ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Bruce Springsteen has been added to a star-studded lineup, joining major political figures, for the No Kings rally at the Minnesota State Capitol on Saturday, March 28.

No Kings marches, rally planned across St. Paul

What we know:

Organizers say the event kicks off at noon with marches from three Saint Paul locations — Harriet Island Regional Park, St. Paul College and Western Sculpture Park— before converging at the Capitol for a main stage rally at 2 p.m.

Bruce Springsteen will sing "Streets of Minneapolis" as part of the Capitol program, joining a roster that includes U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, Attorney General Keith Ellison, Jane Fonda, Joan Baez, Maggie Rogers and other advocates and performers.

The rally at the State Capitol is expected to draw participants from across Minnesota and the nation, with organizers highlighting the event’s nonviolent principles and a strict policy banning weapons of any kind. The event is part of a nationwide movement.

‘Streets of Minneapolis’ protest song

The backstory:

Set to the tune of Springsteen’s 1993 hit, "Streets of Philadelphia," the song establishes the tone with the opening line, "Through the winter’s ice and cold, down Nicollet Avenue."

The lyrics then invoke images that have become familiar to Twin Cities residents in recent weeks, such as "smoke and rubber bullets."

The song also criticizes federal agents, referring to them as "King Trump’s private army from the DHS."

Springsteen sang about the deaths of two Minnesotans at the hands of federal agents, saying, "Citizens stood for justice, their voices ringing through the night, and there were bloody footprints where mercy should have stood, and two dead left to die on snow-filled streets, Alex Pretti and Renee Good."

What is No Kings?

Why you should care:

The No Kings rally in St. Paul is the national flagship event, one of more than 3,000 protests planned around the country in opposition to what organizers call the Trump administration’s authoritarianism and corruption. Organizers say the movement has grown rapidly, citing more than five million participants at last June’s events and over seven million at rallies last October.

The Twin Cities event is expected to be the largest in the series so far, building on a history of mass participation and civic engagement.

Speakers and performers to watch for

The nominees:

The event will also feature local performers, community leaders and organizations, with more speakers to be announced.

Local perspective:

St. Paul is hosting the national flagship event, drawing attention from across the country and highlighting Minnesota’s role in the growing No Kings movement. Organizers encourage all participants to act lawfully and seek to de-escalate any confrontation, emphasizing the event’s commitment to nonviolent action.

What we don't know:

Organizers have not yet released the full list of speakers or the detailed program for the main stage rally. Additional security measures and crowd estimates for this year’s event have not been confirmed.

The Source: Information from a press release by No Kings Twin Cities.

When the city of St. Paul asked the public to approve a new 1% sales tax to fund parks and roads, it listed specific facilities the tax would support. Among them was a multipurpose East Side Community Center, construction of the Bruce Vento Regional Trail bridge connecting to the Mississippi River, and investments in a number of downtown parks, on top of 25 road projects.

The city resolution approved by state lawmakers and then by voters in November 2023 never mentioned using the new sales tax revenue to back green space at The Heights development on the East Side, or a multi-use athletic field at Victoria Park off West Seventh Street. The city added those two priorities to its laundry list of “Common Cent” projects in February 2024, quickly drawing a lawsuit from Peter Butler, a former city employee.

On Monday, the Minnesota Court of Appeals reversed a pre-trial judicial decision in the lower court that would have blocked Butler’s lawsuit from proceeding to trial.

The decision finds the lower court erred when it determined that lawmakers had “broadened the scope” of the projects on which the city could use its 20 years of new sales tax revenue to include parks that were not listed within an attachment to the city resolution, referred to as Attachment A.

What impact will decision have?

The Court of Appeals decision, which is not considered precedent-setting, sends the case back to the lower court for further review, and raises the likelihood that Common Cent funds may not be used at The Heights or Victoria Park. Funding for parks projects often comes from a variety of sources, and it was not immediately clear on Monday how much money the city had planned to steer to each project from the new sales tax in particular.

It’s also unclear what the new decision means for dozens of other parks projects the city has already announced will be backed by the 20-year sales tax. Many of the projects on St. Paul’s “Common Cent” laundry list include deferred maintenance such as new heating, ventilation and cooling systems or asphalt replacement at parks facilities.

