Stories from December 28, 2021

As as storm exits Minnesota, leaving more heavy snow in its wake, it sets the stage for the first of a couple arctic blasts over the next week.
Former Gov. Cuomo won't face charges from allegations by 2 women
Westchester County District Attorney Mimi Rocah said that while there was evidence to conclude the conduct the women described did occur, the office could not pursue criminal charges.
Minnesota health care workers welcome shorter COVID isolation, and the state announces nearly $50 million in additional federal COVID aid is coming from Washington. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.
Black-owned hospice seeks to bring greater ease in dying to Black families
Black patients and their families are less likely to sign up for end-of-life comfort care. To reach them, investors are starting hospice agencies run by people who look like the patients they serve.
According to the BCA, Austin police officer Zachary Gast fatally shot 38-year-old Kokou Christopher Fiafonou. The police department does not use body cameras.
Fresh ideas for New Year's fare from a Minneapolis chef and activist
With one big holiday meal out of the way and another just around the corner, does the cooking ever stop? Imani Jackson, the chef behind Chopped and Served, a community catering company based in Minneapolis, joined host Cathy Wurzer with some ideas on what to cook up for New Year's.
U.S. move to shorten COVID-19 isolation stirs confusion, doubt
U.S. health officials’ decision to shorten the recommended COVID-19 isolation and quarantine period from 10 days to five is drawing criticism from some medical experts and could create confusion among many Americans.
Healing in the new year: Tuning into your body
This week, we turn our attention to the transition from 2021 to 2022 in a series of conversations with a group of powerful women who are all coaches and healers. On Tuesday, host Cathy Wurzer asked her guests how we can tune into our bodies to know what needs healing.
As 2021 ends, Minnesota Now is reexamining the year through the eyes of key Minnesota newsmakers. On Tuesday, host Cathy Wurzer spoke with JaNaé Bates, one of the community organizers who worked with Yes 4 Minneapolis in support of the policing and public safety charter amendment that ultimately did not pass in November.
MN newsmakers look back on 2021: JaNaé Bates, Yes 4 Minneapolis
As 2021 ends, we’re reexamining the year through the eyes of key Minnesota newsmakers. On Tuesday, host Cathy Wurzer spoke with JaNaé Bates, one of the community organizers who worked with Yes 4 Minneapolis in support of the policing and public safety charter amendment that ultimately did not pass in November.
Minnesota Jan. 6 defendant faces new felony charge
Authorities charged Daniel Eugene Johnson of Austin in June with four misdemeanors, including remaining in a restricted building. Now the 29-year-old is facing a new felony count of interfering with U.S. Capitol Police during the Jan. 6 insurrection.
A multi-million dollar mansion on Lake Minnetonka was extensively damaged by a fire that sent two people to the hospital Monday night.
Officials in Mankato have decided not to discipline two police officers accused of using excessive force when they took a college student to the ground outside his apartment six years ago.
Minnesota's year in photos: Pandemic, protests, people
The state faced COVID-19, racial reckoning and record-setting weather in 2021. Photojournalists working with MPR News captured a lot of hardship, happiness and hope. Here’s a look at what they saw.
The St. Paul Pioneer Press reported Tuesday that former St. Michael Mayor Harold Welter was lying in the driveway of a home Thursday evening when Wright County Sheriff’s Deputy Dustin Hatzenbeller pulled in and ran him over with his squad vehicle.
All this week, we’re listening back to some of the conversations we’ve had on this show over the past year. This hour, producer Maja Beckstrom joins host Angela Davis to share some of the shows that stood out to her.
More snow and ice, then temperatures plummet
A new storm brings more snow and potential freezing rain across Minnesota Tuesday, then brings arctic air into the state. Another storm over the weekend brings even more dangerous cold.
The state’s most recent numbers also show there have been 50,000 confirmed hospitalizations since the pandemic began. This is an MPR News morning update for Tuesday, December 28, 2021. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.
Another round of snow and ice Tuesday
A new storm brings more snow and potential freezing rain across Minnesota Tuesday, causing a second day in a row of travel impacts.
Colorado's first lawmaker to use a wheelchair will finally get to wield the gavel
State Rep. David Ortiz was paralyzed from the waist down while serving in Afghanistan. To give him access to the House podium, legislative staff say they have built the first lift of its kind.
Biden signs $768.2 billion defense spending bill into law
President Joe Biden has signed the National Defense Authorization Act into law, authorizing $768.2 billion in military spending, including a 2.7 percent pay raise for service members, for 2022.
Logic's song '1-800-273-8255' may have led to hundreds fewer suicides, study finds
In 2017, the rapper Logic named a song after the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline phone number. Now, a new study has found it may have had a remarkable impact.
Ready for a change: Couples go all in on small-town life
Many people have made life-changing choices during the pandemic with record numbers leaving jobs, and many relocating. The reasons might be different, but the desire for change is a common theme.