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Stories from January 14, 2021

Joanne Rogers, widow of TV's famed Mister Rogers, dies at 92

Joanne Rogers, widow of TV's famed Mister Rogers, dies at 92

Joanne Rogers, the widow of Fred Rogers, the gentle TV host who entertained and educated generations of preschoolers on “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” has died. She was 92. 
by The Associated Press

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Minnesota lawmakers seek longer sentences for injuring cops

Minnesota lawmakers seek longer sentences for injuring cops

Republican state lawmakers are proposing to increase the penalty for the attempted murder of a police officer a year after a southern Minnesota officer was gravely wounded while on-duty.
by The Associated Press

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Gene technology a 'game changer' in fight against wheat disease

Gene technology a 'game changer' in fight against wheat disease

University of Minnesota researchers say a breakthrough gene technology will create wheat crops with “exceptional resistance” to a disease that threatens wheat across the world.
by Dan Gunderson

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NY attorney general sues NYPD over Floyd protest response

NY attorney general sues NYPD over Floyd protest response

New York’s attorney general sued the New York Police Department on Thursday, alleging the rough treatment of racial injustice protesters last spring was part of a longstanding pattern of abuse that stemmed from inadequate training, supervision and discipline. 
by The Associated Press

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Minnesota public safety officials ask visitors to keep away from state Capitol for several days

There will be traffic restrictions and an increased law enforcement presence near Minnesota’s Capitol over the coming week, to deal with possible security threats prior to the inauguration of President-Elect Joe Biden. The is the MPR News afternoon update for Jan. 14, 2021. Hosted by Nina Moini. Theme music by Gary Meister.
by Nina Moini

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Biden unveils $1.9 trillion COVID relief plan, including $1,400 stimulus checks

Biden unveils $1.9 trillion COVID relief plan, including $1,400 stimulus checks

Saying the nation faces “a crisis of deep human suffering,” President-elect Joe Biden has unveiled a $1.9 trillion coronavirus plan to turn the tide on the pandemic, speeding up vaccines and pumping out financial help to those struggling with the prolonged economic fallout.
by The Associated Press

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Groups ask court to restore protections for U.S. gray wolves

Groups ask court to restore protections for U.S. gray wolves

Wildlife advocates are asking a federal court to overturn a U.S. government decision that stripped Endangered Species Act protections for wolves across most of the nation.
by The Associated Press

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What does it mean to call the Capitol rioters 'terrorists'?

Some say it's the precise word to describe the actions of the pro-Trump extremists who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6. But others warn its use will do more harm than good.
by Shereen Marisol Meraji

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High school winter sports resume play 

High school winter sports resume play 

MPR News guest host and reporter Dan Kraker talked to high school coaches and a sports doctor about what it’s like playing hockey, basketball and other winter sports during a pandemic. 
by Dan Kraker and Maja Beckstrom

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Officials: Minnesota ready, but no 'credible' threats to Capitol currently

Officials: Minnesota ready, but no 'credible' threats to Capitol currently

Law enforcement remains prepared for possible violence in the coming days, the state’s public safety director said Friday, adding: “If you come to the Capitol with criminal intent on your minds … we will stop you.”
by Brian Bakst and The Associated Press

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Person hospitalized after exchanging gunfire with Minneapolis police

Officers were responding to a 911 call Thursday morning about someone pointing a gun. The person’s injuries appear to be non-life-threatening, a police spokesperson said. No officers were hurt.
by MPR News Staff

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Minnesota may miss greenhouse gas emission goals

Minnesota may miss greenhouse gas emission goals

Minnesota is not on track to meet its goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions linked to climate change, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency reported Thursday.
by Kirsti Marohn

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President Trump impeached again. What happens next?

President Trump impeached again. What happens next?

Members of the House of Representatives voted to impeach President Trump on Wednesday. It was his second time being impeached, but the first time any president in U.S. history was impeached twice. A historian and a politician walk us through the events leading up to the impeachment and what happens next.
by Kerri Miller and Marcheta Fornoff

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Lady Gaga, J-Lo to headline Biden inauguration

Lady Gaga, J-Lo to headline Biden inauguration

The entertainers will be joined by a Georgia firefighter and a Jesuit priest at the Capitol ceremony.
by Brian Naylor

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Heavy snow, wind target Minnesota: 6-10 inches in Twin Cities; blizzard warning southwest

Heavy snow, wind target Minnesota: 6-10 inches in Twin Cities; blizzard warning southwest

Southwestern Minnesota is under a blizzard warning from 6 p.m. Thursday to 6 p.m. Friday. Many places will see their most significant snowfall of the storm Thursday night through Friday morning.
by Nicole Mitchell

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A cool piece of art: Minnesotans flock to Mpls. park in search of frozen cave man sculpture

A cool piece of art: Minnesotans flock to Mpls. park in search of frozen cave man sculpture

It was originally a commissioned piece for an ad agency. But once the agency was done with Zug Zug (that’s the cave man’s name), one of the artists decided now was the perfect time for him to go out into the world. Zug Zug gives people “something else to talk about, and also something to explore and look at, besides what's going on with our TVs and phones," Zach Schumack said.

