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Stories from December 20, 2019

Landlord Frenz sentenced to jail time for lying on housing court documents

Landlord Frenz sentenced to jail time for lying on housing court documents

A Hennepin County judge has sentenced a controversial Minneapolis landlord to 60 days in jail. A jury last October convicted Stephen Frenz, 56, of felony perjury.
by Matt Sepic

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Researcher: Data on 267 million Facebook users exposed

Researcher: Data on 267 million Facebook users exposed

A Ukrainian security researcher says a database with the names, phone numbers and unique user IDs of more than 267 million Facebook users was exposed on the open internet for at least 10 days this month.
by The Associated Press

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A surprising and satisfying historical novel

A surprising and satisfying historical novel

Téa Obreht returns after nearly a decade with a new novel that weaves American history together with some truly strange happenings in the desert.
by Tracy Mumford

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Conflicts over political speech at University of Minnesota prompt calls for action

Conflicts over political speech at University of Minnesota prompt calls for action

Administrators and students are working together to mend divisive political discourse at the University of Minnesota’s Twin Cities campus. Recent controversies have forced dialogue about freedom of expression among students and staff at the school.
by Nick Scheffler

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Climate Issues: Where 2020 Democrats stand on the Green New Deal and more

Climate Issues: Where 2020 Democrats stand on the Green New Deal and more

While most Democratic presidential candidates support the goals laid out in the Green New Deal, they differ on specifics like a carbon tax, nuclear energy and federal spending to fight climate change.
by Alyson Hurt, Danielle Kurtzleben and Lexie Schapitl

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Weeks from Iowa vote, Klobuchar steps up hits on Buttigieg

Weeks from Iowa vote, Klobuchar steps up hits on Buttigieg

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar is stepping up her criticism of Pete Buttigieg, the major of a small Indiana city, as she embarks on a four-day tour of Iowa, the first state to vote in the Democratic presidential primary.
by The Associated Press

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Evening Update

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December thaw arrives: 40s ahead weekend

A mild Pacific air mass brings temperatures 15 degrees warmer than average.
by Paul Huttner

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Vatican office lifts veil, revealing vast caseload of abuse

Vatican office lifts veil, revealing vast caseload of abuse

The Vatican office responsible for investigating clergy sex abuse cases says it is overwhelmed. A record 1,000 cases have been reported in 2019, many of them from countries not heard from before. The tribunal has long been a secretive branch of the Vatican. Now, it is opening up.
by The Associated Press

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St. Paul cops seek suspects in rash of parking lot assaults on women

St. Paul cops seek suspects in rash of parking lot assaults on women

St. Paul police posted a shocking video of a Sunday assault where a woman was dragged by the assailants’ car. She was not seriously hurt but police said it showed the urgency of finding the suspects.
by Matt Sepic

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Silver carp caught in SW Minn. for first time

Silver carp caught in SW Minn. for first time

The DNR says it captured an invasive silver carp in a southwestern Minnesota river. The agency says it’s likely that high water levels this year helped the fish swim far upstream.
by Kirsti Marohn

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Newcomer wolves kill Isle Royale National Park's oldest gray wolf

Newcomer wolves kill Isle Royale National Park's oldest gray wolf

Officials say the oldest gray wolf at Isle Royale National Park has died. The 12-year-old male apparently was killed by other wolves on the Lake Superior island chain. He was one of two survivors that remained when officials decided to relocate mainland wolves to the park to rebuild its population.
by The Associated Press

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Prosecutors: No charges for U wrestlers accused of sex assault

Prosecutors: No charges for U wrestlers accused of sex assault

“Conflicting versions” of events made it difficult to prove a case against the wrestlers that would meet a criminal court’s “beyond reasonable doubt” threshold, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said Friday.
by MPR News Staff

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Do you really need a flu shot? Here's how to decide

Do you really need a flu shot? Here's how to decide

The internet abounds with myths about the relative risks of flu and flu shots, maybe partly because it's an annual shot and nobody likes needles. Here's the latest on what you might need — and why.
by Tara Haelle

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2 years later, Trump tax cuts have failed to deliver on GOP's promises

2 years later, Trump tax cuts have failed to deliver on GOP's promises

President Trump said it would be "rocket fuel for our economy," but the Republican tax cut passed two years ago did not pay for itself as promised — nor did it deliver a sustained boost to growth.
by Scott Horsley

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Holiday bummer: Flu spreads widely in Minnesota just in time for season's gatherings

Holiday bummer: Flu spreads widely in Minnesota just in time for season's gatherings

Winter break is here for schools, but health officials say there will be plenty of other opportunities for the virus to spread at holiday parties and family gatherings.
by Cathy Wurzer and Elizabeth Dunbar

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Weekend weather: Unusually warm; best snow conditions on Saturday

Our average Twin Cities high temperature is 25 degrees on Dec. 21 and 22. We’ll be seeing highs in the lower 40s this weekend. Some of our snow cover will melt.
by Ron Trenda

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Calling Trump 'morally Lost,' Christianity Today editor calls for impeachment

Calling Trump 'morally Lost,' Christianity Today editor calls for impeachment

Mark Galli compares President Trump to an abusive husband who "needs to be out of the house." Galli says he felt compelled to say "what's going on, what the facts on the ground are."
by Bill Chappell

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In nearly every U.S. metro area, new data show opportunity lags for kids of color

In nearly every U.S. metro area, new data show opportunity lags for kids of color

NPR got an early look at data showing vastly different opportunities for children of different races across the United States living just neighborhoods apart. Albany, N.Y., has some of the greatest inequities.
by Pam Fessler

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2019 likely to be wettest year in state history

February was the also snowiest in state history with most places reporting between 30 and 40 inches, and Rosemount reporting over 56 inches.
by Cathy Wurzer and Mark Seeley

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Man fatally shot in north Minneapolis

Minneapolis police say the man was found shot inside his vehicle, which crashed.
by Alisa Roth

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The Code Switch holiday book guide

The Code Switch holiday book guide

A book is still a perfect gift. So, because we're betting that some people have a bit of the procrastinator in them, here's a Code Switch gift to you: Our list of books that stuck with us this year.
by Karen Grigsby Bates

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MPR News Update

by Cathy Wurzer

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December thaw! Wintry mix possible in northeastern Minnesota

Your Friday forecast includes some very mild temperatures. Parts of northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin could see some flurries and drizzle/freezing drizzle at times.
by Ron Trenda

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Impeachment trial plans in disarray as Congress heads home

Impeachment trial plans in disarray as Congress heads home

Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi insisted Thursday that Senate Republicans must provide details on witnesses and testimony before she would send over the charges for Trump's trial. No deal, replied Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell after meeting with his Senate Democratic counterpart.
by The Associated Press

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Nurses urge Fairview Health Services to reveal plans for cuts

Nurses urge Fairview Health Services to reveal plans for cuts

Members of the Minnesota Nurses Association fear cuts to two downtown St. Paul hospitals could have implications across the state, as Fairview Health Services considers how to cut costs to deal with an $80 million net loss this year.
by Nina Moini

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‘Work hard to make it look easy’: Winona basketball announcer hits 1,000th game

‘Work hard to make it look easy’: Winona basketball announcer hits 1,000th game

Ray Felton has been volunteering as the voice of Winona high school sports since the mid-1990s. On Friday, he’s announcing his 1,000th game for the Winona Senior High School Winhawks.
by Catharine Richert

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In International Falls, the last psychiatrist for 100 miles just retired

In International Falls, the last psychiatrist for 100 miles just retired

The lack of psychiatrists in this town near the Canadian border shows just how tough it is to recruit mental-health care providers to rural or remote areas.
by Alisa Roth

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Vaping related lung injuries climb past 2,500 and 54 deaths

Vaping related lung injuries climb past 2,500 and 54 deaths

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said most people who have had lung injuries after vaping had consumed THC-containing products.
by Vanessa Romo

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Key takeaways from Democratic presidential debate in L.A.

Key takeaways from Democratic presidential debate in L.A.

Democratic presidential candidates offered two very different debates during their final forum of 2019. In the first half they spent much of their time making the case for their electability in contest with President Donald Trump. The second half was filled with friction over money in politics, Afghanistan and experience.
by The Associated Press

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Immigration: Where 2020 Democratic candidates stand on border crossings and more

Immigration: Where 2020 Democratic candidates stand on border crossings and more

Democrats are unified against President Trump's immigration stances, but many do not have clear positions on specific policies related to border security and immigration levels.
by Alyson Hurt, Danielle Kurtzleben and Lexie Schapitl

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Navigating race, class and communities in 2019

Navigating race, class and communities in 2019

MPR News’ race, class and communities team focuses on covering issues that expand the narrative of what it means to be Indigenous, working class or a person of color in Minnesota. A reporter and editor from the team join the show to share some of their most memorable stories from 2019 and to look ahead to 2020.
by Laura Yuen, Riham Feshir, Angela Davis and Karen Zamora

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Analysis: December Democratic debate

Analysis: December Democratic debate

Seven candidates are onstage Thursday night for the sixth Democratic presidential debate.
by NPR Staff

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UMD, ex-hockey coach reach $4.5 million settlement

UMD, ex-hockey coach reach $4.5 million settlement

Shannon Miller will receive more than $2 million, with the balance going to her attorneys. The university maintains its denial of any wrongdoing.

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See where Democratic candidates unite and differ on gun policy

See where Democratic candidates unite and differ on gun policy

Democrats running for president are largely unified on proposals like an assault weapons ban and red flag laws. Divisions exist over implementing gun buyback programs as voluntary or mandatory.
by Danielle Kurtzleben , Lexie Schapitl and Elena Burnett

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