What's making news in Minneapolis, this morning and over the weekend:

Stadium deal may test city charter: The plan for a Vikings stadium proposes bypassing a key local hurdle: a mandated vote on subsidies over $10M. Now the requirement's authors are coming out of the woods to defend the provision. (Eric Roper) Meanwhile, stadium boosters including Mayor R.T. Rybak say the project could finally revitalize the east side of downtown, which has been mostly a sea of parking lots since the Metrodome was built. (Kevin Duchschere and Janet Moore)

Visit to "Ellen" show proves a blessing for city couple: A south Minneapolis couple behind on their mortgage was presented with $25,000 they say will change their lives for the better. (Susan Feyder)

Smartphones, laptops easy to trace but hard to recover: Pilfered phones, laptops can track their own paths. But help can be spotty, with police sometimes reluctant to act on high-tech aids. (Matt McKinney)

Residents of the St. George Apartments escape with their lives, little else: A massive fire that rose from the basement gutted the circa-1919 building at 137 E. 17th St. early Friday, obliterating the roof of the three-story 32-unit brick structure and forcing dozens from their homes. (Matt McKinney) The fire was traced to an electrical room in the basement, although what went wrong still isn't clear. (Paul Walsh)

Police investigate deadly shooting on North Side: It was unclear whether the shooting at a Saturday night barbecue party was accidental or intentional, said a friend of the victim who later spoke with police. (Joy Powell)

Citing online "mob mentality," Senser's attorney asks to move trial: As Amy Senser pleads not guilty in the hit and run death of Anousone Phanthavong, her lawyer says she can't get a fair trial here. (Abby Simons)

Feeding the poor was life's work for Hyman Rosen: North Side native Hyman Rosen maintained his passion for feeding the poor in north Minneapolis until the day he died at age 87. (Jim Adams)