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Stories from December 17, 2018

Survey: Green New Deal has broad support among U.S. voters

Survey: Green New Deal has broad support among U.S. voters

Research by Yale and George Mason universities finds that 82 percent of registered voters have heard "nothing at all" about the sweeping climate change proposal.
by Cody Nelson

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Legacy letters let you determine how you want to be remembered

Legacy letters let you determine how you want to be remembered

A legacy letter, which is sometimes called an ethical will, lets you leave a written record of your beliefs, values and advice for future generations.
by Heather McElhatton

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Suicide deaths increase significantly in Minnesota

The rate of suicide increased significantly in Minnesota in the last several years, according to new data from the Minnesota Department of Health.
by Tim Nelson

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Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander, a bipartisan dealmaker, will retire in 2020

Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander, a bipartisan dealmaker, will retire in 2020

A former Tennessee governor and U.S. secretary of Education, the Republican is currently the chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

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Markets Right Now: Another steep drop pulls Dow down 500

Markets Right Now: Another steep drop pulls Dow down 500

The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 500 points, its second straight drop of that size and its fourth big decline this month.
by Associated Press

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New reports detail expansive Russia disinformation scheme targeting U.S.

New reports detail expansive Russia disinformation scheme targeting U.S.

The studies for the Senate intelligence committee assess how broadly Russians wielded social media to reach millions of Americans and suppress Democratic and black voting.
by Ryan Lucas

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Google will spend $1 billion for New York City campus on Hudson River

Google will spend $1 billion for New York City campus on Hudson River

"In fact, we're growing faster outside the Bay Area than within it," says Chief Financial Officer Ruth Porat, a senior vice president of both Google and its parent company, Alphabet.
by Bill Chappell

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Startup using tech to pull back the curtain on seed, fertilizer prices

Startup using tech to pull back the curtain on seed, fertilizer prices

The Farmers Business Network was born of farmers frustrated with opaque pricing for seed and chemicals, and tech guys who believe that data is the answer. So far, about 7,500 farmers across North America are buying in to the idea.
by Dan Gunderson

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Is it possible to carry a smartphone and have secrets?

Guest host Euan Kerr talked with a technology reporter and an expert in technology and public policy about how consumer data is collected, sold and used by businesses, and what you can do to protect your privacy online.
by Euan Kerr and Marcheta Fornoff

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Political Junkie: Threats of a government shutdown

MPR News host Euan Kerr sat down with Ken Rudin to run down the big headlines in political news this week. This week they talked about Trump's threats of a government shutdown if the border wall isn't funded, Mick Mulvaney being named acting chief of staff for Trump, and more.
by Euan Kerr

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Kent Nerburn on creativity

Kent Nerburn on creativity

Kent Nerburn's new book is "Dancing with the Gods: Reflections on Life and Art."
by Euan Kerr

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What is going on with Brexit?

What is going on with Brexit, and what does it mean for Europe and the UK? MPR News host Euan Kerr lead a discussion on Brexit.
by Euan Kerr and Marcheta Fornoff

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GOP waits on Trump as clock ticks toward partial shutdown

GOP waits on Trump as clock ticks toward partial shutdown

Pushing the government to the brink of a partial shutdown, the White House is insisting that Congress provide $5 billion to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border despite lawmaker resistance from both parties.
by Associated Press

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Here's what would happen if the government shuts down this week

Here's what would happen if the government shuts down this week

Even a partial government shutdown would leave some 800,000 government workers without pay over the holidays although many would remain on the job.

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Green 'Christmas Comet' visible in night sky

Green 'Christmas Comet' visible in night sky

The comet 46P/Wirtanen just made its closest approach to Earth in centuries. No word on the whereabouts of Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Cupid, Donner or Blitzen (and Rudolph).
by Camila Domonoske

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It's been 60 years since The Teddy Bears topped the Billboard pop chart with 'To Know Him is To Love Him'

The song was written by Phil Spector and released as the B-side of The Teddy Bears' first single. According to a biography of Spector by Dave Thompson, the single was a flop until a disc jockey in Fargo flipped it over and started playing the B-side on his show. That DJ was Charlie Boone, who would go on to become a radio legend at WCCO.
by Cathy Wurzer

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Man convicted of sexual assaults at wife's home day care

The husband of a Roseville home day care provider has been found guilty of sexually assaulting three girls cared for at the site.
by Associated Press

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What you need to know about the Affordable Care Act after Texas ruling

What you need to know about the Affordable Care Act after Texas ruling

A federal judge in Texas rules the ACA is unconstitutional. What does this mean for American health care, and who will be affected?

