Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now

Stories from April 20, 2022

Rain wraps up Wednesday evening; brighter Thursday

Rain wraps up Wednesday evening; brighter Thursday

The last rain showers are moving out Wednesday evening. Snow continues into northeastern Minnesota through the late evening. Skies will clear overnight.
by Sven Sundgaard

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Five people found dead inside Duluth home

Five people found dead inside Duluth home

Duluth police say five people were found dead Wednesday inside a home in the city's East Hillside neighborhood, in what officials called an "unimaginable tragedy."
by Andrew Krueger

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Study finds patterns of chemical exposure in MN children

Study finds patterns of chemical exposure in MN children

While concerning, the levels found were lower or similar to the U.S. average in kids. Finding that a child has been exposed to a chemical doesn’t necessarily mean that their health will be adversely affected, a state health official said.
by Elizabeth Shockman

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Brooklyn Center public safety manager resigns after 3 months

Brooklyn Center public safety manager resigns after 3 months

David Zaffrann, who was hired by Brooklyn Center to lead public safety reforms three months ago, announced his resignation Wednesday.
by Sam Stroozas

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
U.S. Rep. Omar meets with Pakistani leaders

U.S. Rep. Omar meets with Pakistani leaders

The meeting was the first visit by a member of Congress since a new coalition government came into power in Islamabad last week after the ouster of former premier Imran Khan.
by The Associated Press

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Looming deadline puts focus back on unemployment fund

Looming deadline puts focus back on unemployment fund

Quarterly business tax payments to refill the state unemployment insurance trust fund are due at month’s end. Lawmakers are still straining for a compromise to undo higher rates.
by Brian Bakst

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

"Buy Nothing" movement is about sharing the wealth

There are more than 5.3 million members in more than seven thousand Buy Nothing Neighborhood groups, including here in Minnesota. Holly Andersen is the administrator for the Powderhorn neighborhood Buy Nothing Facebook group in Minneapolis and she talks with Cathy Wurzer about the philosophy and unexpected impact of the growing movement.
by Cathy Wurzer and Ellen Finn

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Lawsuit could let landlords seek money from state over COVID eviction moratorium

Lawsuit could let landlords seek money from state over COVID eviction moratorium

A federal appeals court has revived a lawsuit challenging the eviction moratorium that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz put in place at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Walz’s executive orders have long since expired. But the decision this month from a three-judge panel in St. Paul could eventually allow landlords to seek financial damages from the state.
by Matt Sepic

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Walz to lawmakers: ‘No special session’

Walz to lawmakers: ‘No special session’

Gov. Tim Walz is warning legislators to get their work done on time, because he has no intention of calling them back for a special session.
by Tim Pugmire

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
The man behind $1 million in scholarships for north Mpls. graduates

The man behind $1 million in scholarships for north Mpls. graduates

Graduating seniors at North Community High School in Minneapolis are getting $10,000 in scholarship money from Pillsbury United Communities. Adair Mosley, President and CEO of Pillsbury United Communities, talks with Cathy Wurzer about why and how he raised the money and how other communities can too.
by Cathy Wurzer and Melissa Townsend

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Rising traffic fatalities 'erasing 15 years of progress in 18 months'

Rising traffic fatalities 'erasing 15 years of progress in 18 months'

Traffic fatalities reached a 15-year high last year even while the number of reported crashes and the volume of cars on the road have both decreased. Mike Hanson, the director of Minnesota’s Office of Traffic Safety, spoke with MPR News host Tom Crann about what can be done to turn things around this year and if there’s a glimmer of hope ahead.
by Tom Crann

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Russian speaking Jews are aiding "cousins" in besieged Ukraine

Russian speaking Jews are aiding "cousins" in besieged Ukraine

For the Jewish community, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine bears a striking similarity to Nazi Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941. Jewish Americans, especially Russian-speaking Jewish Americans, have sprung into action to help those going through a nightmare similar to what many of their ancestors endured. Cathy Wurzer speaks with Journalist Lev Gringauz about what's happening. Lev is an editorial fellow at the magazine "Twin Cities Jewfolk" and hosts the news podcast called “The Jews are Tired.”
by Cathy Wurzer and Ellen Finn

