Country star Kane Brown certainly knows how to make an entrance. His massive stage, covered with a scrim, went dark Friday night at Minneapolis’ Target Center as Limp Bizkit’s “Break Stuff” started booming out of the speakers. (It was the censored version, perhaps in deference to the surprising number of kids at the show.) After some blockbuster movie-style music, pyro and belches of stage fog, the scrim fell away to reveal the 30-year-old Tennessee native perched atop a lighting rig far above the stage. He stayed there for the rousing opening number “Bury Me in Georgia,” the 11th of his (so f ..read more

The Twins’ losing streak has reached five. It wasn’t the offense this time — the main culprit early on this season — though MInnesota did manage just five hits on Friday night. Instead, it was a ninth-inning error that helped do them in in a 5-4 loss to the Detroit Tigers on a chilly night at Target Field. After Caleb Thielbar quickly racked up the first two outs of the ninth, a Parker Meadows single sparked a Tigers rally. Meadows would advance into scoring position when Thielbar threw the ball away trying to pick him off. Meadows came around to score on a Wenceel Pérez single, his fourth hit ..read more

The St. Paul Saints have not enjoyed their trip to Indianapolis. St. Paul allowed five runs in the eighth inning in losing 7-2 to the Indianapolis Indians, the fourth straight loss for the Saints. Right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson allowed two runs in five innings as the starter for St. Paul. He struck out four and gave up six hits and a walk. He left a 2-all tied game after five innings. But reliever Hobie Harris surrendered five runs — four earned — while walking three, giving up two hits and getting just two outs. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. had two hits for the Saints, who led 1-0 when newcomer ..read more

The beginning of the Twins’ season hasn’t gone according to plan. But the bullpen, despite missing three critical arms to begin the season, has been a bright spot. Twins’ relievers had a collective 2.71 earned-run average entering Friday night, which was fifth in the major leagues. Griffin Jax and Brock Stewart have slid into the highest leverage roles, and Steven Okert has seen some late-inning work, as well. And now, the group is close to welcoming back its top arm: closer Jhoan Duran. “I think that it does a lot of good things for our team and our bullpen,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “It ..read more

ESPN’s Kevin Weekes gives analysis of NHL games, but on Thursday he turned his attention to an assault in downtown St. Paul that involved a man being repeatedly whipped. Weekes, who was in town for the Wild’s season finale at Xcel Energy Center, recorded the assault with his cellphone from his 16th-floor hotel room at the InterContinental Riverfront. “Well, we’ve got a situation here in Minnesota,” Weekes says in a 2-minute video he posted on the social media app X, formerly Twitter, just after 1:30 p.m. “Breaking News Not Hockey,” reads the post, which has been viewed more than 1.3 million ti ..read more

The University of St. Thomas has informed employees it will lay off 26 staff members and keep 30 open positions unfilled, among more cost-cutting decisions to come, as it seeks to narrow a $10.5 million budget gap for the fiscal year beginning on July 1. Rob Vischer, University of St. Thomas President, welcomes Lee and Penny Anderson to the podium as they announce the couple’s $75 million gift to the St. Paul school during a news conference in the Anderson Student Center on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2022. The largest-ever donation to any university in Minnesota will go toward design and construction o ..read more

A lot of ink has been spent on the Wild’s myriad injuries this season, all of which played a part in the team missing the postseason for just the second time in 12 seasons. But on the day the players cleaned out their lockers and went through their exit interviews, the team’s injury issues were mostly on the back burner. The primary message from everyone involved — from the players to general manager Bill Guerin — was that the team just didn’t play well enough. That, of course, was easy to see for anyone who paid attention to Minnesota’s NHL team this season. What was most interesting were the ..read more

As a Korean adoptee raised in North Dakota, Jennifer Weir tells people she grew up with no reference for her own Asian-ness. Her journey of self-discovery led her to an unexpected place — the traditionally male-dominated art of Japanese taiko drumming, a full-body performance experience that Weir uses to connect with a community of mostly female performers through her St. Paul-based nonprofit, TaikoArts Midwest. The 2016 Knight Arts Challenge winners included TaikoArts Midwest, who received $30,000 to expand the impact and accessibility of taiko, the ensemble drumming rooted in Japanese tradit ..read more

Stylistically, the Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns couldn’t be much more different. The Timberwolves have built a brand centered on big ball. They use their size and length to suffocate you, particularly on defense. The Suns are flush with star wings, each of whom can create his own shot at the snap of his fingers. Aesthetically, nothing about the two teams is really the same. Yet the stories are somewhat similar. Both franchises were on promising tracks following the 2021-22 season. The Timberwolves broke through with a young, upstart squad to get into the playoffs and give the second-seeded Me ..read more

The Republican candidate in Wisconsin’s closely watched U.S. Senate race emphasized this week that he doesn’t oppose elderly people voting after initially saying that “almost nobody in a nursing home” is at a point in life where they are capable of voting. Eric Hovde faces Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin in the race that is essential for Democrats to win in order to maintain their majority in the Senate. A Marquette University Law School poll this week showed the race is about even among likely voters. Baldwin and Democrats have been attacking Hovde over comments he first made April 5 on a Fox N ..read more