A new addition at the state Capitol grounds is meant to highlight an important aspect of Minnesota’s past and present.

Eleven flags were raised earlier this month in front of the Capitol to recognize Native American tribes in the state. The Tribal Flag Plaza is intended to inform the public about their contributions.

Minnesota is the second state to have tribal flags at their capitol after Montana, reported MPR News.

Flags from Minnesota’s 11 Native American tribes fly over state Capitol grounds in St. Paul. Photographed on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

The 11 flags represent the relationship between the state and the tribes. At the base of each flag are plants chosen by each tribe, each with cultural and ecological significance.

The initial idea came after Montana raised their tribes’ flags in 2020, according to Patina Park, the executive director of State Tribal Relations. Several of the tribes reached out to the Minnesota officials for a similar plaza, Park said.

The plaza design was approved by the Capitol Area and Architectural Planning Board in 2024. Construction started early this year and finished in September, according to Erik Cederleaf Dahl, the executive secretary for the Capitol Area and Architectural Planning Board.

At the grand opening on Sept. 5, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan said the plaza is more than just a new landscape.

​“The Capitol should tell the full story of the history of Minnesota, one that honors all 11 federally recognized tribal nations, acknowledges complex histories and builds a future rooted in inclusion, beauty and truth,” Flanagan said at the celebration.

The plaza is a part of the large Minnesota 2040 plan, a project to make the Capitol mall area more accessible to all residents.

Park said the flags show the progress between the state government and Native American tribes.

“I think it reflects the intentional partnership and relationship building we have been doing over the last six years, governor’s two terms,” Park said.

For Michael Child Jr., the Prairie Indian Community Tribal Council treasurer, the flags are a way to represent the contributions of the native community.

“The plaza to me, kind of reminds people of history, but also reminds people that we are still here. We’re not some historical long gone and forgotten people,” Child said.

Dahl said the next step for the plaza is signage at the bottom of each flag, explaining each tribe’s seal. The signs will have the tribe’s name in their native language and English, there will also be information about the tribe in English, according to Park.

Both Park and Dahl hope when people walk by they will want to stop near the flags and learn more.

“I hope it triggers people to have a curiosity, to want to learn more, maybe travel, visit the tribal lands and go to their cultural sites or their cultural buildings,” Park said.

Minnesota’s federally recognized tribes

The 11 federally recognized tribes are:

• Lower Sioux Indian Community.

• White Earth Nation.

• Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.

• Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.

• Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community.

• Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.

• Red Lake Nation.

• Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.

• Upper Sioux Community.

• Prairie Island Indian Community.

• Bois Forte Band of Chippewa.

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By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO, AP Retail Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon says it’s making a $1 billion investment to raise wages and lower the cost of health care plans for its U.S. fulfillment and transportation workers.

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The Seattle-based company said Wednesday the average pay is increasing to more than $23 per hour and said that some of its most tenured employees will see an increase between $1.10 and $1.90 per hour. Full-time employees, on average, will see their pay increase by $1,600 per year.

Amazon also said it was lowering the cost of its entry health care plan to $5 per week and $5 for co-pays, starting next year. Amazon said that will reduce weekly contributions by 34% and co-pays by 87% for primary care, mental health and most non-specialist visits for employees using the basic plan.

Amazon has a global workforce of 1.5 million workers.

Last December, seven Amazon facilities went on strike, an effort by the Teamsters union to pressure the e-commerce company for a labor agreement during a key shopping period.

That same month, Amazon reached a settlement with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration that requires the online behemoth to adopt corporatewide ergonomic measures at facilities across the country. The agency claimed hazardous working conditions led to serious lower back and other musculoskeletal disorders at Amazon facilities.

In January 2024, Walmart, the nation’s largest private employer, said that average wages for hourly workers would exceed $18, up from $17.50. The increase was due to Walmart introducing some higher-paying hourly roles in its Auto Care Centers last year, among other changes, the company said.

Walmart had announced in January 2023 that U.S. workers would get pay raises the following month, increasing starting wages to between $14 and $19 an hour. Starting wages had previously ranged between $12 and $18 an hour, depending on location.

While much of the NHL will take a two-week break for the Winter Olympics in February, Minnesota Wild coach John Hynes will be in Italy, chasing gold.

On Wednesday, Hynes was named an assistant coach for Team USA, which will be seeking its first Olympic gold medal since the 1980 Miracle On Ice. Wild general manager Bill Guerin, serving the same role for Team USA, has named Hynes, David Quinn and John Tortorella as assistants to head coach Mike Sullivan.

Hynes also served as an assistant coach for the Americans last spring when they won their first IIHF World Championship gold in nearly a century.

Also named to the Team USA staff were Wild trainers John Worley and Travis Green, and Wild team physician Dr. Joel Boyd. The Olympic tournament begins on Feb. 11 in Milan.

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Los Angeles residents and sports fans around the world will soon be able to lock in their spots for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games—with Olympic ticket sales launching in 2026 and Paralympic ticket sales to follow in 2027, LA28 officials announced Wednesday.

General admission tickets will start at $28, with sales managed by LA28’s official ticketing providers, AXS and EVENTIM. In addition, curated hospitality packages and ticket-inclusive experiences, will be available next year through On Location, the official and exclusive hospitality partner for the Games

Fans can register for the Olympic Games tickets at la28.org beginning in January. A randomized draw system will assign purchase time slots for each round of ticket drops. Early access opportunities will be available for residents in communities near official LA28 venues.

The phased rollout marks the first time tickets will be available for the 2028 Games, which are expected to bring more than 15,000 athletes and millions of spectators to the Golden State.

“The LA28 Games will be an opportunity to purchase a ticket to history,” said Reynold Hoover, CEO for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. “Whether you’re a local family attending your first Olympic or Paralympic event, or a global traveler joining us for a once-in-a-lifetime experience, there really will be something for everyone across our suite of ticket options and hospitality packages.”

The Olympic Games will run from July 14 through July 30, 2028, followed by the Paralympics from Aug. 15 to Aug. 27. Events will be held at iconic venues including the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, SoFi Stadium, the Rose Bowl, the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area and others across the Southern California area including Long Beach and Orange County.

Los Angeles will become the third city in history to host the Olympics three times, having previously hosted the Games in 1932 and 1984. The only other two cities to do so are London (1908, 1948, 2012) and Paris (1900, 1924, 2024). LA28 will also mark the city’s first time hosting the Paralympics.

Organizers said the 2028 edition will feature a number of firsts — including a higher percentage of women athletes than men, the introduction of new Olympic and Paralympic sports, and the distinction of being the first Games since 1948 to rely entirely on existing or temporary venues, with no new permanent infrastructure planned.

More information, including registration, ticket draw process and hospitality details, will be released later this year. In the meantime, fans can sign up for updates at la28.org.

Here’s how to get started:

Subscribe for updates: Sign up for the LA28 newsletter to receive the latest on ticket sales, registration timelines and hospitality package availability.
Register to buy: Registration is required to purchase general tickets. The registration window for Olympic tickets opens in January 2026; registration for Paralympic tickets opens in 2027.
Ticket access will be via a draw: After registering, fans will be entered into a draw process that assigns a time slot to buy tickets during upcoming ticket drops.
Local fans get early access: Residents near Games venues will receive early access opportunities.
Hospitality packages go on sale early: Starting in early 2026, official LA28 hospitality and travel packages will be sold on a first come, first-served basis through On Location via https://hospitality.la28.org/en, including benefits like guaranteed accommodations, venue transportation, premium seating and curated in-venue and out-of-venue experiences.

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