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Stories from December 13, 2019

Arctic weekend ahead; 30s again before Christmas?

Arctic air seeps into Minnesota again this weekend. The longer-range forecast looks milder.
by Paul Huttner

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Blue-collar character actor Danny Aiello has died at age 86

Blue-collar character actor Danny Aiello has died at age 86

Danny Aiello, the blue-collar character actor whose long career playing tough guys included roles in “Fort Apache, the Bronx,” "Moonstruck" and “Once Upon a Time in America” and his Oscar-nominated performance as a pizza man in Spike Lee’s "Do the Right Thing," has died. He was 86.
by The Associated Press

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Minnesota U.S. senators look for answers after deadly public housing fire

Minnesota U.S. senators look for answers after deadly public housing fire

After a fire in a Minneapolis high-rise killed five residents, Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith sent a letter to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson asking about sprinkler system installation in older properties.
by Mohamed Ibrahim

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Gov. Walz to hire outside experts to study troubled agency

Gov. Walz to hire outside experts to study troubled agency

Gov Tim Walz said on Friday his administration will hire outside experts to make recommendations on whether to restructure the state's troubled Department of Human Services.
by The Associated Press

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Supreme Court to take up dispute over subpoenas for Trump records

Supreme Court to take up dispute over subpoenas for Trump records

The Supreme Court said Friday it will hear President Trump's pleas to keep his tax, bank and financial records private, a major confrontation between the president and Congress that also could affect the 2020 presidential campaign.
by The Associated Press

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Driver in deadly chase give more than 10 years in prison

A drunken driver who led police on a chase that ended with a deadly crash in Sherburne County has been sentenced to more than 10 years in prison.
by The Associated Press

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Evening Update

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City of Springfield, Allina agree on health care partnership

Allina Health will step in to provide health care at Springfield’s clinic once Mayo Clinic Health System vacates the site in March.

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A father's advice: The choice to start a family is 'an act of hope'

A father's advice: The choice to start a family is 'an act of hope'

Jessica Kibblewhite wonders whether it makes sense to bring a child into a world that seems broken and scary. At StoryCorps, her dad helps her find clarity with advice about humanity.
by Heidi Glenn and Camila Kerwin

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U of M system chief backs plan to eliminate Duluth campus debt

U of M system chief backs plan to eliminate Duluth campus debt

While the proposal to pay off Duluth’s debt won’t stop a previously announced campus cost-cutting plan, University of Minnesota system president Joan Gabel said it would offer UMD a fresh start and let leaders focus on the future.
by Dan Kraker and Peter Cox

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The science of snowflakes

The science of snowflakes

It is said no two snowflakes are alike. It turns out the temperature at the time of snowflake formation is critical to determining what type of snow crystal falls to earth.
by Paul Huttner

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Bill would grant some Liberians permanent status and path to citizenship

Bill would grant some Liberians permanent status and path to citizenship

Those in the Deferred Enforced Departure program would be eligible to apply for green cards if the measure passes the U.S. Senate next week. Community leaders in Minnesota are calling it a “huge moment” for Liberians.
by Riham Feshir

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Thinking small to make big difference on homelessness

Thinking small to make big difference on homelessness

Smaller, simpler housing units offer a way to house people for less money. Two Twin Cities organizations are looking to implement more creative and much less expensive ways to provide accommodations, with dignity and community support.
by Martin Moylan

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Friday flakes followed by weekend chill; your weekend forecast details

The heaviest snow Friday afternoon into Friday night will be in northeastern Minnesota. The Friday evening commutes could also be affected in central and southern Minnesota due to light snow and patchy freezing drizzle. We have the latest Minnesota snow depth map, plus forecast details for your weekend outdoor adventures.
by Ron Trenda

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Hidden recording devices found in student rooms at hotel

Hidden recording devices found in student rooms at hotel

A Wisconsin school district has put a staff member on leave after some students from Madison East High School found recording devices in their hotel rooms during a field trip to Minneapolis.
by The Associated Press

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Aging in Minnesota in 2019

Aging in Minnesota in 2019

MPR News recently launched a new beat dedicated to Minnesota’s aging population. Reporter Peter Cox spent the year looking at housing, employment, health care and quality of life issues that affect older Minnesotans and their families. He joins the program to talk about those stories and share what he wants to focus on in 2020.
by Peter Cox, Angela Davis and Karen Zamora

