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Stories from May 3, 2021

FDA expected to OK Pfizer vaccine for teens within week

FDA expected to OK Pfizer vaccine for teens within week

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for young adults age 12 and older by next week, setting up shots for many before the beginning of the next school year. 
by The Associated Press

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Cash bail and its effect on criminal justice in the United States

Cash bail and its effect on criminal justice in the United States

Guest host Chris Farrell talked to two criminal justice reform experts about the current state of cash bail, its effects on pretrial detention and mass incarceration and what advocates want to see changed.
by Chris Farrell, Lindsay Guentzel and Ariana Rosas

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Lawmakers debate police measures; Minn. drug overdose deaths spike

Minnesota lawmakers debate police accountability measures. Drug overdose deaths rise sharply in 2020. St. Paul mayor denounces weekend gun violence that left seven people injured. This is an MPR News evening update for May 3, 2021. Hosted by Matt Sepic. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.

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A giant organic farm faces criticism that it's harming the environment

A giant organic farm faces criticism that it's harming the environment

A huge organic farm that's backed by the company General Mills is facing accusations that it's doing more environmental harm than good. It shows the difficulties of delivering on green promises.
by Dan Charles

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Bill and Melinda Gates announce they are ending marriage

Bill and Melinda Gates announce they are ending marriage

The Microsoft co-founder and his wife, who launched the world’s largest charitable foundation, said they would continue to work together at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. 
by The Associated Press

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MN Senate Republicans pass voter ID bill

MN Senate Republicans pass voter ID bill

The Minnesota Senate has passed a photo identification requirement for voting that faces big hurdles in becoming law this session.
by Tim Pugmire

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Biden raises refugee cap to 62,500 after earlier criticism

Biden raises refugee cap to 62,500 after earlier criticism

The new ceiling for refugee admissions will be 62,500 — far above former President Donald Trump's cap of 15,000. Advocates had been concerned Biden was not moving fast enough on a campaign promise.
by Dana Farrington

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Heavy rains soak southeast Minnesota

A stalled front dropped multi-inch rainfall across southeast Minnesota early Monday.
by Paul Huttner

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Sharon Stone on new memoir 'The Beauty of Living Twice'

Sharon Stone on new memoir 'The Beauty of Living Twice'

Sharon Stone is a survivor — of a stroke, and some of the worst Hollywood has to offer. She writes about her life in a funny, tender, sometimes shocking new memoir called “The Beauty of Living Twice.”
by Michel Martin

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Minnesota drug overdose deaths jumped in pandemic year

Minnesota drug overdose deaths jumped in pandemic year

Overdose deaths rose by 27 percent in 2020, topping 1,000 last year. That included an 81 percent rise in deaths due to synthetic opioids like fentanyl and similar drugs, the Health Department said Monday. Deaths started to pick up with the initial COVID-19 surge.
by Tim Nelson

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Former 'Pregnant Girl' builds support to help other teen moms

Former 'Pregnant Girl' builds support to help other teen moms

Nicole Lynn Lewis felt overwhelmed and isolated as a young single mom in college. Now she runs a nonprofit designed to help teen parents get the financial and emotional support they need to thrive.
by Terry Gross

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Sheriff: Wisconsin casino shooter was fired employee

Sheriff: Wisconsin casino shooter was fired employee

Authorities say a man who shot and killed two people and wounded a third at a Wisconsin casino restaurant before police killed him had been fired from the eatery and banned from the property.
by The Associated Press

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A Minnesota-born ambassador and a long lost puppy

A Minnesota-born ambassador and a long lost puppy

The Thread Must-Read this week features the true-life story of a faraway place, a Minnesota-born ambassador and a lost puppy.
by Kerri Miller

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EPA moves to cut a powerful greenhouse gas

EPA moves to cut a powerful greenhouse gas

The EPA plans to phase out hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, which are used in refrigerators and air conditioners. When HFCs are released into the atmosphere, they are extremely good at trapping heat.
by Rebecca Hersher

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The effects of vaping on the teen brain

The effects of vaping on the teen brain

The number of teenagers who smoke e-cigarettes has dropped during the pandemic. But experts anticipate a rebound once kids are able to be social again. And according to the latest research about the effects of vaping on the developing brain, that’s a very bad thing.
by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

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San Diego boat wreck kills 3, shows risks of ocean smuggling

San Diego boat wreck kills 3, shows risks of ocean smuggling

The Coast Guard has ended its search for survivors of the San Diego boat wreck, which killed three and injured 29 on a bright Sunday morning near tidepools of Cabrillo National Monument, a popular spot for tourists and hikers.
by The Associated Press

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Internet oldies AOL and Yahoo are sold ... again

Internet oldies AOL and Yahoo are sold ... again

Unable to compete successfully with Facebook and Google for digital advertising, Verizon signals a return to its roots as a telecommunications company.

