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Stories from July 29, 2021

'The Council of Animals' holds humanity's fate in its ... paws

'The Council of Animals' holds humanity's fate in its ... paws

In Nick McDonell's new novel, sentient animals control the fate of the few remaining humans — and must decide to do about the fear that humans will regroup and seize supremacy over the Earth again.
by Jason Heller

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Schools struggle to meet demand for summer programs

Schools struggle to meet demand for summer programs

After more than a year of pandemic learning, Minnesota schools are using summer sessions to give students the chance to do the sort of in-person learning some have missed since March 2020. But even with expanded offerings, many summer sessions haven't been able to meet a rise in demand from students and families. 
by Elizabeth Shockman

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Sunisa Lee thrills family and friends in Minnesota with her gold medal all-around performance

Family, friends and supporters of Sunisa Lee, 18, cheered her in a suburb of St. Paul as she won her first Olympic gold medal in all around gymnastics competition Thursday in Tokyo. Lee became the fifth American woman in a row to claim the Olympic all-around title. She is the first Hmong-American on the U.S. Olympic team. This is the MPR News afternoon update for Thursday, July 29, 2021. Hosted by Nancy Lebens. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.
by Nancy Lebens

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Tears and cheers: Lee family reacts to Suni making gold

Tears and cheers: Lee family reacts to Suni making gold

More than 200 people, including the Olympic champion’s family, packed into an event center in Oakdale, Minn., to watch Sunisa Lee compete and win gold Thursday morning.
by Peter Cox

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Worst air quality on record Thursday in Minnesota

Air quality in the Twin Cities peaked in the very unhealthy range Thursday. This is the second week we have set records for the highest particulate.
by Paul Huttner

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Reporter's notebook: For Minnesota's hardest working midwife, a life well-lived, too short

Reporter's notebook: For Minnesota's hardest working midwife, a life well-lived, too short

Rebekah Knapp died this week after her car crashed into a semitrailer on a road in rural northwestern Minnesota. She lived her beliefs, embracing the joy and fragility of life, writes MPR News reporter Catharine Richert, who profiled Knapp in 2019.
by Catharine Richert

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Following Biden's lead, Walz incentivizes vaccines

Following Biden's lead, Walz incentivizes vaccines

Minnesota will offer $100 incentives to people who get their first vaccination dose between Friday and Aug. 15, as Gov. Tim Walz quickly embraces the effort outlined by President Joe Biden.
by The Associated Press and Brian Bakst

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Ex-Cardinal McCarrick charged with sexually assaulting teen

Ex-Cardinal McCarrick charged with sexually assaulting teen

Former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who was defrocked after a Vatican investigation confirmed he had sexually molested adults as well as children, has been charged with sexually assaulting a teenage boy during a wedding reception in Massachusetts in 1974, court records show.
by The Associated Press

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Minnesota co-ops to vote on North Dakota power plant sale

A Minnesota electric company that wants to sell its financially troubled coal-fueled power plant in North Dakota expects to know Friday if its member utility cooperatives will endorse the deal that includes purchasing electricity over the next decade from the factory’s prospective buyer.

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Cyclist's Olympic dream becomes $200,000 medical bill nightmare

Cyclist's Olympic dream becomes $200,000 medical bill nightmare

Cyclist Phil Gaimon was competing in a race that could have won him a spot in the Tokyo Olympics. Instead, a crash landed him in two hospitals where his out-of-network surgeries garnered huge bills.
by Samantha Young

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Connecticut fire crews sent to Minnesota, latest deployment

Connecticut fire crews sent to Minnesota, latest deployment

Thirteen members of the Connecticut Interstate Fire Crew have been deployed to Minnesota to help fight wildfires, the latest dispatch of personnel and resources from Connecticut to battle blazes in western states.

