Thanks for the question.

In picture 2 jpg, the insect is a late stage nymph of a box elder bug. I can understand why you might have felt it was a milkweed bug as adults of milkweed bugs and box elder box bugs are very similar. Milkweed bugs almost always hang around milkweed. The flower in the picture is not milkweed but white snakeroot. I didn’t know that box elder nymphs would be found on this plant though am not surprised as it is attracted to many plants in addition to box elder. Also, this resembles a box elder nymph more than a milkweed bug nymph. Box elder bug nymphs tend to quite red in color whereas milkweed bug nymphs are more orange. See the following:

https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/milkweed-bug

https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/2006/6-21/bbug.html

https://greenpestcontrolmn.wordpress.com/2011/09/08/box-elder-bug-pest-control-mn/

Picture #1 jpg is showing a Great Golden Digger Wasp (Sphex ichneumonus). It is a member of the wasp group known as thin-waisted wasps. It is a very important pollinator of several species of flowers in Minnesota. See:

http://apps.extension.umn.edu/garden/diagnose/insect/general-curiosity-insects/flies/medium/greatgoldendiggerwasp.html

https://bugguide.net/node/view/414 - range

Then for 1(1) jpg, it is as you identified: a Bald-Faced Hornet (Dolichovespula maculate). See:

https://apps.extension.umn.edu/garden/diagnose/insect/indoor/flies/large/bald-faced-hornet.html

http://www.minnesotaseasons.com/Insects/bald-faced_hornet.html

Please feel free to get back to us with any further questions.