Christopher Vondracek

The U.S. Department of Agriculture already has taken the hardest hit among federal workforce cuts since Trump took office. Now, it will lose more.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — An email dropped into the U.S. Department of Agriculture staffer's inbox this spring, alerting her to an urgent meeting in 15 minutes.

Twenty Democrats signed letter urging the U.S. Agriculture Department to get more aggressive. Others are confident the U.S. can repel the flesh-eating pest as has been done in the past.

The housing bill Speaker Mike Johnson sent to President Donald Trump includes language written by Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith and South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds to extend rural subsidies under a USDA program that helps thousands in the state. The larger bill is sitting on President Donald Trump's desk. The president says he won't sign it, but it will become law in about 10 days as long as he does not veto it.

The language, written by Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota and Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota, would save a rural housing program that offers rental subsidies to thousands of Minnesotans.

It’s about to open — and supporters say it could revive the region’s economy.

After a bankruptcy and lost support, Mesabi Metallics rebuilt trust and is weeks away from opening the first new iron ore mine in Minnesota in 50 years. Again controlled by India's Essex Group, the company has all its major permits and is up to date on city and state payments. The project is 20 years in the making.

Minnesota's first new mine in half a century is just weeks away from its expected opening on what may be one of the last great ore deposits on the Iron Range.

Minnesota's first new mine in half a century is just weeks away from its expected opening on what may be one of the last great ore deposits on the Iron Range.

Minnesota's first new mine in half a century is just weeks away from its expected opening on what might be one of the last great ore deposits on the Iron Range.