Stories from November 12, 2021

The latest COVID-19 surge and staffing shortages are overwhelming hospitals in central Minnesota. MPR News Evening update for Nov 12, 2021. Hosted by Natasha Senjanovic Our theme music is by Gary Meister.
What we learned from the 2nd week of the Kyle Rittenhouse homicide trial
Several legal experts say putting Rittenhouse on the stand was effective for the defense and agree that prosecutors have struggled at times to make their case. Closing arguments are expected Monday.
White House nominates 10 for U.S. Marshals, U.S. attorney posts
The Biden administration is nominating its first set of U.S. Marshals, including the first Black man to serve as the U.S. Marshal in Minnesota, along with a slate of other historic firsts for U.S. attorney posts across the nation.
Britney Spears' conservatorship has finally ended
After 13 years living under a legal arrangement that controlled both her personal life and finances, the pop star was released from her conservatorship Friday.
Why a St. Paul church is making reparations for racial inequality
A century ago, Pilgrim Lutheran Church was founded in Mac-Groveland, a white neighborhood of St. Paul, less than a mile from the home of a Black couple facing racist harassment and threats for moving to the neighborhood. Today, Pilgrim Lutheran is undertaking a reparations project. A parishioner told Cathy Wurzer why.
A century ago, Pilgrim Lutheran Church was founded in Mac-Groveland, a white neighborhood of St. Paul, half a mile from the home of a Black couple facing harassment for moving to the neighborhood. Today, Pilgrim Lutheran is undertaking a reparations project. A parishioner told Cathy Wurzer why.
Wintry weather carrying strong winds, snow and icy conditions may have contributed to a highway crash in northeastern Minnesota that killed a woman and an 11-year-old boy. 
Friday’s Song of the Day on Minnesota Now came from Will Moore, the music director at WTIP in beautiful Grand Marais. 
Raising a gender expansive child
Host Angela Davis talks about how to support gender expansive children with teacher Tom Rademacher, who wrote a new book about what he’s learned raising his nonbinary art-nerd kid, a pediatrician who leads a gender health program and a nonbinary young adult who works with nonbinary teens.
COVID-19 in MN: Hospital needs hit 2021 highs as surge worsens
Two central Minnesota hospital systems said Friday they’re struggling to find beds for critically ill patients. Separately, new data shows dramatic differences in COVID-19 hospitalization and death rates between vaccinated and unvaccinated Minnesotans.
Fight over U.S. wolf protections heads to federal courtroom
U.S. government attorneys are asking a federal judge to uphold a decision from the waning days of the Trump administration that lifted protections for gray wolves across most of the country. 
For 2nd straight month, Americans quit jobs at a record pace
Americans quit their jobs at a record pace for the second straight month in September, while businesses and other employers continued to post a near-record number of available jobs. 
Black-owned media outlets pressure large companies to fulfill commitments
After the murder of George Floyd, some big corporations — like Target, General Mills, Nestle and DoorDash — made pledges to invest in Black-owned media companies. Now those corporations are under pressure to make good on the promise. Black media makers like Sheletta Brundidge are concerned the promises won’t materialize.
St. Cloud prison reports spike in COVID-19 cases
The Minnesota Department of Corrections said it’s taking steps to mitigate the outbreak, including moving intake processing to Faribault.
A pair of bald eagles was caught on video entangled on a Minnesota street
The two birds writhed around together on a residential street for minutes, unable to separate themselves from each other. They reportedly flew away unharmed without police intervention.
New clues to the biology of long COVID are starting to emerge
Scientists have begun to find abnormalities in the immune systems of some long COVID patients that might help explain the syndrome, at least in some people. But there is still much more to learn.
The cosmos beckons for Snoopy onscreen and in real life
A plush toy version of the daydreaming beagle — wearing a space suit designed according to NASA's strict specifications — has an important job for the Artemis I unmanned mission. NASA uses stuffed animals on flights because when the little guys start to float, it indicates that the spacecraft has entered space's zero gravity.
More snow targets Minnesota this weekend
As Minnesota starts to see improvements from a storm that brought swaths of heavy rain, snow and high winds, another system is on the way with more measurable snow Saturday.
Wintry, windy conditions slowly move out Friday
Snow and gusty winds are still making travel difficult for much of the state Friday morning, but the storm, which has plagued Minnesota since Wednesday, finally moves out by the end of the day.
The Minnesota Department of Corrections reported this week that there are 87 confirmed positive COVID-19 cases among people incarcerated in the St. Cloud prison. The St. Cloud prison typically serves as the intake facility where everyone entering the state corrections system is first admitted. Staff and people incarcerated in all state prisons will be offered booster shots starting next week. This is an MPR News morning update for Friday, November 12, 2021. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer  Our theme music is by Gary Meister.
Olympic gold medalist Suni Lee says she was pepper-sprayed in racist attack
In an interview with PopSugar, the St. Paul gymnast said that she was waiting for a ride with her friends, all of Asian descent, when a group sped by in a car yelling racial slurs. One person in the car pepper-sprayed her on the arm, she said. Suni Lee is currently in Los Angeles for the latest season of "Dancing with the Stars."
A bill to study reparations for slavery had momentum in Congress, but still no vote
Legislation to create a commission to study reparations faces steep odds in the evenly divided Congress. Advocates say they want the House take up the bill, or for President Joe Biden to act on his own.
Low blood supply hampers sickle cell treatment efforts
The Red Cross is trying to triple the number of African American blood donors over the next five years. Donated blood is particularly crucial to those who have sickle cell disease, a genetic blood disorder which disproportionately affects people of African descent.
'Nothing about my book that is anything but love': Mpls. author responds to Texas book list
Texas school districts face a Friday deadline to report to the state's legislature on whether they use hundreds of books that one lawmaker there has deemed problematic, including five by Minnesota authors.
New grant powers electric bus pilot program in Minnesota
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has awarded $2.1 million in grants to private entities for electric school bus pilot projects to address climate change.
Prior Lake grapples with fallout of racist video aimed at Black high school student, posted to social media earlier this week. Support is pouring in for the 14 year old from around the country. Also, Minnesota is getting its first real taste of winter. This is an evening news update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.