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ICE reports arresting more U.S. citizens during Metro Surge

More citizens in Minnesota were caught in the immigration dragnet than previously thought.

News

ICE agents in Minnesota arrested 131 U.S. citizens for allegedly assaulting federal officers during <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Operation Metro Surge" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2026/03/27/ice-metro-surge-random-stop-survey" data-vars-content-id="dad2ffd1-7f3d-43bd-8939-d47c62bc0667" data-vars-headline="ICE reports arresting more U.S. citizens during Metro Surge" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2026/03/27/ice-metro-surge-random-stop-survey" target="_self">Operation Metro Surge</a>, but the vast majority of those cases went nowhere in court, the agency&#x27;s acting director recently disclosed.Why it matters: That arrest total means more U.S. citizens in Minnesota were caught in the Trump administration&#x27;s immigration dragnet — and never criminally charged — than previously thought.<ul><li>The number of citizens ICE reported rounding up is higher than most independent attempts by <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="watchdogs" data-vars-click-url="https://www.hrw.org/report/2026/06/18/a-manufactured-crisis/minnesota-communities-terrorized-by-the-federal-government" data-vars-content-id="dad2ffd1-7f3d-43bd-8939-d47c62bc0667" data-vars-headline="ICE reports arresting more U.S. citizens during Metro Surge" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.hrw.org/report/2026/06/18/a-manufactured-crisis/minnesota-communities-terrorized-by-the-federal-government" target="_blank">watchdogs</a> or <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="journalists" data-vars-click-url="https://www.fox9.com/news/federal-charges-assaulting-impeding-dhs-agents-keep-getting-dismissed" data-vars-content-id="dad2ffd1-7f3d-43bd-8939-d47c62bc0667" data-vars-headline="ICE reports arresting more U.S. citizens during Metro Surge" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.fox9.com/news/federal-charges-assaulting-impeding-dhs-agents-keep-getting-dismissed" target="_blank">journalists</a> to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="tally Operation Metro Surge arrests" data-vars-click-url="https://www.startribune.com/as-anti-ice-protest-cases-falter-prosecutors-notch-first-conviction-on-lesser-charge/601851727" data-vars-content-id="dad2ffd1-7f3d-43bd-8939-d47c62bc0667" data-vars-headline="ICE reports arresting more U.S. citizens during Metro Surge" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.startribune.com/as-anti-ice-protest-cases-falter-prosecutors-notch-first-conviction-on-lesser-charge/601851727" target="_blank">tally Operation Metro Surge arrests</a> have found so far.</li></ul>

Minnesota school funding amendment faces November vote

Education

Minnesotans will decide this November whether to send more cash from a 168-year-old trust to schools across the state. Why it matters: Supporters of the constitutional amendment, placed on the ballot with broad bipartisan support, say the proposal increases school funding without raising taxes.

Trump tariffs cost Minnesota $4.8 billion, report estimates

That comes to about $2,000 per household, according to a new economic analysis.

Business

President Trump&#x27;s tariffs have cost Minnesota an estimated $4.8 billion since January 2025, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="according to a new analysis" data-vars-click-url="https://tariffs.org/minnesota/" data-vars-content-id="4f375428-446a-467a-a7f7-1b7b728b01c5" data-vars-headline="Trump tariffs cost Minnesota $4.8 billion, report estimates" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://tariffs.org/minnesota/" target="_blank">according to a new analysis</a>. Why it matters: The report, Trade Partnership Worldwide for the National Taxpayers Union Foundation, underscores that while Trump&#x27;s tariffs are international, their economic impact is local.

How to enter a Minnesota State Fair food contest

Entering the fair's food competitions is free, friendly and surprisingly easy.

Food and Drink

Objectively, my parents&#x27; homemade pickles are the best in the world.<ul><li>This year, I set out to prove it by helping them enter the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Minnesota State Fair&#x27;s" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2026/08/28/minnesota-state-fair-food-guide-2026-best-worst-pickle-pie-hmong-corn-dog" data-vars-content-id="b580aee1-ac18-4b9a-80d2-1cf0ba25bfc2" data-vars-headline="How to enter a Minnesota State Fair food contest" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2026/08/28/minnesota-state-fair-food-guide-2026-best-worst-pickle-pie-hmong-corn-dog" target="_self">Minnesota State Fair&#x27;s</a> pickle contest.</li></ul>The big pickle: Turns out <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="submitting your homemade vittles" data-vars-click-url="https://www.mnstatefair.org/competitions/creative-activities" data-vars-content-id="b580aee1-ac18-4b9a-80d2-1cf0ba25bfc2" data-vars-headline="How to enter a Minnesota State Fair food contest" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.mnstatefair.org/competitions/creative-activities" target="_blank">submitting your homemade vittles</a> at the Great Minnesota Get-Together is free and fun, with categories for all tastes of culinary creatives.

