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Stories from December 8, 2021

Starbucks workers decide whether to form first U.S. union

Starbucks workers decide whether to form first U.S. union

Voting is ending at three stores around Buffalo, N.Y. Starbucks had flown in executives to the area and asked federal officials to delay the ballot count.
by Alina Selyukh and Tom Dinki

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Potter trial opens with dueling interpretations of the well-known details of Daunte Wright's death

Potter trial opens with dueling interpretations of the well-known details of Daunte Wright's death, and the Hennepin County Sheriff says he’d been drinking before he crashed his county vehicle near Alexandria early Wednesday morning. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.

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Studies suggest sharp drop in vaccine protection vs. omicron — yet cause for optimism

In small studies in South Africa and in Germany, the results indicate a marked decrease in the ability of vaccines to neutralize this variant. But there are other findings that are encouraging.
by Michaeleen Doucleff

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Explainer: What will jurors hear about Daunte Wright?

Explainer: What will jurors hear about Daunte Wright?

Jurors at the manslaughter trial for the former police officer who said she mistakenly drew her handgun when she fatally shot Daunte Wright will hear testimony about the kind of person he was – within limits.
by Amy Forliti, Associated Press

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Minnesota jurors must speak English — some worry that's a proxy for race in jury selection

Minnesota jurors must speak English — some worry that's a proxy for race in jury selection

Attorneys can’t strike potential jurors because of their race, but they can excuse jurors for linguistic reasons in most courts. It happened in both the Derek Chauvin and Kimberly Potter trials.
by Tom Crann and Megan Burks

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Best ads of the year return to the Walker Art Center

Best ads of the year return to the Walker Art Center

This year, you can catch the best in advertising in Minneapolis once again as the British Arrows Awards make their in-person screening return to the Walker Art Center. Clare Donald and Jani Guest, co-chairs of the British Arrows board of directors, joined host Cathy Wurzer from London to talk about the show and British advertising.
by Cathy Wurzer and Melissa Townsend

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What legislators plan to do with the state's budget surplus

On Tuesday, Minnesota officials reported a projected $7.7 billion state budget surplus. Host Cathy Wurzer spoke to DFL Majority Leader Ryan Winkler and Republican Senator Julie Rosen about their plans for the historic surplus.
by Cathy Wurzer

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Song of the Day: 'Motion of Love' by the Gene Loves Jezebel

Get your hairspray. Wednesday’s Song of the Day comes from Pat Brickson’s “Mix Tape” show, produced in Thief River Falls. His theme this week is ‘80s British new wave.
by Cathy Wurzer and Kelly Gordon

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Hennepin sheriff says he was drinking before I-94 rollover crash

Hennepin sheriff says he was drinking before I-94 rollover crash

Hennepin County Sheriff David Hutchinson said Wednesday he crashed his vehicle near Alexandria, Minn., after drinking alcohol. The Minnesota State Patrol is investigating but said impairment is suspected.
by MPR News Staff and Peter Cox

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Some lockdown drills can harm students' mental health. Here's what one expert advises

Some lockdown drills can harm students' mental health. Here's what one expert advises

The shooting at Oxford, Mich., drew attention to the school's lockdown drills and how students were trained to respond to such crises. But certain high-intensity drills can have negative impacts, too.
by Rachel Treisman

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Minnesotans travel to Myanmar region to support persecuted Karen

Minnesotans travel to Myanmar region to support persecuted Karen

For Minnesota's Karen population, the coup that happened in Myanmar in February and the persecution of the Karen people that has followed are impossible to ignore. Jesse Phenow and Ku Hser, two Minnesotans who are in the Myanmar region to help the Karen, spoke to host Cathy Wurzer before they left Friday.
by Cathy Wurzer, Kelly Gordon and Alex Cheng

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Five GOP candidates for governor say they’ve had COVID-19

