Stories from April 26, 2021

Training details scarce in file of officer who shot Daunte Wright
The service file of former police officer Kim Potter who fatally shot 20-year-old Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center this month contains scarce details on her police training history. 
How extremists weaponize irony to spread hate
Some extremists weaponize irony and absurdity as a method for recruiting new members and avoiding criticism. Such tactics can mask the danger that extremists pose, experts say.
Police say everyone is safe after a student shot a gun multiple times inside Plymouth Middle School on Monday morning. The student was taken into custody without using any force, according to law enforcement. Plus, Minnesota narrowly keeps eight U.S. House seats. This is an MPR News evening update for April 26, 2021. Hosted by Dan Kraker. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.
Corrections officer on leave after wife hurls racial slur at protesters
A group holding a political rally and prayer service near Washington County Attorney Peter Orput’s house in Stillwater on Sunday were verbally assaulted by an off-duty correctional worker and his wife, who was captured on video using racist language.
Apple rolls out major new privacy protections for iPhones and iPads
Users will now encounter pop-ups asking whether they want to allow their data to be shared with third parties. That little question could have a big impact on advertising companies like Facebook.
Cheap, legal and everywhere: How food companies get us 'hooked' on junk
Reporter Michael Moss says processed foods can be as alluring in some ways as cocaine or cigarettes. His new book explains how companies keep us snacking by appealing to nostalgia and brain chemistry.
After verdict, small businesses eager to welcome customers and rebuild
Host Angela Davis talked with nonprofit leaders and small business owners about recovery on Lake Street and in other districts hit by COVID-19 and last summer’s unrest following George Floyd’s murder. Plus, MPR News senior economics contributor Chris Farrell stopped by to discuss a potential economic rebound in the U.S.
DOJ to investigate Louisville police in response to death of Breonna Taylor
The announcement comes more than a year after Taylor was fatally shot by police at her Louisville apartment. It is the second probe of police the Justice Department has announced in less than a week.
Why Black and Latino people still lag on COVID vaccines — and how to fix it
It's not a matter of vaccine hesitancy, say advocates. Instead, poorly located clinics, lack of flexible appointments and other barriers to access are hampering Philadelphia's hardest-hit communities.
Supreme Court to take up 1st major gun rights case in more than a decade
At issue is how much the Second Amendment protects the right of individuals to carry concealed weapons outside their home for self-defense. The case will likely be argued in the fall.
Legislature divided over end to COVID-19 eviction rule
With just weeks to go, the Legislature will try to merge competing plans around when rental evictions can proceed. The bills aim to address what follows an eviction moratorium imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Plymouth Middle School locked down following gunshots inside, no students hurt
Police say everyone is safe after a student shot a gun multiple times inside Plymouth Middle School this morning. The student was taken into custody by law enforcement without using any force. Investigations are underway.
Humankind documentary: The Power of Nonviolence
A documentary from the Humankind series, "The Power of Nonviolence."
How the Democrats propose to expand voting and change election law
The proposed For the People Act would set nationwide rules on ballot access, do away with many voting restrictions, modify redistricting and rein in campaign donations. But Republicans are determined to stop it.
Police in cities like New Orleans, Baltimore and Chicago have been the subject of similar Justice Department investigations. For more on the process — and its result in Chicago — MPR News host Cathy Wurzer talked with Chip Mitchell, who covers criminal justice for public radio station WBEZ.
Rainy and occasionally stormy weather persists the first half of the week, then drier skies and seasonable warmth return.
Monday stays cloudy and rainy throughout the day, with a large temperature contrast across the state.
That hesitation to get vaccinated is common in rural Minnesota. Public health officials in Minnesota and around the country are trying more creative ways to convince people to get vaccinated. If they fail, levels may fall short of the 70 to 80 percent vaccination rate they say is needed to reach herd immunity, the point at which so many people are protected that the virus is unlikely to spread. This is an MPR News morning update for Monday, April 26, 2021. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.
Here's how the first 2020 Census results changed Electoral College, House seats
The Census Bureau is set to announce state population counts from its 2020 tally at a 2 p.m. CT press conference. The counts are used to determine representation in Congress and the Electoral College.
A major civil rights group is demanding the attorney general pause federal grants to local police until he confirms they aren't engaging in discrimination, citing more police killings of Black people.
April 26 update on COVID-19 in MN: Cases, hospitalizations ebb; first grader dies
A southwestern Minnesota child died Sunday from COVID-19 complications. That sad news came as the state’s overall numbers suggested the current wave of active cases and hospitalizations may have crested.
In rural Minnesota, fighting vaccine hesitancy one community at a time
Health officials say there are many reasons why people aren’t getting vaccinated — including a lack of transportation, limited access to technology, fears about the vaccine's safety and political beliefs about the pandemic.
100 days: How Biden has fared so far on his promises
President Joe Biden promised a lot as a candidate and acted swiftly once in office, particularly in regards to the coronavirus. But there are still areas in progress and goals that haven't been achieved.
4 weeks left and $1 billion to bridge for Minn. lawmakers
A new phase has arrived in the Minnesota budget debate as the final budget bills should pass off the Senate and House floors this week. That touches off negotiations between chamber leaders on how to bridge their big divide.
'Nomadland' wins best picture at a socially distanced Oscars
Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland,” a wistful portrait of itinerant lives on open roads across the American West, won best picture Sunday at the 93rd Academy Awards, where the China-born Zhao became the first woman of color to win best director and a historically diverse group of winners took home awards.
With Chauvin convicted in Floyd's murder, attention turns to trial of three other former officers
With Derek Chauvin convicted of murder in George Floyd’s death, activists and the Floyd family are turning their attention to this summer's trial for the other three officers involved in his May 2020 arrest.