Hennepin County's hot summer read: "The Odyssey"

Library holds have surged as moviegoers brush up on the ancient Greek epic.

Culture

Christopher Nolan&#x27;s film adaptation of the &quot;<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="The Odyssey" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/23/only-25-us-theaters-odyssey-imax-70mm" data-vars-content-id="a3cdd62e-09a5-46a5-bcd2-a9d7f9ea2d15" data-vars-headline="Hennepin County&#x27;s hot summer read: &quot;The Odyssey&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/23/only-25-us-theaters-odyssey-imax-70mm" target="_self">The Odyssey</a>&quot; is driving high demand for the ancient Greek epic at Hennepin County Libraries. What we&#x27;re hearing: Requests for Homer&#x27;s roughly 500-page poem nearly quadrupled between June and July, the library system tells Axios.

Young Minnesotans are getting into chess

Participation in Minnesota's scholastic tournaments is growing as new media spurs interest.

Younger adults are now more likely than their elders to play chess, according to recent YouGov <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="data" data-vars-click-url="https://yougov.com/en-us/articles/54943-what-americans-think-about-board-games" data-vars-content-id="8f294111-6b0b-4d13-b18f-d0e0b97efaf8" data-vars-headline="Young Minnesotans are getting into chess" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://yougov.com/en-us/articles/54943-what-americans-think-about-board-games" target="_blank">data</a>.Why it matters: The centuries-old game is becoming a Gen Z phenomenon.What they&#x27;re saying: &quot;Nowadays, kids come up to me who love chess and they look like they would&#x27;ve bullied me in school,&quot; 30-year-old chess master and educator Levy Rozman tells Axios.😅 &quot;I don&#x27;t know if they could&#x27;ve beat me up in high school; I&#x27;m 6-foot-6,&quot; jokes Dane Zagar, president of the Chess Castle, which bills itself as Minnesota&#x27;s largest chess club.<ul><li>Still, Zagar agrees that mainstream participation is on the rise.</li></ul>The big picture: Chess play spiked in 2020, with online gaming and the Netflix series &quot;<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="The Queen&#x27;s Gambit" data-vars-click-url="https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/mje/2021/04/05/the-queens-gambit-the-chess-boom-and-the-future-of-chess/" data-vars-content-id="8f294111-6b0b-4d13-b18f-d0e0b97efaf8" data-vars-headline="Young Minnesotans are getting into chess" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/mje/2021/04/05/the-queens-gambit-the-chess-boom-and-the-future-of-chess/" target="_blank">The Queen&#x27;s Gambit</a>.&quot; Momentum continued with news of a major <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="cheating scandal" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/10/05/chess-niemann-carlsen-cheat-investigation" data-vars-content-id="8f294111-6b0b-4d13-b18f-d0e0b97efaf8" data-vars-headline="Young Minnesotans are getting into chess" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/10/05/chess-niemann-carlsen-cheat-investigation" target="_self">cheating scandal</a>, the arrival of a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="chess bot called Mittens" data-vars-click-url="https://www.chess.com/terms/mittens-chess" data-vars-content-id="8f294111-6b0b-4d13-b18f-d0e0b97efaf8" data-vars-headline="Young Minnesotans are getting into chess" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.chess.com/terms/mittens-chess" target="_blank">chess bot called Mittens</a> and an infamous <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="table slam" data-vars-click-url="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2025/06/03/magnus-carlsen-gukesh-dommaraju-chess-match-loss-reaction/84008128007/" data-vars-content-id="8f294111-6b0b-4d13-b18f-d0e0b97efaf8" data-vars-headline="Young Minnesotans are getting into chess" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2025/06/03/magnus-carlsen-gukesh-dommaraju-chess-match-loss-reaction/84008128007/" target="_blank">table slam</a>, Rozman says.<ul><li>The emergence of popular chess livestreamers — including Rozman, aka <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="GothamChess" data-vars-click-url="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQHX6ViZmPsWiYSFAyS0a3Q" data-vars-content-id="8f294111-6b0b-4d13-b18f-d0e0b97efaf8" data-vars-headline="Young Minnesotans are getting into chess" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQHX6ViZmPsWiYSFAyS0a3Q" target="_blank">GothamChess</a> — has also had an impact, Twin Cities-based coach and international chess master <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="John Bartholomew" data-vars-click-url="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6hOVYvNn79Sl1Fc1vx2mYA" data-vars-content-id="8f294111-6b0b-4d13-b18f-d0e0b97efaf8" data-vars-headline="Young Minnesotans are getting into chess" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6hOVYvNn79Sl1Fc1vx2mYA" target="_blank">John Bartholomew</a> tells Axios.