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Stories from June 23, 2021

Wednesday heated up. Scattered stormy periods coming.

Wednesday heated up. Scattered stormy periods coming.

Look for thunderstorms Wednesday evening and then overnight from northern Minnesota southeastward into central Minnesota and northern Wisconsin. Thursday’s strong storms should be mainly in southeastern Minnesota.
by Bill Endersen

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Minnesota House passes $7 billion transportation budget bill

Minnesota House passes $7 billion transportation budget bill

The bill includes money for two new bus rapid transit lines and preserves the Northstar commuter rail line. It also includes money for a second daily Amtrak train between St. Paul and Chicago. It will outfit state troopers with body cameras. And it will reopen driver’s exam locations closed due to COVID-19. 
by The Associated Press

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State budget taking shape

Major pieces of the next state budget are starting to fall into place at the State Capitol, as lawmakers work to hammer out an agreement by the middle of next week to avoid a government shutdown. Republican and Democratic leaders have reached a massive accord to fund schools in the state. This is the afternoon MPR News update for Wednesday, June 23, 2021. Hosted by Dan Kraker. Theme music by Gary Meister.

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Biden anti-crime effort takes on law-breaking gun dealers

Biden anti-crime effort takes on law-breaking gun dealers

President Joe Biden is announcing new efforts Wednesday to stem a rising national tide of violent crime but questions persist about how effective the federal efforts will be in calming what could be a turbulent summer.
by The Associated Press

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Honey bees are still dying at high rates

Honey bees are still dying at high rates

Honey bee mortality continues at high rates according to a recent survey. The 15th annual honey bee loss survey by the Bee Informed Partnership found overall honey bee mortality nationwide the second highest since the survey began.
by Dan Gunderson

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Metro Transit union workers picket over pandemic compensation

Metro Transit union workers picket over pandemic compensation

Metro Transit workers said they started picketing Wednesday to call attention to ongoing contract negotiations with the state's largest transit agency.
by Tim Nelson

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What is Pride in Minnesota in 2021?

What is Pride in Minnesota in 2021?

A Duluth family celebrates together at a trans potluck. The Taking Back Pride march demands justice and a ban on cops. And Fergus Falls hosts its first ever LGBTQ Pride weekend.
by Grace Birnstengel

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Supreme Court restricts police powers to enter a home without a warrant

Supreme Court restricts police powers to enter a home without a warrant

The court has long held that police may do this when pursuing a fleeing felon. The question in this case was whether they can do the same thing when pursuing someone suspected of a minor offense.
by Nina Totenberg

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Supreme Court rules cheerleader's F-bombs are protected by the 1st Amendment

Supreme Court rules cheerleader's F-bombs are protected by the 1st Amendment

The case involved a teenage cheerleader who dropped F-bombs on Snapchat. At issue was whether schools may punish students for speech that occurs online and off-campus but that may be disruptive.
by Nina Totenberg

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How critical race theory became the latest battle in the culture war

How critical race theory became the latest battle in the culture war

Critical race theory has been around for about 50 years. But inflamed by conservative media, it’s become the latest flashpoint in the culture wars. Several states have already banned it from being taught in K-12 schools. What are the implications?
by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

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What you need to know about this week’s sentencing of Derek Chauvin

What you need to know about this week’s sentencing of Derek Chauvin

Fewer than a dozen officers around the country have been sentenced for murder, according to experts who track police killings, which makes Friday’s hearing rare even in a national context.
by Jon Collins

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The science of carbon banking: Explained

The science of carbon banking: Explained

The idea behind carbon banking is that, by changing farming practices, farmers can store carbon in the soil, helping to reduce carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere and slow global warming. But it’s complicated, and understanding the science is important.
by Dan Gunderson

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Severe storms are a concern both Wednesday and Thursday

The heat and humidity Minnesota has seen during much of June returns ahead of a storm system that brings much of Minnesota a risk for strong storms.
by Nicole Mitchell

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State lawmakers strike deal on schools, pandemic bonuses

Minnesota legislators have a week to approve a new state budget, or risk a government shutdown.  This is an MPR News morning update for Wednesday, June 23, 2021. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.

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A hot and humid Wednesday

The heat and humidity Minnesota has seen so much of June returns Wednesday and includes a chance for severe weather, but not much rain along with it.
by Nicole Mitchell

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You don't have to be a complete nerd to love this novel ... but it helps

You don't have to be a complete nerd to love this novel ... but it helps

Carrie Vaughn is a veteran science fiction and fantasy author who puts her years in the scene to good use in this rollicking tale about a high-tech fantasy theme park (think “Westworld”) gone wrong.
by Jason Heller

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New owners for Duluth's Viking ship — and possibly soon, a new home

New owners for Duluth's Viking ship — and possibly soon, a new home

The Duluth City Council voted unanimously Monday to donate the replica Viking vessel to the local nonprofit group Save our Ship, which was founded in 1985 to restore the ship and build a permanent display structure to protect it from the weather and allow for public viewing.
by Dan Kraker

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A woman is committed to an asylum for thinking in 'The Woman They Could Not Silence'

A woman is committed to an asylum for thinking in 'The Woman They Could Not Silence'

In a new book, “The Radium Girls” author Kate Moore follows the struggles of Elizabeth Packard who, locked up by her husband in 1860 for having opinions and voicing them, finds she's not the only one.
by Annalisa Quinn

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Photos: Scenes from across America as COVID-19 restrictions begin to lift

Photos: Scenes from across America as COVID-19 restrictions begin to lift

Photographers from NPR member stations fanned out to document a nation navigating a return to normalcy. They captured moments of caution and joy, exuberance and relief, as restrictions began to lift.
by Tyrone Turner

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Historian Annette Atkins on the 'enemies among us' in Minn. during WWI

Historian Annette Atkins on the 'enemies among us' in Minn. during WWI

Atkins explores the social context in Minnesota during World War I. It was a time when Minnesotans cast a suspicious eye on immigrants who might be disloyal.

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