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Stories from December 7, 2018

Man who drove into crowd convicted of first-degree murder

Man who drove into crowd convicted of first-degree murder

The man who drove his car into a crowd of people counterprotesting a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va. was convicted by a state jury of multiple charges.
by Associated Press

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Judge OKs more serious charge in Ruszczyk killing

Judge OKs more serious charge in Ruszczyk killing

A judge has approved a second-degree intentional murder charge against former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor in the death of Justine Ruszczyk in July 2017.
by Riham Feshir

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Ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen should get 'substantial prison term,' Feds say

Ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen should get 'substantial prison term,' Feds say

Prosecutors acknowledged that Cohen has been cooperating with cases in New York City and Washington but nonetheless said the crimes he's admitted committing are serious enough to go to prison.
by Ryan Lucas

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Warm welcome for 'Frozen' star: Minnesota skater makes home-state debut

Warm welcome for 'Frozen' star: Minnesota skater makes home-state debut

"There are so many little kids — you'll see them in the audience, all wearing an Elsa dress and screaming Elsa's name, so it's so important for me to really put my all out there," said "Disney on Ice" skater Olivia Oltmanns.
by Nina Moini

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World's first insect vaccine could help bees fight off deadly disease

World's first insect vaccine could help bees fight off deadly disease

American foulbrood is an infectious disease that devastates honeybee hives. Scientists say they've created a vaccine for it, despite a big hurdle: Bees don't have antibodies.
by Bill Chappell

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Deputy died from friendly fire in California bar gun battle

Deputy died from friendly fire in California bar gun battle

A sheriff's deputy who died in a mass shooting at a California bar was shot five times by a gunman who massacred 11 others, but the officer was killed by friendly fire, authorities said Friday.
by Associated Press

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Poll: Young people more likely to defer health care because of cost

Poll: Young people more likely to defer health care because of cost

A third of people under 35 said cost led them to put off some form of health care, compared with only 8 percent of people 65 and older, a poll by NPR and IBM Watson Health found.
by Scott Hensley

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Minneapolis City Council adopts 2040 plan

Minneapolis City Council adopts 2040 plan

The Minneapolis City Council has approved a controversial long-range comprehensive plan.
by Dan Gunderson

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What does it mean to be black in Minnesota?

Minnesota can be a tough place for professionals of color. Employees of color report all sorts of reasons living and working in Minnesota is a challenge. Meanwhile, the state is known for having some of the highest racial disparities in the country.
by Julie Siple, Manda Lillie and Angela Davis

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Science shows it's been a gloomy start to winter

September through November 2018 was quite gloomy across Minnesota. MPR's Cathy Wurzer spoke with University of Minnesota professor emeritus Mark Seeley.
by Cathy Wurzer

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Iron Range man's remains will return after he perished at Pearl Harbor

Iron Range man's remains will return after he perished at Pearl Harbor

On Dec. 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese. Virginia resident Dante Sylvester Tini was 19 years old and serving as a radioman. 77 years later, Tini's remains will return home to his family in Virginia.

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3 bits of wisdom as you test the lake ice this winter

3 bits of wisdom as you test the lake ice this winter

DNR conservation officer Garrett Thomas brought ice picks, lifejackets, augers and some common sense to an Eagan park Thursday, hoping to keep Minnesotans safe as they venture onto frozen lakes this winter.
by Gabriel Kwan

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Gopher women's volleyball heats up in the NCAA tournament

The University of Minnesota women's volleyball team continues play in the NCAA tournament on Friday afternoon, when they host Oregon. If the Gophers win, they'll play again on Saturday for the chance to return to the Final Four.
by Cathy Wurzer

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40 years since the Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond duet 'You Don't Bring Me Flowers' topped the Billboard chart

It's a song that wasn't originally meant to be a duet. Diamond had written a 45-second version to use as the opening theme for a TV series being developed by that Norman Lear — but when the concept of the series changed, the song no longer fit, so Diamond expanded it into a full-length tune.
by Cathy Wurzer

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Trump says he'll nominate William Barr to return as attorney general

Trump says he'll nominate William Barr to return as attorney general

Barr, who served as George H.W. Bush's attorney general from 1991 to 1993, would take over a department that has come under frequent attack by the president.
by Ryan Lucas

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MPR News photojournalist took one of the world’s 100 best pictures of 2018

