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Stories from January 3, 2019

Scientists have 'hacked photosynthesis' in search of more productive crops

Scientists have 'hacked photosynthesis' in search of more productive crops

Scientists have re-engineered photosynthesis, the foundation of life on Earth, creating genetically modified plants that grow faster and bigger. They hope it leads to bigger harvests of food.
by Dan Charles

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'An irony': Shutdown fight over border security takes toll on immigration enforcement

'An irony': Shutdown fight over border security takes toll on immigration enforcement

The president has demanded billions for a border wall, but the ensuing standoff is taking a growing toll on immigration enforcement, including the online database that lets employers screen workers.
by Joel Rose

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Minneapolis officers will not be charged in death of Travis Jordan

Minneapolis officers will not be charged in death of Travis Jordan

Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said the two police officers were justified in using deadly force against Travis Jordan, who approached officers with a kitchen knife in his hand, during the incident last year.
by Peter Cox

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Woman shot by trooper she tried to shoot pleads guilty

Authorities say 30-year-old Melody Gray pointed a handgun at Trooper Mark Peterson's head and tried to pull the trigger after Peterson stopped following a crash on I-94 near Moorhead in March 2018.
by Associated Press

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Troops to be deployed to border to build and upgrade 160 miles of fencing

Troops to be deployed to border to build and upgrade 160 miles of fencing

The Department of Homeland Security has asked the Pentagon to provide additional active-duty troops on the Southern border. They will upgrade or add 160 miles of fencing in Arizona and California.
by Tom Bowman

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Court ruling: Minnesota Amazon proposal to stay under wraps

Court ruling: Minnesota Amazon proposal to stay under wraps

A Ramsey County District Judge ruled Thursday that a proposal to attract Amazon to the Twin Cities is not subject to the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act and therefore isn't public information.
by Riham Feshir

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Albert Lea police shoot, kill person; BCA investigating

The police department says officers responding to a 10 a.m. call for service in an alleyway shot and killed the person. No one else was injured. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is on scene.
by MPR News Staff

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What will Democrats do with control of the House?

What's the priority for Democrats this session? What can they realistically accomplish while Republicans still control the Senate and Executive branch?
by Kerri Miller and Jeffrey Bissoy

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Incoming Gov. Walz shapes his environmental, health teams

Incoming Gov. Walz shapes his environmental, health teams

Some giant pieces of Gov.-elect Tim Walz's administration slid into place Thursday when the DFLer decided who would run the state's agriculture, natural resources, health and human services departments.
by Brian Bakst

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Live coverage: U.S. House gavels into beginning of session

Live coverage: U.S. House gavels into beginning of session

Watch the first session of the 116th Congress, which includes the election for House Speaker, and a vote on new House rules.
by Kelsey Snell

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Black women caught in the crossfire of Minneapolis gun violence

Black women caught in the crossfire of Minneapolis gun violence

The gun violence rate against black women in Minneapolis is higher than for women of any other racial or ethnic group in the city. It's a reality black women confront even when the bullets miss them.
by Brandt Williams

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Remembering Daryl Dragon

Daryl Dragon, better known as the Captain in the Captain and Tennille, died Wednesday at the age of 76.
by Cathy Wurzer

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TigerSwan loses bid for attorney fees in North Dakota case

A North Dakota judge has refused to award attorney fees to a North Carolina security company that won a court case in the wake of protests over the Dakota Access oil pipeline.
by Associated Press

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To get mental health help for a child, desperate parents relinquish custody

To get mental health help for a child, desperate parents relinquish custody

Doctors told Toni and Jim Hoy their young son needed intensive, specialized care away from home — institutional services that cost at least $100,000 a year. Insurance wouldn't cover the cost.
by Christine Herman

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Target Field’s Gate 34 makeover

Target Field’s Gate 34 makeover

Construction is already underway. The Twins open the season on March 28, against the Cleveland Indians, who have become an entirely beatable team in the off-season.
by Bob Collins

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Simon’s election agenda includes felon voting

Simon’s election agenda includes felon voting

Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon is urging lawmakers to pass several election-related measures during the 2019 session, including one to restore felon voting rights.
by Tim Pugmire

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1,000 Words: Congressional kids

1,000 Words: Congressional kids

It was opening day of Congress today and while the attention is on the new members, our favorite part about opening days -- as we'll see in a week in the Minnesota Legislature -- are the kids of congresspeople who get to sit with their parents and see them one last time over the next two years.
by Bob Collins

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Emergency medical responders confront racial bias

Emergency medical responders confront racial bias

In a recent study of patients treated by emergency medical responders in Oregon, black patients were 40 percent less likely to get pain medicine than their white peers. Why?
by Kristian Foden-Vencil

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Senate sets mid-January confirmation hearing for Attorney General nominee

Senate sets mid-January confirmation hearing for Attorney General nominee

William Barr, nominated by President Trump to become attorney general, will face the Senate Jan. 15 and 16. If confirmed, Barr will replace acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker.