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Travel ban keeps a mother from saying goodbye to dying 2-year-old

Thanks to President Trump's travel ban, people from Yemen are not allowed into the United States even if their kid is here dying and a mother wants to hold his hand one last time.
by Bob Collins

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Study: Report cards may lead to child beatings

The study, published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association, comes from a team headed by a researcher at the University of Florida who studied reports of child abuse in ages 5 to 11 during the 2015-2016 academic year.
by Bob Collins

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The best books to give and get: Fiction picks of 2018

The best books to give and get: Fiction picks of 2018

From twisty thrillers to sweeping family dramas, here are some of The Thread's favorite reads of the year.
by MPR News Staff

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Teen vaping soared in 2018

Teen vaping soared in 2018

A dramatic increase in vaping among high school students is the largest yearly change ever seen in a long-running survey tracking substance use and abuse by teens.
by NPR Staff

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Top of mind: 'Justice' is Merriam-Webster's word of the year

Peter Sokolowski, Merriam-Webster's editor at large, says that "justice" consistently bubbled into the top 20 or 30 lookups on the company's website, spiking at times due to specific events but also skating close to the surface for much of the year.
by The Associated Press

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Child's death highlights communication barriers on border

Shortly before a 7-year-old Guatemalan girl died in U.S. custody, her father signed a form stating that his daughter was in good health. But it's unclear how much the man understood on the form, which was written in English and read to him in Spanish by Border Patrol agents.
by The Associated Press

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Law enforcement agencies boost efforts to diversify ranks

Law enforcement agencies boost efforts to diversify ranks

Over the weekend, the State Patrol held one of its recruiting events for women. It comes at a time when agencies across the state are redoubling recruitment efforts because fewer people are applying to become officers.
by Peter Cox

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Gun rights meet gay rights when Pink Pistols go to shooting range

Gun rights meet gay rights when Pink Pistols go to shooting range

The group's Twin Cities chapter teaches the basics of gun safety to members of the LGBT community, and they've seen membership spike since the shooting in Orlando.
by Briana Bierschbach

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No Christmas in Little Falls this year

If we lived in a Frank Capra world, something special would be happening in Little Falls, Minn., right around now.
by Bob Collins

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How an Iowa man became Charles Barkley’s pal

The weekend tear-duct check came from Shirley Wang, who told the story on WBUR's Only a Game broadcast about her dad, a cat litter scientist in Muscatine, Iowa who somehow became Charles Barkley's friend.
by Bob Collins

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‘Thumbs Up’ for wrestling in Winona

‘Thumbs Up’ for wrestling in Winona

Who knew there was a pent-up demand for thumb-wrestling in Winona? River City Wrestling and Island City Brewing Company teamed up for the first annual thumb wrestling championship in the city on Saturday, known as the Thumbs Up Throw Down.
by Bob Collins

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Another theft of Baby Jesus

We have another theft of Jesus, people. Last week, someone stole a baby Jesus from the nativity scene in St. Cloud. Today, we learn the owners of the Cedar Rose Inn in Alexandria report someone stole theirs too.
by Bob Collins

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What’s on MPR News – 12/17/18

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

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Fire and Water: A Year of Climate Conversations

Fire and Water: A Year of Climate Conversations

From fires and floods to hurricanes and hot temperatures, 2018 put climate on the front page in ways it hadn't been before.
by MPR News Staff

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How Clay County is tackling the challenge of jailing inmates with mental illness

Host Angela Davis explores the changes Clay County is doing. Also MPR's mental health reporter Alisa Roth shares her research on the criminal justice system and a University of Minnesota professor told us what he experienced when he was behind bars years ago.
by Manda Lillie and Angela Davis

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Seagrass could stall climate change -- if climate change doesn't kill it first

Seagrass could stall climate change -- if climate change doesn't kill it first

Scientists have identified a giant bed of deep sea grass in Australia's Great Barrier Reef that may be absorbing millions of tons of carbon. But these so-called blue carbon sinks need protecting, too.
by Emma Bowman and Michel Martin

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Protests grip Hungary in response to overtime measure

Protests grip Hungary in response to overtime measure

The new law allows employers to ask staff to work up to 400 hours per year of overtime -- but employers can delay payment for up to three years.
by Joanna Kakissis

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