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The state of education in Minnesota in 2019

The state of education in Minnesota in 2019

MPR News education reporter Elizabeth Shockman spent her year in classrooms across the state. Some of her most memorable stories from 2019 include a story about how racism affects student learning, how libraries build community and how one teacher turned a President Trump rally into a civics class. She joins the program to talk about those stories and share what she wants to focus on in 2020.
by Karen Zamora, Angela Davis and Elizabeth Shockman

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'Inn is not full in Minnesota': Walz backs continued refugee settlement

'Inn is not full in Minnesota': Walz backs continued refugee settlement

Gov. Tim Walz on Friday gave his formal consent to letting refugees settle in Minnesota and said he rejected the intent of President Trump’s executive order requiring state and local governments to formally OK such settlements. Meanwhile, Attorney General Keith Ellison joined a lawsuit challenging the president’s executive order.
by MPR News Staff

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Cube Critics examine 'Richard Jewell,' 'Jumanji: The Next Level' and '63 Up'

Cube Critics Marcheta Fornoff and Euan Kerr discuss the controversial new Clint Eastwood film, the latest from the Rock and Kevin Hart, and the ninth episode in the documentary series begun in 1964.
by Euan Kerr and Marcheta Fornoff

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Snow Friday, then another arctic blast of cold air for the weekend

A snowstorm Friday will bring everything from heavy snow in the North Shore to freezing drizzle for parts of southern Minnesota. Then frigid air settles in for a cold weekend ahead.
by Nicole Mitchell

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Declining enrollment forces closure of 3 Burnsville, Savage schools

Declining enrollment forces closure of 3 Burnsville, Savage schools

The Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District board voted Thursday to close Sioux Trail Elementary School and Metcalf Middle School in Burnsville and Marion W. Savage Elementary School in Savage.
by Riham Feshir

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Snow and freezing rain to slow Friday travel

Another snowstorm moves across Minnesota Friday bringing everything from heavy snow in the North Shore to freezing drizzle for parts of southern Minnesota.
by Nicole Mitchell

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MPR News Update

December 13. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer.

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Environmental, nuclear worries force Prairie Island tribe to seek new lands

Environmental, nuclear worries force Prairie Island tribe to seek new lands

Long-standing concerns about flooding and the nearby nuclear plant have led Prairie Island to seek property inland from the tribe’s ancestral Mississippi River home. It’s a journey that carries hope and pain.
by Catharine Richert

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Beans for breakfast: Egg replacement innovation puts western MN on the protein map

Beans for breakfast: Egg replacement innovation puts western MN on the protein map

A California company that aims to disrupt the food industry is bringing a key part of its operation to western Minnesota — and the acquisition of a small, family-owned business could be a big economic boost for the small city of Appleton.
by Dan Gunderson

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Decade's dozen: The top 12 Minnesota politics stories of the past 10 years

Decade's dozen: The top 12 Minnesota politics stories of the past 10 years

From the longest government shutdown in state history to the rise and fall of the state’s most prominent politicians, a list of the top stories that dominated the decade in Minnesota politics.
by Briana Bierschbach

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Boris Johnson and Conservative Party win large majority in UK Parliament

Boris Johnson and Conservative Party win large majority in UK Parliament

Preliminary results give a resounding victory to Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Conservative Party, all but ensuring the United Kingdom will exit the European Union early next year.
by Mark Katkov

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Despite warning of 2nd eruption, NZ teams recover 6 bodies on White Island

Despite warning of 2nd eruption, NZ teams recover 6 bodies on White Island

Specialists went to the volcanic island Friday morning local time in a dangerous operation, as scientists warned of a roughly even likelihood of a fresh eruption. Eight people were killed Monday.
by Richard Gonzales and Paolo Zialcita

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Funeral held for Guard member killed in helicopter crash

Funeral held for Guard member killed in helicopter crash

Hundreds of mourners filed into St. John's Abbey Church through the bitter cold and snow Thursday afternoon for the funeral Mass of Kort Plantenberg, one of three Minnesota National Guard members killed last week in a helicopter crash.
by Kirsti Marohn

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