“The city asserts that, once the legislature approves the sales tax, it can dictate or change what projects the revenue can be used for, so long as the project serves a public purpose,” reads the latest court decision. “The city appears to conflate the public-purpose requirement for spending tax revenue with the requirement for legislative authorization. … The statute states that the legislature cannot approve ‘any projects not contained in the resolution.’ … The legislature saw Attachment A as a final list of the city’s intended improvements.”

The decision was rendered by a three-judge panel led by Judge Renee Worke, alongside Judge Kevin Ross and Judge Diane Bratvold.

The judges noted that lawmakers, after spotting the Bruce Vento Bridge listed in Attachment A, made the city amend its resolution to specifically note that funds could be used on bridge projects.

“In other words, the legislature saw the main text and Attachment A as one piece, and wanted to ensure the main text mirrored the investment listed in Attachment A,” they wrote.

Sales tax expected to generate $1 billion in next 20 years

Butler was not available for comment on Monday, and officials with the mayor’s office said they would review the decision before commenting.

The Common Cent sales tax initiative rolled out under Mayor Melvin Carter, who was unseated by Mayor Kaohly Her last November. The 1% tax is expected to generate nearly $1 billion over 20 years, including $738 million for street improvements and $246 million for parks.

At The Heights, a five-acre park — a key component of 20 acres of trails and green space — was in its final design review phase at the end of February and slated to go out for bid in early spring, with construction expected soon after. The Heights development will span new homes, offices, green space, trails and other amenities off McKnight Road and Larpenteur Avenue, the former location of the Hillcrest Golf Club.

For years, ExxonMobil used the land off Victoria Way and Adrian Street for a dumping ground, incurring a legal fight from the city over petroleum contamination. The two sides settled in 2009, when the oil and gas company agreed to pay the city $5 million to clean up 40 acres of land for recreational use. Development of synthetic-turf soccer, softball, flag football and lacrosse fields, among other parks amenities, has moved forward in phases since 2019.

St. Paul Parks and Recreation had been scheduled to host a groundbreaking celebration on Monday at Victoria Park for the city’s first universally accessible play area, a fully fenced-in playground designed for collaborative play, soothing-tactile experiences and accessible navigation in every section.

However, a spokesperson for the mayor’s office said the event would be postponed “in light of the ruling as we evaluate our next steps.”

The vacant CVS in St. Paul's Midway neighborhood is set for demolition Tuesday morning, according to the demolition company.

Veit Construction originally planned to take down the building March 9, but they pushed it back a week.

The company delayed it one more day after a blizzard engulfed the Twin Cities over the weekend.

The abandoned pharmacy, at the corner of University and Snelling Avenues, has been closed since the spring of 2022. It has become symbolic of the stymied growth — or even urban decay — of the Midway neighborhood.

Local residents and business owners say people leave trash, use drugs and vandalize the abandoned pharmacy. There have been reports of unhoused people loitering in the area.

Neighbors and businesses say they feel unsafe.

“Look what they're doing to the area,” said Kathy Stransky, owner of Midway Used and Rare Books just across the street from the dilapidated, boarded up behemoth. “Look at all the businesses that have been forced out,” Stransky said. “I mean, even CVS, who is so huge, couldn't make it here. The Cub grocery store can't make it.”

The demolition won't help with long-standing issues, Stransky said. The city and county need to do more.

“Help us out. Have some of these places for lower rents so people can can move into them, not everything being subsidized,” Stransky said. “Help people that want to start a business.”

She said any up-and-coming businesses are “pushed out of the way” by high rents and the slow decline of businesses in the area. Stransky also blames the light rail.

But Stransky says she's hopeful about Mayor Kaohly Her, who promised to turn the area around.

Ward 4 City Councilmember Molly Coleman represents the Midway neighborhood and lives there as well. She sponsored a resolution calling for the property’s razing and removal within 15 days of Nov. 5, 2025, the day it passed unanimously by council.

When she won a special election in August last year, she told Minnesota Now the CVS property was probably the most discussed building in the city.

“It’s unacceptable to have a vacant building at the most important intersection in our city and to have had that be vacant for three years,” Coleman said. “We have to think creatively about what are the tools that we have, and how do we invest in what is working in Midway.”

There’s chatter around the neighborhood that a fast food restaurant is interested in the corner, but Robinn Bloom, co-owner of The Midway Saloon, has another idea.

Bloom said many people in the area rely on transit and ridesharing services to get groceries. But for some, getting to the Target is out of the question.

