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Stories from December 20, 2021

State environmental regulators stand by PolyMet air permit

State environmental regulators stand by PolyMet air permit

State regulators have reaffirmed a key permit for the proposed PolyMet copper-nickel mine in northeastern Minnesota. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's new analysis comes after a lawsuit alleged that the agency failed to consider information suggesting that PolyMet planned to build a larger project than was outlined in the permit.
by Dan Kraker

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Hennepin County jury has Kimberly Potter's manslaughter case

A jury is deciding whether a white former Brooklyn Center police officer is guilty of manslaughter in the shooting death of a young Black man. Prosecutors and defense attorneys Monday each presented their closing arguments in the trial of Kimberly Potter. This is the MPR News evening update for Monday, Dec. 20, 2021. Hosted by Natasha Senjanovic. Theme music by Gary Meister.
by Natasha Senjanovic

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Health experts across MN encourage vaccines as hospitalizations soar

Health experts across MN encourage vaccines as hospitalizations soar

Health providers and officials in Duluth and the Twin Cities held news conferences Monday to urge people to take action to help slow the spread of COVID-19, as hospitalizations and deaths from the virus continue to strain hospitals.
by Dan Kraker and Tim Pugmire

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What happened to the economy — and your money — in 2021

What happened to the economy — and your money — in 2021

Economist Kristine West and MPR senior economics contributor Chris Farrell talk with MPR News host Angela Davis about the big economic stories of 2021, what we learned and what trends they are watching for in 2022.
by Angela Davis and Samantha Matsumoto

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Tracking plowable snow Tuesday for the northern half of Minnesota

Tracking plowable snow Tuesday for the northern half of Minnesota

Tuesday’s weather system will bring plowable snow to about the northern half of Minnesota. With temperatures in the teens and 20s, slick roads will be an issue again Tuesday.
by Paul Huttner

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How your brain copes with grief, and why it takes time to heal

How your brain copes with grief, and why it takes time to heal

Grieving is a form of learning, says a scientist who studies the brain's response to loss. When someone you love dies, you have to learn new rules for navigating the world and your brain has to adapt.
by Berly McCoy

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St. Cloud looks to curb spike in violent crime

St. Cloud looks to curb spike in violent crime

The central Minnesota city has had 19 shootings in 2021 — more than double last year. Three of them were fatal. St. Cloud is addressing the surge by hiring more police officers and expanding a program that responds to mental health-related calls.
by Kirsti Marohn

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In 'Sea State,' life gets rocky when a journalist gets involved with her subject

In 'Sea State,' life gets rocky when a journalist gets involved with her subject

Tabitha Lasley spent six months in Aberdeen, Scotland, interviewing men who work on offshore oil rigs. Along the way, she had an all-consuming affair with one of the very first men she interviewed.
by Maureen Corrigan

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Biden boosts fuel-economy standards to fight climate change

Biden boosts fuel-economy standards to fight climate change

In a major step to fight climate change, President Joe Biden’s administration is raising vehicle mileage standards to significantly reduce emissions of planet-warming greenhouse gases.
by The Associated Press

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'Mothers, Fathers, and Others' addresses the realities of motherhood

'Mothers, Fathers, and Others' addresses the realities of motherhood

Siri Hustvedt's essays bring into focus the profound contradictions of motherhood — often eclipsed by the cultural idealization of mothers as the model of self-sacrificing nurturance.
by Sharmila Mukherjee

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Clipper targets northern Minnesota with heavy snow

A fast-moving storm early Tuesday brings snow and reinforces cooler temperatures across Minnesota. Then milder weather returns, which could limit prospects for a white Christmas in southern Minnesota.
by Nicole Mitchell

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Southern Minnesota sees falling temperatures Monday

Behind a cold front, the state stays chilly and breezy Monday, with morning clouds and a few light snow showers.
by Nicole Mitchell

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More than 200 dead after typhoon slams Philippines

More than 200 dead after typhoon slams Philippines

The death toll following the strongest typhoon to batter the Philippines this year has risen to more than 200, with 52 other people still missing and several central towns and provinces grappling with downed communications and power outages and pleading for food and water, officials said Monday.
by The Associated Press

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Attorneys set to make final arguments in Kimberly Potter trial

Attorneys are expected to make closing arguments Monday in the trial of Kimberly Potter. The former Brooklyn Center police officer is charged in the April shooting death of Daunte Wright. This is an MPR News morning update for Monday, December 20, 2021. Hosted by Phil Picardi. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.

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What losing Build Back Better means for climate change

What losing Build Back Better means for climate change

Climate scientists warn that emissions need to fall quickly. Those cuts will be even tougher with the Build Back Better legislation shelved for the foreseeable future.
by Lauren Sommer

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Kimberly Potter trial: Case goes to jury as closing arguments end

Kimberly Potter trial: Case goes to jury as closing arguments end

Jury deliberations have wrapped up for the day in the manslaughter trial of former Brooklyn Center police officer Kimberly Potter in the killing of Daunte Wright. In closing arguments Monday, prosecutors assailed Potter’s conduct, while her defense said Wright’s actions caused his own death.
by Jon Collins, Nina Moini and Matt Sepic

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Much colder Monday; chances of snow mainly north this week

Much colder Monday; chances of snow mainly north this week

Much colder temperatures will return on Monday. Snow will break out across northern Minnesota Monday night into Tuesday. Snow and possibly mixed precipitation are also possible later in the week.
by Bill Endersen

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NHL stops cross-border games, shuts down two more teams due to COVID

NHL stops cross-border games, shuts down two more teams due to COVID

The NHL has shut down operations of two more teams — Detroit and Toronto — in hopes of salvaging the season as COVID-19 outbreaks spread across the league. The Red Wings’ scheduled game at Minnesota on Thursday is postponed.
by The Associated Press

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Outgoing NIH director implores people to stay focused on the 'real enemy' — COVID

Outgoing NIH director implores people to stay focused on the 'real enemy' — COVID

"I get upset because people point to anecdotes of somebody who got sick even though they had been vaccinated and say, 'There, you see, it doesn't work,' " outgoing NIH director Dr. Francis Collins said. "That's way too simplistic."
by Matthew S. Schwartz

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