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Stories from August 19, 2021

Bats love to babble — just like humans

Bats love to babble — just like humans

New research finds that sac-winged bat pups — a species of bat found in Central and South America — like to "babble" in ways that are remarkably similar to human babies.
by Geoff Brumfiel

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Republican party drama is heading for and endgame, and the state fair is shrinking

Republican party drama is heading for an endgame, and the state fair is shrinking, as some major exhibitors say they’re paring back their presence during the COVID pandemic.

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Cube Critics discuss "Flag Day" and "The Night House"

Cube Critics discuss "Flag Day" and "The Night House"

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Judge plans to decide soon if guns will be allowed inside State Fair

Judge plans to decide soon if guns will be allowed inside State Fair

Ramsey County judge Laura Nelson says she’ll decide before the Minnesota State Fair opens Aug. 26 whether people who have gun permits may carry their firearms onto the Falcon Heights fairgrounds.
by Matt Sepic

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A summer tradition changes with the climate

A summer tradition changes with the climate

Climate change is affecting everything from campers’ schedules to infrastructure needs to the kinds of trees on the property at Camp Mishawaka in Grand Rapids, Minn. And it isn’t alone; a major insurer of summer camps has pulled out of the business as camps on the coasts lose property to wildfires and hurricanes.
by Paul Huttner

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U.S. struggling to speed Kabul airlift amid hurdles, glitches

U.S. struggling to speed Kabul airlift amid hurdles, glitches

As of Thursday, about 7,000 people had been evacuated in the U.S. airlift, including about 2,000 on each of the past two days. With an Aug. 31 deadline looming, tens of thousands remain to be airlifted to safety.
by The Associated Press

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FTC refiles suit accusing Facebook of illegal monopoly

FTC refiles suit accusing Facebook of illegal monopoly

The regulator is taking another swing at Facebook after a judge tossed out its initial effort in June. It accused the social media giant of illegally maintaining a monopoly.
by Shannon Bond

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Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari on the labor market

Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari on the labor market

Neel Kashkari, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, joined guest host Chris Farrell to talk about the labor market, inflation and the state of the economy in the Upper Midwest.
by Chris Farrell, Kelly Gordon and Alex Cheng

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Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari on the labor market

Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari on the labor market

Neel Kashkari, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, joined guest host Chris Farrell to talk about the labor market, inflation and the state of the economy in the Upper Midwest.
by Chris Farrell and Kelly Gordon

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Forest Service says lightning caused Minnesota wildfire

Forest Service says lightning caused Minnesota wildfire

A wildfire in the Superior National Forest of northeastern Minnesota that crews have been fighting since the weekend has grown to 6 1/4 square miles. The Forest Service says lightning caused the fire near Greenwood Lake, which was first spotted Sunday.
by The Associated Press and MPR News Staff

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A longtime military photographer has a new passion project: Bugs

A longtime military photographer has a new passion project: Bugs

Former military photographer Pablo Piedra's macro photography of Costa Rican insects offers a new perspective of what might otherwise be seen as creepy critters.
by Catie Dull

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The Minnesota State Fair prepares for a smaller, safer return

The Minnesota State Fair prepares for a smaller, safer return

Minnesota's State Fair opens next Thursday, after a year off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But the “Great Minnesota Get-Back-Together” isn't going to be the fair you remember from 2019, either.
by Tim Nelson

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Half of Minnesota is now in extreme drought, but rain is on the way

Half of Minnesota is now in extreme drought, but rain is on the way

Hot and dry weather continue to deepen Minnesota’s drought situation. A pattern change could make a dent in the drought over the next week, starting with a potent storm that hits the state Friday.
by Nicole Mitchell

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Hot, humid weather persists Thursday

Minnesota faces another day of heat and high humidity Thursday, before the weather pattern finally starts to change.
by Nicole Mitchell

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Minn. GOP officials meet amid clamor for party leader's ouster

The state Republican Party’s executive committee holds an emergency meeting Thursday amid calls for party chair Jennifer Carnahan to step down. The meeting comes a week after a federal grand jury indicted Carnahan’s close friend and top GOP donor Tony Lazzaro on child sex trafficking charges. This is an MPR News morning update for Thursday, August 19, 2021. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.

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This surprising debut takes readers to a crossroads of empires and cultures

This surprising debut takes readers to a crossroads of empires and cultures

Vinod Busjeet, like his main character, is descended from the Indian workers brought to Mauritius by French and English colonizers. His debut, “Silent Winds, Dry Seas,” reflects that critical history.
by Jenny Bhatt

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Taliban mark Afghan independence as challenges to rule rise

Taliban mark Afghan independence as challenges to rule rise

The Taliban celebrated Afghanistan’s Independence Day on Thursday by declaring they beat the United States, but challenges to their rule ranging from running a country severely short on cash and bureaucrats to potentially facing an armed opposition began to emerge.
by The Associated Press

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Years in the making, R. Kelly sex abuse trial gets underway

Years in the making, R. Kelly sex abuse trial gets underway

A prosecutor has introduced a jury to the sex abuse claims against R&B star R. Kelly, saying the criminal trial was “about a predator" who used his fame to manipulate children and women.
by The Associated Press

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Minn. GOP officials meet amid clamor for party leader's ouster

Minn. GOP officials meet amid clamor for party leader's ouster

The Minnesota Republican Party’s executive committee is holding an emergency meeting Thursday amid calls for party chair Jennifer Carnahan to step down. The meeting comes a week after a federal grand jury indicted Carnahan’s close friend and top GOP donor Tony Lazzaro on child sex trafficking charges.
by Matt Sepic, Brian Bakst and Tim Pugmire

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Art Hounds recommend a show on the future without honeybees, touring farms and parks

Art Hounds recommend a show on the future without honeybees, touring farms and parks

Plus, the Duluth Superior Film Festival highlights diverse Minnesota filmmakers, and the “Creature Comforts” exhibit at Fresh Eye Gallery offers an encouraging space in stressful times.
by Emily Bright

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St. John's Abbey Church gets a pipe organ worthy of its space

St. John's Abbey Church gets a pipe organ worthy of its space

For half a century, the St. John’s Abbey Church in Collegeville in central Minnesota has attracted visitors from around the world. Now, after a huge expansion of its pipe organ, enthusiasts say it finally has an instrument to match its modernist splendor.
by Will Matuska

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EPA will ban a farming pesticide linked to health problems in children

EPA will ban a farming pesticide linked to health problems in children

Agency officials issued a final ruling on Wednesday saying chlorpyrifos can no longer be used on the food that makes its way onto American dinner plates. The move overturns a Trump-era decision.
by Vanessa Romo

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One of these men is likely Afghanistan's next ruler

Two men — a reclusive 60-year-old mullah who is the Taliban's top commander and a high-profile, battle-hardened lieutenant — are the odds-on picks to form the new regime.
by Scott Neuman

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