday afternoon, beating the Chicago White Sox 6-3 before an announced crowd of 20,363. “I think going into this series we felt that this was a stretch that we have the opportunity to turn some stuff around,” said Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers, who hit his fourth home run of the season. “Kind of get some mojo back, start ..read more

By ANDREW DeMILLO (Associated Press) LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Republican attorneys general from 17 states filed a lawsuit Thursday challenging new federal rules entitling workers to time off and other accommodations for abortions, calling the rules an illegal interpretation of a 2022 federal law. The lawsuit led by Tennessee and Arkansas comes since finalized federal regulations were published on Monday to provide guidance for employers and workers on how to implement the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. The language means workers can ask for time off to obtain an abortion and recover from the p ..read more

By COLLEEN LONG (Associated Press) WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump on Thursday claimed the 2017 white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, was “nothing” compared to ongoing pro-Palestinian campus protests, the latest instance in which he has downplayed a racist incident that was one of the most criticized moments of his presidency. Speaking in a Manhattan courtroom hallway at the day’s end of his criminal hush money trial, Trump blamed President Joe Biden for student protesters who have set up encampments as they call for a cease-fire in the war Israel launched after Hamas’ Oct. 7 at ..read more

Annandale, Minn., offensive lineman Logan Purcell has decided  to leave the Gophers football program and enter the NCAA transfer portal, he said Thursday. Purcell, a 6-foot-7 and 300-pound tackle, played in one game during the 2022 season, but none last season, and was not among the two-deep coming out of spring practices that finished Tuesday. The redshirt freshman was in his third year at Minnesota and his exit will open up a scholarship for another incoming player. Five players have left P.J. Fleck’s program this month, three of them offensive linemen. Four outside players have joined ..read more

Woodbury Democratic-Farmer-Labor Sen. Nicole Mitchell says she won’t resign as she faces a felony burglary charge after allegedly breaking into her stepmother’s home earlier this week. Nicole Lynn Mitchell mug shot. (Becker County Jail) Mitchell, 49, announced her intention to remain in office Thursday as a bipartisan Senate ethics panel started moving forward with an investigation of the senator, who is accused of breaking into a Detroit Lakes home in the early Monday. Mitchell denies she had entered the home to steal anything and has issued statements contradicting the allegations in a crimi ..read more