Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now

Stories from May 14, 2021

More COVID-19 relief coming for Minnesota’s renters

More COVID-19 relief coming for Minnesota’s renters

Renters who owe landlords because of COVID-19 may finally see some relief coming their way, as hundreds of millions in federal aid becomes available.
by Hannah Yang

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Rebroadcast — In Focus: Stopping anti-Asian American hate in Minnesota

Rebroadcast — In Focus: Stopping anti-Asian American hate in Minnesota

A rise in anti-Asian American incidents since the start of the pandemic has made headlines, but Asian Americans have been affected by racism since long before COVID-19. In this rebroadcast of an event in MPR News’ In Focus series, Tom Crann hosted a panel discussion on what’s being done to stop anti-Asian American hate in Minnesota.
by Angela Davis, Tom Crann and Rachel Yang

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

Drop the mask? Not so fast say some Minnesota businesses and cities

Minnesota health officials say the dropping of mask mandates is a sign of progress in COVID-19 vaccination efforts. But some cities, schools and businesses says masks are necessary. This is the afternoon MPR News update for Friday, May 14, 2021. Hosted by Nina Moini. Theme music by Gary Meister.
by Nina Moini

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
'No shot, no date': Could teenagers make vaccinations cool again?

'No shot, no date': Could teenagers make vaccinations cool again?

Teenagers are now a crucial part of public health officials’ efforts to get more people vaccinated now that the Pfizer vaccine has been approved for children 12 and older. This isn’t the first time that teenagers have played an important role in a vaccination campaign. More than 50 years ago, they helped popularize the polio vaccine.
by Dan Kraker

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Photos: Vaccine history repeats itself — sometimes

Photos: Vaccine history repeats itself — sometimes

From the first vaccine (for smallpox) the questions have been the same. How do we transport it? Who's next to get it? Why so much hesitancy? The answers can be similar — or dramatically different.
by Michele Abercrombie, Xueying Chang, Ben de la Cruz and Suzette Lohmeyer

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
U Regent, Hmong community leader Kao Ly Ilean Her dies at 52

U Regent, Hmong community leader Kao Ly Ilean Her dies at 52

Kao Ly Ilean Her, leader and advocate in Minnesota’s Hmong community and the first Hmong person to serve on the University of Minnesota Board of Regents, has died. She was 52.
by Peter Cox and Steven John

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Weekend split: Summery weather begins Sunday

Weekend split: Summery weather begins Sunday

Saturday’s fishing opener runs cloudy, but bright sun and warmer weather arrive starting Sunday.
by Paul Huttner

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

Weekend forecast: Temps rebound; mostly dry with a spotty shower chance

We have to mention a shower chance in the weekend forecast, but it’ll be dry most of the time. That’s good news for anglers who want some dry weather for the Minnesota fishing opener.
by Ron Trenda

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
KARE 11 investigates: Jail nurse says 'I felt like I had witnessed a murder'

KARE 11 investigates: Jail nurse says 'I felt like I had witnessed a murder'

A key witness in an FBI investigation of a Beltrami County jail death goes public for the first time, telling KARE 11 Investigates that Hardel Sherrell should still be alive.

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Baby boom or bust: The forecast on U.S. birth rates

Baby boom or bust: The forecast on U.S. birth rates

Many speculated the pandemic would lead to a baby boom, but early data tells a different story. MPR News host Kerri Miller talked to two experts about what’s behind the downward trend.
by Kerri Miller and Ariana Rosas

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

Occasional showers continue into the weekend

After cloudier skies briefly drop highs slightly on Friday, temperatures are on the rise again into next week. Spotty showers through the weekend will make little dent in recent dry conditions.
by Nicole Mitchell

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Cedar Riverside Community School to close June 30

Cedar Riverside Community School to close June 30

On Thursday, Pillsbury United Communities announced its final decision to shutter Cedar Riverside Community School. Termination letter cites “cultural deficiencies” and “long term dysfunction” in school governance.

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
House GOP elects Trump defender Elise Stefanik to No. 3 post

House GOP elects Trump defender Elise Stefanik to No. 3 post

Republicans have vaulted Rep. Elise Stefanik into the ranks of House leadership. The upstate New York Republican was elected to the party's No. 3 post on Friday. She's an ardent defender of former President Donald Trump.
by The Associated Press

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

Ex-Army Green Beret to be sentenced for Russian espionage

 A former Army Green Beret who admitted divulging military secrets to Russia over a 15-year period, which started as an ROTC student at the University of Minnesota, is scheduled to be sentenced on espionage charges.
by The Associated Press

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

Cloudier skies and rain return Friday

More clouds and scattered showers drop temperatures slightly Friday, while bringing beneficial rain across the state.
by Nicole Mitchell

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
New world record set on Mississippi River, but for how long?

New world record set on Mississippi River, but for how long?

A crew of paddlers took a canoe from the headwaters of the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico faster than anyone in history — breaking a 20-year world record. But a second crew is hot on their heels.
by John Enger

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

Minnesota mask mandate ends Friday; Walz pleads for more vaccinations

Minnesota will end its statewide mask-wearing order on Friday following new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention allowing people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to stop wearing masks, Gov. Tim Walz said Thursday. Calling it a great day for Minnesota, the governor continued to plead with unvaccinated Minnesotans to get their shots to help hold back the spread of COVID-19. This is an MPR News morning update for Friday, May 14, 2021. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Palestinians flee as Israeli artillery pounds northern Gaza

Palestinians flee as Israeli artillery pounds northern Gaza

Palestinians grabbed their children and belongings and fled neighborhoods on the outskirts of Gaza City on Friday as Israel unleashed a heavy barrage of artillery fire and airstrikes, killing a family of 6 in their home. Israel said it was clearing a network of militant tunnels ahead of a possible ground invasion.
by The Associated Press

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
In 'Sorrowland,' the story gets lost in the forest

In 'Sorrowland,' the story gets lost in the forest

Rivers Solomon's new novel — a gothic thriller about a woman escaping a cult for a wild life in the forest — relies too much on atmospherics, neglecting the basic building blocks of story.
by Danny Lore

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
The state has lifted its COVID-19 mask mandate. Here's what that means for you

The state has lifted its COVID-19 mask mandate. Here's what that means for you

On May 14, Gov. Tim Walz signed an executive order that undid the state's mask mandate. The announcement comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that people who are fully vaccinated no longer have to wear masks outside or inside in most cases.
by Catharine Richert and Peter Cox

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
MN House passes legal cannabis bill; no future in Senate

MN House passes legal cannabis bill; no future in Senate

For the first time in its history, the Minnesota House has voted to legalize marijuana beyond the current medical uses allowed in the state. But firm opposition in the Senate will likely prevent it from becoming law this year.
by Tim Pugmire

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Federal judge delivers new blow to foes of Twin Metals mine

Federal judge delivers new blow to foes of Twin Metals mine

A federal judge has rejected a second attempt by opponents of the proposed Twin Metals copper-nickel mine in northeastern Minnesota to invalidate the mineral rights leases needed for the project. 
by The Associated Press

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Scientists urge restoration of federal gray wolf protections

Scientists urge restoration of federal gray wolf protections

In a letter Thursday, 115 wildlife conservation experts say state governments have allowed too many wolves to be killed since the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lifted protections across most of the Lower 48 states in January.
by The Associated Press

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!