Pat Kessler discusses polling and Scott Jensen’s campaign
WCCO political contributor Pat Kessler talks about “wishcasting” polling, and how controversial statements from Dr. Scott Jensen and Matt Birk may have impacted their gubernatorial campaign.
WCCO political contributor Pat Kessler talks about “wishcasting” polling, and how controversial statements from Dr. Scott Jensen and Matt Birk may have impacted their gubernatorial campaign.
Polls have closed in Minnesota, and political contributor Pat Kessler has the latest on what to expect.
More than 160,000 Minnesotans have cast their ballots early for the midterms elections. With every day closer to Election Day, several races are getting tighter. Pat Kessler has the latest.
As we approach a year of life in quarantine, special correspondent and former WCCO senior political reporter Pat Kessler reflects on his last handshake before the pandemic.
Thursday is National Toast Day, and special correspondent and former WCCO senior political reporter Pat Kessler has a personal essay to share on the topic of toast.
On Wednesday afternoon, a raucous protest turned into a violent and destructive riot at the U.S. Capitol.
What don't you know about Pat Kessler? We dig in for this special Reality Check.
WCCO is celebrating our friend and colleague Pat Kessler as he begins his retirement.
Pat Kessler is known for his tough questions. He's covered Minnesota politics for decades, but now he's retiring. So, we wanted to do a Reality Check on his career with WCCO.
"They want to find out how many votes they need and then they seem to be able to find them. They wait and wait and then they find them," President Donald Trump said.
The decision is likely to create voter confusion, with people who haven't returned their absentee ballots scrambling to make sure their votes count.
Ahead of the polls, Biden campaigned in Georgia, a southern state Democrats never thought they could win. Trump is holding three events in three states he won back in 2016: Michigan, Nebraska, and Wisconsin.
Thirteen days until Election Day, and the number of early voters is exploding across the country.
Kessler dedicated 36 years to covering Minnesota politics and local government here. Kessler has reported on the administrations of eight Minnesota governors, dozens of legislative sessions and political conventions.
Because of President Trump's restrictions on new refugees, Minnesota refugee resettlement numbers are down 90% -- the fewest refugees in at least 15 years.
There's a very good chance America won't know who wins the presidential election -- on election night. Not because of fraud, because of COVID.
Both President Trump and Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden are visiting "swing state" Minnesota on Friday. Now, a couple of Biden TV ads say President Trump is planning to end Social Security, but that's a stretch.
The Minnesota Trump campaign says the president is "building back the economy" for women, and the millions of jobs added back as the economy recovers is "shattering expectations."
The country's biggest cities saw violent unrest this summer, including Minneapolis. Since June 23, the president has repeatedly linked violence to cities run by Democrats.
Congresswoman Ilhan Omar is facing a challenge from fellow Democrat Antone Melton-Meaux in one of the most closely-watched congressional primaries in the country -- and a new TV ad making serious claims against her.
The state of South Dakota has launched a major marketing campaign-- in Minnesota. It's unusual not just because it's targeting Minnesota businesses, but because it's asking them to re-locate due to Minnesota's pandemic shut down.
President Trump is airing television campaign ads in Minnesota and Wisconsin linking Joe Biden to a controversial "defund the police" movement.
That's an average of $6,362 per lawmaker, or $449 extra per week on the paycheck -- for a session in which some of the biggest items were left undone.
President Donald Trump claims he sent National Guard troops to Minneapolis to restore order after the death of George Floyd. That never happened.
Minneapolis has one of the lowest numbers in the country for police residents. In fact, the four ex-Minneapolis police officers charged in Floyd killing don't live in the city.
For the second time in less than three years, residents near East 29th Street and Fifth Avenues South in Minneapolis are living next to an encampment.
The owner of Salon SPAtoria says around 11:30 a.m., three deer came running across the parking lot and went straight through the storefront window.
Investigators have found at least 265 cats in just three Minnesota homes since late February.
Decades ago, at an 88-acre pasture near Annandale, cars replaced cows and French Lake Auto Parts was born.
Mya Hooten's infectious and exuberant reactions have become her signature. The moments after the Gophers senior nails a routine provide a season unlike any other.
For the second time in less than three years, residents near East 29th Street and Fifth Avenues South in Minneapolis are living next to an encampment.
The owner of Salon SPAtoria says around 11:30 a.m., three deer came running across the parking lot and went straight through the storefront window.
Investigators have found at least 265 cats in just three Minnesota homes since late February.
Mya Hooten's infectious and exuberant reactions have become her signature. The moments after the Gophers senior nails a routine provide a season unlike any other.
A man was convicted Wednesday for breaking into a St. Paul home and barricading himself inside with the family still there after he fatally shot another man at a nearby residence.
Investigators have found at least 265 cats in just three Minnesota homes since late February.
