Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now

Stories from January 16, 2020

Still on track: Major winter storm moves in Friday

Still on track: Major winter storm moves in Friday

The weather table is all set. Now we wait for the wintry guests to arrive. Western Minnesota should start seeing flakes this morning, with the Twin Cities joining the fun around lunchtime.
by Paul Huttner

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

Christopher Tolkien, 'Middle-earth's first scholar,' dies at 95

J.R.R. Tolkien's son was instrumental in cultivating his father's legacy, shepherding unpublished works to readers and helping extend the world of “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings.”
by Colin Dwyer

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Gophers' Pitts says she's transferring amid suspension

Gophers' Pitts says she's transferring amid suspension

Minnesota leading scorer Destiny Pitts said Thursday she is transferring after the Gophers suspended her for unspecified “conduct unbecoming a member of the team.”
by The Associated Press

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
TSA says it seized a record number of firearms at U.S. airports last year

TSA says it seized a record number of firearms at U.S. airports last year

The Transportation Security Administration said 87 percent of the guns taken at U.S. airport checkpoints in 2019 were loaded. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International had the most firearms confiscated: 323.
by Brakkton Booker

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Stealth disease likely to blame for 20 percent of worldwide deaths

Stealth disease likely to blame for 20 percent of worldwide deaths

Sepsis, or blood poisoning, arises when the body overreacts to an infection. An analysis finds that it may be involved in 20 percent of deaths worldwide, twice the proportion previously estimated.
by Richard Harris

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Wait is over for Minnesota voters anxious to make 2020 picks

Wait is over for Minnesota voters anxious to make 2020 picks

Starting Friday, the first Minnesota votes will be cast in the presidential race. Absentee and in-person begins ahead of the “Super Tuesday” primary on March 3. There is a safety valve if the race changes in coming weeks.
by Brian Bakst

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Connect to the cold: Why you should consider winter camping

Connect to the cold: Why you should consider winter camping

With a little preparation, winter camping can give you a chance to connect to a quiet, serene outdoors and quick access to some of your favorite winter activities.
by Matt Mikus

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Sober curious? Here’s what happens when you abstain from alcohol

Sober curious? Here’s what happens when you abstain from alcohol

Drinking alcohol is a big part of how we socialize. But increasingly, people are choosing to abstain for a month or more for personal reasons. What happens when we cut out booze?
by Angela Davis and Karen Zamora

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Major winter storm takes aim: A foot of snow and whiteout conditions likely

Major winter storm takes aim: A foot of snow and whiteout conditions likely

The forecast model snowfall output is pretty consistent and clusters around an 8- to 12-inch range for much of Minnesota by Saturday afternoon. In the Twin Cities, expect snow to begin Friday between about 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
by Paul Huttner

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

MPR News Update

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Counter Stories: Sisters in Loss

Counter Stories: Sisters in Loss

The Counter Stories team look at the effect of implicit bias and institutional racism on women’s reproductive health.

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Friday snowstorm will deliver heavy snow, with whiteout conditions possible in some areas

Friday snowstorm will deliver heavy snow, with whiteout conditions possible in some areas

A snowstorm will spread heavy snow across much of Minnesota and western Wisconsin Friday and Friday night. Strong winds could cause whiteout conditions at times. We have an update on who can expect the most snow amounts and the strongest winds.
by Ron Trenda

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Why Iran's economy has not collapsed amid U.S. sanctions and 'maximum pressure'

Why Iran's economy has not collapsed amid U.S. sanctions and 'maximum pressure'

The Trump administration is applying what it calls a "maximum pressure" campaign on Iran. Although the economy has been hit hard, Iranians have managed to live under sanctions for four decades.
by Jackie Northam

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

MPR News Update

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Flyover 2020: Identity Politics

Flyover 2020: Identity Politics

What’s the role of identity politics in the flipped counties of the Midwest?
by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

MPR News Update

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

MPR News Update

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Trump broke the law in freezing Ukraine funds, watchdog report concludes

Trump broke the law in freezing Ukraine funds, watchdog report concludes

The Government Accountability Office opined on Thursday that the Trump administration's actions in the Ukraine affair went beyond the bounds of a law called the Impoundment Control Act.
by Ayesha Rascoe

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
PolyMet will appeal permit ruling to Minnesota Supreme Court

PolyMet will appeal permit ruling to Minnesota Supreme Court

PolyMet President and CEO Jon Cherry said in a statement that Monday's decision from the Court of Appeals has far-reaching impacts for Minnesota and any future project that depends on state permits.
by The Associated Press

