Stories from August 11, 2021

Suspect in clinic shootings ruled competent to stand trial
Attorneys for a man charged in the fatal shooting of a staff member and wounding of four others at a Minneapolis-area health clinic say they won't fight a court exam that found him mentally competent to stand trial.
Vaccinating during pregnancy has become even more urgent as ICU beds fill up
Only 23 percent of those pregnant in the U.S. have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, statistics show. And with the delta variant surging, those who are unvaccinated are especially vulnerable.
Can the BWCA survive its own popularity?
More people are visiting the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota than ever before while development, fires and other climate change agents are getting closer every year.
Walz sets state worker vaccine mandate, as the city of St. Paul moves the same direction. Also, MPR has a new CEO. This is an evening update from MPR news, hosted by Tim nelson. Music by Gary Meister.
Interview: MPR parent company’s new leader Jean Taylor on her background and vision for American Public Media Group
American Public Media Group, the parent company of MPR News, announced Wednesday that it has chosen its new president and CEO. Jean Taylor will replace Jon McTaggart, who announced last year he would step down.
Survey: Black Minnesotans have far less trust in police than white residents do
A survey by APM Research Lab, which is owned by MPR News’ parent company American Public Media, found that only one in five Black Minnesotans trust the police to do what’s right, compared to more than 70 percent of white Minnesotans. 
On-site MN state employees face vaccine-or-test choice
Minnesota joins other states in requiring workers returning to offices to be vaccinated or submit to regular COVID-19 testing.
Can the BWCA survive its own popularity?
More people are visiting the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota than ever before while development, fires and other climate change agents are getting closer every year.
5 tips from a play therapist to help kids express themselves and unwind
Children use play to express themselves and process their emotions. Here’s how parents can make the most of play time together.
The nuns in 'Agatha of Little Neon' don't fly or sing, but they will stay with you
You don't have to be Catholic to connect with Claire Luchette's vivid story of a lonely young woman yearning for community — and also for everything she gave up to be part of that community.
MPR parent company announces Jean Taylor as its new leader
After a seven-month national search, Taylor, a former Star Tribune board chair, is the first woman to lead American Public Media Group. She takes over from Jon McTaggart who announced last year he would step down.
MN Supreme Court to hear felon voting case
Minnesota’s Supreme Court has agreed to hear a challenge to a state law limiting when voting rights are restored to felons. 
Ask a Bookseller: 'Hola Papi' offers comical memoir in essays
Katharine Otis of House of Books in Kent, Conn., recommends the comical memoir-in-essays “Hola Papi: How to Come Out in a Walmart Parking Lot and Other Life Lessons” by John Paul Brammer.
Minnesota is getting back into another drier pattern with only spotty rain in the forecast. Temperatures dip below average in northern Minnesota, while seasonable highs continue south.
Gov. Tim Walz said Tuesday a vaccination requirement for Minnesota’s approximately 40,000 state workers is on the table as his administration negotiates a plan for the return of those employees to offices and other facilities throughout Minnesota. Walz said he expects to announce a plan in the coming days.  This is an MPR News morning update for Wednesday, August 11, 2021. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.
An effort by 11 former University of North Dakota women's hockey players to bring back the program that was dropped in 2017 got new life on Tuesday when the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals revived the players' lawsuit.
Wisconsin sets 300-wolf limit after runaway spring hunt
Wildlife officials in Wisconsin set a 300-animal limit Wednesday for the state's fall wolf hunt, exceeding biologists' recommendations as they study the impact of a rushed spring season that saw hunters take almost twice as many wolves as allotted.
Dems renew push on elections bill that GOP vows to block
Democrats are renewing their push to enact their marquee voting bill, pledging to make it the first order of business when the Senate returns in the fall even though they don't have a clear strategy for overcoming steadfast Republican opposition.
July court ruling clouds future for DACA recipients
A Texas federal judge’s ruling a few weeks ago has not only thrown Carlos Reyes Rojas’s future into uncertainty, but also those of all DACA recipients.
Returning land to Native Americans
Native Americans currently control only a fraction of the land once set aside for them in treaties with the United States government. MPR News guest host Dan Kraker talks about how land was lost, what it means and efforts to return millions of acres to Native American tribes. 
Returning land to Native Americans
Native Americans currently control only a fraction of the land once set aside for them in treaties with the United States government. MPR host Dan Kraker talks about how land was lost, what it means and efforts to return millions of acres to Native American tribes. 
Neal Conan, longtime host of NPR's 'Talk Of The Nation,' dies at 71
Conan's voice graced this network for many years in many ways, always in the name of wonderful radio. Former NPR host Robert Siegel, a longtime colleague of Conan, remembers his friend.
Anonymous jury ordered for ex-cop in Daunte Wright's death
Judge Regina Chu said the court won’t release juror names and contact information until sometime after the trial. Similar restrictions were in place for the trial of ex-Minneapolis Officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd.