Stories from September 22, 2021

Edison High School goes remote after COVID exposures
Students at Edison High School in northeast Minneapolis will return to remote learning for a few weeks after more than two-thirds of the school population was exposed to COVID-19.
Classic late September weather ahead
Expect very pleasant weather for most days in the next week across Minnesota. Friday may bring a few chilly showers.
Congressional negotiators have failed to reach a deal on police reform
After a Minneapolis jury found a white police officer who killed George Floyd guilty of murder, lawmakers in both parties had expressed cautious optimism that they could broker a deal.
Timberwolves fire basketball ops boss Rosas after 2 seasons
The Minnesota Timberwolves fired president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas on Wednesday, less than a week before training camp in yet another leadership change for a franchise often in flux.
The new Space Force uniforms are causing a stir
A commenter said the new uniforms look like something from “Battlestar Galactica,” adding one of the show's taglines: "So say we all."
A Ramsey County sheriff's deputy struck and wounded a man who allegedly fired at a squad vehicle. Also, healthcare workers are feeling heartbreak and frustration in the midst of the rising fourth COVID-19 wave.  This is an MPR News evening update for Sept 22, 2021. Hosted by Nathan Stevens. Our theme music is by Gary Meister. 
Minnesota Board of Medical Practice amends medical license questions on mental health
Host Tom Crann spoke with Dr. Zeke McKinney, an occupational medicine doctor with Health Partners and president-elect of the Twin Cities Medical Society, about the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice’s move to amend the language on its application for medical licenses.
Is the pandemic keeping you awake? Advice from Minnesota’s leading sleep expert
Sleep is essential to good health. But like so much in our lives, the pandemic has compromised our rest. If you’re feeling sleep-deprived, our expert guest has some advice.
Lost your vaccine card? Here’s how to prove you’re fully vaccinated
More businesses and schools are requiring proof of vaccination for entry or for work. But what if you misplaced or threw away your paper card? You’ve got a few options. But whatever you do, don’t get a fake one off the internet.
Wild sign star wing Kirill Kaprizov to 5-year, $45M contract
The Minnesota Wild signed left wing Kirill Kaprizov to a five-year, $45 million contract on Tuesday, ending a stalemate between the team and the Calder Trophy winner just two days before the beginning of training camp.
Lynx center Sylvia Fowles wins top WNBA defender award
Fowles was named the Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year, her third time winning that award. Fowles finished the season with a league-high 8.3 defensive rebounds per game along with 1.4 steals and 1.2 blocks.
Abstract art created during Chauvin verdict goes up for auction
The starting bid for Minneapolis artist seangarrison’s “Walking on Air,” which he painted outside the Hennepin County Government Center, is $150,000. The sale will benefit Youth Link MN and the Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery, as well as the Equal Justice Initiative in Alabama.
Fall begins Wednesday afternoon, which is appropriate because Minnesota will be in the midst of very seasonable weather for much of the week ahead.
Percival Everett's latest combines racial allegory in history, horror and blood
In “The Trees,” Everett revisits the 1955 murder of Emmett Till, imagining a series of similar killings in the same small Mississippi town. Mixing horror, humor and insight, it's impossible to put down.
Modelers predict a steady decline in COVID cases through March
Though infections are still sky high, the U.S. may be turning a corner, according to a consortium of researchers who forecast the pandemic. And we may well be spared a winter surge.
The final morning of summer starts chilly throughout the state and frosty in the Arrowhead, but 60s and 70s return by the afternoon.
A new MPR News/Star Tribune/KARE 11/FRONTLINE Minnesota Poll shows fewer than a third of voters think the 20-year U.S. war in Afghanistan was worth it. Forty-five percent say they support leaving Afghanistan but didn’t like the way Biden handled the withdrawal. This is an MPR News morning update for Wednesday, September 22, 2021. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.
Poll: Few think war in Afghanistan was worth it; majority favors refugee resettlement
A new Minnesota Poll shows fewer than a third of voters think the 20-year long United States war in Afghanistan was worth it. Forty-five percent say they support leaving Afghanistan but didn't like the way Biden handled the withdrawal. Fifty-three percent say they would support Afghan refugees in their communities.