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Former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder charged in Flint water crisis

Former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder charged in Flint water crisis

At least a dozen people died and more than 80 people fell ill after untreated water from the Flint River caused lead to leach from old pipes, poisoning the water system city residents relied on.
by Brakkton Booker

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Expecting trouble, DC locks down a week before inauguration

Expecting trouble, DC locks down a week before inauguration

The FBI has warned that armed protests by violent Trump supporters are being planned in all 50 state capitals and in the nation's capital for the days leading up to the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden. In D.C., much of the most visible security will come in the form of more than 15,000 National Guardsmen from multiple states.
by The Associated Press

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Winter storm update: 3 to 7 inches likely for much of Minnesota

Expect a wintry mix to change to snow Thursday and Friday. Several inches is still likely, and this looks like a plowable, if not a major winter weather event. High winds will make travel very difficult in western Minnesota. This is an MPR News morning update for Thursday, January 14, 2021. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.

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Twitter CEO tweets about banning Trump from site

Twitter CEO tweets about banning Trump from site

Twitter kicked President Donald Trump off of its site following the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. CEO Jack Dorsey said major corporations have too much power and pose a risk to a "free" internet.
by Jaclyn Diaz

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Jan. 14 update on COVID-19 in MN: State expands vaccination pool; more vaccine needed

Jan. 14 update on COVID-19 in MN: State expands vaccination pool; more vaccine needed

While the new guidance lets providers vaccinate those 65 and older, “we are not yet ready to advise large groups of Minnesotans on how they can get vaccine,” the state’s health commissioner told reporters.
by MPR News Staff

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4 ways President Trump's 2nd impeachment will change Washington

4 ways President Trump's 2nd impeachment will change Washington

President Donald Trump made history, the siege on the Capitol exposed splits in the GOP party that are likely to remain, Biden's agenda will now compete with a Senate trial and the Capitol is a fortress.
by Deirdre Walsh

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As children's museums reopen, will most families come back?

As children's museums reopen, will most families come back?

COVID-19 has upended how children's museums operate. The pandemic has forced many of them to temporarily close, including the state's largest children's museum in St. Paul. After a seven-week hiatus, however, the museum reopens Thursday.
by Riham Feshir

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Minn. lawmakers to Walz: Where are the shots?

Minn. lawmakers to Walz: Where are the shots?

Minnesota legislators are pressing state officials to speed up Minnesota’s COVID-19 vaccinations. Gov. Tim Walz says kinks in the federally managed distribution system are the main holdup.
by Brian Bakst

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FAA cracks down on unruly airline passengers ahead of Biden inauguration

FAA cracks down on unruly airline passengers ahead of Biden inauguration

After incidents of Trump supporters engaging in threatening and disruptive behavior on flights to and from Washington, D.C., last week, the Federal Aviation Administration has enacted a "zero tolerance" policy.
by David Schaper

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MN researchers found less-lethal weapons used in Floyd protests led to serious head, eye injuries

Researchers studying injuries sustained by protesters and bystanders in the Twin Cities following the killing of George Floyd say “less-lethal” projectile weapons like rubber bullets are not appropriate for crowd control. 
by Jon Collins

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Why didn't the FBI and DHS produce a threat report ahead of the Capitol insurrection?

Why didn't the FBI and DHS produce a threat report ahead of the Capitol insurrection?

The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security wrote detailed threat assessments before Black Lives Matter demonstrations last summer, but offered only general warnings before the events on Jan. 6.
by Dina Temple-Raston

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Minnesota House Democrats unveil legislative priorities

Minnesota House Democrats unveil legislative priorities

The package consists of five bills that would offer paid leave to health care workers, boost testing and vaccination efforts at long-term care facilities, and provide $500 payments to low-income families, among other things. 
by The Associated Press

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Tumultuous year results in more serious crime in St. Paul

Tumultuous year results in more serious crime in St. Paul

A preliminary crime report released Wednesday showed that violent crime including homicide, rape, aggravated assault and robbery increased by nearly 25 percent.
by The Associated Press

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New road signs mark Mille Lacs Reservation’s 1855 borders

New road signs mark Mille Lacs Reservation’s 1855 borders

The new highway signs mark the edges of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe’s reservation as established by an 1855 treaty. But Mille Lacs County officials believe that original reservation was dissolved by subsequent treaties and court actions.
by Kirsti Marohn

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