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Whiteout conditions possible as massive snowstorm targets Minnesota

Whiteout conditions possible as massive snowstorm targets Minnesota

Snow will begin falling across western Minnesota Friday morning, spreading through the rest of the state by afternoon. Much of the state will see 6 inches of snow or more. Central Minnesota and the North Shore could get buried by as much as a foot of snow.
by Nicole Mitchell

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

Policast: Early voting eve in Minnesota; Iowa voters talk about Klobuchar

On today’s edition, we learn about how early voting will work in Minnesota. It starts Friday. And Iowa voters talk about Amy Klobuchar and the other presidential contenders.
by Elizabeth Dunbar

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

Ukraine opens probe of possible surveillance of ambassador

Ukrainian police said Thursday they have opened an investigation into the possibility that the U.S. ambassador came under illegal surveillance by an unknown party before she was recalled from her post in May.
by The Associated Press

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

A dangerously cold Thursday morning across Minnesota

All of Minnesota is starting off Thursday under a wind chill advisory with most of state seeing wind chills of at least minus 20, and northwestern Minnesota feeling as cold as minus 40 at times.
by Nicole Mitchell

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Trump to reinforce protections for prayer in schools

Trump to reinforce protections for prayer in schools

The president is expected to remind public schools that students have constitutional rights to prayer — and that they could risk losing federal funds unless those rights are protected.
by Franco Ordoñez

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
'Kingdomtide' and 'Dear Edward': 2 new novels take on a singular situation

'Kingdomtide' and 'Dear Edward': 2 new novels take on a singular situation

If the chances of dying in a plane crash are slim, being the sole survivor is even less likely — but that's the premise for two new novels, Ann Napolitano's Dear Edward and Rye Curtis's Kingdomtide.
by Heller McAlpin

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

MPR News Update

January 16. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer.

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Giuliani associate: Trump had knowledge of Ukraine pressure

Giuliani associate: Trump had knowledge of Ukraine pressure

Lev Parnas says he delivered an ultimatum in May to the incoming president of Ukraine that no senior U.S. officials would attend his inauguration and all American aid to the war-torn country would be withheld if an investigation into Joe Biden wasn't announced.
by The Associated Press

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Trump's trial begins, senators vowing 'impartial justice'

Trump's trial begins, senators vowing 'impartial justice'

The U.S. Senate opened the impeachment trial of President Trump with quiet ceremony Thursday, senators standing at their desks to swear an oath of “impartial justice” as jurors on the president's fate.
by The Associated Press

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Iranian U of M students mourn victims of Ukraine airline crash

Iranian U of M students mourn victims of Ukraine airline crash

The number of Iranian students at the university is small, only about 130 on a campus of 51,000. But Wednesday evening, around 70 of them paused for several hours to reflect on the tragedy and remember those who died.
by Matt Sepic

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Minnesota’s 2020 presidential primary: Pick a party, then a candidate

Minnesota’s 2020 presidential primary: Pick a party, then a candidate

Absentee and in-person early voting opens Friday in Minnesota’s first presidential primary since 1992. With it comes a party designation process many Minnesota voters aren’t accustomed to.
by Brian Bakst

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Older actors find a stage where age is no problem

Older actors find a stage where age is no problem

At Theatre 55, people get to play parts they thought were outside their range.
by Peter Cox

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Art Hounds: Abstract reflections on rural flight

Art Hounds: Abstract reflections on rural flight

Heidi Jeub's abstract paintings contemplate what it means for a community to lose itself. Plus, Art Hounds recommend a visit to Franconia Sculpture Park in the heart of winter, and a storyteller's account of "How the Wild West was Spun."
by Marianne Combs

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Humankind documentary: 'Ida B. Wells' Battle to Uncover the Truth'

Humankind documentary: 'Ida B. Wells' Battle to Uncover the Truth'

A Humankind documentary about a groundbreaking investigative reporter called, “Ida B. Wells’ Battle to Uncover the Truth.”

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
2019 was the 2nd-hottest year on record, according to NASA and NOAA

2019 was the 2nd-hottest year on record, according to NASA and NOAA

Last year's data collected by the agencies is the latest confirmation that the Earth is steadily getting hotter. The planet is now almost 1 degree Celsius warmer than it was in the mid-20th century.
by Rebecca Hersher

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Decoding National Weather Service forecast discussions

Decoding National Weather Service forecast discussions

NWS technical area forecast discussions give meteorologists and others deeper insight into NWS forecast thinking and mechanics.
by Paul Huttner

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!