MPR News photojournalist took one of the world’s 100 best pictures of 2018

We are in the time of year when we organize annual lists of top stories. Time today issued its list of the 100 best photos of 2018. MPR News photojournalist Evan Frost made the impressive cut with this one. If you don’t know the story of the raccoon, we welcome you from your slumber. It’s…
by Bob Collins

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Theater Mu artistic director fired after complaints about his conduct

In a letter posted online, Theater Mu's board of directors said it received complaints about Randy Reyes' conduct a few months ago. The nature of the complaints wasn't specified.
by Marianne Combs

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Undocumented housekeeper who blew whistle on Trump resort gives up job

We know a little more today about what's going to happen to Victorina Morales, the undocumented worker in one of President Trump's resorts, who came forward in yesterday's New York Times to suggest the resort knows she's undocumented while the president speaks ill of such people.
by Bob Collins

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He's Jewish, but being Santa is his calling

He's Jewish, but being Santa is his calling

Rick Rosenthal has been playing the role of Santa for almost seven years. At StoryCorps, he recalls how it all began.
by Kelly Moffitt and Cameron Jenkins

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Outreach group accused of abuse, intimidation at homeless camp

Outreach group accused of abuse, intimidation at homeless camp

Native American leaders in the Twin Cities condemned the actions of a group working in the homeless encampment in Minneapolis in a public statement Friday.
by Max Nesterak

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Court deadlines set stage for more Russia probe details

Court deadlines set stage for more Russia probe details

Robert Mueller is set to reveal more details about his Russia investigation on Friday as he faces court deadlines in the cases of two men who worked closely with President Trump.
by The Associated Press

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Kevin Hart bows out as Oscars host amid backlash over past tweets

Kevin Hart bows out as Oscars host amid backlash over past tweets

"I'm sorry that I hurt people," the comic said, referring to anti-gay tweets he had posted years earlier. He had initially refused to apologize, only to announce hours later that he was stepping down.
by Colin Dwyer

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People dumped off Medicare Cost plans frustrated, angry

People dumped off Medicare Cost plans frustrated, angry

A change in federal law intended to reduce Medicare spending is causing confusion and anger among seniors and could leave some with huge, uncovered medical expenses next year.
by Mark Zdechlik

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Projected surplus sets up fight over gas tax, health care

Projected surplus sets up fight over gas tax, health care

The stage is set for another partisan battle over taxes and spending during the 2019 legislative session that begins next month.
by Tim Pugmire

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On the challenge of assessing a politician’s 94 years

On the challenge of assessing a politician’s 94 years

Nobody is in a more precarious position in assessing a person who hasn't been buried yet than the nation's journalists, as NPR ombudsman Elizabeth Jensen makes clear this week in her column.
by Bob Collins

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Chilly Friday, cool weekend; milder days in the 7 day outlook

Chilly Friday, cool weekend; milder days in the 7 day outlook

Twin Cities metro area highs are projected to reach the upper 20s on Monday, then around 30 Tuesday and the lower 30s Wednesday and Thursday. Temps look mild as we begin the second half of December.
by Ron Trenda

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MN man can’t get driver’s license even though he did nothing wrong

Mark Brown, of Apple Valley, should just drive without a license. Then ask for a jury trial when/if he's nabbed by the gendarmes. If there's justice in the world, a small group of honest men and women will let him skate.
by Bob Collins

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‘Enemy of the people?’ A rebuttal from the scene of a massacre

Having patted himself on the back (according to White House sources) for keeping a civil tongue during the days of services for former President George H. W. Bush this week, President Trump returned to the security blanket of Twitter late Thursday.
by Bob Collins

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Daily Digest: Out of the blue, into the black

The budget forecast highlights opposing views at the Minnesota Capitol.
by Mike Mulcahy

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What’s on MPR News – 12/7/18

Here are the stories, topics, and guests you'll hear today on MPR News.
by Bob Collins

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'Mary, Queen of Scots' is a case study of how political, human narratives get crafted

'Mary, Queen of Scots' is a case study of how political, human narratives get crafted

Stefan Zweig's famous book is as much about its own context as an execution 300 years ago; its archness signals a time capsule, except that the rhetoric around women in power has changed so little.
by Genevieve Valentine

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On Pearl Harbor Day, a documentary about patriotism

On Pearl Harbor Day, a documentary about patriotism

What makes us loyal to a nation? What motivates people to serve their country and make sacrifices for something bigger than ourselves?
by MPR News Staff

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