Five GOP candidates for governor say they’ve had COVID-19

Five candidates competing for the Republican nomination to run for governor of Minnesota next year said they have all had COVID-19, and they all oppose vaccine mandates. Two said they haven’t been vaccinated. They talked about it Tuesday night at a candidate forum. 
by Tim Pugmire

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A mental health advocate for people with disabilities plans for the future

A mental health advocate for people with disabilities plans for the future

Kayte Barton, a mental health advocate for people with disabilities in Woodbury, Minn., is looking toward her future and planning for retirement. Twila Dang, co-host of the podcast Small Change: Money Stories from the Neighborhood, brought more on Barton’s story to Minnesota Now host Cathy Wurzer.
by Cathy Wurzer and Melissa Townsend

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State DFL, Republican leaders make plans for budget surplus

State DFL, Republican leaders make plans for budget surplus

On Tuesday, Minnesota officials reported a projected $7.7 billion state budget surplus. Host Cathy Wurzer spoke to DFL Majority Leader Ryan Winkler and Republican Sen. Julie Rosen about their plans for the historic surplus.
by Cathy Wurzer

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The state of birth control

MPR News host Angela Davis spoke with a legal expert and the chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood North Central States about changes that could come to birth control in Minnesota.
by Angela Davis, Susan Davis and Mary Ellen Ritter

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Two more rounds of snow target Minnesota this week

Two more rounds of snow target Minnesota this week

Wednesday will be one of the quieter days in an active weather week. More snow targets Minnesota Thursday and Friday.
by Nicole Mitchell

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Minneapolis City Council set to finalize city budget

Minneapolis City Council set to finalize city budget

The Minneapolis City Council is scheduled to finalize the city’s $1.6 billion dollar budget Wednesday night with very few substantial changes from Mayor Jacob Frey’s budget proposal.
by Jon Collins

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Long list of challenges for Minneapolis interim police chief

Long list of challenges for Minneapolis interim police chief

The new interim police chief in Minneapolis is stepping into a leadership role that comes with significant challenges, including a department that is down hundreds of officers, a city experiencing a surge in violent crime and strained community relations over the death of George Floyd. 
by The Associated Press

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Opening statements begin in Kimberly Potter trial

The former Brooklyn Center police officer is charged with manslaughter in the shooting death of Daunte Wright during a traffic stop in April. This is an MPR News morning update for Wednesday, December 8, 2021. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.

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Slightly milder Wednesday despite limited sunshine

Other than a few spots of morning fog and a little light snow, Minnesota gets a quieter weather day Wednesday in the midst of an active week.
by Nicole Mitchell

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Pfizer says COVID booster offers protection against omicron

Pfizer says COVID booster offers protection against omicron

Pfizer said Wednesday that a booster dose of its COVID-19 vaccine may protect against the new omicron variant even though the initial two doses appear significantly less effective.
by The Associated Press

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Major outage at Amazon disrupts businesses across the U.S.

Major outage at Amazon disrupts businesses across the U.S.

A major outage in Amazon's cloud computing network Tuesday severely disrupted services at a wide range of U.S. companies for more than five hours, the latest sign of just how concentrated the business of keeping the internet running has become.

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Australia joins U.S. in diplomatic boycott of Beijing Olympics

Australia joins U.S. in diplomatic boycott of Beijing Olympics

Australia will join the United States in a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics over human rights concerns, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Wednesday.
by The Associated Press

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Supreme Court weighs mandating public funds for religious schools in Maine

Supreme Court weighs mandating public funds for religious schools in Maine

At issue in the case is whether the state, which pays for some students to attend non-sectarian private schools, should also pay tuition for students to attend religious schools.
by Nina Totenberg

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Kimberly Potter trial: Emotions high as video of Wright killing plays in court

Kimberly Potter trial: Emotions high as video of Wright killing plays in court

Opening statements and early witnesses brought intensity and drama to the courtroom Wednesday. Jurors saw police bodycam and dashcam video, including Potter shooting Wright, the chaotic aftermath and his mother’s emotional arrival at the scene.
by Jon Collins, Nina Moini and Matt Sepic

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