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Amid uncertain year, Facebook group connects farmers directly to consumers

Last year, some of the largest slaughterhouses in the region temporarily closed after COVID-19 outbreaks. Those closures meant local farmers faced the prospect of having nowhere to send their livestock for processing, and no way to get their food to market. An East Bethel, Minn., woman decided to do something to help.
by Cathy Wurzer

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Michael Lewis' 'The Premonition' is a sweeping indictment of the CDC

Michael Lewis' 'The Premonition' is a sweeping indictment of the CDC

In a new book, author Michael Lewis writes about public health officers who tried to get others to look at the data on COVID-19 and act to make sure the virus didn't spread.
by Rachel Martin

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Economic pressures threaten waves of change on St. Paul’s West Side

Economic pressures threaten waves of change on St. Paul’s West Side

Community organizers and longtime residents see the beginnings of a gentrification wave they worry may leave many low-income residents with nowhere to go. Some see rent stabilization as the answer, but not everyone’s on board.
by Kathryn Styer Martinez

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Cooler temperatures settle in across Minnesota

Below-average temperatures return across Minnesota and likely linger into next week. Meanwhile, precipitation chances stay limited.
by Nicole Mitchell

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Temperatures trend cooler again Monday

Following a warmer weekend, temperatures turn cooler Monday, putting all of the state back below average and feeling even chillier thanks to gusty winds.
by Nicole Mitchell

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St. Paul police say 7 people hurt in overnight shootings

St. Paul city leaders spoke out Sunday after seven people were injured and dozens of gunshots fired in at least three incidents Saturday night and Sunday morning. "One shot fired is one shot too many in our community (and) 100 shots fired is far too many in our community," Mayor Melvin Carter said at a Sunday afternoon news conference. This is an MPR News morning update for Monday, May 3, 2021. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.

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Separated families to reunite in the U.S., as immigrant advocates push for more

Separated families to reunite in the U.S., as immigrant advocates push for more

Four migrant families that were separated at the border by the Trump administration will be allowed to reunify in the United States this week, the secretary of Homeland Security announced.
by Joel Rose

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Crunch time at MN Capitol collides with COVID fight

Crunch time at MN Capitol collides with COVID fight

House and Senate negotiators have begun their search for compromises while top leaders aim to make the overarching deal they’ll need to draw the Legislature’s session to a close. 
by Brian Bakst

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Minnesota businesses struggle with back-to-work plans

Minnesota businesses struggle with back-to-work plans

What will office space look like after the pandemic? Open-plan shared spaces may be the thing of the past and many people might be splitting their time between conventional workspaces and home offices.
by Mark Zdechlik

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German gymnasts cover their legs in stand against sexualization

German gymnasts cover their legs in stand against sexualization

Female gymnasts from Germany wore full-length unitards instead of leotards in a recent competition. Psychology professor Elizabeth Daniels says it's a statement about comfort over outward appearance.
by Lulu Garcia-Navarro

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Photos: Daunte Wright's family leads vigil, march calling for justice

Photos: Daunte Wright's family leads vigil, march calling for justice

Hundreds of people joined the family of Daunte Wright on Sunday at the site where a Brooklyn Center police officer fatally shot the 20-year-old three weeks before. Then they marched to the city’s police headquarters.
by Mark Zdechlik

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Apple's app store goes on trial in effort to topple 'walled garden'

Apple's app store goes on trial in effort to topple 'walled garden'

On Monday, Apple faces one of its most serious legal threats in recent years: A trial that threatens to upend its iron control over its app store, which brings in billions of dollars each year while feeding more than 1.6 billion iPhones, iPads, and other devices.
by The Associated Press

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