Minnesota

Minnesota is home to a mix of urban innovation, agricultural resilience, and strong civic traditions. This archive tracks progress stories from across the state — from Minneapolis policy wins to rural conservation efforts and community health gains.

Minneapolis skyline, for article on nudification app ban

Minnesota passes ban on fake A.I. nudes

By / / Good News For Humankind

Minnesota’s nudification app ban just cleared the state Senate with a 65-0 vote, and it carries real teeth: fines up to $500,000 per fake image, with the money flowing directly to services for survivors of sexual assault and abuse. The bill targets the tools themselves — apps built specifically to strip images of real people without consent — while exempting general-purpose software like Photoshop. It exists because survivor Molly Kelley spent two years organizing after a man in her social circle used a nudifying service to fabricate images of more than 80 women he knew. Her advocacy turned a legal void into unanimous bipartisan action, offering a template other states are already studying as AI-enabled abuse outpaces older laws.

Silhouette of person holding cannabis leaf, for article on Minnesota cannabis legalization

Minnesota becomes 23rd U.S. state to legalize recreational marijuana

By / / Good News For Humankind

Minnesota’s new cannabis law will automatically clear tens of thousands of low-level marijuana convictions, pairing legalization with one of the most ambitious record-clearing efforts in the country. Adults 21 and older can now possess cannabis under the law Gov. Tim Walz signed in May 2023, making Minnesota the 23rd state to legalize recreational use. What sets it apart is the justice piece: people don’t have to navigate courts to clear their records — the state does it for them, opening doors to jobs, housing, and education long blocked by old convictions. As legalization spreads, Minnesota offers a model that finally asks who bore the costs of prohibition, and who deserves a fresh start.

3M mask, for article on PFAS phase-out

3M to end ‘forever chemicals’ output at cost of up to $2.3 bn

By / / Good News For Humankind

3M, one of the world’s largest makers of PFAS, will halt all production of these “forever chemicals” by the end of 2025, walking away from a business that brought in roughly $1.3 billion a year. The company expects to absorb up to $2.3 billion in pre-tax charges to exit — a sign it sees long-term liability as the bigger risk than lost revenue. The move follows mounting pressure from regulators, lawsuits, and a coalition of fund managers overseeing $8 trillion in assets who urged dozens of companies to phase PFAS out. Compounds linked to cancer, thyroid disruption, and developmental harm have turned up in drinking water and food supplies worldwide, and 3M’s deadline signals that the era of treating them as ordinary industrial inputs is drawing to a close.