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Preventing fentanyl overdose deaths in Minnesota

Preventing fentanyl overdose deaths in Minnesota

Drug overdose deaths reached a record high in 2021, according to the CDC. And synthetic opioids like fentanyl were involved in about two-thirds of those deaths. On Thursday, MPR News guest host Chris Farrell discussed fentanyl in Minnesota and the work being done to prevent overdose deaths.
by Chris Farrell and Samantha Matsumoto

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Bird flu spreads from flocks to raptors; what's next?

Bird flu spreads from flocks to raptors; what's next?

Nearly 2 million birds in commercial or backyard flocks have been affected by Avian Influenza or bird flu in Minnesota. Today, the University of Minnesota's Raptor Center confirmed that avian flu has killed 12 wild raptors. What is next and how can we all help prevent the spread? Host Cathy Wurzer talks with Jeff Bender, professor at the University of Minnesota in Environmental Health Sciences and Director of the Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center.
by Cathy Wurzer and Melissa Townsend

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

Police kill person in Chisholm; BCA investigating

Officers from several local jurisdictions and the Minnesota State Patrol were searching for a person and vehicle thought to be connected with a recent felony crime in Morrison County, authorities said. No officers were injured.
by Kirsti Marohn

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Big Ten basketball tournaments to make stop in Minneapolis

Big Ten basketball tournaments to make stop in Minneapolis

The conference announced Wednesday that the women’s tournament will be held at Target Center in 2023 and 2024 and the men’s tournament will be played there in 2024.
by The Associated Press

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Rainy Wednesday leads to a warmup

Rainy Wednesday leads to a warmup

Rain showers will fill in Wednesday morning and move east through the midday and afternoon. In northern Minnesota, it will be more snowfall. Winds will be blustery from the southeast.
by Sven Sundgaard

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Ukraine war refugees top 5 million as assault intensifies

Ukraine war refugees top 5 million as assault intensifies

The U.N. refugee agency says more than 5 million refugees have fled Ukraine since Russian troops invaded the country. The agency announced the milestone in Europe’s biggest refugee crisis since World War II on Wednesday.
by The Associated Press

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
A wet Wednesday; snow north

A wet Wednesday; snow north

Anticipate a wet Wednesday with scattered rain showers in central and southern Minnesota with snow in the north. Winds will be blustery from the southeast at 10-20 mph with gusts as high as 30-45 mph. The sun returns Thursday.
by Sven Sundgaard

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

Flu deaths in wild birds raise concern

Waterfowl carry the avian influenza virus across the country as they migrate, leading to outbreaks in domestic poultry flocks. But this year, the virus is killing more wild birds than past outbreaks. Scientists are trying to understand what that means for the future of this virus. This is an MPR News morning update for Wednesday, April 20, 2022. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Grizzlies rout Timberwolves 124-96 to tie series at 1 apiece

Grizzlies rout Timberwolves 124-96 to tie series at 1 apiece

Ja Morant scored 23 points and handed out 10 assists as the Memphis Grizzlies looked much more like the team that posted the NBA’s second-best record, routing the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-96 to even up their first-round Western Conference series at 1 apiece.
by The Associated Press

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
To fight climate change, and now Russia, too, Zurich turns off natural gas

To fight climate change, and now Russia, too, Zurich turns off natural gas

Zurich, Switzerland, is shutting down the gas supply to some neighborhoods. Originally aimed at fighting climate change and saving money, it's also a step to cut gas imports from Russia.
by Daniel Charles

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Avian influenza deaths in wild birds raise concern about changing virus

Avian influenza deaths in wild birds raise concern about changing virus

Waterfowl carry the avian influenza virus across the country as they migrate, leading to outbreaks in domestic poultry flocks. But this year, the virus is killing more wild birds than past outbreaks. Scientists are trying to understand what that means for the future of this virus.
by Dan Gunderson

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!