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Stories from September 2, 2021

Kent departs as Senate DFL leader, won’t run again

Kent departs as Senate DFL leader, won’t run again

Both Minnesota Senate caucuses will enter the election year with new leaders after DFL Sen. Susan Kent said she would step down from her minority post. It comes a day after Sen. Paul Gazelka relinquished the majority leader job in a runup to a probable governor campaign.
by Brian Bakst

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Police think they have their man in July highway shooting that killed baseball coach

Police think they have their man in July highway shooting that killed baseball coach, with 33-year-old Chicago suspect in custody. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.

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How climate change is strengthening fires, hurricanes and 'weather on steroids'

How climate change is strengthening fires, hurricanes and 'weather on steroids'

This week, we’ve seen fire in California, storms in New Orleans and the Northeast and drought in Minnesota. How is climate change linked to these three separate extreme weather events?
by Paul Huttner

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Deadline close but still no plan for COVID ‘hero pay’

Deadline close but still no plan for COVID ‘hero pay’

There’s still no plan for distributing $250 million in bonus pay for front-line Minnesota pandemic workers with a Labor Day deadline looming. 
by Tim Pugmire

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Why resilience is key to student success in uncertain times

Why resilience is key to student success in uncertain times

Kids’ lives have been disrupted by challenges and uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, social unrest and more. As they get back to the classroom, host Tom Crann spoke with a clinical psychologist about how schools can support student success by teaching resilience.
by Tom Crann, Aron Woldeslassie and Alex Cheng

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AG adds 1st-degree manslaughter charge in Daunte Wright killing

AG adds 1st-degree manslaughter charge in Daunte Wright killing

Ex-Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter will face the additional charge along with the original charge of second-degree manslaughter, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said Thursday.
by MPR News Staff and Matt Sepic

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Reaching out to people who are still unvaccinated for COVID-19

Reaching out to people who are still unvaccinated for COVID-19

One in four Minnesota adults have not gotten vaccinated against COVID-19. Amidst the rise of the delta variant, guest host Catharine Richert talked about who has opted out of the shots and how to engage family members and friends across the vaccination divide.
by Catharine Richert and Maja Beckstrom

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Reaching out to people who are still unvaccinated for COVID-19

Reaching out to people who are still unvaccinated for COVID-19

One in four Minnesota adults have not gotten vaccinated against COVID-19. Amidst the rise of the delta variant, guest host Catharine Richert talked about who has opted out of the shots and how to engage family members and friends across the vaccination divide.
by Catharine Richert, Maja Beckstrom and Alex Cheng

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Water Main documentary, "In Deep: One City's Year of Climate Chaos"

Water Main documentary, "In Deep: One City's Year of Climate Chaos"

During a year already vexed by a global pandemic, residents of Lake Charles, Louisiana, suffered two hurricanes, an ice storm, and a devastating flood — a level of catastrophe that portends our nation’s disastrous climate future and reveals the insufficient safety nets available to the most vulnerable. This documentary chronicles the effects of these disasters over the course of a year, starting with Hurricane Laura in August, 2020.

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Weekend forecast: Mostly dry; Saturday shower chance far north

Weekend forecast: Mostly dry; Saturday shower chance far north

It’ll feel like September this weekend. Most of us won’t see any rain on Saturday or Sunday. We have the details for you.
by Ron Trenda

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Minnesota drought conditions improve, with more rain moving in

Last week’s heavy rain across much of Minnesota made a dent in the drought for most of the state. A storm Thursday and Friday brings a renewed rain chance to some of the areas that still desperately need precipitation. 
by Nicole Mitchell

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Arrest made in July fatal shooting on Highway 169 in Plymouth

Arrest made in July fatal shooting on Highway 169 in Plymouth

Jay Boughton was killed July 6 in what police said they believe was a traffic dispute. Plymouth’s police chief said Thursday he expects the 33-year-old suspect, who was arrested last week in Illinois, will be charged soon with second-degree murder.
by Euan Kerr

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Hurricane Ida's aftermath, recovery uneven across Louisiana

