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Stories from August 14, 2020

Officer in Floyd case told investigators he was focused on protecting other cops from bystanders

Prosecutors argued Friday that former Minneapolis Police Officer Tou Thao prevented bystanders from intervening to save Floyd's life. And President Trump is set to visit Mankato on Monday. This is an MPR News evening update for Friday, Aug. 14, 2020. Hosted by Nina Moini. Music by Gary Meister.
by Nina Moini

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Report: Post Office warns 46 states about mail voting delays

Report: Post Office warns 46 states about mail voting delays

The U.S. Postal Service has sent letters to 46 states, warning it cannot guarantee all ballots cast by mail for the November election will arrive in time to be counted.
by The Associated Press

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New novel by Akwaeke Emezi explores grief, love and spirituality

New novel by Akwaeke Emezi explores grief, love and spirituality

Akwaeke Emezi’s latest novel, “The Death of Vivek Oji,” delves into grief, different types of love and identity. Miller spoke with the author about the inspiration for the book.
by Kerri Miller and Breann Schossow

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Minneapolis mayor calls for unity, outlines broad plan for city budget

Minneapolis mayor calls for unity, outlines broad plan for city budget

In order to make up lost revenue, Mayor Jacob Frey said he’s proposing a 5.75 percent property tax levy. Frey said he wants to avoid staff cuts as much as possible. His staff is working on volunteer early retirement incentives to encourage more senior staff to step down.
by Marianne Combs

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Trump, GOP make big-city safety worries a campaign issue

Trump, GOP make big-city safety worries a campaign issue

As President Donald Trump competes for a Minnesota win, he and other Republicans are making crime and unrest a central focus of their campaigns.
by Brian Bakst

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Housing advocate Jamal Osman defeats 10 others in Mpls. Ward 6 race

Housing advocate Jamal Osman defeats 10 others in Mpls. Ward 6 race

Minneapolis City Council Ward 6 has lacked a representative throughout the George Floyd protests and the coronavirus pandemic. After three days, election officials finally announced Jamal's win.

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Weekend forecast: Quiet weekend after Friday evening storms

Friday afternoon and Friday evening will feature some strong to severe thunderstorms in parts of Minnesota and western Wisconsin. The storms linger into the overnight hours, but the daylight hours of Saturday are looking pretty good. We have your weekend forecast details.
by Ron Trenda

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Eagle attacks woman along North Shore, bystander comes to the rescue

Eagle attacks woman along North Shore, bystander comes to the rescue

Cascade Lodge and Restaurant head kitchen manager Bernie Banks happened to be outside when he saw the eagle attacking the woman.

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Trump set to campaign Monday in Mankato

Trump set to campaign Monday in Mankato

President Donald Trump will appear at the local airport for a 2 p.m. speech Monday on jobs and the economy.
by Brian Bakst

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Sports on hold for some young athletes in a summer marked by COVID-19

Sports on hold for some young athletes in a summer marked by COVID-19

Athletes across Minnesota had to rethink how and when they practice their sports — or skip their seasons completely — to avoid getting and spreading the coronavirus.
by Catharine Richert

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After 30 years of service, Warroad's school nurse prepares for a year unlike any before

Schools across the state are still finalizing plans for the return of classes this fall. For districts where students will be coming back into the classroom, at least in some capacity, there's a lot of pressure on school nurses. Nurse Deb Landin in Warroad, Minn. spoke with MPR News host Cathy Wurzer.
by Cathy Wurzer

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Foxconn's $100 million pledge to university largely unmet

The University of Wisconsin-Madison has received less than 1 percent of the money that Taiwan-based Foxconn Technology Group pledged to it two years ago amid the electronics giant's expansion plans in Wisconsin.
by The Associated Press

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Widespread severe weather expected Friday

Widespread severe weather expected Friday

Minnesota sees very active weather Friday with widespread showers and storms across the state, including areas of severe weather and heavy rain. Much quieter weather returns over the weekend.
by Nicole Mitchell

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Intense storms drop heavy rain, large hail

Spotty, but very intense, thunderstorms set several single-day rainfall records recently. MPR News host Cathy Wurzer checked in with retired University of Minnesota climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley about the latest wild weather.

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‘She was a legend’: Quetico ranger remembered for her guidance, grit

‘She was a legend’: Quetico ranger remembered for her guidance, grit

Janice Matichuk, the longest-serving interior ranger in the history of Quetico Provincial Park, died last week from brain cancer. For 35 years she greeted canoeists crossing from the Boundary Waters into Canada at the remote Cache Bay Ranger station, on a small island on Saganaga Lake, at the end of the Gunflint Trail.
by Dan Kraker

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St. Paul rebuilding efforts inch along

St. Paul officials estimate 300 businesses were damaged during the civil unrest in late May. In Minneapolis, the number was closer to 1,300 businesses. City officials in both cities expect rebuilding in critical business corridors could take 10 years. This is an MPR News morning update for August 14, 2020. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.

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More U.S. churches sue to challenge COVID-19 restrictions

More U.S. churches sue to challenge COVID-19 restrictions

Churches in California and Minnesota, backed by a conservative legal group, filed lawsuits this week against the governors of their states challenging restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus outbreak that they contend are violations of religious liberty.
by The Associated Press

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Aug. 14 update on COVID-19 in MN: Keep it off campus; mind your sanitizer

Aug. 14 update on COVID-19 in MN: Keep it off campus; mind your sanitizer

The state’s infectious disease director is urging college students to “lay low” before returning to their schools and warning against attending big parties, road trips and other gatherings that could ultimately bring the disease to campus.
by MPR News Staff

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Poll: Biden expands lead, a third of country says it won't get vaccinated

Poll: Biden expands lead, a third of country says it won't get vaccinated

The Democratic nominee for president now leads President Trump by 11 points. And more people are worried about the coronavirus, but 35 percent still say they won't get vaccinated when one's available.
by Domenico Montanaro

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Political conventions will likely never be the same

Political conventions will likely never be the same

The pandemic forced this years conventions to go virtual. That won't be the end of the change, as future gatherings shift from the age of television to the world of social media and viral moments.
by Don Gonyea

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St. Paul rebuilding efforts inch along after civil unrest

St. Paul rebuilding efforts inch along after civil unrest

St. Paul officials estimate 300 businesses were damaged during the civil unrest in late May. City officials say rebuilding in critical business corridors could take 10 years.
by Nina Moini

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Ex-cop's video captures crowd's horror during Floyd arrest

Ex-cop's video captures crowd's horror during Floyd arrest

Tou Thao kept the crowd at bay while three other Minneapolis officers pinned George Floyd to the ground. Newly released video from Thao’s body camera shows onlookers’ growing distress as they fear Floyd is dying and plead with the officers to get off him.
by Matt Sepic, Riham Feshir and Jeff Baenen, Associated Press

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