Minnesota

A bipartisan group of senators in the state Legislature is currently pushing for more restrictions on convincing computer-generated sexually explicit images of real people.

Minnesota lawmakers are under pressure to extend tax breaks for data centers as advocates say that the emerging industry is poised to grow explosively in the state.

The Hometown Food Security Project has launched an innovative mobile app designed to transform how the community addresses food insecurity.

Police there are preparing to use high-definition camera systems, license-plate tracking, software powered by artificial intelligence and a nationwide law enforcement surveillance network.

Minnesota’s governor wants to crack down on Medicaid fraud with the help of artificial intelligence. The idea comes at a time when much of the country is struggling to convict and recover money from Medicaid scammers.

Both the Rochester Police Department and Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office this week announced plans to begin moving communications traditionally heard over scanners to more private channels.

The bill would require some data centers to be constructed in industrial districts, a contrast to current zoning that allows for the centers to be built in mixed-use commercial industrial areas.

Minnesotans can look up any officer’s current employer on the Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training’s website, but starting this week, they’ll be able to research officers' past employment too.

State and local officials as well as electric utilities are grappling with how to manage explosive data center growth while keeping the lights on and complying with laws for a transition to clean power.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is sending more than $44 million in grant money to Minnesota to help people in rural communities access high-speed broadband.

Some Minnesota educators have signed onto apps and platforms that use machine-learning algorithms to help translate websites, newsletters and even texts to parents into multiple languages.

Minnesota's Fall Color Finder map gets roughly 250,000 views a year, but it isn't just a pretty interface — it's a tool offering lessons in user engagement, accessibility and data governance for governments nationwide.

Transit providers in rural areas are experimenting with data-sharing technology to improve services, by introducing modern features like trip planning to form more coordinated, regionwide systems. One system is already seeing results.

Minnesota’s new cybersecurity tool translates cyber risk into dollars and cents, empowering agencies to make data-driven decisions that protect critical assets and optimize security spending.

The technology was taken off the table in 2021 for Minneapolis police and city agencies. But Minnesota’s Mall of America is using it for security, “identifying individuals of interest.”

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources wants a better handle on the deer population in certain areas of the state and is starting a three-year research project to get the answers.

Legislation recently signed by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz enables the operation of hybrid car-airplane vehicles on state roads and airstrips. The state is the second in recent years to enact such a law.

The most recent legislative session saw a bill requiring every school district and charter school to set cellphone use policies by March 15, 2025. Other bills aimed to forbid book-banning and study issues with attendance.