Stories from June 23, 2021

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.
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. 
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.