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DPS ‘inadvertently’ shared driver’s license data

The state shared the names and addresses of about 1,500 people with companies that administer safety recalls for vehicles even though they had requested that their information be kept private.
by Briana Bierschbach

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CIA chief pushes for more spies abroad; surveillance makes that harder

CIA chief pushes for more spies abroad; surveillance makes that harder

CIA Director Gina Haspel wants more undercover officers overseas. But in age of universal surveillance, instant online searches and social media profiles, staying below the radar is a huge challenge.
by Greg Myre

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China takes wind out of Apple iPhone sales

China takes wind out of Apple iPhone sales

Apple cut billions from its revenue estimates amid slower sales in China. In August, Apple became the first firm worth $1 trillion, but its stock is down more than 30 percent in the past three months.
by Avie Schneider

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End of the road coming for Billy Connolly

Our soft spot for Connolly comes primarily from this fact: he's one of the world's great storytellers. In 2011, he got on a trike and rode the old Route 66 across four fabulous episodes, stopping along the way, of course, to reveal that once you peel away the politics-fueled nonsense, we're a pretty absurd people.
by Bob Collins

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Ellison to target prescription drug prices, housing costs as attorney general

Ellison to target prescription drug prices, housing costs as attorney general

On Jan. 7, Keith Ellison will become the state's 30th attorney general and the fifth consecutive Democrat to hold the office. Here's a look at what he said are his top priorities.
by Tim Pugmire

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New Minn. congressional Dems see hope for cooperation in divided government

New Minn. congressional Dems see hope for cooperation in divided government

Minnesota will have three new Democrats and two new Republicans in Congress starting Thursday. And the Democrats say they hope they can find areas of agreement with President Trump.
by Mark Zdechlik

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Art Hounds: Old Log Theatre stages the farce 'Lend Me A Tenor'

Art Hounds: Old Log Theatre stages the farce 'Lend Me A Tenor'

Plus, Art Hounds recommend a Minnesota music line-up in Rochester and an installation of stainless-steel ellipses in Minneapolis.
by Marianne Combs

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January thaw begins; mostly quiet into the weekend

January thaw begins; mostly quiet into the weekend

This is the beginning of our 2019 January thaw. According to the Minnesota State Climatology Office, a January thaw is defined as “two or more consecutive days where the maximum temperature is above 32 degrees. For the Twin Cities this happens about 93% of the time.” The last time there was not a January thaw in…
by Ron Trenda

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Wisconsin town’s streets run white with toilet paper

Hustisford, Wis. starts each year with the toilet bowl, a chance for people to throw cheap rolls of toilet paper at each other.
by Bob Collins

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China goes boldly

China goes boldly

China intends to establish a human base on the moon by late in the next decade, and to send a probe to Mars that can return to Earth.
by Bob Collins

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Daily Digest: New Congress convenes today

Some Minnesota political stories in the news to get your Thursday started.
by Mike Mulcahy

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What’s on MPR News – 1/3/19

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

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Linda Gordon on 'The Second Coming of the KKK'

Linda Gordon on 'The Second Coming of the KKK'

Historian Linda Gordon speaks about the history and impact of the Ku Klux Klan in America.
by MPR News Staff

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Costly, devastating: Looking back at 2018's extreme weather

Costly, devastating: Looking back at 2018's extreme weather

What do we know about the climate change connections to the weather we hear about in the news? Paul Huttner explains.
by Paul Huttner

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Activists brace for 2019 abortion-rights battles in the states

Activists brace for 2019 abortion-rights battles in the states

The stakes are higher with a newly configured U.S. Supreme Court. Abortion-rights opponents say they're ultimately hoping to overturn Roe v. Wade.
by Sarah McCammon

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Little sign of progress on wall stalemate after Hill leaders briefed at White House

Little sign of progress on wall stalemate after Hill leaders briefed at White House

The meeting in the Situation Room comes as the effects of the partial government shutdown are growing across the country, including the closure of the National Zoo and the Smithsonian museums.

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Data indicate deaths on Minnesota roads rose in 2018

Data indicate deaths on Minnesota roads rose in 2018

More people lost their lives on Minnesota's roads last year. Initial reports indicate that 380 people died in 2018, up from 358 in 2017.
by Martin Moylan

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