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Stories from December 19, 2018

Minn. DHS abruptly ends program for mentally incompetent defendants

The Minnesota Department of Human Services has surprised people in the criminal justice system with an abrupt termination of efforts to restore competency in defendants ruled incompetent to stand trial.
by Alisa Roth

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Ex-Starkey Labs president gets 7 years prison for stealing

Ex-Starkey Labs president gets 7 years prison for stealing

Prosecutors had alleged Jerry Ruzicka and other executives set up a complex web of sham companies to siphon more than $16 million from the hearing aid company and its founder Bill Austin.
by Matt Sepic

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Dakota County Attorney says Hastings officer justified in fatal shooting last October

Dakota County Attorney says Hastings officer justified in fatal shooting last October

The Dakota County Attorney's Office released details of an investigation Wednesday by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension into the police shooting. Prosecutors determined the shooting was justified and that no criminal charges will be filed.
by Tim Nelson

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Appetites: Last minute gift ideas for food lovers

Appetites: Last minute gift ideas for food lovers

With Christmas less than a week away, Minneapolis chef Beth Dooley has some gift ideas for those who enjoy good food.
by Tom Crann and Kyle Shiely

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Judge blocks restrictions on who can apply for asylum

Judge blocks restrictions on who can apply for asylum

A federal judge on Wednesday blocked Trump administration policies that prevented immigrants who suffered gang violence or domestic abuse in their home countries from seeking asylum.
by The Associated Press

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How Xcel could bring carbon-free power to Minnesota

How Xcel could bring carbon-free power to Minnesota

The utility will need a "complex mix" of energy technology to achieve its goal of carbon-free electric by 2050, one expert says.
by Paul Huttner and Cody Nelson

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Fed raises rates despite Trump attacks, stocks tank

Fed raises rates despite Trump attacks, stocks tank

The Federal Reserve is raising the benchmark borrowing rate to the highest level since the recession, a decision stands to affect rates on all kinds of borrowing. The Dow dropped 400 points after the announcement.
by Emily Sullivan

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Minnesota gains population but might still lose a House seat

Estimates posted Wednesday give Minnesota some sense of where it stands a little more than year out from the 2020 Census. Despite the better numbers, it may not be enough.
by Brian Bakst

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The Cube Critics: Best movie performances of 2018

This year the movies brought us a colorful array of characters, from superheroes to resourceful widows to struggling mothers. Euan Kerr and Stephanie Curtis, hosts of the MPR's Cube Critics, joined host Angela Davis to talk about the best actor performances of 2018.
by Euan Kerr, Stephanie Curtis and Angela Davis

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Move from Minneapolis homeless camp to temporary shelter is in final stages

Move from Minneapolis homeless camp to temporary shelter is in final stages

This was a significant week at the homeless encampment in Minneapolis. Most of the people living in tents along Hiawatha Avenue have now moved into what's called a navigation center.
by Manda Lillie and Angela Davis

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A new wave of Native American poetry

Minnesota literary houses have enjoyed a great year. Graywolf Press in particular stands out for the number of accolades its poets and authors have earned. One of this year's hits: an anthology of contemporary Native American poetry, edited by Heid Erdrich.
by Marianne Combs and Jeyca Maldonado-Medina

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The best kids' books of 2018

Let's talk kids' books! Guest host Marianne Combs talked with two passionate experts in children's literature about the best books of 2018.
by Marianne Combs and Kelly Gordon

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5 things you probably didn't know about Mark Dayton

5 things you probably didn't know about Mark Dayton

From haunted hotel rooms to railroad-themed parties, here are five things we're guessing you didn't know about the outgoing governor.
by Briana Bierschbach

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Big Beef prepares for battle, as interest grows in plant-based and lab-grown meats

Big Beef prepares for battle, as interest grows in plant-based and lab-grown meats

As sales of plant-based substitutes like almond milk rise and cow milk sales decline, the meat industry sees a cautionary tale. With meat alternatives growing, Big Beef takes the fight to regulators.
by Frank Morris

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AP investigation: Migrant kids held in mass shelters

AP investigation: Migrant kids held in mass shelters

As the year draws to a close, some 5,400 detained migrant children in the U.S. are sleeping in shelters with more than 1,000 other children. Some 9,800 are in facilities with 100-plus total kids, according to confidential government data obtained and cross-checked by The Associated Press.
by Associated Press

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Reports: White House intends to pull U.S. troops from Syria

Reports: White House intends to pull U.S. troops from Syria

U.S. troops have been in Syria since late 2015. Just last week, Defense Secretary James Mattis said troops would remain in the country to counteract Iran's presence there.

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Kurt Vile and the Violators play First Avenue in Minneapolis tonight

Kurt Vile recently released his seventh solo album, "Bottle It In." The New York Times called the new effort Vile's "most consistent to date."
by Cathy Wurzer

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Trump appears to back off his demand for $5B for border wall

The White House shifted its rhetoric Tuesday after days of impasse leading up to a potential partial government shutdown. Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the administration was looking at ways to find the money elsewhere.
by The Associated Press

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Report: Treatment quality varies widely for expensive chronic conditions

In general, metro area residents are more likely to receive optimal care than are residents of rural Minnesota. Older patients are more likely to enjoy better management of their condition than younger people.
by Mark Zdechlik

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Slim pickings on list of 2018’s good men

Slim pickings on list of 2018’s good men

We suppose it says something about the state of men that one of the men who made Naomi Fry's list of good men in 2018 isn't a man at all: it's a thing of some sort.
by Bob Collins

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'Come to take you home': A pipe, a tribe and a quest to reclaim the past

'Come to take you home': A pipe, a tribe and a quest to reclaim the past

When a pipe sacred to the Dakota surfaced at auction last spring, Prairie Island leaders made it their mission to bring it back. But the odds were long, and the quest meant revisiting a horrific chapter of Minnesota's past.
by Mark Steil

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A sold-out conference on soil health? Absolutely, say farmers

A sold-out conference on soil health? Absolutely, say farmers

A growing number of farmers are showing interest in more sustainable farming practices. A jam-packed conference on soil health in Fargo this week shows why.
by Dan Gunderson

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Wisconsin hunters kill, then toss deer along road

It's unlikely the Bayfield County (Wis.) Sheriff's Office will get much help in its search for the hunters who cleaned and gutted deer, then tossed the carcasses on a road in Cable on Saturday. These kinds of hunters tend not to associate with the decent folk.
by Bob Collins

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Dying man bought neighbor a Christmas gift for the next 13 years

Dying man bought neighbor a Christmas gift for the next 13 years

Ken Watson, of Wales, has all his Christmas shopping done, at least for the little girl who lives next door. Cadi was born a year after her parents moved to the neighborhood.
by Bob Collins

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A war with child soldiers

A war with child soldiers

There are hardly words left to say after reading the Associated Press' investigation revealing that rebels in Yemen are going door to door to grab children to fight as soldiers.
by Bob Collins

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Jeffrey Rosen: is there a constitutional crisis looming?

Jeffrey Rosen: is there a constitutional crisis looming?

Legal scholar Jeffrey Rosen examines the most hotly contested constitutional questions of our time in a speech given at the Commonwealth Club of California.

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What’s on MPR News – 12/19/18

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

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St. Paul conservatory's rooftop ball found, thieves remain at large

St. Paul conservatory's rooftop ball found, thieves remain at large

Security footage shows five people making off with the golden finial that sat atop the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory in Como Park. The object is back, but the thieves are unknown.
by Cody Nelson

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