Emergency medical services providers say they need a lifeline from the state legislature this session to the tune of $120 million to keep answering calls for help, especially in rural parts of Minnesota.
A southern Minnesota community is mourning, supporting a family after their 1-year-old son fell to his death from a hotel window.
The Cass County Sheriff's Office says shortly before 11 a.m., it received a report of a house fire on the 7300 block of 79th Avenue Southwest in Byron Township.
A 25-year-old man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for killing a teenager and injuring another in a drive-by shooting in Duluth last summer.
Nicolae Miu, the man convicted of reckless homicide and other crimes after stabbing five people on Wisconsin's Apple River in 2022, will be sentenced this summer.
The director of Donald Trump's 2020 presidential campaign in Wisconsin who pushed allegations of widespread fraud that were ultimately debunked has been hired to run the Republican Party of Wisconsin heading into the November election.
Jurors have found Nicolae Miu guilty of multiple criminal charges, including homicide, in the 2022 Apple River stabbings in Wisconsin.
It's now up to the jury after eight days of testimony in the Apple River stabbing trial.
Attorneys had one last chance on Wednesday to convince a Wisconsin jury whether 54-year-old Nicolae Miu should go to prison for murder.
Investigators have found at least 265 cats in just three Minnesota homes since late February.
Buzunesh Deba, who lives in the Bronx, became the default winner of the 2014 Boston Marathon in 2016 when the first-place winner was disqualified for doping, but she says she has not yet received her prize money.
More than a hundred kids battling various medical conditions got to take a mental break and just have fun on Sunday thanks to HopeKids Minnesota.
The iconic Stone Arch Bridge is closing so that some construction can be done. Folks were out enjoying it over the weekend before it closes on Monday, April 15th.
Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church is opening an outreach center.
Emergency medical services providers say they need a lifeline from the state legislature this session to the tune of $120 million to keep answering calls for help, especially in rural parts of Minnesota.
Ambulance services say they need a lifeline from lawmakers this session to shore up services, especially for people who need their help in rural parts of Minnesota.
Reps. Michelle Fischbach, Tom Emmer, Pete Stauber and Brad Finstad are calling for the House Judiciary Committee to investigate Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty over the charging of Minnesota State Trooper Londregran in last year’s shooting death of Ricky Cobb II.
The Senate's 51-member Democratic majority voted to dismiss both charges as unconstitutional over the objections of Republican members.
Democrats who led probes into Trump's role in Jan. 6 Capitol riot expect to face arrest if he wins: "Anybody who has testified against him...should be worried."
There's a state recovery fund for families who are out of money for a loss due to a contractor, but there's a gap in the law — a contractor with one specialty is exempt from paying into the fund.
The Minnesota Department of Health says state inspectors have seized and destroyed about $500,000 worth of illegal cannabis products from retailers.
The Minneapolis City Council on Thursday voted to delay implementation of a controversial ordinance establishing a minimum wage for rideshare drivers in the city.
The Minneapolis City Council will be considering delaying the implementation of the rideshare ordinance by two months.
The Biden Administration is directing funding to help Minnesota get rid of forever chemicals in our water.
A man was convicted Wednesday for breaking into a St. Paul home and barricading himself inside with the family still there after he fatally shot another man at a nearby residence.
If approved, the settlement will be paid out by the Justice Department to 100 victims of Larry Nassar, who was convicted of sexual abuse and child pornography.
Nicolae Miu, the man convicted of reckless homicide and other crimes after stabbing five people on Wisconsin's Apple River in 2022, will be sentenced this summer.
The family of Ricky Cobb II on Wednesday morning filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the state trooper that fatally shot him and another trooper involved in the traffic stop that preceded his killing.
A 28-year-old woman has been arrested for stabbing her live-in partner, causing a potentially life-threatening knife wound.
Emergency medical services providers say they need a lifeline from the state legislature this session to the tune of $120 million to keep answering calls for help, especially in rural parts of Minnesota.
The $872 million most likely excludes any amount UnitedHealth may have paid to hackers in ransom.
The City of Hastings issued a notice on Wednesday morning informing its residents that some of its municipal wells are now above the allowable drinking standards for PFAS.
The prepackaged boxes of deli meat, cheese and crackers are not a healthy choice for kids, advocacy group says.
Mistreatment while giving birth is a "regular occurrence," researchers from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health said.
O.J. Simpson's longtime lawyer in Las Vegas says the end came quickly.
ABBA, Blondie and The Notorious B.I.G. are entering America's audio canon.
The Minnesota State Fair will be bringing in Ludacris and T-Pain for this summer's Grandstand Concert Series.
In the 1,000th episode, titled "A Thousand Yards," NCIS comes under attack by a mysterious enemy from the past.