</li></ul>Plus: There are also chess <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="dating clubs" data-vars-click-url="https://www.instagram.com/lachess.club/?hl=en" data-vars-content-id="8f294111-6b0b-4d13-b18f-d0e0b97efaf8" data-vars-headline="Young Minnesotans are getting into chess" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.instagram.com/lachess.club/?hl=en" target="_blank">dating clubs</a>, chess nights at bars and even chess <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="romance scenes" data-vars-click-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8CC91A803o" data-vars-content-id="8f294111-6b0b-4d13-b18f-d0e0b97efaf8" data-vars-headline="Young Minnesotans are getting into chess" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8CC91A803o" target="_blank">romance scenes</a> on TV.By the numbers: The number of Minnesotans active monthly on the popular platform <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Chess.com" data-vars-click-url="http://chess.com/" data-vars-content-id="8f294111-6b0b-4d13-b18f-d0e0b97efaf8" data-vars-headline="Young Minnesotans are getting into chess" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="http://chess.com/" target="_blank">Chess.com</a> has grown 45% over the last year to an estimated 90,000 as of June.<ul><li>Over the past five years, the number of entries in <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="the state&#x27;s K-12 chess championships" data-vars-click-url="https://www.minnesotachess.com/scholastic" data-vars-content-id="8f294111-6b0b-4d13-b18f-d0e0b97efaf8" data-vars-headline="Young Minnesotans are getting into chess" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.minnesotachess.com/scholastic" target="_blank">the state&#x27;s K-12 chess championships</a> has more than doubled, with 383 entries last March, Bartholomew tells Axios — well above the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="265 or so" data-vars-click-url="https://ratings.uschess.org/affiliate/T5009251?scholastic=K12&amp;name=champ&amp;o=6%2C0" data-vars-content-id="8f294111-6b0b-4d13-b18f-d0e0b97efaf8" data-vars-headline="Young Minnesotans are getting into chess" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://ratings.uschess.org/affiliate/T5009251?scholastic=K12&amp;name=champ&amp;o=6%2C0" target="_blank">265 or so</a> that was typical pre-COVID.</li></ul>Zoom in: In the high school clubs Zagar coaches, he&#x27;s noticed a healthier balance between &quot;the typical chess-player type&quot; kid and others, including casual online gamers and football players.<ul><li>&quot;There&#x27;s definitely more people,&quot; said Zagar, &quot;that are realizing that it&#x27;s good to have a mental and a physical sport.&quot;</li></ul>The intrigue: More women are <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="livestreaming" data-vars-click-url="https://www.chess.com/blog/SaNTOS_21_21/the-best-chess-streamers-in-recent-years" data-vars-content-id="8f294111-6b0b-4d13-b18f-d0e0b97efaf8" data-vars-headline="Young Minnesotans are getting into chess" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.chess.com/blog/SaNTOS_21_21/the-best-chess-streamers-in-recent-years" target="_blank">livestreaming</a> and learning the game.<ul><li><a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Minneapolis&#x27; Alice Lee" data-vars-click-url="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/jun/23/teenager-alice-lee-sets-new-landmark-for-us-womens-chess-after-online-feats" data-vars-content-id="8f294111-6b0b-4d13-b18f-d0e0b97efaf8" data-vars-headline="Young Minnesotans are getting into chess" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/jun/23/teenager-alice-lee-sets-new-landmark-for-us-womens-chess-after-online-feats" target="_blank">Minneapolis&#x27; Alice Lee</a> became the third-youngest female international master in history in 2023 — when she was 13.</li></ul>If you&#x27;re chess-curious: Zagar recommends <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="his club&#x27;s &quot;casual nights" data-vars-click-url="https://www.chesscastle.com/weekdays" data-vars-content-id="8f294111-6b0b-4d13-b18f-d0e0b97efaf8" data-vars-headline="Young Minnesotans are getting into chess" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.chesscastle.com/weekdays" target="_blank">his club&#x27;s &quot;casual nights</a>&quot; every Wednesday at 5pm at the Chess Castle&#x27;s location in Southdale Center mall.<ul><li>Other clubs <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="also offer similar friendly games" data-vars-click-url="https://saintpaulchess.org/clubs.html" data-vars-content-id="8f294111-6b0b-4d13-b18f-d0e0b97efaf8" data-vars-headline="Young Minnesotans are getting into chess" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://saintpaulchess.org/clubs.html" target="_blank">also offer similar friendly games</a>.</li></ul>

