Stories from March 2, 2021

St. Paul police lead training to protect firefighters during mass demonstrations
The St. Paul Police Department added the training to deal with a specific problem they had last year: Firefighters had trouble responding to buildings on fire because of the volatile situation around them. Meanwhile, activists say they are skeptical police will respect their First Amendment rights.
An exchange of gunfire between a police officer and two brothers who were shot and killed on a road near Sebeka, Minn., began when one of the suspects opened fire on the officer and a sheriff's deputy, according to a BCA report.
How the military helped bring back the red-cockaded woodpecker
The U.S. military and conservation groups forged an unusual alliance to help save the red-cockaded woodpecker, but a Trump-era move to take it off the endangered list could threaten the bird.
Utah considers state park named for Utahraptor dinosaur
Utah is considering naming a new park in honor of dinosaurs discovered there. Researchers expect to uncover more Utahraptor bones — provided they can get them out of a massive block of rock.
As virus-era attacks on Asians rise, past victims look back
Asian Americans have faced a dangerous climate since the coronavirus entered the U.S. a year ago. Now, just over a year and thousands of incidents later, some of the earliest victims find moving forward has been difficult or, at best, bittersweet. 
New COVID vaccine will help Minnesota, but it isn't clear yet how much, as 45,000 Johnson and Johnson doses arrive. This is an evening news update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.
Antifa didn't storm the Capitol. Just ask the rioters.
Many charged in the Capitol riot mentioned antifa in relation to the attack, describing the anti-fascist movement as an enemy and refuting the baseless claim that Trump supporters weren't involved.
How can we stop the surge in addiction and overdose deaths?
Host Angela Davis speaks to an addiction doctor and two young people in recovery about why substance use and overdoses rose during the pandemic and what we can do about it. 
Is Trumpism becoming the new ‘Lost Cause’? 
A post-Civil War mythology glamorized the South’s cause as noble and its defeat as unjust. Historians say Donald Trump and his supporters are using the same playbook.
Deal brewing on quick tax relief bill in Minnesota
A portion of Minnesota’s budget surplus could be used to shield businesses and those who were unemployed during the pandemic avoid a tax punch. Funding for summer school is also in the mix.
An Iowa company is leading a $2 billion effort to capture carbon dioxide from Midwestern ethanol plants and pipe it to North Dakota where it would be buried deep underground.
Britain's MI5 spy agency proves more comic than tragic in 'Slough House'
Mick Herron's brilliantly plotted series follows a group of maladroit MI5 agents who've somehow blown it with the agency. The latest installment is a timely novel set in a post-Brexit U.K.
Mild weather returns Tuesday and persists into at least mid-March, leading to a widespread snow melt.
'Machinehood' upgrades Asimov's 3 laws of robotics
S.B. Divya's debut novel does what the best science fiction does — establishes a future that's relatable, plausible, and infinitely strange, where implants and wearable tech help humans survive.
Vernon Jordan, activist, former Clinton adviser, has died
Vernon Jordan, who rose from humble beginnings in the segregated South to become a champion of civil rights before reinventing himself as a Washington insider and corporate influencer, has died, according to a statement from his daughter. He was 85.
U.S. sets sanctions over Russia opposition leader's poisoning
The Biden administration announced sanctions of Russian officials and businesses Tuesday related to the poisoning and jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, whose detention drew tens of thousands of protesters out into the streets of Russian cities this winter.
Biden vows enough vaccine for all U.S. adults by end of May
President Joe Biden says the U.S. expects to take delivery of enough coronavirus vaccines for all adult Americans by the end of May, two months earlier than anticipated, as his administration announced that drugmaker Merck & Co. will help produce Johnson & Johnson’s newly approved shot. 
6 Dr. Seuss books won't be published for racist images
Six Dr. Seuss books — including "And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street" and "If I Ran the Zoo" — will stop being published because of racist and insensitive imagery, the business that preserves and protects the author's legacy said Tuesday.
With the help of sunshine and southerly winds, Tuesday brings much milder weather back across Minnesota.
In Cook County, volunteers help vaccinate a grateful public
Cook County, at the tip of Minnesota's North Shore, has the highest vaccination rate in the state. Nearly everyone in the county who is 65 or older has gotten their first COVID-19 shot. Several factors have contributed to Cook County’s success, including a small army of volunteers that’s played a critical role in getting the county vaccinated.
Minneapolis city officials on Monday canceled plans to hire so-called "social media influencers" to disseminate official information during the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin. Under the scuttled plan, six “community members who are considered trusted messengers and have large social media presence” were to be paid $2,000 each to share "city generated and approved messages." This is an MPR News morning update for Tuesday, Mar. 2, 2021. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.
Target powers through pandemic; sales growth explodes in 2020
Target extended its strong streak through the holiday quarter and sales grew by more than $15 billion in a pandemic year, exceeding the company's annual sales growth over the past 11 years combined.
High noon for the future of the Voting Rights Act at the Supreme Court
In 2013, the court gutted a key provision of the law, citing that Section 2 of the act still bars discrimination in voting nationwide. Now, Section 2 is in the conservative court's crosshairs.
FBI Director Wray calls Jan. 6 'domestic terrorism,' defends intel
Christopher Wray is expected to face a barrage of questions about the FBI's response to domestic violent extremists and the Jan. 6 insurrection. Watch the Senate Judiciary hearing live.
'Through the looking glass': Conspiracy theories spread faster and wider than ever
While false conspiracies aren't new, experts say their reach is spreading – accelerated by social media, encouraged by former President Donald Trump, and weaponized in a way that is unprecedented.
5 medical appointments you should stop putting off
If you've been delaying routine medical care in the past year, now's the time to catch up, doctors say. The consequences of missing some key screenings and health checkups can be lethal.
Intelligence Squared debate: Has the GOP lost its way?
A debate from the Intelligence Squared series: Has the GOP lost its way?
Cuomo allegations leave Democrats grappling with response
The Democratic governor is struggling through a sexual harassment scandal that’s testing the limits of his party’s support as Democrats grapple with their first political crisis of the post-Trump era. So far, few Democrats have come to Cuomo’s rescue. 
Number of handgun permits to carry nearly doubles in Minnesota
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension says there were 96,554 permits to carry issued in 2020. That's the highest amount of permits issued since Minnesota’s Personal Protection Act was enacted in 2003.