A Billy Joel special on CBS and Paramount+ will air again after it was cut off in the middle of the singer's performance of "Piano Man."
Mya Hooten's infectious and exuberant reactions have become her signature. The moments after the Gophers senior nails a routine provide a season unlike any other.
Cedric Mullins hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Baltimore Orioles a 4-2 victory over Minnesota and a three-game sweep of the Twins.
The No. 1 pick in this year's WNBA draft is "going to raise all boats" for players in the league, one expert said.
Olympic gymnastics all-around champion Suni Lee revealed that at the height of dealing with a kidney disease last year, she questioned whether a return to top form was even possible.
Caitlin Clark, the University of Iowa phenom who was drafted No. 1 overall by the WNBA's Indiana Fever, revealed Wednesday she grew up a Minnesota Lynx fan.
An emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more students are not going to school. In Talking Points, Esme Murphy talks to the people looking for solutions.
An emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more students are not going to school. Esme Murphy Republican Sen. Julia Coleman, the ranking Republican on the Senate education policy committee about the issue.
An emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more students are not going to school. Esme Murphy spoke with John Choi, the Ramsey County Attorney, about his work on the frontlines of getting kids back into the classroom.
An emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more students are not going to school. Esme Murphy spoke Don Ryan, the program manager for Safe Communities, about their efforts to engage with truant students. At the capitol, Murphy spoke with Sen. Steve Cwodzinski about the legislative effort underway to address the issue.
The clock is ticking for a possible end to rideshare services Uber and Lyft in the Twin Cities. Both companies have threatened to leave after the Minneapolis City Council passed a pay raise local drivers demanded. In Talking Points, Esme Murphy looks at last-minute efforts to find a compromise.
Decades ago, at an 88-acre pasture near Annandale, cars replaced cows and French Lake Auto Parts was born.
There's an attraction in Fergus Falls that's centered around a man-made disaster.
In this week's Finding Minnesota, John Lauritsen goes to New Ulm where the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame is celebrating 35 years.
It cost $85,000 to build St. Stan's — equivalent to about $100 million today. As the basilica approaches its 130th birthday, its biggest fans say they wouldn't change a thing.
Built in 1857, the stairs were originally wood. Around 1970, concrete replaced wood, but over time, that too crumbled.
April is Earth Month and we're less than a week from Earth Day. That timing matches up with an email we received from Mary in Minneapolis. She wants to know: What can the average person do to help reduce global warming? Good Question.
The gorgeous weekend we had was more than just a great time to get outside. For many, it was a chance to get their hands dirty whether they wanted to or not. We wanted to know How can we efficiently clean our homes? Good Question.
If you have a drawer packed with old cellphones, cameras and laptops, you're not alone. Global electronic waste has hit record highs and it's growing five times faster than recycling rates. So how should you dispose of e-waste?
It's a yearly expense that Minnesota drivers often aren't too fond of paying. Bill from Otsego wanted to know: How do they calculate license tab fees? Good Question.
A long-standing community resource is evolving in ways you might not realize, now offering everything from e-books to streaming movies for free.
Many Minnesotans were treated to a stunning double rainbow on Thursday.
Nicolae Miu, a 54-year-old man from Prior, Lake, Minnesota was found guilty of six criminal charges, including first-degree reckless homicide. Miu's trial lasted eight days in a Hudson, Wisconsin courtroom.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed early Tuesday, March 26 after a column was struck by a container ship that reportedly lost power, sending vehicles and people into the Patapsco River.
An early spring snowstorm made for many beautiful sights across the state of Minnesota over the weekend.
State fire officials say a grass fire near Waseca is contained Monday morning after burning more than 1,000 acres.
WCCO meteorologist Chris Shaffer says another round of showers passes tonight into tomorrow morning.
In Minnesota, weather can be all over the place. Here at WCCO, we want to give you what you need to prepare for what's happening next.
Oak wilt, which has been in Minnesota for 70 years now, continues to spread. Arborists like James Ostlie say the risk is even greater this year.
Rain will move in Wednesday night and exit early Thursday before another windy, cloudy day.
WCCO meteorologist Chris Shaffer has your latest forecast, and though he says more rain is on it's way....your yard will be looking extra green because of it!
WCCO meteorologist Chris Shaffer says another round of showers passes tonight into tomorrow morning.
Warmer weather means classic car season is fast approaching. If you’ve ever restored a classic, you may have visited a junkyard in Annandale. In this week’s Finding Minnesota, John Lauritsen shows us why French Lake Auto Parts has become a mecca for collectors.
No one was injured after three deer came charging into a Victoria business Wednesday morning.
Authorities say a pilot who died last week when a small plane crashed in northwest Indiana has been identified as a Purdue University student from Minnesota.
Investigators say they pulled a 15-year-old boy's body from Eagle Lake this morning.