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Great Lakes are once again a hot destination for cruise ships
DULUTH, Minn. — The Viking Polaris sliced through the dawn June fog, entering the harbor without fanfare. No horn blasts to this Midwestern port city’s landmark lift bridge. Onboard, all but a handful of cabins were dark as the 666-foot cruise ship ended its maiden Great Lakes voyage. Cruise ships, which once thrived on these […]
New Midwest battles brew over CO2 pipelines
GRANITE FALLS, Minn. — The Minnesota River cuts through this quiet prairie town, powering a small hydroelectric plant in a 19th century dam. A winding downtown riverwalk flanks the west side of the river while a park stretches across the far bank. The dam’s frothy tailrace holds the promise of fish that attract families and […]
Tribal control at issue for lone sports betting holdout in the Midwest
HINCKLEY, Minn. — Amid the flat woodlands of east-central Minnesota, the Grand Casino stands out: Its hotel is the tallest building between the Twin Cities and Duluth. The casino floor beckons gamblers with more than 1,900 slot machines and round-the-clock blackjack and poker tables. With a golf course, an RV park and an amphitheater that […]
Spring Brings Commerce, Concerns for States Along Mississippi River
DUBUQUE, Iowa — As Old Man River slowly awakens from its winter slumber, eagles work the edges of the opening channels and marina docks groan as the slow current wrestles the ice. Anglers — and an occasional whitetail deer — tread cautiously on the big river. Just like any other early spring on the Upper […]
This Region Has the Fewest Electric Vehicles. Here’s Why.
The Lakota named the Badlands, calling the sharp, stark canyons and buttes “mako sica.” Centuries later, French-Canadian trappers and traders likewise chronicled “les mauvaises terres a traveser” or “bad lands to travel across.” Interstate 94 has tamed the former Dakota Territory, turning the journey into a 75-mph blur of chasms and color, but it remains […]
Motley Marijuana Laws Drive Consumers — and Revenue — Across State Lines
SOUTH BELOIT, Ill. — Less than half a mile south of the Wisconsin border in Illinois, the Sunnyside Cannabis Dispensary bustles with activity. Cars with license plates from Wisconsin, Minnesota and other pot-banning states slide in and out of the shop’s expansive parking lot. The bright and airy retail store is an easy hop off […]
Minnesota Has Become an Island of Abortion Access
Read more Stateline coverage on how states are either protecting or curbing access to abortions. MOORHEAD, Minn. — The move, as the crow flies, was about two miles — just across the Red River into Minnesota. But for North Dakota’s last abortion provider, it was a world apart. “We were very sad to leave Fargo,” said Tammi […]