“So having a grocery store on a corner where there is some parking available, I think that would be great for the neighborhood,” she said.

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Secure loose items and keep your hands on the wheel as winds will gust to up to 65 mph, the National Weather Service said.

Two systems moving across the country will put the squeeze on Minnesota Thursday, bringing tropical storm-force winds to much of the state Thursday ahead of a weekend storm that could bring a half foot of snow or more to the Twin Cities and southern Minnesota.

A high wind warning will be in effect from 10 p.m. Thursday, March 12, through Friday morning across central, south central, southwest and west central Minnesota. Sustained winds are expected to blow between 30 and 40 mph with gusts as high as 65 mph, the National Weather Service said.

“Damaging winds could blow down trees and power lines. Widespread power outages are possible,” the Weather Service said. “People are urged to secure loose objects that could be blown around or damaged by the wind.”

The warning area includes the Twin Cities, Albert Lea, Alexandria, Albert Lea, Brainerd, Fergus Falls, Hutchinson, Mankato, Redwood Falls, Rochester, St. Cloud, Willmar, Winona and Worthington.

In far northeastern Minnesota, a blizzard warning has been issued for the counties immediately adjacent to Lake Superior, where 7 to 15 inches of snow will accompany winds up to 60 mph from Thursday afternoon to Friday afternoon, the Weather Service said.

“Visibility could drop below [a quarter] mile due to falling and blowing snow,“ the Weather Service said. ”Travel should be restricted to emergencies only."

A winter storm warning for 5 to 10 inches of snow is in place for northern Minnesota, including Duluth, International Falls, Roseau and Bemidji, the Weather Service said.

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Back in southern Minnesota, the eyes are on a second system poised to bring an “impactful snowstorm” to the Twin Cities and south and east of the metro.

“It is a bit early to start using ‘blizzard’ wording, but at this point the combination of heavy snow with strong winds is looking more and more likely,” the Weather Service said.

The Weather Service puts the odds of a storm delivering 6 inches of snow or more between 40% and 70% across the metro area, with greater than 70% chance from Dakota and Scott counties south and east.

Snow is expected to start Saturday night and continue into Sunday morning, the Weather Service said.

Blizzard Warning from THU 1:00 PM CDT until FRI 7:00 AM CDT, West Polk County, Kittson County, West Marshall County

Blizzard Warning from THU 1:00 PM CDT until FRI 1:00 PM CDT, Southern Lake/North Shore, Southern Cook/North Shore County, Carlton/South St. Louis Counties

High Wind Warning from THU 7:00 PM CDT until FRI 7:00 AM CDT, Traverse County, Big Stone County, West Becker County, Wadena County, Grant County, East Otter Tail County, West Otter Tail County, Norman County, Clay County, Wilkin County, Murray County, Rock County, Pipestone County, Nobles County, Jackson County, Cottonwood County, Lincoln County, Lyon County

High Wind Warning from FRI 12:00 AM CDT until FRI 10:00 AM CDT, South Cass County, Crow Wing County, Winona County, Wabasha County, Dodge County, Mower County, Houston County, Fillmore County, Olmsted County, Benton County, Sherburne County, Dakota County, Le Sueur County, Morrison County, Ramsey County, Goodhue County, Scott County, Rice County, Hennepin County, Wright County, Steele County, Anoka County, Washington County

Winter Storm Warning from THU 1:00 PM CDT until FRI 7:00 AM CDT, Red Lake County, Pennington County, East Marshall County, East Polk County, Roseau County

High Wind Warning from THU 10:00 PM CDT until FRI 7:00 AM CDT, Douglas County, Meeker County, Swift County, Stevens County, Freeborn County, Renville County, Stearns County, Yellow Medicine County, Lac Qui Parle County, Faribault County, Redwood County, Blue Earth County, McLeod County, Sibley County, Nicollet County, Todd County, Martin County, Kandiyohi County, Waseca County, Watonwan County, Brown County, Pope County

Winter Storm Warning from THU 1:00 PM CDT until FRI 1:00 PM CDT, Central St. Louis County, North St. Louis County, Northern Cook/Northern Lake Counties, North Itasca County, Koochiching County, South Beltrami County, North Beltrami County, North Clearwater County, Lake Of The Woods County, Douglas County

MN weather: Wednesday forecast update

FOX 9's Keith Marler shares an update to the Minnesota weather forecast for March 11, 2026.

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