Stories from September 4, 2020

Charges: MN 'Boogaloo Bois' man sought terror group's help to sow violence
Federal prosecutors say Michael Solomon, 30, of New Brighton, and another man tried to sell untraceable gun parts to an undercover FBI informant they believed to be with Hamas, in order to fund potential acts of violence.
Minnesota Infectious Disease director Kris Ehresmann says simple backyard gatherings and weddings are accounting for much of a steep climb in cases. This is the Minnesota Today afternoon update for Friday, Sept. 4, 2020. Hosted by Nina Moini. Our music is by Gary Meister.
The weekend looks nice overall. But severe storms could erupt Saturday night.
Hmong community leaders share thoughts on education, economy and politics
A lot has changed in Minnesota’s Hmong community since the first Hmong refugees arrived to the Twin Cities in the 1970s. Host Angela Davis talks with three Hmong community leaders about education, the economy and politics and what’s being done to address remaining disparities.
Washington releases Adrian Peterson, turns to young backs
The team announced the stunning move Friday, less than 36 hours before NFL rosters must be trimmed to the 53-man limit and nine days before the start of the regular season.
Weekend forecast: Summery Saturday and Sunday; cooler on Labor Day
If you want to squeeze in some summer activities this weekend, you’re in luck. Saturday and Sunday will be summery, but temperatures will retreat on Labor Day. Some areas could see strong to severe thunderstorms Saturday night. Here are the forecast details.
How to care for older people in the pandemic (and a printable guide!)
Three experts share advice on how to help the older people in our lives — parents, grandparents, neighbors, relatives, friends — feel comfortable and safe in the pandemic.
Another COVID-19 ripple effect: Many meat processors booked up through deer season
As the fall hunting season prepares to ramp up this month, some local butchers and meat markets might have to turn their game customers away. Many processors are already operating at full capacity — a ripple effect of COVID-19 closures at major pork and beef processors this spring.
President Trump's new COVID-19 adviser is making public health experts nervous
Dr. Scott Atlas is a radiologist from Stanford with some unorthodox ideas about managing the pandemic. The White House says his thinking is just what's needed, but scientists aren't so sure.
The annual State Fair weather quiz with Mark Seeley is on
The Minnesota State Fair might be canceled, but there’s no way we would have let the annual weather quiz with Mark Seeley go on hiatus for a pandemic. For the 24th year in a row, Seeley took listeners’ questions about the weather and quizzed them back.
On beaches quieted by the pandemic, Lebanon sees sea turtle boom
As Lebanon reels from multiple tragedies, conservationists are pointing to one bright spot. They say a record number of endangered green sea turtles have come to nest on the country's shores.
Quieter weather prevails most of Friday and Saturday, then conditions turn much more active and colder temperatures settle in.
Minnesota man rescued after 4 days trapped under fallen tree
The 59-year-old was cutting down oak trees Aug. 27 near Redwood Falls when a one of them fell and landed on his legs, according to the Redwood County Sheriff's Office. He was found Monday in a ravine about 100 yards from his house with both of his legs pinned.
Trump denies calling U.S. war dead 'losers,' 'suckers'
President Donald Trump is angrily denying a report that he made disparaging remarks about U.S. service members who have been captured or killed, including that he described American war dead at the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in France in 2018 as “losers” and “suckers.”
U.S. unemployment rate falls to 8.4 percent even as hiring slows
Employers added 1.4 million jobs last month, the Labor Department said, down from 1.7 million in July and the fewest since hiring resumed in May. The economy has recovered barely half the 22 million jobs that vanished when the pandemic paralyzed the nation in early spring.  
Car rams into Black Lives Matter protesters in Times Square
One video of the attack shows a dark sedan plowing into a crowd of people standing in front of the vehicle. The car lurches through an intersection, leaving a chorus of screaming people in its wake.
Friday brings less wind and milder temperatures after a crisp start to the day.
Students are scheduled to move into campus housing at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities in mid-September. School leaders have made significant changes to dormitory rules and health services to make the fall semester as safe as possible for students and staff.
Gov. Tim Walz says he doesn’t want to impose new curbs on daily life in Minnesota. But as COVID-19 cases climb, he’s warning the state sits at a “tipping point” in the pandemic and that people must change their behavior or risk a return to more restrictions. This is an MPR News morning update for Friday, September 4, 2020. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.
Suspect in fatal shooting of Portland right-wing protester killed by law enforcement
A team of law enforcement officers fatally shot a man suspected of being the gunman who killed a supporter of a right-wing group in Portland, Ore., last week after a caravan of Donald Trump backers rode through downtown. 
Sept. 4 update on COVID-19 in MN: 10 more deaths; 856 new cases
The newest numbers come a day after Gov. Tim Walz warned that Minnesota sits at a “tipping point” in the pandemic and that people must change their behavior or risk a return to more restrictions on daily life.
Judge largely backs state regulators’ handling of PolyMet permit
Ramsey County District Court Judge John Guthmann largely sided with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s handling of a key water quality permit for the proposed PolyMet copper-nickel mine. But the judge ruled that the MPCA improperly destroyed documents critical to the case.