Republican Norm Coleman concedes Minnesota Senate race, sending comedian Franken to Congress

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Republican Norm Coleman conceded to Democrat Al Franken in Minnesota’s contested Senate race Tuesday, hours after a unanimous state Supreme Court ruled the former “Saturday Night Live” comedian should be certified the winner.

Minn. court paves Al Franken’s way to Senate, giving Democrats control of 60 seats

ST. PAUL, Minn. — A unanimous Minnesota Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that Democrat Al Franken should be certified the winner of the state’s long-running Senate race, paving the way for the former “Saturday Night Live” comedian to be seated after an almost eight-month fight.

Minn. Supreme Court paves way for Democrat Al Franken to fill long-vacant Senate seat

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered that Democrat Al Franken be certified as the winner of the state’s long-running Senate race.

St. Paul Pioneer Press lays off 9 employees, including reporter, photographer

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The St. Paul Pioneer Press has laid off nine employees.

Union official says St. Paul Pioneer Press begins layoffs; numbers unclear

ST. PAUL, Minn. — A union official says the St. Paul Pioneer Press has begun laying off employees.

‘Prairie Home Companion’ turns 35, but creator Garrison Keillor unsentimental about milestone

ST. PAUL, Minn. — For the 35th anniversary of his “A Prairie Home Companion,” humorist Garrison Keillor will actually be in Lake Wobegon when he reads the news from Lake Wobegon.

H.B. Fuller sees demand and profit fall in second quarter

ST. PAUL, Minn. — H.B. Fuller Co. on Tuesday reported that its profit and sales fell in the second quarter.

Titanic exhibit at museum in St. Paul through Jan. 3

ST. PAUL, Minn. — A collection of items from the Titanic is now at the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul.

Minnesota chaplain dies 5 years after being wounded in Iraq

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Rev. Tim Vakoc, a Minnesota priest who was gravely wounded by a roadside bomb in Iraq five years ago, has died, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis said Sunday. He was 49.

Largest group of Minnesota bridge collapse victims sues 2 firms who worked on span

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The largest group of victims from the Interstate 35W bridge collapse two years ago filed lawsuits Thursday against two companies that worked on the structure, saying the rush-hour disaster in downtown Minneapolis was “entirely avoidable.”

Norm Coleman to pay $95K to Minnesota Senate foe Al Franken over election lawsuit

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Republican Norm Coleman must pay Democrat Al Franken $94,783 to cover court costs for his appeal of Minnesota Senate election results.

Minn. governor’s residence open for tours

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The nine-bedroom, eight-bathroom mansion that serves as the official home of Minnesota governors has opened for public tours.

Minn. Gov. Tim Pawlenty won’t seek 3rd term; possible presidential candidate in 2012

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty erased one doubt about his political future while blowing open another, passing Tuesday on a third-term bid while declining to say if he’ll set his sights on the White House. Pawlenty dismissed talk of a 2012 Republican presidential campaign as premature, saying he would focus on the next 19 months to finish his term strong.

Minn. Gov. Tim Pawlenty won’t seek 3rd term in 2010; possible prez candidate in 2012

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty says he won’t seek a third term, a decision that may pave the way for a Republican presidential bid in 2012.

Minn. Supreme Court ponders whether to extend or end state’s Senate race

ST. PAUL, Minn. — An hourlong hearing before a feisty Minnesota Supreme Court put a new spark in the state’s U.S. Senate race Monday, but Democrat Al Franken and Republican Norm Coleman ended the day stuck in familiar waiting mode.

Minn. Supreme Court hears Coleman, Franken arguments over disputed US Senate seat

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Republican Norm Coleman is asking the Minnesota Supreme Court to toss out a lower-court ruling that gave Democrat Al Franken a victory in the state’s U.S. Senate race.

Fundraising meter tops $50M for Minn. Senate fight that still may be far from resolution

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Senate foes Al Franken and Norm Coleman stepped off Minnesota’s campaign trail last November after sinking $37 million into commercials, consultants and statewide tours.

Coleman asks Minnesota Supreme Court to order more ballot counts in ongoing Senate fight

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Republican Norm Coleman asked the Minnesota Supreme Court on Thursday to order the counting of at least 1,359 additional ballots and possibly thousands more in his U.S. Senate race or go so far as to throw out the election entirely.

Specter switch raises stakes in Minn. Senate race; Dems have shot at filibuster-proof majority

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter’s party switch has turned up the heat on Minnesota’s long-simmering U.S. Senate race, which suddenly carries the possibility of giving Democrats a filibuster-resistant majority in that chamber.

Appeals panel throws out class action status in age discrimination lawsuit against 3M

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Court of Appeals says a trial court erred when it granted class action status to an age discrimination lawsuit against 3M Co.

Wild’s Backstrom may be practicing in 12 weeks after hip surgery finds less damage than feared

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom could be practicing at full speed in 12 weeks after surgery on his left hip turned up less damage than expected.

Push falls flat in Minnesota to punish group aiding family of teenage Somali pirate suspect

ST. PAUL, Minn. — A Republican state legislator in Minnesota has failed in his attempt to punish a group that helped line up an attorney for an accused Somali pirate.

New court schedule means resolution to Minn. Senate race won’t come until June at earliest

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota will head into June without a second U.S. senator under the Supreme Court’s schedule for hearing Republican Norm Coleman’s appeal.

Wild defenseman Burns has surgery on shoulder, team says post-concussion symptoms improving

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Defenseman Brent Burns is the latest Minnesota Wild player to have surgery since the season ended.

Former Wild GM Doug Risebrough respects firing but says he was ’shocked’ by owner’s decision

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Doug Risebrough ended his run as the Minnesota Wild’s general manager with pride and confidence, plus hope his work toward shaping the franchise’s foundation would be recognized decades down the road.

Wild: Goalie Niklas Backstrom to have surgery on his left hip Friday, should be back for camp

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota Wild All-Star goalie Niklas Backstrom will have surgery to remove two cysts in his left hip that caused problems with his groin muscles and affected his mechanics in the net this season.