Buying a used car in the Midwest got a little more affordable in May over the previous month. The good news is that year-over-year price increases in used vehicles in May dropped seven percentage points from the year-over-year April price increases, from April’s 23.9 percent to May’s 16.9 percent. The bad news is a used…

Before moving to her 15-acre Minnesota homestead with her family in 2011, Amanda Rettke jokes that she thought food grew at the grocery store. “I had zero knowledge about raising chickens or feeding your family off of a garden, but we dove right in,” she said. Diving right in is a habit of Rettke’s. As…

Some of you may know this as Tater Tot casserole, but you’re wrong. OK, OK, that was a bit harsh. I can get possessive of my hot dish, all right? This recipe is based on how I had it growing up, with the exception of the cheese sauce. You might think it odd, but if…

The Midwest, also known as America’s Heartland, is home to a myriad of cultures. Immigration, over hundreds of years, has played a key role in developing its diverse food traditions, evident in its variety of delicious dishes—like classic Swedish meatballs, Polish perogies, German bratwurst, and hearty macaroni and cheese casseroles. Midwest food expert Capri Cafaro…

For the second year in a row, forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are predicting “prolonged, persistent drought” in the western United States as part of its Spring Outlook for the country. Precipitation is “most likely” to remain below-average in the west, according to a NOAA news release published on March 17….

They fly at speeds of up to 20 miles per hour, flapping their two sets of wings up to 15,000 times per minute. Covering a radius of 3 to 4 miles, and visiting up to 5,000 flowers per day, these tiny creatures are responsible for pollinating up to one third of the world’s fruits and…

MINNEAPOLIS—Heavy snow spread Friday across a large swath of the Midwest, where travel conditions deteriorated and scores of schools closed or moved to online instruction. The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for parts of Minnesota, the Dakotas, Iowa and Illinois, where forecasters were expecting up to 10 inches of fresh snow. “This…

OMAHA, NEB.—Much of the Midwest braced Wednesday for powerful winds, heavy rain and a chance of tornadoes as temperatures felt like summertime despite the official start of winter being only days away. Forecasters across the Great Plains predicted unusually warm weather, including likely record-breaking high temperatures in the mid-70s for much of Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa…

This gallery was published in American Essence magazine.

By Mike Seper The Midwest is refining the innovation process by bringing together academia and defense partners to solve national security challenges. Experiential learning opportunities are available to outstanding schools across the region with an educational infrastructure that supports engineering, innovation, and entrepreneurship students through intriguing interactions with national labs and defense technologies. Stimulating student…