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Stories from October 20, 2021

Mineral withdraw threatens proposed Twin Metals mine

The Biden administration announced today it will restart a process that could lead to a 20-year ban on new mining activity over a large swath of federal land in Minnesota. That could deal a major blow to a proposed copper-nickel mine. This is an MPR News evening update for Oct. 20, 2021. Hosted by Nathan Stevens. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.

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Appetites: Sara Farhat's recipe for date anise bars embraces traditional Lebanese flavors and ingredients

Appetites: Sara Farhat's recipe for date anise bars embraces traditional Lebanese flavors and ingredients

Lebanese-American cook and nutritionist Sara Farhat spent more than three years adapting her favorite family recipes from her childhood in Lebanon to create her first cookbook that she self-published and released last month.
by John Wanamaker and Lindsay Guentzel

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FDA OKs mixing COVID vaccines; backs Moderna, J and J boosters

FDA OKs mixing COVID vaccines; backs Moderna, J and J boosters

U.S. regulators are extending COVID-19 boosters to Americans who got the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine. They also said Wednesday anyone eligible for an extra dose can get a brand different from the one they received initially.
by The Associated Press

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How one man’s medical crisis collided with Minnesota’s hospital bed crunch

How one man’s medical crisis collided with Minnesota’s hospital bed crunch

Bob Cameron had suffered through, and survived, a gastrointestinal bleed last year. But when he was admitted to the hospital earlier this month for the same issue, his family says a statewide hospital bed shortage stood in the way of Cameron's recovery.
by Catharine Richert

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Democrats' biggest push for voting rights fails with no Republicans on board

Democrats' biggest push for voting rights fails with no Republicans on board

The Freedom to Vote Act was a unified Democratic effort led in part by West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, who was trying to get Republican support. Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell vocally opposed it.
by Juana Summers and Deirdre Walsh

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Chastity Brown talks music and songwriting in the aftermath of George Floyd's murder

Chastity Brown talks music and songwriting in the aftermath of George Floyd's murder

Minneapolis-based musician Chastity Brown has been called a storyteller. Our sister station, The Current, said, “She uses her voice, harmonica, guitar, and words to set your heartbeat at the right pace. And when she's performing, it all feels right.” They describe her music as “soul and jazz tinged folk.”
by Cathy Wurzer

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What to know about the EPA's plan to regulate 'forever chemicals' in drinking water

What to know about the EPA's plan to regulate 'forever chemicals' in drinking water

The Environmental Protection Agency is moving to regulate so-called "forever chemicals." Known as PFAS, these chemicals are found in a variety of household products and have been linked to health problems, including some cancers. The chemicals have contaminated water supplies throughout the U.S., including here in Minnesota.
by Cathy Wurzer

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Q&A: Minneapolis mayoral candidate Sheila Nezhad

Q&A: Minneapolis mayoral candidate Sheila Nezhad

Host Cathy Wurzer interviews Minneapolis mayoral candidate Sheila Nezhad 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.
by Cathy Wurzer

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Rethinking the 'aspirin a day' mantra for heart attack prevention

Rethinking the 'aspirin a day' mantra for heart attack prevention

One baby aspirin a day keeps a heart attack away. At least that's the understanding a lot of adults have had for some time. But the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is revisiting its guidance on using aspirin for heart health. It released a new draft for public comment this month.
by Steven John and Megan Burks

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Nurses in Plymouth return after three-day strike

Nurse leaders say they have been negotiating with Allina since May. They're seeking a new contract with better pay and benefits. Both sides say they hope to get back to negotiations to resolve the dispute.
by Peter Cox

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What to know about Biden's proposed 20-year mining moratorium

What to know about Biden's proposed 20-year mining moratorium

The Biden administration has ordered a study that could lead to a 20-year ban on new mining in the watershed of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The study could deal a serious blow to the proposed Twin Metals copper-nickel mine near Ely.
by Cathy Wurzer

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White House drops free community college from its spending bill

White House drops free community college from its spending bill

The Biden administration's program to make community college tuition-free will not become a reality in this round of the president's spending priorities, leaving progressive groups disappointed.
by Elissa Nadworny

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Song of the Day: Big Star's 'When My Baby's Beside Me'

Pat Brickson, host of the show Mix Tape on KSRQ at Northland Community and Technical College in Thief River Falls, Minn., picked Wednesday’s song.
by Cathy Wurzer and Kelly Gordon

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'Gentrifier' crafts a narrative about Detroit in darkly comic vignettes

'Gentrifier' crafts a narrative about Detroit in darkly comic vignettes

Culture critic Anne Elizabeth Moore's project is also an investigation of the costs — monetary, psychological, ethical — of the free house she was given for writing, and an ode to her neighbors.
by Kristen Martin

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The influence of social media on our lives

The influence of social media on our lives

It’s only been 16 years since social media entered our lives. But in those 16 years, they have moved from the margins of culture to dominating the news cycle when they went down a few weeks ago. Was this shift inevitable? What influence does social media have on our lives?
by Angela Davis and Susan Davis

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Candidate Azrin Awal hopes to become first Asian American to win Duluth City Council office

Candidate Azrin Awal hopes to become first Asian American to win Duluth City Council office

Azrin Awal, 25, serves on the Duluth NAACP Board and has advocated around issues of sexual violence and housing access. While Awal collected the most votes in August’s DFL primary, she says her campaign has run into anti-Islamic bigotry on Facebook.
by Hibah Ansari

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COVID-19 in MN: Worst of summer-fall surge may be over

COVID-19 in MN: Worst of summer-fall surge may be over

The newest numbers offer fresh evidence that case counts, hospitalizations and community spread are ebbing, although deaths remain relatively high. Officials also said Wednesday they’re getting ready to give COVID-19 shots to kids ages 5 to 11.
by MPR News Staff

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Voter guide: Minneapolis mayoral candidates on how they’d address the city’s top issues

Voter guide: Minneapolis mayoral candidates on how they’d address the city’s top issues

We asked the aspiring mayors how they’d address housing, public safety, climate change and the local economy — plus their opinions on the three questions on the ballot this fall.
by Jon Collins and Grace Birnstengel

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Following weather wet Wednesday, colder air takes hold

A potent storm bringing showers and storms Wednesday is also ushering noticeably cooler weather that lingers through the weekend.
by Nicole Mitchell

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White House details plans to vaccinate 28M children age 5-11

White House details plans to vaccinate 28M children age 5-11

Kids aged 5 to 11 will soon be able to get a COVID-19 shot at their pediatrician’s office, local pharmacy and potentially even their school. The White House is detailing plans Wednesday for the expected authorization of the Pfizer shot for younger children in a matter of weeks.
by The Associated Press

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Minneapolis City Council committee meets over workers’ comp claims

The committee on Wednesday will consider almost $3 million dollars in workers’ compensation claims. The city has already settled $9 million dollars’ worth of claims this year, most with police officers who filed claims for PTSD after George Floyd’s murder and the civil unrest that followed. This is an MPR News morning update for Wednesday, October 20, 2021. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.

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Rainy and cooler for Wednesday

A storm tracking across southern Minnesota is bringing everything from a few heavy areas of rain and storms to a big temperature drop.
by Nicole Mitchell

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What the EPA's plan to regulate 'forever chemicals' means for Minnesota

What the EPA's plan to regulate 'forever chemicals' means for Minnesota

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has an ambitious strategy to deal with PFAS — human-made “forever chemicals” that have polluted public drinking water supplies and accumulated in fish and wildlife. The plan is expected to bolster efforts already underway in Minnesota to deal with the contaminants.
by Kirsti Marohn

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