Where Minnesotans want to spend their summer, according to our poll

As a staycation destination, one corner of Minnesota reigns … Superior.

Travel

As a staycation destination, one corner of Minnesota reigns — shall we say — Superior.

Twin Cities bars hope FIFA World Cup means big business

"Watching the World Cup needs to be done with people," one St. Paul soccer bar owner tells Axios.

Sports

The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="FIFA World Cup" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/miami/2026/04/13/what-to-know-about-world-cup-watch-parties-miami" data-vars-content-id="07af49b4-d824-4f3a-af27-4ec5f4b529d7" data-vars-headline="Twin Cities bars hope FIFA World Cup means big business" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/miami/2026/04/13/what-to-know-about-world-cup-watch-parties-miami" target="_self">FIFA World Cup</a> kicks off Thursday with soccer matches set to be played across the United States, Mexico and Canada.Why it matters: The monthlong tournament is the crowning moment of the world&#x27;s most popular sport — and one of the world&#x27;s largest parties.

What the Twin Cities were like in the 1990s

Both downtowns struggled and the region made big contributions to U.S. culture.

Nostalgia for the 1990s is all the rage on social media these days as celebrities, athletes and influencers post photos of what they looked like back then.What were the Twin Cities like in the 1990s? If you saw only the glamour shots, you&#x27;d think of a bustling Nicollet Mall, a vibrant Uptown dining scene, a World Series parade, and the ribbon cutting for Mall of America.

Minneapolis considers building downtown playground

The mayor has said he envisions something similar to Edina's Edinborough Park.

Minneapolis is looking to up its <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="game with kids" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2023/10/17/minneapolis-skyway-things-to-do" data-vars-content-id="9142ab2e-17ff-47bf-8766-6ce7ce180045" data-vars-headline="Minneapolis considers building downtown playground" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2023/10/17/minneapolis-skyway-things-to-do" target="_self">game with kids</a>, exploring the idea of building an indoor playground somewhere downtown.Why it matters: For many Minneapolis parents, finding something to do with their kids in winter often means driving to the suburbs. Meanwhile, the middle of downtown is often dead on weekends, with office workers absent.

St. Paul lifts park ban on TikToker Josh Liljenquist

The ban against @joshlilj had sparked widespread debate about the ethics of "kindness content."

St. Paul&#x27;s parks department has lifted its ban against <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Chaska-based influencer Josh Liljenquist" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2026/04/14/st-paul-parks-ban-tiktok-star-who-gives-to-homeless-people" data-vars-content-id="944840c5-7058-4b36-82f8-a8394bee32b4" data-vars-headline="St. Paul lifts park ban on TikToker Josh Liljenquist" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2026/04/14/st-paul-parks-ban-tiktok-star-who-gives-to-homeless-people" target="_self">Chaska-based influencer Josh Liljenquist</a>, Axios has learned.Why it matters: The six-month park ban sparked debate about the ethics of filming handouts to homeless people — the sort of &quot;<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="kindness content" data-vars-click-url="https://www.kare11.com/article/news/nation-world/kindness-influencers-tiktok-strangers-controversial/89-c5d1eae0-da7b-43c9-a209-e9992c1e20a5" data-vars-content-id="944840c5-7058-4b36-82f8-a8394bee32b4" data-vars-headline="St. Paul lifts park ban on TikToker Josh Liljenquist" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.kare11.com/article/news/nation-world/kindness-influencers-tiktok-strangers-controversial/89-c5d1eae0-da7b-43c9-a209-e9992c1e20a5" target="_blank">kindness content</a>&quot; that has drawn Liljenquist 10.8 million followers on TikTok.

