The Star Tribune (often abbreviated Star Trib or Strib) is the largest newspaper in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is published seven days each week in an edition for the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area. A statewide version is also available across Minnesota and parts of Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota, and North Dakota. The paper's largest competitor is the St. Paul-based Pioneer Press, though it competes with a number of other papers in its wide circulation area.

Today's Star Tribune is the product of the merger in 1982 between the Minneapolis Star, an evening newspaper, and the Minneapolis Tribune, a morning newspaper published by the same company.

Several earlier mergers preceded that one by many years, as outlined below. The Minneapolis Tribune was founded in 1867, and operated by the Murphy family between 1891 and 1941. The Minneapolis Journal was founded in 1878 as an evening paper.

The Minneapolis Times was a morning paper starting in 1889; it was purchased by the Tribune in 1905 and its name was used in various forms until 1948. Finally the Minnesota Daily Star began printing in 1920, and later became the Minneapolis Star, distributed in the evening.

Elizabeth A. Hodges (born September 7, 1969) is the current Ward 13 City Council member for Minneapolis, Minnesota, and a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. In 2005, Hodges defeated Lisa Miller to become the first Democrat to represent the Ward in years. She was re-elected in the 2009 Minneapolis municipal elections.

Hodges grew up in Minnesota. After graduating from Bryn Mawr College in 1991 she attended the University of Wisconsin, Madison where she graduated in 1998 with a Master's degree in Sociology.

In 1998 Hodges moved to southwest Minneapolis. For a few years she worked as Development Director for Progressive Minnesota before serving on the staff of Hennepin County Commissioner Gail Dorfman. She returned to fundraising work in 2003, working for the Minnesota Justice Foundation.

During this time, Hodges became very active in her community, serving on the Linden Hills Community Council from 2000–2005 and as co-chair of the council from 2003-2005. Her experience on the neighboorhood council became a main theme in her campaign for city council in 2005.

Steven Edward Carlson (born August 26, 1955) is a retired American ice hockey forward and a former minor league hockey coach.

Carlson was born in Virginia, Minnesota. He appeared in the movie Slap Shot as one of the Hanson Brothers. Carlson played in the World Hockey Association with the New England Whalers, Edmonton Oilers and Minnesota Fighting Saints and in the National Hockey League for the Los Angeles Kings, scoring nine goals for the Kings. While playing for the Edmonton Oilers in the WHA, he was the roommate of Wayne Gretzky during his rookie season. Carlson is the only player to ever be on a team with Gordie Howe and on a team with Wayne Gretzky. Since retiring from hockey, Carlson runs a power skating school in Northern California.

Alan Stuart "Al" Franken (born May 21, 1951) is the junior United States Senator from Minnesota. He is a member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party, which affiliates with the national Democratic Party.

Franken achieved note as a writer and performer for the television show Saturday Night Live from its conception in 1975 before moving to writing and acting in films and television shows. He then became a political commentator, author of five books and host of a nationally syndicated radio show on the Air America Radio network.

In 2008, Franken narrowly defeated incumbent Republican Senator Norm Coleman, by 312 votes, after a mandatory statewide manual recount. Coleman contested the outcome in court, but the Minnesota Supreme Court unanimously upheld Franken's victory on June 30, 2009. Franken was sworn in to the Senate on July 7, 2009.

Franken was born in New York City. His mother, Phoebe G. (née Kunst), was a homemaker and real estate agent, and his father, Joseph P. Franken, was a printing salesman. The family later moved to St. Louis Park, a suburb near Minneapolis. Franken had a Jewish upbringing. His paternal grandparents were immigrants from Germany, and his mother's family was from Russia. His older brother Owen is a photojournalist; MSNBC's Bob Franken is his cousin. Franken graduated in 1969 from The Blake School, where he was on the wrestling team. He attended Harvard College and graduated with an A.B. cum laude in 1973 in political science.