Stories from May 30, 2021

Warmer on Memorial Day; 80s later this week
We’ll have some very nice weather this Memorial Day. A few spots could see a late-day shower or isolated thundershower. We have details on that, plus the upward temperature trends later in the week and into next weekend.
‘Super cool’: Minnesota’s oldest Black-owned newspaper puts its archive online
Anyone interested in the history of daily life in the Twin Cities' Black community can now easily search online for stories dating back to 1934 from the Minneapolis Spokesman and other forerunners of today's Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.
Helio Castroneves ties record as four-time Indy 500 winner
Brazilian auto racer Helio Castroneves made history in winning his fourth Indianapolis 500 race on Sunday. He is now one of four drivers to win "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" four times.
Events mark Tulsa Race Massacre centennial
Events this weekend are memorializing the victims of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, considered one of the worst and deadliest acts of racial violence in American history.
3 Memorial Day movie recommendations from NPR's Scott Simon
Memorial Day is to remember those who have died in military service. NPR's Scott Simon picked three films he found particularly resonant for this weekend.
Risky, impatient climbers bring danger to Alaska's Denali
Rangers who keep an eye on North America's highest mountain peak say impatient and inexperienced climbers are taking more risks and endangering themselves and other climbers after a year off because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
3 documentaries you should watch about the Tulsa Race Massacre
Monday is the 100th anniversary of one of the worst acts of racial violence in American history. A spate of books and documentaries are marking the moment; we round up three to watch this weekend.
Indianapolis 500 welcomes 135,000 fans in global benchmark
The Indianapolis 500 hosted 135,000 fans on Sunday, the most at any sports event in the world since the pandemic began. The number represents 40 percent of the speedway’s capacity and was agreed upon by health officials.
Canada lowers flags after discovery of bodies at Indigenous residential school site
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asked Sunday that flags on all federal buildings be flown at half-staff to honor more than 200 children whose remains have been found buried on the site of what was once Canada’s largest Indigenous residential school.
After 50 years, U.S. opens the door to more cannabis crops for scientists
Until recently, plants from only one U.S. facility were approved for use in research. Adding new suppliers will accelerate understanding of cannabis' health effects and possible therapeutic uses.
Netanyahu could lose Israeli PM job as rivals attempt to join forces
The head of a small hard-line party on Sunday said he would try to form a unity government with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's opponents, taking a major step toward ending the 12-year rule of the Israeli leader.
White House gives GOP 1 week to reach deal on infrastructure
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Sunday that time is running short for a bipartisan deal on infrastructure, indicating that President Joe Biden will look to act without Republican support if there is no consensus when Congress returns from its Memorial Day break.
Buried alive in Mongolia's worst sandstorms in a decade
Even the rescue teams could not go forward during one of the fiercest of many sandstorms this spring in Mongolia. Herders have lost their animals — an estimated 1.6 million livestock — and their lives.
Sunday chance of showers, isolated t-storm; warmer Memorial Day
Parts of Minnesota and western Wisconsin will see some scattered showers and also a thunderstorm Sunday afternoon and evening. We have details on that, plus a look at Memorial Day and the rest of the coming week.
Texas GOP's new voting restrictions on verge of approval
Republicans in the Texas Senate muscled one of the most restrictive new voting laws in the U.S. to the cusp of the governor's desk early Sunday, approving fewer ways to cast a ballot and more criminal penalties after rushing the bill to the floor in the middle of the night.
After its superspreader rehearsal, a community choir struggles to sing together again
A Skagit Valley Chorale rehearsal early last year in Washington state became a deadly COVID-19 superspreader event. Now, the group is figuring out how to come back together and re-forge the bonds of a community choir.
Judge: Blame in Italy cable car deaths rests with technician
The three suspects in Italy’s cable car disaster that killed 14 people were allowed to leave prison Sunday after a judge indicated that most of the blame fell on just one of them: a service technician who intentionally disabled the car's emergency brake because it kept locking spontaneously.
'Hooked on a Feeling,' 'Raindrops' singer B.J. Thomas dies at 78
The versatile, Grammy-winning singer enjoyed success on the pop, country and gospel charts with hits like "I Just Can't Help Believing," "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" and "Hooked On a Feeling."