Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now

Stories from May 20, 2022

Minnesota Legislature enters final weekend of session

An agreement that puts equal amounts into tax cuts and new spending is on the table, but negotiators are struggling with the details of the various components. DFL House Speaker Melissa Hortman says a tax deal is close that would cut the lowest income tax rate and expand a renter’s tax credit program. The budget surplus agreement also calls for $1 billion in new spending on education, although the distribution plan remains in flux. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Hannah Yang. Music by Gary Meister.
by Hannah Yang

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!
Scant time left for lawmakers as they grasp for session deals

Scant time left for lawmakers as they grasp for session deals

There was progress on some bills Friday, but on the major issues involving large parts of the budget surplus closed door meetings yielded few results as the Legislature entered the last weekend of the 2022 session. 
by Brian Bakst and 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!

Missing U of M student found dead in Mississippi River

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension announced Friday that 19-year-old Austin Retterath's body was found in the Mississippi River on Wednesday.
by Kaila White

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 look at this months hail

According to climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley, the month of May has seen a total of six days where the weather has been dominated by hail. A figure Seeley describes as “absolutely remarkable.” Seeley talked with MPR News host Cathy Wurzer about this month’s hail and more in their weekly weather chat.

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!
Floodwaters up north submerge campsites, threaten cabins and resorts

Floodwaters up north submerge campsites, threaten cabins and resorts

Near-record floodwaters are submerging campsites and threatening cabins in northeastern Minnesota. Officials say the water will continue to rise for the next several days.
by Dan Kraker

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!
NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn't happen this week

NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn't happen this week

A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked them out. Here are the facts:
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!
Writer Meghan O'Rourke discusses the invisibility of chronic illness

Writer Meghan O'Rourke discusses the invisibility of chronic illness

Trying to pinpoint the source of a chronic illness is a murky road for patients, especially when their symptoms morph and move around the body. Writer Meghan O’Rourke found herself hitting dead ends when trying to get a diagnosis for her disease. She joins MPR News host Kerri Miller in this edition of Big Books and Bold Ideas to talk about how we might better see those who suffer from a chronic illness.
by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

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!
Ukrainian Minnesotans celebrate International Vyshyvankas Day

Ukrainian Minnesotans celebrate International Vyshyvankas Day

Members of the Ukrainian community gathered in Minneapolis on Thursday to celebrate International Vyshyvanka Day. Vyshyvankas are traditional embroidered clothing that are considered a form of spiritual armor in Ukrainian culture.
by MPR News Staff

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!
Hope and a future a bike shop in Minneapolis

Hope and a future a bike shop in Minneapolis

Matt Tennant was working at a youth shelter when he discovered that kids were drawn to his bicycle. He began saving used bikes from dumpsters to repair and give to the kids he worked with. In 2008, he founded Full Cycle, which offers mentorship and training for youth who don’t have stable housing.
by Sheila Mulrooney Eldred

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!
Somalis in Minnesota create new terms to define autism and build acceptance

Somalis in Minnesota create new terms to define autism and build acceptance

The Somali language hasn’t included a word for “autism.” Parents say that omission plays into community stigma and misunderstanding. A recent social media post from the Somali musician Aar Maanta highlighted efforts from Somalis in Minnesota to create positive language to identify autism.
by Hibah Ansari

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!
Cool weekend, frosty up north; Memorial Day weekend looking summery

Cool weekend, frosty up north; Memorial Day weekend looking summery

Cooler air is streaming in with blustery west-northwest winds Friday. Highs will be in the 60s and 50s with winds at 10-25 mph.

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!

Facing election headwinds, Minnesota Democrats gather for convention

The Minnesota DFL Party holds its state convention in Rochester this weekend. Unlike Republicans last week, there are no contested endorsements.  This is a morning update from MPR News, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music 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!
Cooler air settles in for the weekend

Cooler air settles in for the weekend

After a stormy Thursday it’ll be cooler Friday with lots of clouds and blustery northwest winds. That will set us up for a chilly weekend.
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!
Budget items stall with just days left in legislative session

Budget items stall with just days left in legislative session

A proposal to legalize sports betting has survived a test amid lawmakers’ efforts to pull together the pieces of a package to spend the Minnesota’s enormous budget surplus with just days remaining in the legislative session.
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!
Millions rushed to leave Ukraine. Now the queue to return home stretches for miles

Millions rushed to leave Ukraine. Now the queue to return home stretches for miles

If you want to get into Ukraine by vehicle, you might have to wait hours at the Medyka border, where people sit in a line of cars that stretches for miles and takes hours to move.
by Ayen Bior, Ari Shapiro and Matt Ozug

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!
Much of the U.S. could criminalize abortion. But how will those laws be enforced?

Much of the U.S. could criminalize abortion. But how will those laws be enforced?

Law professor Kim Mutcherson said that while states are bound by HIPAA laws, individuals are not. This means that abortion "bounty hunters" could help punish people who seek abortions in other states.
by Emily Feng, Jonaki Mehta and Justine Kenin

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!
Artists memorialize the racial justice movement that Floyd murder sparked

Artists memorialize the racial justice movement that Floyd murder sparked

Leesa Kelly founded Memorialize the Movement nearly two years ago to save the paintings that artists created during the week of heartache and rage that followed the police murder of George Floyd. 
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!
Facing election headwinds, Minnesota Democrats gather for convention

Facing election headwinds, Minnesota Democrats gather for convention

High inflation, gas prices and crime rates are all working against incumbent Minnesota Democrats this election year. As the party holds its state convention this weekend in Rochester, party leaders say they believe voters will still prefer them over the Republican alternative.
by Mark Zdechlik

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!
DFL to hold its state convention in Rochester

DFL to hold its state convention in Rochester

On the heels of a GOP state convention that featured several contested endorsements, it’s Minnesota Democrats' turn to gather in Rochester. But there’s much less suspense because DFLers already hold all of Minnesota’s statewide offices.
by Mike Mulcahy and Jessica Bari

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 Osterholm expects new COVID surge, moderate hospitalizations

U's Osterholm expects new COVID surge, moderate hospitalizations

Michael Osterholm, a veteran epidemiologist and director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, joined Cathy Wurzer on Minnesota Now to talk vaccines and COVID subvariants.
by Cathy Wurzer and Simone Cazares

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!