Lifelong Minnesotan tries lutefisk for the first time

Lutefisk for Minnesotans is a way to celebrate their roots in Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

I&#x27;m a nearly lifelong Minnesotan with a fair amount of Swedish ancestry, but until I walked down the steps of a Lutheran church basement Friday evening, I had never tried lutefisk.Why it matters: Lutefisk for Minnesotans — <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="45% of whom have Scandinavian ancestry" data-vars-click-url="https://www.startribune.com/why-do-scandinavians-get-all-the-attention-when-there-are-more-minnesotans-of-german-descent/567108972" data-vars-content-id="c857a82b-7538-4da4-adaf-53b83a9d6382" data-vars-headline="Lifelong Minnesotan tries lutefisk for the first time" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.startribune.com/why-do-scandinavians-get-all-the-attention-when-there-are-more-minnesotans-of-german-descent/567108972" target="_blank">45% of whom have Scandinavian ancestry</a> — is a way to celebrate their roots in Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

The story behind the viral "I got my lobotomy at the  Mall of America" sweatshirt

Molly Hottle found the 1990s crewneck at a Seattle vintage store.

A Seattle embroiderer&#x27;s snarky stitching on a Mall of America sweatshirt went viral for its nod to the chaos of her childhood trips to the megamall.Driving the likes: Molly Hottle, who owns the custom embroidery shop <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Seattle Chainstitch Massacre" data-vars-click-url="https://www.seattlechainstitchmassacre.com/" data-vars-content-id="d6a45e14-c3d9-48ba-830c-661a51ab1d5f" data-vars-headline="The story behind the viral &quot;I got my lobotomy at the Mall of America&quot; sweatshirt" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.seattlechainstitchmassacre.com/" target="_blank">Seattle Chainstitch Massacre</a>, found the 1990s throwback at a thrift shop. <ul><li>Using her Singer chainstitch embroidery machine from the 1930s, she added &quot;I got a lobotomy at&quot; in white cursive above the logo.</li></ul>

Minnesotans love to walk for exercise. But for utility? Not as much

We might walk 3 miles around a lake, but a few blocks to a restaurant is too much.

The Twin Cities rank <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="among the most active" data-vars-click-url="https://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-and-st-paul-among-americas-fittest-cities-survey-says/601443671" data-vars-content-id="f3851206-15fb-4771-9dd7-4664788ded34" data-vars-headline="Minnesotans love to walk for exercise. But for utility? Not as much" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-and-st-paul-among-americas-fittest-cities-survey-says/601443671" target="_blank">among the most active</a> metro areas in the nation, but do we only walk for pleasure?The big picture: Our willingness to walk for utility has come under recent scrutiny. At a recent <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="RE Journals Summit" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2025/10/10/downtown-leaders-divided-kupchella-documentary-crime" data-vars-content-id="f3851206-15fb-4771-9dd7-4664788ded34" data-vars-headline="Minnesotans love to walk for exercise. But for utility? Not as much" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2025/10/10/downtown-leaders-divided-kupchella-documentary-crime" target="_self">RE Journals Summit</a>, Eric Anderson of City Center Realty Partners lamented that it&#x27;s hard to get people to walk four blocks from Target Field Station to a building in the North Loop.

Flag support is below half-staff 

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A map of the state of Minnesota shaded into seven regions, labeled with results of a reader survey. The northeastern Minnesota region, including Duluth, the Boundary Waters and North Shore, is the most popular with 70.4% of reader votes. The other regions are: the Twin Cities metro; southwest MN; southeast MN; a swath of south-central Minnesota including St. Cloud and Twin Cities exurbs, including Lake Minnetonka; and north-central Minnesota, including the Brainerd Lakes Area and Hinckley; northwestern MN — which is the second most popular region with 12% of reader votes. The rest of the regions were chosen with single-digit shares of reader votes.