Hurricane Ida's aftermath, recovery uneven across Louisiana

In New Orleans, an ongoing power outage after Hurricane Ida is making the sweltering summer unbearable. But in some areas outside the city, that misery is compounded by a lack of water, flooded neighborhoods and severely damaged homes.
by The Associated Press

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CDC recommends that unvaccinated people don't travel over Labor Day weekend

CDC recommends that unvaccinated people don't travel over Labor Day weekend

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has expressed concern about the further spread of the delta variant. Health officials have been concerned about holiday weekends during the pandemic.
by Scott Neuman

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Rain returns Thursday across Minnesota

Needed rain that spreads across Minnesota throughout the day Thursday will also be responsible for keeping temperatures cooler.
by Nicole Mitchell

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'Intense, consuming': Phillips and staff work to evacuate Americans from Afghanistan

'Intense, consuming': Phillips and staff work to evacuate Americans from Afghanistan

The U.S. military has officially withdrawn from Afghanistan, but there were still about 100 to 200 Americans in the country as of Tuesday. Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota told host Cathy Wurzer about his office’s efforts to evacuate Americans from Afghanistan.
by Cathy Wurzer, Kyle Shiely and Alex Cheng

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Freeman won’t seek reelection as Hennepin County prosecutor

Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman says he will not seek a new term next year. In his 20-plus years on the job, he has been a constant in some of the state’s highest-profile prosecutions, but would likely have faced a tough reelection battle. This is an MPR News morning update for Thursday, September 2, 2021. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.

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Defense, prosecution reverse stances on broadcast of ex-cops' trial in Floyd death

Defense, prosecution reverse stances on broadcast of ex-cops' trial in Floyd death

In a reversal from last year, attorneys representing the remaining ex-cops charged in George Floyd’s killing now want to exclude cameras from the courtroom and prosecutors now favor broadcasting the proceedings when the trial starts next year.
by Jon Collins

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Supreme Court upholds new Texas abortion law, for now

Supreme Court upholds new Texas abortion law, for now

The Texas law bans all abortions in the state after six weeks of pregnancy. That is well before many women even know they are pregnant, and is at odds with the Supreme Court's precedents
by Nina Totenberg

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More than 20 deaths after Ida remnants slam Northeast

More than 20 deaths after Ida remnants slam Northeast

A stunned U.S. East Coast has woken up to a rising death toll, surging rivers and destruction after the remnants of Hurricane Ida walloped the region with record-breaking rain. At least 22 deaths have been linked to flooding from Maryland to New York from the storm's strike.
by The Associated Press

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For 2 weeks every August, Duluth is the nighthawk capital of the world

For 2 weeks every August, Duluth is the nighthawk capital of the world

For two weeks at the end of every summer, thousands of nighthawks fly over Duluth during their marathon migration to South America. It's the largest known migratory concentration of the common nighthawk in the world.
by Dan Kraker

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Art Hounds celebrate nature-inspired sculptures and bold abstracts

Art Hounds celebrate nature-inspired sculptures and bold abstracts

“8 Chapters” in Granite Falls explores the relationships between humans and land through blacksmithing and found natural objects; Minneapolis rock band Jung Yeller’s LP is “a party from front to back,” and Taylor Evan’s abstract paintings grab your attention with their bold colors.
by Emily Bright

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CDC warns against off-label use of COVID vaccine

CDC warns against off-label use of COVID vaccine

Using the COVID-19 vaccine "off-label" — whether that's for booster shots or young children — may be tempting to some vaccine providers, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns it could get them into trouble.
by Sydney Lupkin and Pien Huang

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You may have gotten shortchanged by $125 on that COVID rebate for your car

You may have gotten shortchanged by $125 on that COVID rebate for your car

Auto insurers returned some premium payments to drivers last year when driving slowed at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. But consumer groups say policyholders should have received a larger rebate.
by Joe Hernandez

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Appetites: Amy Thielen’s secrets to a great fish fry

As the summer winds down, many people are going fishing one last time, hoping to catch enough for one more fish fry. Chef Amy Thielen shared her secrets to crispy pan-fried fish with host Tom Crann — and slipped him a recipe for cracker-crusted panfish to boot.
by Tom Crann, Lindsay Guentzel and Alex Cheng

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