Stories from February 18, 2020

February 18, 2020 5:25 PM

Minnesotan, Army vet lands spot on Netflix fashion competition show

Julian Woodhouse appears on “Next in Fashion,” but his brand has more in the works than reality TV.

by Tarkor Zehn

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February 18, 2020 5:06 PM

Downtown St. Cloud starts cleanup after Press Bar fire

St. Cloud will recover from the loss of an iconic building with a colorful history dating back more than a century, the city’s mayor says.

by Kirsti Marohn

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February 18, 2020 4:58 PM

Walz proposes adding $30 million to depleted state natural disaster account

Walz said his supplemental budget proposal next month will include a $30 million request for the Disaster Assistance Contingency Account. He said he wants money added soon to make sure the state is prepared for spring flooding.

by Tim Pugmire

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February 18, 2020 4:56 PM

Brighter days: Minnesota gaining 3 minutes of daylight per day now

Starting this week, daylight increases at the rate of three minutes per day in the Twin Cities and Minnesota.

by Paul Huttner

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February 18, 2020 4:26 PM

Standoff looms over election security, provisional ballots

Minnesota’s share of federal election security funding is hung up. Senate Republicans want a provisional balloting system to accompany authorization of the new spending.

by Brian Bakst

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February 18, 2020 3:58 PM

How warming winters are affecting everything

Winters are warming faster than summers in many places, and colder parts of the U.S. are warming faster than hotter ones. The warming winter climate has year-round consequences across the country.

by Amy Mayer, Molly Samuel, Mose Buchele, Nat Herz, Lauren Sommer, Patty Wight and Michael Elizabeth Sakas

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February 18, 2020 2:09 PM

The changing role of grandparents

Growing numbers of grandparents are taking on the responsibility of raising their grandchildren. Many of them need to update their techniques.

by Jim Bickal and Angela Davis

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February 18, 2020 1:33 PM

Deep freeze now; 40s possible this weekend

Subzero temperatures dominate Minnesota again overnight. Highs in the 40s are possible this weekend.

by Paul Huttner

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February 18, 2020 1:06 PM

Trump commutes sentence of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich

The move would free Blagojevich, once seen as a rising star in the Democratic Party, from federal prison four years before he would have been eligible for parole and clear his convictions.

by Bobby Allyn

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February 18, 2020 11:14 AM

Minnesota businesses feeling crunch as coronavirus spreads

Professor Karthik Natarajan with the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota spoke with MPR News host Cathy Wurzer about the economic impact of the virus.

by Cathy Wurzer

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February 18, 2020 11:00 AM

An exploration of women at work

What changes are women making to today’s workforce? Our guest author and photographer portrays how roles are shifting and what future generations can learn.

by Kerri Miller and Breann Schossow

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February 18, 2020 10:12 AM

Uber whistleblower takes on Silicon Valley, armed with Stoic philosophy

In 2017, Susan Fowler published a blog post that revealed Uber's misogynistic corporate culture — and helped change the world. In her memoir, she urges readers not to see her as a victim.

by Camila Domonoske

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February 18, 2020 9:04 AM

HealthPartners strike averted after tentative deal reached

Marathon negotiations ended with a tentative agreement for 1,800 health care workers. SEIU said the deal includes a 7.5 percent wage increase over three years, and protects health plan benefits and overtime.

by Tim Nelson

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February 18, 2020 8:19 AM

Cold air returns, accompanied by more sunshine

Colder air will grip the state through the middle of the week, but by the weekend, temperatures climb well above average. Sunshine prevails most of the week ahead.

by Nicole Mitchell

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February 18, 2020 6:47 AM

Another cold snap for Minnesota

Cooler air has settled back in across the state, and parts of northern Minnesota are seeing lingering snow Tuesday morning.

by Nicole Mitchell

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February 18, 2020 6:25 AM

Losing sleep over the quest for a perfect night's rest

A boom in technology promising to improve sleep has an ironic side effect: orthosomnia. Thanks to sleep trackers, people get so obsessed with perfect sleep that they are losing sleep over it.

by Shannon Bond

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February 18, 2020 6:23 AM

MPR News Update

February 18. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer.

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February 18, 2020 5:29 AM

Bloomberg makes debate stage, facing Dem rivals for 1st time

The Democratic National Committee recently changed its rules for how a candidate qualifies for the debate, opening the door for Mike Bloomberg to be on stage and drawing the ire of some candidates who dropped out of the race for failing to make prior stages.

by The Associated Press

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February 18, 2020 4:00 AM

Bipartisan agreement at Capitol: Enough with the robocalls

Minnesota legislators in both parties hope to crack down on spam and spoof calls, but the telecommunications industry warns it’s easier said than done.

by Brian Bakst

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February 18, 2020 4:00 AM

After hellish ice fishing season, Minnesota resorts say they need help

Heavy snow and thin ice nearly shut down this year’s ice fishing season across much of northern Minnesota. Now, resort owners are hoping for state loans to recover from what they’re calling a natural disaster. Lake Winnibigoshish seemed to get the worst of it.

by John Enger

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February 18, 2020 1:26 AM

Boy Scouts of America files for bankruptcy

The Boy Scouts of America has $1.4 billion in assets. The national organization may hope that its bankruptcy filing will shield the even larger assets of its local councils.

by Wade Goodwyn and Laurel Wamsley

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February 18, 2020 12:00 AM

Policast: Bipartisan push against robocalls; MN resort owners ask for state help

Today’s check-in on Minnesota politics from MPR News looks at an effort by Republicans and Democrats at the Capitol to end certain robocalls. Meanwhile, northern Minnesota resort owners are asking the state for help after bad ice conditions this season.

by Elizabeth Dunbar