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Atonement and reparations for Native American boarding schools

Atonement and reparations for Native American boarding schools

Should churches make reparations for the traumatic legacy of Native American boarding schools? Tom Crann speaks to the Rev. Jim Bear Jacobs about how they can respond.
by Tom Crann

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Why we’re watching the Olympics

Why we’re watching the Olympics

The number of Americans watching the Olympic games in Tokyo is upwards of 16.5 million. And while the odds of any of us ever reaching Olympic levels of achievement are low, our interest in other people getting there is endless. Why? What’s the appeal of the Olympics?
by Angela Davis and Susan Davis

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The federal government is making HIV prevention treatment free — but there's a catch

The federal government is making HIV prevention treatment free — but there's a catch

The brand-name version of the once-daily pill that is 99 percent effective at preventing HIV used to cost upwards of $1,800 a month. Federal guidance now makes getting the drug with insurance cheaper.
by Scott Saloway and Ryan Benk

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Air quality alert for Minnesota; weekend looks dry, cooler

Smoke from Canadian wildfires has prompted an air quality alert Thursday for most of Minnesota. We have details on that, plus a drought update and a look at our weekend weather.
by Ron Trenda

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How to help your pandemic pets adjust to post-pandemic life

How to help your pandemic pets adjust to post-pandemic life

“What do you mean, you’re leaving?” That might be the permanent thought bubble above your dog’s head next month, when many of us return to work and school. Here’s how to get your pet ready for your absence.
by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

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From exhaustion to asphalt burns, Minnesota’s birds feel the heat

From exhaustion to asphalt burns, Minnesota’s birds feel the heat

While birds in some parts of the country likely have it worse, the University of Minnesota’s Raptor Center has seen plenty of heat problems, including a pair of American kestrels with burns from asphalt.
by Cathy Wurzer and Rachel Yang

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Severe drought has now expanded across the Twin Cities

The storms, excessive heat and high humidity are being replaced by drier weather, which is not good news for Minnesota’s expanding drought conditions.
by Nicole Mitchell

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Minnesota Olympians set to compete on Day 6

Minnesota Olympians set to compete on Day 6

Thursday offers a full slate of events for Minnesota athletes at the Tokyo Olympics, including cycling, swimming, track and field, basketball and volleyball. Here’s the lineup of events and how to see them.
by Matt Mikus

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The heat recedes Thursday, but the smoke returns

Behind a cold front, Minnesota is under a much different airmass Thursday, with cooler temperatures and less humidity.
by Nicole Mitchell

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State’s frontline workers appeal for share of pandemic pay

A legislative panel is considering how to divide $250 million in premium pay for those on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is an MPR News morning update for Thursday, July 29, 2021. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.

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The economy is surging. These 4 things will determine what happens next

The economy is surging. These 4 things will determine what happens next

The U.S. economy is expected to have grown at a blistering pace in the April-June quarter. A slowdown is inevitable; the question is how much it will slow.
by David Gura

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St. Paul gymnast Sunisa Lee wins all-around gold

St. Paul gymnast Sunisa Lee wins all-around gold

Sunisa Lee became the fifth straight American woman to claim the Olympic title in the women’s all-around. She edged Rebeca Andrade of Brazil in a hotly contested final.
by The Associated Press

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Lakeville swimmer Regan Smith wins silver in 200-meter butterfly

Lakeville swimmer Regan Smith wins silver in 200-meter butterfly

Zhang Yufei of China claimed gold with an Olympic-record time of 2 minutes, 3.86 seconds. Americans Regan Smith and Hali Flickinger dueled back and forth for the silver, with Smith pulling ahead at the end to touch in 2:05.30.
by The Associated Press

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Art Hounds sing praises of musical options live and via QR code

Art Hounds sing praises of musical options live and via QR code

Take your family on an interactive scavenger hunt to hear songs about Northfield landmarks. DJ Ariesfirebomb creates a welcoming dance party for queer black music lovers this Friday. Jazz vocalist Katia Cardenas of St Paul performs new songs and standards after three years away.
by Emily Bright

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Adding climate impacts to Minnesota's environmental review may be delayed

Adding climate impacts to Minnesota's environmental review may be delayed

Climate activists say the changes are overdue. But there's been some pushback from business groups, farmers and local governments, who say the requirements would be burdensome and would raise the cost of building projects.
by Kirsti Marohn

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Man pleads guilty to 4 Asian spa killings, sentenced to life

Man pleads guilty to 4 Asian spa killings, sentenced to life

A man accused of killing eight people, mostly women of Asian descent, at Atlanta-area massage businesses pleaded guilty to murder Tuesday in four of the killings and was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison.
by The Associated Press

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Olympic runner Caster Semenya wants to compete, not defend her womanhood

Olympic runner Caster Semenya wants to compete, not defend her womanhood

Rules on testosterone levels for women athletes have kept star runner Caster Semenya out of the Tokyo Olympics. At the heart of this heated debate: Who should be considered a woman in sport?
by Melissa Block

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