Stories from October 18, 2021

Minnesota winter is coming, and so may be heating bill sticker shock as natural gas prices are heading higher this year. This is an evening update from MPR News hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.
Command Chief Master Sgt. Lisa Erikson is the most senior enlisted member of the Minnesota Air Guard. She’s in charge of about 2,000 airmen located at two separate wings and the command headquarters. 
Isaac Yanta, the program director at KQAL in Winona, provided today’s Song of the Day on Minnesota Now.
Photos: Colin Powell's life in public service
Colin Powell died at age 84 on Monday. He spent much of his life in the military and served in the Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush administrations.
Q&A: Minneapolis mayoral candidate Kate Knuth
Host Cathy Wurzer interviews Minneapolis mayoral candidate Kate Knuth to explore her views on the biggest issues facing the city. It’s part of a series of mayoral candidate interviews on Minnesota Now, a new weekly noon show on MPR News.
From Minnesota to Mexico: How do monarchs know where and when to go?
Monarch butterflies, Minnesota’s official state butterfly, spend their summer throughout the Midwest and migrate to Mexico in the fall to avoid the freezing winters. Most have already embarked on their more than 2,500-mile trek south to the sacred pine forests of central Mexico. Hear more about their journey.
Osterholm: 5th COVID wave 'absolutely' possible
“If you are not vaccinated, you can't run out the clock on this virus. It will find you,” Michael Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, told Cathy Wurzer Monday during her new MPR News show, Minnesota Now.
Patients say telehealth is OK, but most prefer to see their doctor in person
An NPR poll finds that while a large majority of people using telehealth during the pandemic were satisfied, nearly two-thirds prefer in-person visits. That may foretell telehealth's future.
The heartache and grief of losing your parents' language
MPR Host Angela Davis talks about the trauma and grief of losing an ancestral language and how people are working to preserve and reclaim their heritage language.
When this hedge fund buys local newspapers, democracy suffers
NPR's A Martínez talks to McKay Coppins of The Atlantic about how a hedge fund, Alden Global Capital, is buying and then gutting newspapers — and the implications for democracy.
Derek Chauvin hires lawyer to represent him on appeal
Derek Chauvin has hired an attorney to represent him as he appeals his murder conviction in the death of George Floyd. Attorney William Mohrman filed a document with the court on Friday saying he would represent Chauvin on his appeal.
How a proposed highway project could affect Hmong farmers in Dakota County
Sahan Journal reporter Andrew Hazzard talked with host Cathy Wurzer about a proposed road project and related concerns from the Hmong American Farmers Association.
The cost of a bad boss
Bad bosses cost everyone — the worker, the organization, the larger economy, everyone. Host Angela Davis spoke with Michelle Singletary of The Washington Post and MPR News correspondent Chris Farrell on the high cost of a bad boss.
New bishop hopes to bring healing to Crookston diocese
Andrew Cozzens has been named bishop of the Crookston, Minn., diocese. A longtime leader in the St. Paul and Minneapolis Catholic diocese, Cozzens said he hopes to bring healing to the Crookston dioceses following an investigation into a cover-up of sexual abuse.
EPA unveils strategy to regulate toxic 'forever chemicals'
The EPA will move to set aggressive drinking water limits for PFAS under the Safe Drinking Water Act and will require PFAS manufacturers to report on how toxic their products are. The agency also is moving to designate PFAS as hazardous substances under the so-called Superfund law that allows the EPA to force companies responsible for the contamination to pay for the cleanup work or do it themselves.
Minnesota goes from almost 20 degrees above average to much more seasonable but chilly highs in the 40s and 50s thanks to a storm that hits Wednesday.
Colin Powell, exemplary general stained by Iraq claims, dies
“We have lost a remarkable and loving husband, father and grandfather and a great American,” his family said. Colin Powell, 84, was the first African American to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and secretary of state.
Aided by breezy winds from the south and abundant sunshine, highs soar up to 20 degrees above average on Monday.
In a special edition of Minnesota Today, host Cathy Wurzer interviews the leading candidates for Minneapolis mayor as part of her new weekday noon show, Minnesota Now. AJ Awed spoke about his priorities for Minnesota’s largest city. Theme music is by Gary Meister.
In a special edition of Minnesota Today, host Cathy Wurzer interviews the first of five of the candidates running for Minneapolis mayor as part of her new weekday noon show, Minnesota Now. Former state lawmaker Kate Knuth spoke about her priorities for Minnesota’s largest city. Theme music is by Gary Meister.
The strike is scheduled to last until 7 a.m. Wednesday. That's when Allina WestHealth says it will reopen its Plymouth location. This is an MPR News morning update for Monday, October 18, 2021. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Theme music is by Gary Meister.
She barely made it out of Kabul. Now she's welcoming Afghans with a familiar meal.
A restaurant in Washington, D.C., is offering donated welcome meals of traditional food to newly arriving Afghans. The chef cooking those meals knows what it's like to leave home and family behind.
Eased rules unleash ‘bulge’ in Minn. eviction cases
More pandemic-related protections for delinquent renters have blinked off and eviction proceedings are picking up. Without a broad moratorium to fall back on, tenants must prove they’re seeking out public rental assistance to ward off removal.